CFD Business & Customer Service Skills 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A client calls to complain that the centerpieces delivered for her event looked nothing like the approved sample. What is the BEST first step?
- Offer a partial refund immediately
- Listen fully, apologize sincerely, and ask to see photos of the issue (Correct answer)
- Explain that slight variations are normal in floral design
- Refer her to the contract's satisfaction clause
Correct answer: Listen fully, apologize sincerely, and ask to see photos of the issue
Acknowledging the client's experience and gathering documentation allows you to assess the situation fairly before offering a resolution.
Question 2: When calculating the retail price of a floral arrangement, the standard industry markup on wholesale flower cost is typically:
- 1.5x (50% markup)
- 2x to 2.5x (100–150% markup) (Correct answer)
- 3x to 4x (200–300% markup)
- 5x (400% markup)
Correct answer: 2x to 2.5x (100–150% markup)
A 2x to 2.5x markup on wholesale flower cost is the standard industry benchmark that covers labor, overhead, and profit margin.
Question 3: A bride asks you to match her bridesmaids' dresses — a fabric swatch color — exactly in flowers. The MOST professional response is to:
- Guarantee an exact match in writing
- Explain that exact dye-lot matching is not possible but promise the closest achievable tonal match (Correct answer)
- Decline the request as it is not feasible
- Charge a premium and promise perfection
Correct answer: Explain that exact dye-lot matching is not possible but promise the closest achievable tonal match
Natural flowers cannot perfectly replicate fabric dye lots, so managing expectations honestly protects both the client relationship and your reputation.
Question 4: Which document BEST protects a floral designer when a client disputes the agreed-upon design after delivery?
- A verbal agreement witnessed by staff
- A signed proposal with photos, itemized costs, and a substitution policy (Correct answer)
- A generic sales receipt
- A text message confirmation
Correct answer: A signed proposal with photos, itemized costs, and a substitution policy
A signed proposal with visual references and a substitution clause is legally enforceable and eliminates ambiguity about what was agreed.
Question 5: A walk-in customer is browsing with no specific request. The BEST upselling approach is to:
- Immediately show the most expensive arrangements
- Ask open-ended questions about the occasion and recipient to guide them toward a suitable arrangement (Correct answer)
- Offer a discount on slow-moving inventory
- Hand them a printed price list and wait
Correct answer: Ask open-ended questions about the occasion and recipient to guide them toward a suitable arrangement
Open-ended discovery questions uncover the customer's real needs and naturally lead to appropriate recommendations at a suitable price point.
Question 6: When should a floral designer collect a deposit on a large event order?
- After the event is completed
- At the time of booking to secure the date and cover initial product costs (Correct answer)
- One week before the event
- Only if the client has a history of cancellations
Correct answer: At the time of booking to secure the date and cover initial product costs
Collecting a deposit at booking protects the designer from cancellation losses and funds early material purchases.
Question 7: Which metric is MOST useful for evaluating whether a floral shop's pricing is sustainable?
- Total number of orders per week
- Cost of goods sold (COGS) as a percentage of revenue (Correct answer)
- Number of social media followers
- Square footage of the shop
Correct answer: Cost of goods sold (COGS) as a percentage of revenue
COGS as a percentage of revenue directly reveals whether pricing covers costs and leaves adequate margin for profit.
CFD Business & Customer Service Skills 2
A client calls to complain that the centerpieces delivered for her event looked nothing like the approved sample.
What is the BEST first step?