Caffi’s Flowers And Gifts

Happy Birthday to me – Not! NEVER use these people. My wife ordered flowers via FTD yesterday for my birthday for delivery at my office. Despite an e-​mail from FTD saying they had been delivered, they had not been. They finally came a day later. I signed for them and brought them up to my office. In the meantime, my wife called — while out of town in Toronto for business– and complained and got a refund. But then FTD called the florist & told them. So, I had to GIVE THEM BACK!!! I actually had to truck them back down to reception and hand them over to the delivery guy! You think they would have let me have them as a good will gesture. But they went by the letter of the law, as they say rather than the spirit. Shoddy, shoddy treatment. Be forewarned!

Ordered through teleflora and the bouquet came from this florist. Not only were the flowers the wrong color but they barely lasted 48 hours. I’ve had better luck with flowers from Wegmans and Costco. Finally got a refund from teleflora since the florist refused to pick up the bad flowers. I’d avoid these people.

I am a long time ‘Vienna Girl’ with deep roots in the area. I moved to NC a month ago and wanted to send my mother flowers for Mother’s Day. I had a special request so I opted to call a florist directly vs. order online from a Proflowers/1−800-Flowers. This was my mom’s first Mother’s Day without her mom as she passed away in the fall and without me. Double Whammy. So, when I needed a florist, I called Caffi’s without hesitation. They have always had a great reputation and certainly have been a Vienna staple.
I called Thursday morning. I went to their website and found an arrangement I liked. It was purple daisies and some other small purple flowers. In honor of my grandmother, I asked her to put one fake rose in the arrangement. My mother is deathly allergic to roses, but it is very symbolic of my grandmother. When we were discussing delivery dates/​times — she said she could do Sunday. I was in shock. I didn’t expect anyone to actually deliver ON Mother’s day. Naturally that is what I opted for.
Saturday I get a call from my mom thanking me for the flowers. She didn’t mention the rose so I pried a bit and asked if there was anything different on the arrangement. She said — yes there was a rose, but Dad pulled it out before it was brought inside. They put a real rose in. I asked her to send me a picture. When I got the picture I was horrified. It was the WORST looking arrangement I had seen. Flowers were missing petals. There was a bunch of greenery. I picked this arrangement because it didn’t have greenery. I called on Saturday to find out what had happened. I expressed my disappointment. They insisted on re-​delivering on Sunday. I didn’t see the point. Flowers are meant to be a surprise and special. Not something you do again and again until you get it right. I was tired of arguing and I agreed that they could re-​deliver on Sunday.
They did deliver again. This time it did have the fake rose in it. It was still loaded with the terrible greenery. I would love to post pictures of what the website shows vs what was actually delivered. I would love to email them and show them. They don’t have an email address however.
I would have ranked one star — but I will give 2 as it was Mother’s Day weekend.
As a business owner, I would have followed up with me after the second delivery to ensure I was happy. They would not have liked my answer — but that is what customer service is all about.

I don’t like giving lousy reviews, but some experiences should be shared so that others know what to possibly expect.
I placed an order for a money tree in the evening, for delivery the next day. Typed up a carefully crafted little note at 60 characters per line. Said exactly what I needed and wanted it to say. The morning of delivery I get a call from Caffi’s and am told that they don’t have any money trees in at the moment. Unfortunately, there was a huge language barrier between myself and the woman who called, as she was entirely unable to answer my questions and provide me with enough information to feel at ease with the alternative she suggested (bamboo). So I told her I would look online when I arrived to work, and would return the call. However, the website didn’t have an example of «lucky bamboo plant,» so I was completely at a loss as to what to do. I went over with her that the gift needed to be a potted plant, minimal and small. To which she responded, «I know.» She then recommended a large fruit basket with colorful flowers attached…
When I asked if the orchid in another arrangement was potted or cut from the root, she responded, «ok.» The entire phone «conversation» was just frustrating. I can appreciate that people speak different first languages, but I would also greatly appreciate being able to speak to someone who understands mine and can help me quickly and efficiently do business without leaving concerns in my mind.
After asking and being assured the bamboo was in soil, small, minimal… etc…I went with that. I’m a bit nervous, but she tells me it’s nice, so I’ll go with it. BUT, we are not yet done. See, the accompanying message pertained to the money tree, so it had to be fixed. But only minorly. VERY minor. ONE WORD deleted, removed, taken out… that’s it. I explained it two or three times and she kindly said she would make the change.
I was a wreck for hours, wondering what would arrive. What was sent was stalks of bamboo in a vase full of water with stones at the base, and some sprigs of green hypericum berry flower interspersed amongst the shoots. It doesn’t look awful, but it doesn’t look great either. It’s not small/​conducive to keeping on a desk at work, and it’s not planted as I specifically requested. And it certainly is NOT worth the price I paid. Totally bummed there were no money trees available.
But on top of the disappointing gift… the personalized message was completely botched! That angered me more than anything. I asked for one word to be removed, and the message to be started after that one word and kept as is. SIMPLE. Botched. I had to explain the message and the sentiment… something that the gift and message alone should have done. I was crushed. Embarrassed. And obviously… peeved.
I called the woman back after work to tell her I was very disappointed. She either didn’t want to deal with it, or still didn’t understand. I don’t know what I expected… it was already delivered and botched, and there isn’t much one can do… but for the sake of caring and good customer service — a refund, a store credit; or hey, at least a simple apology would have been nice.
So I won’t be doing business here again. I have never been to the florist in person — it looks like a nice little spot. My recommendation would be to go directly and do business in person. I’m sure placing an online order for something that IS available isn’t a bad thing either. But if it turns out it’s not available, and you get a phone call… just request a refund and go somewhere else.
Ugh.