80 hours a week waiting for live chat to come in,” says Frost. “So $100 is actually a bargain if you can pull it off.” Pappas recently tasked ChatGPT,
which offers both free and paid subscrip- tion models, with creating a competitor analysis of his company and three local florists. “I asked it to research the relevant
market, identify key differences and similarities, and asked it to give me rec- ommendations on how to improve and outperform my competitors,” he says. ChatGPT provided him with its
assessment of the rival companies’ mottos, and made recommenda- tions on how to improve his business strategies. Pappas says some of the recommendations were somewhat generic, but still insightful. Business owners can also leverage
AI to research SEO keywords, identify trends and patterns, manage inventory, and assist with marketing tactics. AI’s possibilities are seemingly
endless, says Renato Cruz Sogueco, AAF, PFCI, vice president of digital strategy and education at BloomNet, a subsidiary of
1-800-FLOWERS.COM. He encourages business owners to allow their employees to tinker with the company’s AI accounts to see whether AI can help boost their productivity and make them more effi- cient. For example, it may help the person who creates employee schedules, the person who plans delivery routes, or the person who manages the finances. “It’s definitely worth the exploration
in giving people the opportunity to further enhance their role or their function, because they’re the contextual expert in what they do at the shop,” says Sogueco.
Avoiding Potential Pitfalls Like any technology, AI has its draw- backs. For example, ChatGPT draws its information from a variety of sources. In fact, when prompted, ChatGPT says, “I am only as accurate as the data that I was trained on. While efforts are made to ensure the quality and accuracy of the data used to train me, it is possible that some inaccuracies or biases may have been present in the training data.” As of this article’s publication, the latest version of ChatGPT hasn’t received input since September 2021, so the informa- tion it provides may not be up to date.
The magazine of the Society of American Florists (SAF) 37
GETTING STARTED WITH AI
Since its November 2022 release, ChatGPT has amassed more than 1 billion users across the globe. The artificial intelligence chatbot allows users to ask questions and have conversations about a myriad of topics. Business owners are using its knowledge base to make everyday and long-term decisions.
But talking to a computer takes practice, says Renato Cruz Sogueco, AAF, PFCI, vice president of digital strategy and education at BloomNet.
“You need to ask it for exactly what you need,” says Sogueco. “Be absolutely literal with your request.”
Vague or nonspecific questions may not provide the answers you need. For example, when asked, “What flowers do people buy in Detroit in May?” ChatGPT responded with the flowers that are blooming in area gardens, such as tulips and daffodils.
If this happens, don’t get discouraged, says Sogueco. Instead, reword your question and regenerate a response. For example, the question: “What flowers do people buy from florists in Detroit in May?” elicited ChatGPT to respond, “Roses and gerbera daisies.”
Talking to a computer also requires trust. Sogueco recommends engaging with ChatGPT on familiar topics until you’re comfortable.
“Apply it first to personal hobbies, things that you feel you are truly a knowledge expert of and challenge it with questions,” he says. “Gain that comfort and gain that confidence.”
As you confirm ChatGPT’s responses align with your knowledge and experience, you will be more comfortable asking questions you don’t know the answer to and leveraging ChatGPT as a tool for your business, Sogueco says.
— Laurie Herrera
SHUTTERSTOCK/POPTIKA & SABURA
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