Florist News

Does anyone charge extra for cleaning hire items - vases, topiary, tealight holders etc? Since the smoking ban our topiary in particular has been coming back in a really disgusting state, pots full of fag butts and chewing gum.

i not sure a bout this one part of hiring is that you ask for a deposit and that what you hire out comes back the same way as when you sent it or you loose the desposit but on the other hand say if you hired a room for aweeding they wouldnt ask the bride to empty the ash trays at the end of the night perhaps you should look at the trading standards website i know it sounds drastic but it would let you know were you stand as well as your customers sorry this might not have helped much but let me know how you go on

I think you should assume that any vases etc that you hire out will need cleaning so you should be building that into your hire charge along with delivery/collection etc. If they come back clean then that is a bonus. I think you will find it hard to say to people " the vases needed cleaning so i'm keeping xx out of your deposit". Breakages are a different matter and need to be handled after the event from the deposit.

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Yes, we assume that all vases need cleaning when they come back, that's factored into the price, what I'm getting at is when tealight holders come back stuffed full of fag ends where people have used them as ashtrays, and recently we've had our bay trees back with the pots full of fag ends and chewing gum. In those instances they require additional cleaning over and above the routine so I just wondered if anyone charged for that.

you should ask for a deposit on your hire items and state that if they dont come back in the condition that they left they wont get thier deposit back,its only refundable after the items are returned, and then decide on the price depending on how much they hire off you, why should you clean up for them?

yes it makes sense to factor in costs for normal cleaning of vases, but not getting rid of other peoples gum and stuff.
if you get them to sign a contract then include the fact that extra charge will be charged if in not good condition.

I had a vase come back today that someone had hired, it was pretty manky and I did think why they didn't just give it a wash, I'd be embarrassed to send something back like that. I think Anns daughters right, if its beyond reasonable muck then an extra cost will be incurred. People really are rank putting their chewy and fag ends in things.