I ordered the "Treasure Garden" arrangement for my mother's birthday and paid just over $90…read moreincluding delivery. When I saw the arrangement later that day, I was disappointed to notice that several flowers already appeared to be showing signs of age. The snapdragons were beginning to droop, one of the roses had outer petals that were already curling, and the peony, one of the focal flowers in the arrangement, was already fully open. While none of those things alone would have concerned me, taken together they gave me the impression that not every stem was at peak freshness when the arrangement was made. By Day 7, virtually everything except the lilies and hydrangea had reached the end of its life.
When I contacted the florist, I was told that a vase life of 6-9 days is considered normal and that, based on my photos, they didn't see any indication that the arrangement had failed to perform or last as expected. I understand that fresh flowers are perishable, and I wasn't expecting them to last indefinitely. My concern wasn't simply that the arrangement lasted seven days. My concern was that several flowers appeared to be declining on the day they were delivered, which I believe contributed to the short life of much of the arrangement.
I was also disappointed with the delivery experience. I had specifically requested delivery before 11:00 a.m. so the flowers would be a surprise while my mother was home. When that wasn't possible, the florist contacted my mother directly instead of me, the purchaser, which unfortunately spoiled the surprise. What disappointed me most was the customer service. Rather than acknowledging my concerns or addressing the delivery issue, I felt they were dismissed. I wasn't looking for a refund or expecting flowers to last forever. I simply hoped for some recognition that, for the price paid, the flowers should have arrived at peak freshness and that my concerns were valid.
Unfortunately, that wasn't my experience.