Why great customer service pays off for this London flower business
Preserved flower business Amarante has gone from from start-up to blooming success in just three years
Amaranté founder Kay Seehra’s tips for achieving a brand with perfect reviews:
- Don't sacrifice good for perfect
“These wise words I learnt from one of my mentors: make it good enough; improve it based on feedback, then rinse and repeat.”
- Don't underestimate the work involved in a start-up
“Be prepared to do whatever it takes, and work whatever hours are needed to get it off the ground.”
- Don't listen to too many opinions
“It’s important to have a clear vision that is broken down into smaller goals. Believe in yourself, rather than the opinions of everyone else, and it'll make all the difference.”
Kiran Seehra has always loved flowers.
Before launching her florist business, the former financial analyst loved nothing more than strolling around Covent Garden Market searching for the perfect blooms.
It was only when Seehra (who goes by the name Kay) began researching the industry in earnest that she began to appreciate the damaging environmental effects of fresh flowers.
“Before the flowers reach our coffee tables, [there are huge consequences] on an environmental and human level — from intensive farming, exploitation of growers, and the huge carbon footprint of flying flowers around the world.”
Her solution? To work with Fair-Trade-certified farmers to grow fresh roses and then preserve them. “Infinity roses, we call them,” she says of her preserved flower brand, Amaranté, a name derived from the Greek words amarantos meaning unfading and anthos (flower). Amarate also offers other dried flowers and preserved bridal bouquets
It’s an idea that’s been eagerly embraced by fellow flower enthusiasts. In the past three years, Amaranté has become a seven-figure business with more than 30 staff. The brand sells to individual customers via its website, and also has wholesale agreements with venues such as White City House (Soho House’s west London outpost).
Key to the brand’s success has been a customer-centric focus from the very beginning.
Great customer service always pays off
Seehra promised herself she wouldn’t settle for anything less than her best – a tough goal but one that Amaranté’s Trustpilot and Google reviews now reflect. “We have the highest-quality product on the market, that is the secret to our success – a truly great product. All handmade in the UK, each hatbox of flowers [the roses are presented in colourful brushed-suede hatbox-style lidded containers] takes skill, time and artistry to craft.”
“We also have fantastic customer service and swift delivery or collection options, which has resulted in thousands of positive reviews,” says Seehra. The company offers same-day delivery from £4.99, tracked next-day and nominated-day delivery, and same-day or scheduled click-and-collect from the Amaranté store, located five minutes from Westfield Stratford City in east London. International delivery is also available. “The nature of buying flowers is inherently impromptu and last minute, so we offer everything from same-day London delivery to next-day global shipping,” she continues, “as well as scheduled delivery for those special occasions. We need to be as convenient for our customers as possible.”
“Every customer is assigned and looked after by one of our personal shoppers. We often get reviews thanking them personally for a great experience.”
“Every customer who shops with us is assigned and looked after by one of our personal shoppers, and that has led to a high number of reviews from customers thanking them for a great experience.”
“We’re ranked Trustpilot’s top for flower delivery, an incredible feat considering we don’t sell fresh flowers...”
Embracing growth while staying true
Seehra’s approach to marketing was no less comprehensive. Early on, she learnt the power of “the five Olympic rings: a great website, social media, PR, email and advertising. Social media was integral to the brand in the beginning – it still is – and our first 50 purchases came via Instagram.”
This blanket marketing has paid off and the company is now a seven-figure business. “We grew 10-fold in the past 12 months, since we started scaling up in July 2020, and are forecast [to achieve] the same for this year. We want to take Amaranté global and be seen by more people in more places and more frequently.”
Today the brand has more than 30 employees, with plans to double the workforce in the next year. Seehra says that hiring her first employee and moving from her bedroom first to an office space in Essex for three months, then to another in the same area for nine months, before settling into the company’s current Stratford home, was the “best decision” she ever made. “The worst decision was not doing it sooner. I had the security of a well-paid job but the thought of leaving that was daunting.”
“When we started, Clearpay gave the brand credibility and added trust. ”
“When we started, Clearpay gave the brand credibility and added trust,” says Seehra. It has made the brand more accessible to new customers and, as a direct result, Amaranté has seen “an increase in traffic on the website from the Clearpay marketplace”.
“Because Clearpay allows people to pay in four instalments, it attracts customers who may not have otherwise considered buying from Amaranté because of our high average order value (AOV). Clearpay allows you to fit buying around your lifestyle, and the support we get from our SMB relationship manager, Lara, has been fantastic. We are so grateful to Clearpay.”
Amaranté founder Kay Seehra’s tips for achieving a brand with perfect reviews:
Don't sacrifice good for perfect “These wise words I learnt from one of my mentors: make it good enough; improve it based on feedback, then rinse and repeat.”
Don't underestimate the work involved in a start-up “Be prepared to do whatever it takes, and work whatever hours are needed to get it off the ground.”
Don't listen to too many opinions “It’s important to have a clear vision that is broken down into smaller goals. Believe in yourself, rather than the opinions of everyone else, and it'll make all the difference.”
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