How Karin's Florist Has Thrived for Decades Through Superior Customer Service

Company Name: Karin's Florist
Location: Vienna, Virginia
Year Founded: 1956
Website: karinsflorist.com

Karin's Florist, a family-owned floral business located in Vienna, Virginia, is a 2024 CO—100 Top Honoree in the Customer Champion category for its long-standing dedication to exceptional customer service.

Founded by the Dukas family in 1956, Karin's Florist has become a community institution. Today, the company is led by President and CEO Maris Angolia, the third-generation leader and daughter/granddaughter of the founders.

With nearly 70 years of success behind them, the business continues to thrive through creativity and forward-thinking innovation. Here’s how Karin’s Florist has evolved with the times while remaining true to its tradition of excellence.

Creative marketing and technology lead to better customer engagement

With her background in information technology, Angolia has helped Karin's Florist modernize its approach to technology. Automating certain processes and leveraging technology for customer engagement and marketing have allowed the business to focus on delivering high-quality, one-of-a-kind products that exceed expectations.

"Going towards new technology is one of the reasons that I came back to the family business," Angolia said.

Over the last three decades, Angolia has worked with her family and the team to implement a new point-of-sale system, a website, and processes for sending customers photos of their arrangements before delivery. While she admits there were challenges along the way, the implementation of new tools and programs has been successful.

"Overall, we made sure to explain it to our team, provide the proper training, [and] have patience as we all learned," Angolia told CO—. "It's easier now as automation is a part of everyday life."

A key element of the business's tech-driven, customer-centric approach is its e-commerce platform, which offers a seamless shopping experience.

"Our user-friendly e-commerce platform has made it easier for customers to browse, order, and customize floral arrangements and gifts from … home," Angolia said. "We constantly review our Google Analytics and have found that most customers are using their mobile phones [rather] than desktops to purchase. We have recently invested in updating our mobile site to accommodate this need."

Karin's Florist ensures every order meets the highest standards through its "See What You Send" program.

"For all local deliveries, we take a photo and email or text [it] to the sender," Angolia explained. "Customers love it, and we get the opportunity to ensure … the arrangement is just what the customer was expecting."

"Once our team saw how much the senders loved this feature, and also enabled us to modify things prior to delivery, we got their buy-in," she added.

Giving back through community partnerships

Angolia recalls an important lesson that her father, Karin’s co-founder Bill Dukas, taught her: "Always take care of the community, and they will in turn take care of you." That is the approach she's brought to her leadership of the business, which takes pride in its deep community involvement.

Karin's Florist partners with organizations like the Inova Health Foundation to support healthcare initiatives through sponsorships and events and the Wolf Trap Foundation, which offers expanded access to the arts in Northern Virginia.

One of the business's signature events was the Loukoumi Make a Difference Day, where children created flower arrangements that were then gifted to seniors in local care homes.

"The Loukoumi Make a Difference Foundation envisions a future in which all children have the opportunity to make a difference in their lives and the lives of others," said Angolia. "We are honored to be a sponsor of this organization."

Karin's also supports local schools, churches, and nonprofits, donating raffle and auction prizes for community fundraisers. When it comes to choosing causes to support, Angolia said Karin's Florist always looks to its customers first.

"If someone has been supporting us, we like to support them," she said. "We look at the mission of the organizations and see how it aligns with our values."

The business's dedication to community service has not gone unnoticed. Karin's Florist was named the Best Florist in America by Steve Harvey, an honor that reflects the company's floral expertise and active engagement with the community.

Growing and evolving to support long-term success

Over the years, Karin’s Florist has faced challenges like supply chain issues and workforce shortages, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The pandemic … came with many constraints, [such as] masks, social distancing, increased cleaning protocols, supply chain issues, etc.,” Angolia said. “We worked as a team to get through it. We cross-trained and we learned what was important for our business and what was not needed.”

In recent years, the company has refined its product offerings and reorganized employee roles to optimize efficiency.

“We pivoted our product offerings to ensure we could always provide the freshest and most beautiful arrangements available,” Angolia explained. “We maintained transparent communication with our customers [and set] realistic expectations when specific items were unavailable, ... [which helps] maintain trust and customer satisfaction.”

Through adaptability, strategic financial planning, and investments in technology, Karin’s Florist has built a sustainable model focused on responsible budgeting and employee development. Expanding its offerings to include everyday gifts in addition to floral sales has contributed to steady growth.

“Our evolution in response to external forces ensures … we remain a beloved and profitable business ready to face future challenges with the same resilience and dedication that have defined us since 1956,” Angolia said.

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