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Extra Features and Video Online FloristsReview.com R E A D O N L I N E 59 What about the human touch? Your delivery driver is the literal face of your brand to many consumers; he or she may actually be the only person consumers ever see. Your deliv- ery execution says as much about your brand as the product itself. In a perfect world, you would have an efficient, highly trained delivery staff driving beautifully branded company vehicles to usher in that premium experience. is may, in fact, be your best option for large installations, large-volume orders or complicated funeral setups. But the in- house staff overhead is awfully heavy for most small business- es to carry on a daily basis. OUTSOURCED DELIVERY OPTIONS Increasingly, businesses are outsourcing delivery including wire-service networking, batched floral pools and part-time contractors. But the COVID pandemic innovated another tier of outsourced delivery for single transactions. Services like Cornershop by Uber and Instacart provide online shoppers with the ability to browse aisles and virtually shop retail locations. is type of "pull through" purchasing pairs online buyers with in-store staff to collect and then deliver purchased goods. It's been a hit with grocery and drug stores. If you have a robust online catalog and function predominant- ly as a retail seller, this option could work for you. For florists and designers focused on delivered products, a new crowd-sourced platform called Roadie is showing great promise. Roadie offers a crowd-sourced courier model where florists post their deliveries as "gigs" to Roadie's network of five-star approved drivers (similar to Uber's personal cab service). Roadie reports average pick-up and delivery to occur within a two-hour window. is "push through" delivery service allows florists to outsource as many or as few deliveries as they choose whenever the need arises, without financial commitment during slow times. "Roadie has really improved our capacity elasticity," Faitos reports. "We are able to expand our delivery area beyond what was previously possible and accept every last order, even after our own trucks have left on their last runs of the day." Faitos raved about his almost one-year experience with Roadie. "We control our reputation because we control the product. We know what every arrangement looks like when it leaves and when it arrives. It's that extra bit of quality assurance that really delivers on our brand and customer expectations." Roadie is available in all 50 states, reportedly covering up to 90 percent of U.S. households, including rural areas! Pricing depends primarily on product size and distance, but booking higher volume could net you some savings. If you need more design time and/or less delivery overhead, check out Roadie. Especially for peak seasons, it could be a better solution than even part-time hiring. BRIEF DRIVERS ON YOUR BRAND Whatever delivery logistics you choose, take time to communicate your delivery expectations to the driver(s)— whatever is important to you: shirt tucked in, hat on straight, walk on sidewalks, don't park on the grass, smile, ring the doorbell, thank the customer, leave items in a shady spot, etc. Write it out so that expectations are repeatable to any driver. Impressing your customers and recipients at the front door is just as important as your website. But there are a lot more variables. Cleverly packaging products and clearly communicating practices is your best bet for getting consistent results. A compelling brand experience sells while you sleep. If your branding extends throughout your entire customer experience, it will continue to sell for you. Delighting customers is a sure step toward five-star reviews, referrals and repeat buyers. Now, when consumers are in the market for your service, there will be no doubt on whom they will call. T H E S E R V I C E E X P E R I E N C E Opposite page: Designer and Photo, Starbright Floral Design

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