Somebody orders a bouquet for an anniversary based on a photograph. What arrives is beautiful, skilfully made and contains three flowers that are not in the picture.
She is not delighted. She is comparing it against an image on her phone and counting the differences.
The checklist
Publish these and substitution stops being a disappointment.
1. Say that substitution happens
Plainly, on the product page rather than in the terms. Customers who know in advance judge the arrangement rather than the difference.
2. Explain why
Availability changes daily, flowers are a seasonal natural product and a florist works with what is freshest. Explained as craft rather than compromise.
3. Explain the basis
Similar style, similar colour palette, equal or greater value. Customers need to know the substitution is upward rather than convenient.
4. Say what stays the same
Overall style, colour scheme and size. It is what customers actually care about and stating it reassures them.
5. Say whether they are told beforehand
For significant changes, and how. A message before delivery converts a complaint into a conversation.
6. Offer the no substitution option
Where possible, with the lead time and any price difference. Customers ordering for a wedding or a specific occasion will take it.
7. Explain the florist's choice alternative
Which removes the problem entirely and usually produces something better, which is the ground in subscription and repeat order questions.
8. Show real photographs
Of arrangements actually delivered, alongside the styled product images. It sets an honest expectation and it builds trust.
9. Explain the seasonal effect
That certain months limit what is available and what that means for a particular order, which is the ground every florist should publish anyway.
10. Explain the colour matching limits
That a specific shade cannot always be guaranteed and how close is realistic. Customers matching a colour scheme need this.
11. Publish what happens if they are unhappy
Who to contact, within what period, what you will do and whether a replacement or refund applies. A confident policy sells more than it costs.
12. Ask about the occasion
Because a sympathy arrangement, a birthday and a wedding have different tolerances for substitution and different priorities.
13. Confirm the order in detail
What was ordered, what may change and when it will arrive, which removes the ambiguity, as in same day delivery questions florists answer constantly.
13b. Handle sympathy orders with extra care
Flowers sent after a death carry expectations nothing else does, and a substitution noticed at a funeral lands differently. Treating those orders with a tighter tolerance, and saying so, is the sort of judgement that makes somebody use the same florist for every occasion afterwards.
13c. Photograph what was actually sent
A florist who keeps an image of every arrangement leaving the shop can settle a query in one message rather than arguing about an impression. It takes seconds at the bench, it resolves the rare genuine mistake quickly, and it demonstrates confidence that nothing was quietly downgraded.
14. Answer ordering questions at any hour
Because people order in the evening and hesitate over exactly this, the same pre purchase uncertainty as bike sizing and fit questions before buying online and an AI shopping assistant for product fit.
Getting started
Publish the substitution basis on the product page with real photographs and a no substitution option, then answer at any hour. SpideyChat for retailers answers from your published pages, plans are on the pricing page, and the chatbot ROI calculator works through the numbers.