Tips for ordering flowers for Mother's Day

After Sheila Adkins sends her mother flowers, she always asks for details about the arrangement.

It's not only a matter of curiosity for Adkins, a spokeswoman for the Council of Better Business Bureaus. She wants to make sure she got her money's worth.

"You don't want the person receiving low-quality flowers that are brown or dead," she said from her office in Arlington, Va.

Checking up on florists is a good idea, particularly on Mother's Day, when demand for flowers is great, said consumer expert Angie Hicks, founder of Angie's List. Mother's Day accounts for one-fourth of holiday flower purchases, according to the Society of American Florists in Alexandria, Va.

Florists ranked as the 10th most-complained-about type of business on Angie's List, the national compilation of consumer ratings issued by the company based in Indianapolis.

It's especially important to follow up if mom lives out of town, Hicks said. If the recipient knows how to send digital photos, Hicks suggests asking her to email a photo of the arrangement.

"A photo is great, and it's so easy with cellphones and digital cameras," Hicks said.

To ensure quality service, she also recommends making direct contact with a florist rather than ordering online or through a national company.

"This is a very, very personal service," she said. "It's worth getting to know a florist."

The opportunity to tell a florist how you want the arrangement to look is crucial, said Leanne Kesler, director of the Floral Design Institute in Portland, Ore.

The level of satisfaction improves when customers "communicate directly with the florist that will be sending the flowers," she said.

The women offered the following tips for ensuring a beautiful arrangement for Mother's Day:

* If your mother lives in another city, go online, find a florist in her area and place the order directly with that shop.

* Do not wait until the last minute. Place your order at least a week in advance.

* Be sure to ask whether the store delivers on Mother's Day, which is always a Sunday, or if the flowers will arrive Saturday.

* Find out how much the delivery charges are.

* Be prepared to share your mom's likes and dislikes. Details like your mom's favorite color or flower can help the florist create a special arrangement.

* Use descriptive words to tell the florist what your mom would like. Tell the florist whether your mom would prefer flowers that look like they were grown in grandma's garden or a jungle. Details about her house are helpful, too. Knowing whether mom is shabby chic or Saks Fifth Avenue is useful to a floral arranger.

* Ask the florist how large the arrangement will be, whether the bouquet will come in a vase or box and what varieties of flowers will be used.

* If you are ordering an arrangement shown on the shop's website, be sure to ask whether you will be notified about any substitutions. If a flower shop runs out of a certain flower, workers will sometimes substitute it with another one.

* Make sure you understand the store's guarantee. Find out how customer complaints are handled and what recourse you will have if the arrangement is not satisfactory.

* If you choose to use a national flower delivery service, find one like FTD or 1-800-flowers that offers a satisfaction guaranteed policy. The national companies also offer set prices and prearranged designs online, which allow you to know in advance what the bouquet will look like and what it will cost. Websites like ftdflorist.com and Locatemyflorist.com can help you find a local florist that has the backing of one of these larger companies.