Overhill Flowers Blossoms with Visa
Back to TestimonialsA well-established merchant
In business since 1964, Overhill Flowers has acquired a rosy reputation within the Philadelphia metropolitan area by providing the community with the finest floral arrangements and gifts, backed by unmatched service. “Whether it’s roses, ficus trees, or gift baskets, we go the extra mile for all our customers,” said Hugh McHugh, who has been running Overhill Flowers for 20 years.
Handling the growing demands of business
As the longtime proprietor of Overhill Flowers, McHugh has seen the nature of the flower business change significantly over time. “When I first started out, I’d say 85 percent of my business was handled through house accounts,” said McHugh. “I’d send out a statement at the end of the month, and then the account holder would have until the end of the next month to send me a check and pay their bill. All told, it could take me up to 60 days to actually collect the money for the items I’d sold.”
In the early 1990’s, as services like FTD and Teleflora started opening up new business opportunities for flower retailers, McHugh looked for a way to increase his ability to process sales. “My potential customer base was no longer limited to the greater Philadelphia area—I could be receiving orders from anyone in the country. I needed a way to handle the increase in business while being able to guarantee payment from out-of-town orders. That’s when I started accepting Visa.”
Quicker processing and more customer focus
Visa provides value to small merchants by providing what is arguably the most reliable electronic payment system in the world. This assures that Visa transactions will be flawlessly processed virtually every time. McHugh estimates that fully 50 percent of his customers now pay with their Visa cards.
“With Visa, I receive payment within four to five days, versus the 60 days it used to take,” said McHugh. “This has a tremendous impact on my cash flow, which is particularly important in the summer months – after the major flower buying holidays like Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day have passed – and business slows down.”
In addition to speeding up the payment process and maintaining a steady cash flow, McHugh says Visa eliminates the time and costs associated with billing customers directly. “There’s a tremendous amount of busy work and cost involved in preparing a statement, printing it out, and mailing it off to the customer,” said McHugh. “That’s time and money that would be better spent with my customers, helping them find the perfect flowers for their occasion. Visa lets me do just that.”
The Visa signature advantage
In addition to using Visa to process his customers’ purchases, McHugh uses his Visa Signature card to handle business related expenses. “As a small merchant, I’m paying bills all the time,” said McHugh. “Using my Visa Signature card to make these payments offers me two distinct advantages. Firstly, it increases the amount of time that I have to pay my bills—it gives me a spread of nearly 50 days. That’s a big advantage over the past, when I’d have to cut a check after 20 days.”
“Secondly, business expenses can really add up when it comes to accruing points in the Visa Signature rewards program. For example, I have a wholesale florist who supplies me with 85 percent of my flowers, and I’m able to charge all of it to my Visa Signature card. By the end of the year, I have enough points for several free roundtrip flights and free lodging at hotels—just for paying my business expenses.” In fact, McHugh recently used the Visa Signature Concierge, a core “rewards-plus” feature of the card, to secure slots in an exclusive Visa Signature Pebble Beach golf tournament for him and his buddies, fulfilling a lifelong dream. “The Pebble Beach event surpassed all my expectations,” said McHugh. “Not only did we get access to one of the most beautiful golf courses in the world, we also received personal tips and instructions from golf legend Johnny Miller. The whole event was truly wonderful.”
A winning partnership
Whether increasing the ability to handle a growing customer base or providing the flexibility to pay bills over time, Visa has given McHugh the tools he needs to help Overhill Flowers thrive. “My shop would not be where it is today without Visa,” said McHugh. “I’m pleased as can be with the way Visa supports my business needs, and it will continue to be an important resource for me moving forward.”
