FTD.com

for when you care enough to send the very best...but the florist doesn't give a crap.

Scott sent me flowers for my birthday. He ordered them online from FTD.com thinking that it would be quick, and he would surprise me with them. He didn't have a phone book in his office that listed Manhattan florists, or he would have used it (Ft. Riley is on the Junction City phone system, which is actually LONG DISTANCE from here - go figure - it's only 10 miles away!).

So, he orders an arrangement, medium-sized, to be delivered. He orders it early Friday a.m. When he gets home, he asks if I've been home all day, to which I answered yes (because I WAS!). But he's upset, and has to tell me of his "surprise", since it's almost 5:00 p.m. and they're not here yet. We go out to eat at the Chinese Buffet for my birthday dinner (I was going to make chicken, but he felt badly that I didn't even get my flowers!). We got home at 6:00 p.m. and he called FTD.com. They said they'd contact the florist (but wouldn't release the name of the local florist). At 7:15 p.m., I left to go sing with many of the cast members from For Our Boys - we had been asked to sing at a sorority dinner. I went karaokeing afterwards.

I got home and saw this pathetic little arrangement of flowers. Don't get me wrong, I'm not being ungrateful; I truly appreciate that Scott wanted to send me flowers. It doesn't happen often, so I am always thrilled. It was delivered at NINE P.M.!!!! Honestly! Nine in the evening is NOT when most people are wanting to open their doors...kids are in bed, people are comfy in the warmth of their house....sheesh! It was a cute arrangement, but what made it pathetic was the fact that the flowers were mostly dying! You see, I got flowers from my sister on November 30th - a "break a leg" arrangement, wishing me luck on opening night of the show. As of today, it is still blooming and healthy. It has lots of yellow daisies (I know, they're really a mum!) and they are open, fully petaled and beautiful. All the flowers are open, pretty, and looking good, an entire week and a half later.

The arrangement that was delivered had the same yellow daisies. But the petals were missing, curled, skinny and looked unhealthy. There were other similar flowers in both arrangements. This NEW arrangement looked like it had been left outdoors for a day or two in the cold and miserable ice.

So, the following morning, Scott calls FTD.com. They have a disclaimer on their website "100% money back guarantee if not FULLY satisfied". He wasn't satisfied. He ordered a "medium" arrangement, and this did NOT appear to be medium-sized at all. He told them this. He told them of the condition of the flowers. He told them about the week-old arrangement that looked better than what we received. FTD.com contacted the florist - the florist said they were COMING BACK TO GET THE ARRANGEMENT. Yes, they actually came back to get it, just as we were leaving for the Commanding General's Christmas reception. Lucky for them they got here at that time, or it would have been waiting on the doorstep! The guy looked at it and said, it doesn't look THAT bad! (the fact that he used "THAT bad" as a phrase...well that says it all!).

Scott feels terrible about it. He wasted a lot of time trying to brighten my day and in the end, I didn't even get to keep the cruddy flowers. But you know what? His heart was SO in the right place, and I wasn't expecting diddly-squat since he let me pick out my (OH-SO-TOTALLY-AWESOME) printer....and I do love him for it. And I think he appreciates the fact that I didn't ooh and aaah over the flowers that were less than stellar.

And you know what? I'm okay with that. And even FTD.com isn't SOOOO bad - but I won't be buying flowers from Steve's Floral in Westloop, not ANYTIME soon!