I very rarely use my blog to complain about a company or its customer service, but I was recently so disappointed in the service I received from the online 1-800-Flowers, I need to vent. I’ve used the service frequently in the past — both for personal and corporate uses — and was relatively pleased. Over the holidays, I ordered a gift for my best friend and her family, requesting the delivery for a date I knew my friend would be home with her family for the holidays. It arrived three days early, the gift was gone by the time my friend returned home, and the actual amount in the box was far less than the gift description alluded. I sent an email but received no response. I assumed things were crazy around the holidays and shrugged it off. The same thing happened to a friend of mine around Valentine’s Day. She ordered two gifts to be delivered on Friday, Feb. 11. One was delivered Thursday; the other arrived Tuesday (after Valentine’s Day). Again, her attempts at an explanation went unanswered. Monday was my mom’s birthday. I wanted to send her flowers and found a beautiful arrangement on the website, with roses and sunflowers, in a clear glass rectangular vase, tied with a bow to look like a gift box. I tried to schedule delivery for Monday, but because of the holiday, they could only confirm Monday or Tuesday delivery. This was clearly stated, and I decided earlier was better than later, and scheduled Saturday delivery. No one was home to receive the flowers Friday. Just a few hours after I placed the order, I received a confirmation of their delivery. No one was home, so the flowers had been left outside in the 90-plus degree heat. I was irked, as I had considered the delivery date carefully. I called, probably more annoyed than the usual customer, as this had happened to me before. The people on the phone kept insisting I scheduled delivery for that day, even though I had email confirmation to prove the date was Saturday. Not one person would give me an email address where I could forward my confirmation as proof. I was told a new bouquet would be delivered the following day, and I would receive a $20 coupon for my next purchase. Later that day, my mom called. The florist and 1-800-Flowers had left four messages on the answering machine, saying they would not be re-delivering the flowers. I had placed the order for Friday; they were closed Saturday and it was my fault. I was out of town through Sunday, but I called Friday evening when I reached my destination. At this point, I was without email access, and while the woman continued to insist the mix-up was my fault, she agreed to give me a 65 percent refund. I was happy with that solution. I was told a second $20 coupon would be delivered to my email inbox within 24-48 hours. To date, I’ve yet to receive either coupon. I did, however, receive my refund. The icing on the cake? When I saw the arrangement on Monday, one-quarter of the flowers had died already. Instead of a clear glass rectangular vase with a bow, the flowers were in a weird purple plastic vase that twisted up in a curl pattern and sat slightly off-kilter. I probably should have called back again, but I’d given up. I know terrible customer service is experienced frequently, but it’s usually not so bad that I get to the point of verbally complaining. I think I was most frustrated that they insisted I was in the wrong, and I was never given the chance to prove I had confirmation. In the end, my mom had a great birthday, and that is what really matters, but I won’t be using the company again. — Kim Krol, eFlyer editor, circulation and public relations executive