Bloom

My sister had a baby earlier today and I picked a cute arrangement from the shop. The woman who worked there was very nice. It took a little while for my sister to get a room so I picked up later and hand delivered because the woman said if it wasn’t delivered by 4pm, it would be the next day (today is a Sunday so this did not surprise me) and I didn’t want to take any chances!

Beware that you may not get what you pay for!
I called Bloom from out of state today to order flowers for an elderly patient having major surgery at Overlook Hospital. Unlike FTD, their website does not show set arrangements that are generally available on any given day, so we discussed what flowers they have in stock today and how much I wanted to spend. We then agreed on an arrangement of Gerbera daisies and roses. I gave Laura my credit card information and she took my phone number in case there were any issues.
Delivery was very prompt. That’s about the only positive aspect of the transaction.
A relative was there when they arrived and he sent me a photo to say thanks. The arrangement was really, really disappointing! There were 3 Gerbera daisies and some other fill in a very small bouquet but not a rose in sight. You could buy a comparable bouquet at Trader Joes for $ 10-​$ 15 max, multiples less than what I paid. I immediately called the shop back to express my disappointment. Laura confirmed that no roses were included, saying she had decided to swap them for something less expensive. Excuse me? We specifically discussed the content of the arrangement and If I order roses, I expect to get roses. I then asked why, given that she had taken my phone number, she did not call to seek my consent before unilaterally changing my order. No response. I can’t help but believe the reason is because she assumed that, not being local, I would never actually see the arrangement. I find that really troubling. It is certainly not an ethical way to do business.
She asked what I would like to see done, and I said I thought a partial credit in some amount would be fair. She repeatedly insisted the best she could do to make things right was to go back upstairs, take back the flowers that were delivered, and swap them for a new bunch, which would allow her to resell the original ones. I reminded her that we are dealing with an 80+ year old patient just out of major surgery and I was not about to have her subjected to unnecessary intrusion when she does not know there were supposed to be roses and she can simply enjoy that someone thought to send her flowers. So please leave her alone, I implored, and let me deal with the rest. I was absolutely flabbergasted that the notion of barging into a patient’s room under such circumstances didn’t faze them in the least. It was only after I ultimately threatened to dispute the entire charge to my credit card company that the shop finally agreed to a partial credit of about 20%. In agreeing to do so, however, Laura apparently could not help but offered a snide comment to the effect that she hopes I know that the hospital gift shop donates its profits back to the hospital. Well that is wonderful. But it surely does not justify a bait and switch. If I want to make a charitable donation I do so without seeking or expecting anything whatsoever in return. When I order and pay for a product, I expect and am entitled to receive just that.
Shame on Bloom. I wanted to give my business to a local entity rather than one of the biggie flower franchises. Lesson learned.

Called Bloom today for the first time to order flowers for my wife’s birthday. They were delivered within a couple of hours and she loved them. Free delivery to Overlook Hospital. Will definitely use again.