NetFlorist Assists Blossoming of Corporate Business Relationships

Johannesburg, May, 2009 - It's well known in the ether that the giving of well-thought out corporate gifts is effective in cementing professional relationships.

"Giving a quality corporate gift to a client who has put a lot of business through one's company is in essence telling them that they are more than just a supply of turnover and profit, but they are appreciated as a business associate," says Sue Morris, Marketing Director of NetFlorist, which recently expanded its gifting and floral offerings to corporate customers.

"Likewise, a corporate gift to a member of staff is recognition and a token of appreciation of their contribution made to the business's success. Nothing boosts the morale of one's staff like an unexpected gift delivered straight to their desks," Morris added.

For businesses with little contact with their remote-commuting staff or customers, small tokens to say "we are thinking about you, on your birthday, anniversary, or after an illness" are a great way for management to keep the human dimension intact.

A gift also has the power to transform a negative customer experience into a positive.

A major corporate customer who uses gifting for this express purpose is Gideon Novick, CEO of Kulula, who says: "NetFlorist has really helped us by delivering extraordinary gifts to our customers who have experienced unavoidable flight delays.

NetFlorist has smoothed out our client relations, making it as easy as a click of a button to restore confidence and even enhance our reputation as a company that aims to please in a fresh and quirky way."

"I think some of our customers are almost happier with the delay and the delightful gift surprise than if everything had gone according to plan! The response has been that phenomenal," he adds.

Picking the right corporate gift can often be a difficult process. There are many things to consider; the kind of company image that one wants to project, what budget to adhere to, and deciding what would appeal to the recipient. It is important to know the recipient's gender and tastes before ordering a gift.

NetFlorist have a range of quality gifts for all possible recipient tastes. "Unlike many other service providers, we have a great selection of gifts for men, from wine and biltong hampers, to cigars, magazine subscriptions and DIY goodies," adds Morris.

"Our primary value proposition is that we are a "one-stop shop" for all a business's flower and gifting needs, offering good value for money and always delivering on time."

Another popular service is a weekly delivery of fresh reception flowers arranged to enhance the office décor and tie in with the company branding.

"Fresh flowers at reception sends a subtle message about the success of the business, and can be a cost-effective way of adding life and energy to the office environment," says Morris.

NetFlorist for Business already offers its services to a variety of customers, from large corporates to IT companies, and smaller companies looking to thank staff and reward customers in a cheerful, generous way.

Since inception in 1999, NetFlorist has delivered over 750 000 gifts to consumers and businesses countrywide, including bouquets and arrangements, gourmet food hampers, liquor and wine hampers, dried fruit and nut hampers, jewellery, perfume and a vast range of other creative gift ideas.

"The convenience of online ordering, our vast range, quick turnaround and nationwide delivery is what keeps our clients returning," says Sue Morris, "and of course, the fact that we custom-cater for all business related occasions for clients and staff including year-end gifts, apologies and thank you's (for client retention), corporate days like Spring Day and Woman's day, get well's, sympathies, birthdays and births (for staff retention).

Relying on NetFlorist is a simple yet highly effective strategy to take the challenge out of keeping staff motivated and ensuring clients come back for more special treatment."

Orders can be placed on the website www.netflorist.co.za, 24 hours a day, or via the call centre. Flowers, fruit-baskets and florist hampers can be delivered same day if the order is placed before 12 noon.

Other gifting options are delivered on a next-day basis. NetFlorist also offers a satisfaction guarantee, and will replace any items of refund the order if the sender or recipient is not 100 percent satisfied. The details of all previous orders are stored on the system so the client can check what was sent to a certain recipient previously to avoid sending the same gift twice and retyping the recipient's details.

About NetFlorist

NetFlorist is the largest flower and gifting supplier in the country, having delivered in excess of 750 000 items since its inception in 1999. NetFlorist is in the business of delivering emotions and encouraging customers and businesses to connect with key people, in the most convenient way.

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