Miss Vicki’s Petals and Plants flower shop will be celebrating their second anniversary in October, but for owner Vicki Hansen, customer service has been a more than forty-year endeavour, and plants have been a lifelong passion.
For many years, Hansen worked at Save-On Foods, where her love of plants and flowers drew her to the floral department. Hansen always believed that it was an area that could be expanded, and that there were many Merrittonians who would appreciate a florist’s work. However, Hansen retired in 2017, deciding to take the time to relax instead.
That turned out to be a short-lived decision.
“I retired and I wasn’t good at it,” Hansen joked.
“I really wasn’t, and I probably would be dead by now. That was part of it, I thought I was ready, but I wasn’t.”
So, Hansen took the leap and opened up the flower shop she’d always wanted to see in her hometown, placing customer service as a top priority.
“I’ve always done customer service, my whole life,” Hansen explained.
“Forty some-odd years have been spent in customer service and I really enjoy trying to give really good customer service and good follow up.
“If they give me enough notice, a week’s notice, I can nine times out of ten get what they want. Also, if my hours aren’t suitable to them, I’m available to come down within five minutes notice to the shop. That’s absolutely what it’s all about, customer service. That’s what you do, as far as I’m concerned, you bend over backwards to supply whatever the customer needs. I’ve done customer service right since I was 14 when I was waitressing.”
Hansen is a big believer in supporting the community and shopping local, and when opening her shop, she hoped to fill a need for Merrittonians, that would keep their dollars in town instead of flowing out to Kelowna or Kamloops, or to online retailers, a problem many small towns face in the era of shopping giants such as Winners and Amazon.
“I hope that they will check here first before shopping out of town. I want to keep as much money in town as possible. Merritt deserves this, this ability. I just want people to know they can come to me and ask for something and I will do my best to bring it in for them.”
Hansen gives back to the community in many ways, including offering space to local authors to give readings and book signings, and a weekly give away through Q101 radio called “Friday Flowers” where a lucky listener is treated to a free bouquet of flowers after entering into a random draw.
Hansen also wants people to know that Miss Vicki’s may be about Petals and Plants, but it’s more than just a flower shop, carrying a variety of unique gift items that are nearly all locally made or produced.
“I have to mention my consignment people,” Hansen said.
“Merritt is so talented that at this point everything in my shop that is on consignment, all but two are local. The only two that aren’t, are family or my friend’s family. Everything else is Merritt and Logan Lake.”
There’s no doubt that the Covid-19 pandemic has drastically changed our shopping habits, and many small businesses have closed or altered how they serve people, including Miss Vicki’s.
“We have reduced hours, 10 ‘til 2,” said Hansen.
“I sanitize the door and all the surfaces I can. I have gloves right from little small ones up to the big grease monkey ones for men, the thick blue ones. I have sanitizer at the door, I have wipes at the door, and if people don’t want to do that, I ask them to put their hands in their pockets and use their eyes just like little kids. Dee and I wear gloves and we also wear masks 99% of the time.”
Even for those who have no experience with plants, Hansen invites people down to take a look and ask any questions they may have, believing that plants are an important part of a healthy home.
“Number one is fresh air, number two it changes the whole aspect of how your house looks,” Hansen explained.
“When people come in and say they don’t have plants I look at them like, ‘you don’t like dogs or cats either, do you?’ That is sort of how it feels to me, very strange. To me, you have to have plants. You’re bringing the outdoors in and it’s very comforting and it’s cozy, plus it’s beneficial.”
Being surrounded by plants, to Hansen, is the key to happiness, and she hopes her shop can provide that to people whether they take plants home or not.
“It’s sort of an oasis in here and that’s what I want it to be, and it’s not always about the money,” Hansen said.
“This is a shop of peace, you come in and it’s peaceful and you enjoy what’s in here.”
