My mother’s 86th birthday was last Sunday. Daughter #1 got online to a local florist to order a very specific thing for her. #1 ordered a floral arrangement shaped like a cake, with candles on top and sign that said Happy Birthday.
This was a happy idea because Mom hasn’t been able to eat by mouth for about five years now. She take all her liquid and nutrition through a g-tube, which is working just nifty. So she can’t eat cake, so a floral cake is perfect!
#1 Daughter ordered the cake to be delivered on Saturday, since the florist doesn’t deliver on Sunday (Mom’s birthday). As Friday wore on, she began to doubt her internet skillz and called to make sure the order went through.
The florist said, “Oh, yes, that was just delivered.”
“No,” said #1 Daughter. “It was to be delivered tomorrow.” With a sinking feeling, she asked WHAT was just delivered.
Know what the florist said? “I don’t see what we can do about it now.”
#1 Daughter, ordinarily so non-confrontational she makes Gandhi look like Chuck Norris, explained why she wanted what she wanted and why she wanted it when.
The florist said, “We’ll deliver what you ordered when you wanted it delivered. But we’ll have to take the other arrangement back.” (Emphasis mine.)
Mom is usually pretty sharp, but sometimes she has bad days when she’s easily confused. It fell to me to explain to her on Saturday morning that the florist was going to come deliver what #1 had actually bought for her and was going to take her beautiful roses away. She understood, although she, like the rest of us, wondered what they were going to do with a second-hand bouquet. She asked me three times that morning to remind her why the florist was going to take the roses away.
I usually get her going in the morning and then go home, but Saturday I thought I’d better stay to deal with the florist. And lucky I did. The phone rang. I answered.
“I’m with the florist. I’ve got this cake to deliver to you, are you going to be home?” I told her “I” would be here. “I’m on my way.”
Understand, the fact that the arrangement was shaped like a cake was a surprise, which would have been squelched if Mom had answered the phone instead of me. Understand, too, that she can’t eat cake, so telling her you’re bringing her “a cake” might very well cause her to tell you not to bother.
Two hours later (the shop the florist was “on my way” from is a 15-minute drive), the florist arrived, delivered the “cake,” and took away the used roses.
I had had to leave, and Mom didn’t ask her what they planned to do with them.
Good think my mom is a nice lady. I wanted to spit in them or sneeze on them or something. But Mom said, “Don’t be ugly,” and laughed.
I wanted her to stretch out on the couch and cry when they took the roses away, but she wouldn’t.
She’s a saint.
Here, again, is what her granddaughters got her:
She loves it very much.
I’m posting today at Fatal Foodies about tuna melt.
A WRITING PROMPT FOR YOU: What would your main character do in the above situation? The flower one, not the tuna melt.
MA
Dan
January 19, 2016 at 7:15amHard to press ‘like’ – I have had such bad luck with florists that it doesn’t surprise me, but it still makes me sad. So much of their business is in the “I have to have this” mode that I really don’t think they care about the people buying the arrangements or the people receiving them.
Marian Allen
January 19, 2016 at 8:21amI’m going to test that theory the next time I need a florist by going to a different one. They really ticked me off, as if you couldn’t tell. heh
Jane
January 19, 2016 at 8:51amFlowers are such beautiful things; it just royally sucks when they become objects of neglect or contention. WHY!
Oh! Time to do a YELP review!
Marian Allen
January 19, 2016 at 11:42amShe said she was going to write a letter. We shall see. Since it was her transaction, I need to let her handle it.
Holly
January 19, 2016 at 11:11amSo, makes me wonder what they’re planning to do with the “used flowers.” I don’t know if this is what your daughter did, but I rarely (if ever) order via FTD anymore – I look up local florists, check reviews, call them, talk to the florist, and if they sound like they know what they’re doing and understand what I want from them, they get my business. If they sound clueless or perfunctory, they don’t. That simple. I often get better deals by going local and direct.
Marian Allen
January 19, 2016 at 11:44amThis was through the local florist’s website. If I ever need to order flowers, I’ll follow your advice.
A.C. Flory
January 19, 2016 at 6:40pmThe ‘cake’ is absolutely beautiful but the florist should be shot, or at least held head down over a pile of fresh manure. You should name-and-shame them. Grrrr….
Marian Allen
January 20, 2016 at 8:18amOver a pile of fresh manure! LOL! And you posted about practicing kindness, too. LOL! Of course, as much as the florist irritated me, that WOULD be kinder than the evil wishes I had. ha! I wanted to be there when they came, so I could take a picture of them taking the roses away, but I had to leave. That would have been priceless.
A.C. Flory
January 20, 2016 at 4:21pm-blush- No one’s perfect. And yes, have a photo would have been…-cough- the icing on the cake. 😀
Shelly
January 20, 2016 at 1:43amWhat a sweet thoughtful gift! Too bad the florist had to be so difficult, and taking away the roses was just plain tacky. I think I’d go leave the florist a review on YELP.
Marian Allen
January 20, 2016 at 8:23amTACKY! That’s the exact word for it!
Your Crazy Cake looks SO GOOD! I’ve seen bunches of recipes for it, but you’re the first person I’ve known to actually make it. So it’s delicious, eh? Good to know!
Shelly
January 20, 2016 at 12:58pmThe crazy cake is better than it looks! In the past 20+ years, I’ve probably only made chocolate cake once or twice because “supposedly” my husband doesn’t like chocolate cake. Judging by the way, he devoured this chocolate crazy cake, I think he needs to re-evaluate his hate of chocolate cake.
Cheryl
January 21, 2016 at 4:33pmAch! The beasts! To screw up then TAKE BACK the mistake as though punishing you for wanting what was ordered and paid for? It’s confirmed for me now. Customer service has died completely. Happy Birthday to your Mom. I do understand all the things you mentioned.hey, I know this fire breathing dragon…..hehe..
Marian Allen
January 21, 2016 at 5:48pmOh, Cheryl, why so you do! ~evil grin~
Mom says thanks for the birthday wishes. 🙂