In a world where almost anything can be purchased online, customers are increasingly reliant on reviews to inform buying decisions as well as being more likely to read negative reviews than positive. Reviews are a great way of understanding customers’ wants, needs and expectations - so we did the digging so you don’t have to!
Three main topics stood out to us…
- 🛍 Delivery
- Gifting flowers is more often than not celebrating an occasion or event, meaning that delivery is extremely time sensitive, so I’m sure it won’t come as a surprise that delivery is number one on the list. In fact, over half of all reviews mention delivery as a factor and a poor delivery experience accounts for approx two thirds of 1 star reviews.
- ⏰ Quality & Accuracy
- Not only is it important for bouquets to arrive on time, it’s also crucial for our customers that what arrives replicates the image they’ve seen online. Our customers spend approx 2 minutes on average between viewing a product and adding it to their basket. They take time choosing the perfect arrangement to send their loved one so unexpected changes aren’t typically welcomed. Not to mention our “what you see is what you get” customer promise - don’t worry, we’ve got a full substitution policy too!
- It should go without saying however our customers expect the highest quality and browning petals or snapped stems understandably won’t cut it for them. Senders feel that low quality products lessens the meaning of the gift, and some have said it makes them look bad in the eyes of the recipient! With that said, quality is the most common factor included in a 5 star review so get it right and you’ll reap the rewards.
- 🗣 Customer Service
- Communication is key - while it can be disappointing for customers to have orders delayed or stems subbed, it’s where there’s a lack of communication around these issues that we really see the negative feelings expressed.
- Making these changes with as much notice as possible gives the customer options and avoids them feeling as though their order isn’t important to their chosen florist. There’s also a few things you can do to help soften the blow - speaking of…
What can I do to avoid a negative review?
- Communicate with Floom’s support team for order impacting issues so that these can be relayed to the customer in good timing - did you know you can chat to us on WhatsApp?
- If you do find that you need to make changes to an order, why not offer a free upgrade or add on? Our support team can use this and position the changes in a more positive light so customers are more likely to accept the changes than to decline and ask for a refund
- Deliver orders within their timeframes and utilise FloomX order status to keep them in the loop
- Be prepared to make things right - a negative experience can easily be turned into a positive when a quick and fair resolution can be offered. A delivery fee refund now costs nothing compared to multiple negative reviews and low ratings.
- Make the most of your most used stems! If you’ve got certain stems you’ve always got in stock, why not use them in your Floom designs to reduce the risk of needing to make changes? Or you can see the stems our customers love most here
- Similarly to above, make sure your delivery configurations work in your favour. Got a stem you don’t regularly stock but use it for a product you offer on same day delivery? You’ll likely need to substitute the order so why not change your delivery settings or rework the bouquet recipe for something you’ve always got to hand?
To find out more about how review ratings are calculated, check out our article: How does it work?