Long before there was the “Website” where customers could visit your business on the web, there was the lowly toll free 800 number. 1800Flowers was part of a marketing movement that made selling products nationwide for a fair price easy … customers just had to respond to the advertisement (on TV, radio, or print) by dialing a hassle free 800 number.
1800flowers did for flower purchasing what was happening for many other products and services at the time. You name it, it was being sold by direct response. Even mattresses! 1800flowers rolled something out nationally that used to be the province of local businesses and showed the power of direct marketing. It gave customers new choices, new options, and a new level of convenience for making purchases.
Not all those “1-800″ operations survived. And not all that survived made a successful transition to doing business on the internet. But 1800flowers is one that did survive and has an excellent web operation. And as you can see by the image they joint venture with the big names so they’ve become a brand and not just a commodity product.
I’ve used their services myself when they had an exceptional buy for Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day and other special occasions and never was disappointed with the product, price, or service level. That’s good for husbands to know – we get in enough trouble as it is without botching up the flowers too or having them delivered late!
Here’s a video at YouTube for 1800Flowers http://www.youtube.com/user/1800flowers
And even though people can go online, it’s nice to know that I can still dial a simple number in an emergency.
Would that all business models – and our businesses – worked so well!
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