So you're looking to learn how to send flowers to the Philippines? Well, I know what that's like because I've been wondering the same thing too. Not that I'll be sending roses or anything like that to the Philippines anytime soon. But I do see the potential for my having to figure this out sooner rather than later, so I thought I may as well start now. I'll be posting here the stuff I come across. Who knows? Maybe someone might find it useful.
Thankfully, it looks like there are quite a lot of websites available online which are capable of sending flowers to a Philippine location of your choice. Now it becomes a matter of choosing a site to go with, and what things to look out for when looking over a site.
Well, of course, one of the things that becomes readily apparent is the look of the online florist's website. And this isn't just something tied totally to aesthetics. For me, a site that looks clean, pleasing to the eye, and is fairly easy to navigate makes me think that the company behind it is professional, and will provide me with a similarly clean and easy delivery experience. Of course, this isn't always true, but hey, if the company can't even get the website working properly, or make the experience of using it smooth, then that's already one strike against that particular flower delivery company. Thankfully, while trying to figure out the answer to how to send flowers to the Philippines, I saw that there are a number of firms online which offer some rather professional looking websites.
A site I visited actually has a welcome section particularly geared toward first time visitors to the site which I think is a nice touch. That same site also features the option to engage in live chat 24 hours a day, and 7 days a week which I think is great. I like the idea of being able to browse a company's website, but there are just some times when you really just want to get a human on the line. That site also allows you to identify the occasion for which you're getting flowers, and it offers suggestions based on the particular situation which can be helpful for people like me who maybe wouldn't know which flower tends to say which thing. What do roses say anyway? Or tulips for that matter?
Of course, you can also choose a particular floral arrangement, or you can choose to narrow your searches based on the particular budget you're working with. Take note also of the fact that one particular type of product (flower, arrangement, bouquet) might come in different sizes. Of course, the smaller the flower arrangement, the cheaper the product, and it gets more expensive with size. Take note of the price, and of how much larger or smaller a particular bouquet is (possibly based on the number of flowers). Also, remember that prices are subject to change based on the time of year, so just because a certain product cost a certain amount several months ago, doesn't mean that's still the price today.
Also, make sure you have all the necessary information for the recipient. So we're looking here for example at the date the flowers will be delivered (birthday, Valentine's Day, you know the drill). You'll need to verify if they can deliver on the day requested. This can be particularly important if you're pressed for time, and you're making the order close to the delivery date, or in some cases, when you're making the order on the same day you want the flowers delivered. You'll also want to have the full name of the recipient, as well as his or her complete address. There'll probably be a card to go with the flowers as well, so indicate the message you want to appear on the card. Also note that you can and should provide any special instructions for that particular delivery (you want it sent at a particular time, you want to caution the delivery person regarding a rather aggressive guard dog, whatever else).
It must also be noted that if you'll be sending flowers to a semi public space, such as a hospital, you need to make sure you have the full details, such as room number. If all you'll give for example, is the name and address of the hospital, the delivery may not be accepted by that institution (or similar institutions... think funeral parlors, condominiums, and other shared living arrangements).
Finally, confirm that the site accepts your particular type of credit card. Confirm as well in what currency you'll be billed. Also, take note of the particular tracking system that the site makes use of (in addition to asking questions over live chat, of course), so that you know if and when the delivery is made. Will they get in touch with you once the flowers have been delivered? If so, how? Email?
The first site I looked at also has the option to remember the names and addresses of the recipients of your deliveries so that once you've keyed in that information, there's no need to do so again for subsequent orders of flowers. That site also has a personal reminders or events reminders option, but you'll probably want to ask yourself if you're into that sort of thing, or if you want to receive these types of reminders.
That same site also has a gift certificates option, but for the life of me, I'm not sure how I'd use it. Just doesn't quite seem as romantic to send someone a gift certificate for flowers, and have him or her pick those out himself or herself. Don't think I'll be availing of that option.
Other things to watch out for. You may want to check where the flowers are sourced from. Does the site grow its own flowers? Does it source them from another company?
Of course, as with all other business sites, check if it's a secure site (hey, you'll be giving them your credit card information after all). Check what other ways the site can be contacted. Email (Do they have a particular turnaround time for these?)? Live chat (wait, I already mentioned that)? Telephone? How long has the company behind the site been around? Do they offer a refund or rebate in the event that there is trouble with a particular order? Do they offer products other than flowers (I'm thinking food, stuffed toys, plants, et cetera.)? Does the site have a privacy policy (It should.)? Does its privacy policy leave room for spam or selling your information (nasty)?
Where is the company based? For example, there are sites based outside of the Philippines, while other sites are actually Philippine firms. Not that one necessarily has better service than the other, but it's good to know this information going in. Does the site have a blog or section for posting current relevant news (not required, but I like to know that the site is up to date)? Is there a membership option? Does it have rewards or offer certain advantages to its members (useful if you see yourself making use of this service on a regular basis)?
Does it offer video and images of its office, its premises, its flower farms? Video is especially nice since they're harder to touch up. Has the site received any awards? You can be sure that if it has, it'll mention these prominently. Has the site been reviewed in mainstream media? This can be quite helpful just to make sure that the firm is one you can trust and depend on.
Well, I'll stop there first. If I come across other information relevant to the question of how to send flowers to the Philippines, I'll prepare another post.
