From: BALLOONAIR@aol.com
Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 03:31:51 EST
Subject: Re: balloondeco-d Digest V00 #15 - Flowers Inc. Question
To: balloondeco@balloonhq.com


I'm a little puzzled by the post from <<Theresa Jordan Balloons 'N Stuff>> 
about placing a large order with Flowers Inc. You say you are "one of the 
lucky few who have the capital to stock my store quite well".  I'm sure 
Flowers takes credit cards.  Why didn't you pay by credit card?  It sounds 
like you don't have a credit card.  Perhaps you do, but if so, I'm puzzled 
that you didn't mention it at all in your post, in fact I'm puzzled that you 
didn't mention that you DON'T have one either.  That would seem to be a 
"duck" which you ought to have in your "row".  And if you haven't got 
plastic, why not just send them a check and let it clear if you started this 
order last week?  COD? Cashier's Checks?  Wire Transfers?  Several thousand 
dollar orders with a company you know nothing about?  Why?  How long have you 
been in the balloon business and know nothing about Flowers?  They're a 
pretty big name - Maxine Burton, the head honcho, has even been awarded the 
IBAC Crystal Award for Flowers' contribution to the balloon industry.  They 
have open houses and teach seminars, and carry all sorts of stuff.  I don't 
order a lot from Flowers, I find them to be a little pricey, they are 
definitely on my reserve list because they usually have in stock what I'm 
looking for when my regular supplier doesn't, and they will ship it to me 
fast.
I'm curious from whom you usually get your stuff and why you didn't give your 
regular supplier your business on this large order?  Are you new in business? 
 You certainly don't seem to have established a credit account with Flowers.  
Frankly if I were Flowers and someone with no credit card who had seldom 
ordered before, and hadn't established a credit account suddenly placed a 
huge order I'd be a little suspicious.  I don't know what all you ordered, or 
how many thousands of dollars it was for, or more importantly what the 
shipping weight was, but if I was "one of the lucky few who had the capital 
to stock my store quite well" I wouldn't bat an eyelash at fronting $700 for 
shipping with a promise of reimbursement for any difference between that and 
the actual cost.  I'd probably ask for confirmation of the cost before 
approving of the sale.  They should certainly be able to tell you before they 
ship it how much it was going to cost and offer you veto power on the sale.
I don't know you at all, but I find your post disconcerting.  Something 
doesn't sound right.  You try very hard to command respect as a savvy 
business person
<>
<<they sound as if they don't have all their ducks in a row>>
<<sounds as if they don't know what they're doing>>
yet you sound inexperienced and on the offensive.  Perhaps you should ease 
your way into this, establish yourself with the vendor before telling them 
how to run their business or ship their product.  If they've never shipped by 
truck that's a fairly good indicator that they are not accustomed to orders 
of your size - find a company who does.  Obtain the very conventional credit 
card.  Put some of that capital into a high credit limit, stop paying COD, 
forget about cashier's checks and wire transfers and start earning some 
frequent flyer miles and pay next month for your purchases.  Research several 
suppliers before ordering several thousands of dollars.  Waive those dollars 
in front of those suppliers until you find one who treats you in the manner 
to which you have become accustomed.

     O~     Danny Magowan
O~          Balloon AffAIRs
   O~       Syracuse NY