When you send flowers, you are sending a message. It might be “I love you”, “I’m thinking of you”, “congratulations” or “I’m so sorry for your loss”. Whatever the words, you trust that your flowers will arrive fresh, beautiful and on time, and that they will reflect how much you care.

At Interflora, we take that trust seriously. Our Quality Promise is our commitment to you and the person you are sending flowers to. But even with the best systems and the most experienced florists, things can occasionally go wrong.

This blog takes you behind the scenes to show exactly what happens if they do, and how we work to put things right quickly and fairly.

What Our Quality Promise Actually Means

Our Quality Promise is simple: when you order flower delivery in New Zealand from Interflora, you can expect fresh, florist-crafted arrangements, designed and delivered by a professional local florist, on the agreed delivery date.

Behind that promise are a few key principles:

Freshness: Flowers are conditioned and arranged by trained florists, not packed in boxes and left in transit for days.

Craftsmanship: Each bouquet is individually designed and hand-crafted, rather than produced on a factory line.

Reliability: We use our network of trusted local florists across New Zealand to deliver your order as close as possible to your chosen time and date.

Care: We treat every order as if it were our own, especially for sensitive occasions like sympathy, funerals and hospital deliveries.

If something about your order doesn’t meet these standards, our Quality Promise is there to protect you.

When Things Don’t Go to Plan

Although most Interflora flower deliveries across NZ arrive exactly as expected, there are times when things don’t go perfectly. Common issues include:

• Flowers arriving not as fresh as they should be
• A bouquet not matching the overall style or value you expected
• Delivery delays due to weather, access issues or courier problems
• A mix-up with the card message or recipient details
• The wrong product or size being delivered

We know that when flowers are attached to important moments, any issue feels bigger. That’s why we encourage you to get in touch as soon as you notice something isn’t right, so we can act quickly.

Step 1: You Let Us Know

If you have a concern about your order, the first and most important step is to tell us.

We typically ask for:

• Your order number and the name of the sender
• The delivery address and date
• A brief description of the issue
• Clear photos taken as soon as possible after delivery, if the concern is about freshness, quality or design

Those details and images help us understand what has happened and how best to fix it. The more information you can give us, the faster we can resolve things.

Need to talk to us about an order?
You can reach our customer service team via our Contact Us page, by emailing orders@interflora.co.nz or by calling 0800 80 88 80 within New Zealand.

Step 2: We Investigate With the Local Florist

Once we have your information, we contact the florist who created and delivered your order. Because Interflora works with real local florists rather than a central warehouse, your bouquet has been individually made on the day by a florist who can walk us through exactly what they did.

We’ll typically:

• Check the products and recipe that were used for your order
• Confirm any substitutions that were made if a particular flower wasn’t available
• Review the condition of stock and the timing of delivery
• Look at photos if the florist took them before the arrangement left the shop
• Talk to the delivery driver if the issue relates to delays or access

This is not about blaming anyone. It’s about understanding what happened so we can choose the right solution for you and learn from it.

Step 3: We Decide How to Put It Right

After we understand the situation, we’ll work with you to find a fair resolution. Depending on the issue and what you prefer, this may include:

• A replacement bouquet, delivered as soon as possible to the original recipient
• A partial or full refund where the product or service did not meet our standards
• A complimentary upgrade or credit for a future order
• A corrected card message or an additional card if there was a wording error

Our aim is always that you feel heard, respected and confident to order from Interflora again.

How We Handle Freshness and Quality Concerns

Concerns about freshness are time-sensitive, which is why we ask you to contact us quickly and share photos.

In these cases, we look at:

• How the flowers appear on arrival, such as wilted blooms, broken stems or browning petals
• Whether the flowers are naturally tight buds that will open, or genuinely past their best
• How long after delivery the photos were taken
• The weather conditions on the day and any potential delays in transit

If we can see that the flowers were not up to our usual standard at the time of delivery, we will normally arrange a replacement or refund. If the blooms look generally healthy but have deteriorated after several days, we may offer care guidance or a goodwill gesture, depending on the situation.

When Substitutions Are Needed

Flower availability can vary by region and season in New Zealand, and occasionally a specific variety in the online image may not be available on the day of your order. In these cases, our florists use their expertise to choose the best possible alternatives while keeping:

• The overall style and colour palette similar
• The size and value of the bouquet equal to or greater than what you ordered
• The spirit of the design consistent, such as soft pastels, bright and bold, or classic reds

Our substitution guidelines are part of our Quality Promise. If you feel that the finished arrangement doesn’t reflect what you ordered in terms of style, size or value, we will review it and act accordingly

Delivery Issues and Delays

New Zealand’s weather, rural addresses and access restrictions can sometimes affect delivery. We work with our florists and couriers to minimise delays, but occasionally things happen that are outside everyone’s control.

If a delivery is delayed or doesn’t arrive when expected, we will:

• Track the order with the florist and delivery partner
• Confirm if and when the order was delivered, and where it was left
• Arrange redelivery or replacement where appropriate
• Discuss options with you if the flowers were intended for a time-sensitive event, such as a funeral service

Communication is key here. The sooner we know about an issue, the more options we have to fix it

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Learning From Every Complaint

Every concern, complaint or piece of feedback is logged and reviewed. We use these learnings to:

• Provide coaching and support to our florist partners
• Refine product descriptions and substitution guidelines
• Improve packaging, care instructions and delivery processes
• Update internal training for our customer service team

Our goal is not just to fix individual problems, but to reduce the chances of them happening again.

Why It’s Safe to Speak Up

We know some people feel hesitant about raising a complaint, especially if the recipient is a loved one or if the flowers were for a sensitive occasion. You might worry about “making a fuss”.

We genuinely see feedback as a gift. If something has gone wrong, we want the chance to put it right for you, for the recipient, and for the florist who cares about their reputation in your community.

By letting us know, you help us maintain the high standards that sit at the heart of the Interflora name.

Our Promise to You

When you choose Interflora, you’re not just clicking “buy” on a product. You’re trusting us with an important moment in someone’s life. Our Quality Promise is there for those rare times when something doesn’t go as planned.

Here’s what you can always expect from us:

• We will listen to your concern and take it seriously.
• We will investigate what happened with care and fairness.
• We will work with you to find a reasonable, timely solution.
• We will use what we learn to keep improving our service.

So if something ever feels “not quite right” with your order, please reach out. We’re here to make sure your message is delivered beautifully, and to stand behind it if anything falls short.

Ready to Order With Confidence?

Browse our all occasions flowers for everyday gifting, explore birthday flowers and Mother’s Day flowers for key moments, or send thoughtful sympathy flowers when words aren’t quite enough.