Posted by Alex Vicory, Research Assistant

Nothing illustrates Valentine’s Day quite like the flood of indulgent treats—from chocolate, to balloons, to, of course, flowers. Needless to say, V-Day is one of the biggest days for flower deliveries, second only to Mother’s Day.

In the weeks before Valentine’s Day, many love-struck consumers found themselves scouring the internet for the perfect bouquet, deliberating over the type, arrangement and color of flowers. By the end of the process, the customer is undoubtedly invested in their purchase, and hopes (or prays) that their lover approves the selection.

So what happens if the flower provider, despite all guarantees, fails to deliver the product, or worse, mixes up your order of two dozen red roses with a half-dozen of yellow carnations?
For many 1-800 Flowers customers this past Valentine’s Day, this nightmare became a reality. Disappointed shoppers flocked to the Twitterverse to blow up the company’s feed with angry, PR-killing tweets.

Although it is still unknown if V-Day 2012 was actually worse than past years in terms of delivery blunders, the 1-800 Flowers incident exemplifies the role of social media in post-purchase dissatisfaction. With the advent of @ mentions and hashtags, it is certainly easier for customers to complain publically about a product. Letters of complaint are no longer hidden in corporate offices. Instead, they are readily available for millions to read.

Consumers today have unprecedented power in marketing and PR. Harnessing this power is essential, especially in competitive marketplaces like the flower industry.

The moral of this blog post? Always have a back-up Valentine’s Day gift.