ASD Gifts and General Merchandise Special Report

Trends in Getting Gift Sales (From page 63) gift. We don’t have too many items that would exceed the cost of the flowers. Most of the add-on items are a way to increase the sale and the enjoyment of the gift for the recipient,” Grob explained. “As a smaller retailer trying to carry things the larger retailers don’t have—we try to stock gifts that are local, different, and from smaller companies so we’re offering people things they wouldn’t get somewhere else.”

Florists utilize different methods to encourage adding a gift. “If someone is ordering a flower arrangement or plant, we will ask if they want to order something from the gift shop,” Tiller said. “We also have an ‘add on gift’ option online. We have gift sets, which are a fun way to add a gift on. We’ll do a theme, like a journal and a mug.” Tiller said when it comes to customer service, the team at Strawberry Fields strives to be visible and available, but not pushy. “We really like to treat everyone like they’re special. Many of our customers are repeat customers. If someone comes in for flowers, they may not know what to do. We offer help and let them know we’re here. But we try to let people be—there’s a lot to take in. We’ll be here designing, but available if people have questions.” Grob said exceeding customers’ expectations is her best customer service tip: “It sounds so cliché, but I would say under-promise and over-deliver. Setting realistic expectations, then providing above and beyond that makes for a great customer experience.” Kohles said customer satisfaction is their primary goal: “We’ll go out of our way to make a delivery. My fiancé gives tips on how to care for certain plants so the customer understands what they need to do. Just providing friendly, Christian-based customer service [works].”

Haas-Sheard said communicating with the customer is key to making a sale. “The most important thing is to listen to what the customer is looking for and educate them as to what their options are rather than strictly ‘upselling.’ Give them options so they don’t feel they are being upsold. For instance, if someone is coming in and celebrating someone’s birthday, ask them if they need a card, or would the recipient enjoy some gourmet cupcakes? And have the products placed so the customer can see them. Have things visible to make the suggestion. Ask people what they like. If they’re looking for a gift but don’t necessarily want flowers, ask them what they like. Then ask them what their budget is.”

She added it’s all about thinking creatively and finding ways for gifts and flowers to work together as much as possible: “Look at pieces that would work well with flowers. For instance—a travel mug. They have a useful gift afterwards, and you are still selling the flowers. It’s a slow process because if people don’t know you have gifts, it will take time for people to build that knowledge in your community. Try to break that stigma. Word of mouth works great—hold an after-hours shopping spree to educate the community about what you do and what you have available. Hold classes to educate people. Continually add things you think are good and are at good price points. Add to your collection.” ❖