Avas Flowers

This company is a scam and a fraud. DO NOT USE THEM!!!!!! I placed an order on February 27, 2017 for a large floral arrangement for a funeral on March 1st. I received an email with the order confirmation. I kept checking the status, however the flowers NEVER arrived to the funeral home!!!! I called customer service, but it is outsourced to another country, and the person could barely speak English. This company is a DISGRACE!!!! A family is grieving and I wanted to send a sentiment of my thoughts and prayers since I live on the West Coast and would be unable to attend the funeral. I should have read the other reviews before purchasing from this company. Extremely hurtful and disappointing!!!!!!

This company advertises one price and then charges you double. When I call to inquire, I am told that the price quoted on the webpage was a random price for NO PARTICULAR LOCATION. Once you type in your zip code, the cost doubles. In addition, they charge a "handling fee" of 14.95 on top of it. Call a local florist and order direct. I am certain I could get double the arrangement for half the price. Never buy from Avas.

Ordered flowers on Feb 10, they were still not delivered on Feb 16 with no confirmation they will be delivered. It's well after Valentine's Day. Don't take orders you can't deliver on.

Ordered flowers for my wife for Valentine's Day Said it was out for delivery - she never gets them. Tried calling Avas just get answering machine. No one calls back. Next day said it was rescheduled for delivery - Thanks - Like I really want my Valentine's flower to be the next day. Best part is - she never got the next day either. Please do not order through them - very bad experience - they deserve to go out of business. Worst experience I ever had with ordering flowers.

Why have a selection process on your web site, if the florist is just going to do whatever they feel like? I paid quite a bit with the expectation that the flowers I selected online would be the followers delivered. They were nice, but did not look anything like what I had ordered. This has been a consistent frustration with your site, the lack of attention to detail and the florist's disregard for ensuring that what was created and delivered, was what was ordered.

What a DISGRACEFUL company.... I ordered my husband 2 dozen flowers on 2/9/2017 for valentines and our anniversary. I ordered then to be delivered on 2/13/2017 to make sure they got here as i was off work for the day and would be here to get them. The 13th came and went no flowers. I tried calling several times only to get hung up on. I am so disgusted right now i could just cry. I cant believe this company is still in business. TOTAL DISAPPOINTMENT ON MY FIRST ANNIVERSARY. Its now 630 pm on Valentines and still nothing NO flowers and still trying to call and find out anything.

Ordered flowers for a memorial service. Was very specific about the type of arrangement and the flowers that were to be in the arrangement, as well as the color of the bow, and delivery time. My order arrived after the memorial service was completed and i took a picture of the arrangement and sent it to the customer service explaining that the arrangement was NOT even close to what i ordered. they stated it was the best they could do in a short amount of time (24 hrs). i have called customer service for 3 days in a row, with phone disconnections and finally reached some sort of manager. she offered me a $30 discount. Seriously!!!! NEVER , NEVER USE THIS COMPANY!!!!!

The website advertised "Flash Sale!" For the next 40 minutes you'd get up to 45% off amAND free shipping. The lady who took my order did not understand AMYTHING. I spelled things 3-4 times letter by letter- even the simplest things. She quotes me the price then told me my total was $23 more than the price quoted- because while they didn't charge me the $10 for shipping, there was a "convenience fee for the flowers being hand delivered" WHAT?!?!? THEN when I said I wouldn't pay that she dropped the price $5. I still said I'd have to call back because charging a convenience fee for delivery is NOT free delivery- so she lowered the price again. We did this twice more. -and I'm still paying a convenience fee... So after receiving my email receipt and checking everything, she misspelled the entire message on the card- after we already had gone letter by letter three times. I'm so frustrated. The order better be beautiful and delivered on time. Either way I'm never shopping there again.

AVAS FLOWERS RUINED MY FATHERS FUNERAL !!!!! My father had passed after a long illness, and I wanted a special casket spray with red roses, as they were his favorite flowers, I also ordered a matching standing spray from the grandchildren, They were to be the red, white and blue theme as he was a world war I vet. I specifically repeated over and over that I wanted red roses in the arrangements, along with the rest of the red white and blue flowers. I believed the man on the phone who assured me that my arrangements would have red roses. Well the day of the wake the flowers came and not one red rose! not one! All white roses! I was so upset but it was the death of my dad I waited till after the funeral to call them, and the customer service rep was rude ad unresponsive, after a few long holds he told me I should have looked at the invoice, really, really, it didn't say what color roses at all. I trusted the person who assured me they would be red!!. He said so sorry but we cannot do anything about it, you should have checked the invoice, once again he said! And I repeated it didn't say what color the roses. They take forever to answer the phone after the order has been placed and they refuse to even issue a small credit for their fault in this matter. Never would I order a thing from them, after almost $500.00 in arrangements, they do nothing to help you!

This Business should be shut down !! I can't believe how unprofessional this service is and I am in disbelief that I am writing a negative review because this is my first one. I went out of state and ordered flowers for my wife on our anniversary. They delivered the wrong flowers from what I ordered. The flowers were also twice less the amount of what I paid for and were half dead. I called the customer service and they told me to email them the photos. I emailed the photos and requested the full refund and got an email response from Aaron to call the customer service. I called the customer service again and spoke to Christian who was very unprofessional. He constantly interrupted me, and argued that my flowers were not half dead. After being on the phone with him for over 20 minutes and constantly on hold, I decided to check the reviews on this business and noticed how everyone got [email protected]_d by this company. There was no manager to speak with and after arguing with Christian who tried to make me settle on a redelivery, I finally got offered a 50% refund which I accepted because based on all these true reviews, I thought I would not get anything back at all. I would never order from Avas Flowers again and if you read all these reviews PLEASE do not order from this company. Your special occasion or surprise will be ruined.

Completely dissatisfied with their service, product & responsiveness to customer concerns. Ordered flowers for my ailing wife. The delivery was prompt but the arrangement was a disaster in that the flowers were stuffed in a small vase ( looked as if they were glued together) and lacked the ribbon which was supposed to be part of the arrangement. I removed the the flowers, put them in a decent vase, put a ribbon on it and presented them to my wife. I expressed my dissatisfaction to Avas via email and they requested pictures. Too late!! Worst deal I ever made for $93. Never again, check yelp before you buy.

I purchased a $115.99 "premium" bouquet with the 45% off discount. I live in Arizona and my 73 year old mother lives in Marysville, CA. My mother was moved to a rehab ctr the same day I purchased the flowers and was heavily medicated. I did not receive the attached picture of the flowers until 48 hrs later. The most I would have spent on this bouquet w/o a discount would have been $40-50. The flowers I ordered is the one in the background w/4 roses, 2 carnations and I don't know what the other 3 flowers are, but most certainly is not worth $115.99. And the little card was $3.99, the type other florists throw in for free. Chris the owner said I had 24 hours to report if there was a problem and offered me a $20 credit. All I can say is DO NOT order from this shady business.

Worst company ever. They go to great lengths to get rid of any negative feedbacks because they are a scheming company that robs people in their moments of despair and in their moments of joy they rob that joy! Please do not use Avas for your floral needs. You will be sadly disappointed and then pissed off about how horrible their customer service is. Ordered $1400 worth of flowers, never received $750 worth of them. Despite numerous phone calls, hours talking to them, emails trying to find a resolution, their resolution was to rob my family of $750 worth of funeral flowers for my grandfather's funeral. What a shameful, dishonest, unethical company. If you do order anyway be warned: order with your credit card so you can dispute it. Trust me, what you order and what you get will not be the same. With your bank/visa/debit card, you will not get your money back. That is the lesson I learned.

Horrible experience the flowers showed up two days late and when I tried to cancel they said they would cancel the order but instead it showed up two days late and they only refunded me $20. I warn you against using these folks.

Unbelievable!! They delivered the wrong order to my house at the wrong specified time. These occasions are 'Right the First time' occasions and do not have second chances. There is no, oops I'm sorry lets try this again. The lies over the phone from the sales people, the cover-ups and deception from the customer service is unbelievable! Stay away from Avas Flowers and go to your local florist or even Publix. They are incompetent and crooks that will make a disaster of your special occasion.

They have written incorrect suit no. And did not call me the day of delivery nor the next day. I had to call because they send me a email to contact them. They were suppose to take a photo before they deliver but they didnot.

I ordered flowers for my girlfriend's birthday. Instead of delivering them on her birthday as requested (I double checked and I gave them the correct delivery date), they delivered them 8 days BEFORE her birthday. Ruined the surprise and created a very awkward situation for both of us.

Took my money,,, Showed out for Delivery until 9 pm.. NEVER delivered! No email - No phone - nothing as far as any type of Customer Service! Already spent over an hour trying to get an answer and refund.. No success as of yet! Do NOT use this Company if you want your delivery made!

Ordered chocolate for my boyfriend. He was in hospital in ND we live in MN. The chocolate he received was melted and had re hardened the taste was awful. We did not melt it. I called in my compliant several days later because I had other more important hospital issues I was dealing with and Avas would not refund me. So I paid $50 for melted gross chocolate when I was trying to make someone's day.

I misunderstood the false online advertising that this was a "LOCAL" company. When you call them they even claim to be a local company stating they are in your town which is 100% false advertising. What I know now is not only is this not a local company but this cannot be a real flower distributor. The customer service is nothing but continuous prompts to no where, fake customer service that keeps transferring, ringing in to lines no one is at, and false promises that they need to call you back to refund and someone will be in touch. No one is ever in touch. DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY. AVA'S FLOWERS IS 100% a scam. THIS IS NOT A REAL SERVICE, THIS IS A SCAM.

I ordered the flowers mid afternoon one day, and they still were not delivered by 5 the following day! I will never use this company again! When I called to see what was going on, I was told they would check and call me back within 15 minutes. 45 minutes later I still have not heard from them. I called back and have been on an automated hold for 15 minutes. I suggest if you want your flowers actually delivered that you call another company.

I am very unsatisfied with their business. The flowers showed up 6 hours late, they weren't delivered to the correct address and they DID NOT LOOK ANYTHING LIKE THE PICTURE. NOT EVEN CLOSE! I will never ever do business with avasflowers again and I will make it my personal goal to make sure everyone on this earth knows how terrible your service and products are. This is completely unethical and terrible business practices. Unbelievable that a business can flat out lie like this.

Deeply dissatisfied with this company. Was promised a service which was pricey and they failed to deliver when promised. They called me the day of delivery and asked for 10 dollars extra to get them there. I asked for a refund and was told I could get a credit. Very disruptive to my day. Ruined the gift I planned for my daughter in law and her new baby. Will never make this mistake again and use Ava's. I will be filing BBB complaint and a dispute with credit card company.

STAY AWAY FROM THIS COMPANY. THEIR FRAUDS. I GOOGLED LOCAL FLORIST BECAUSE I LIVE OUT OF STATE. FIRST OFF THATS A LIE.. THEIR AN IN BETWEEN COMPANY. THEY SENT OUT SOMETHING A CHILD WOULD HAVE MADE IN KINDERGARTEN FOR THEIR PARENTS FOR $55. DO DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH THEM. I CALLED TO COMPLAIN AND THY SAID TO BAD SO SAD FOR ME!!!!!!

I ordered a $195 Anniversary arrangement from Avas Flowers to be delivered on our anniversary. Paid extra for expedited delivery and Mylar balloons. Flowers arrived over 3 hours late with no balloons. Quality was extremely poor and apparently designed by a rank amateur. After repeated attempts and threats to their apparent Pakistani call center, Avas did replace 5 days later but was like pulling teeth as the best they were willing to do before replacing was knock off $40 which barely covered the expedited delivery and missing Mylar balloon costs. New arrangement was better than the first but still inferior. Appeared very much like a mid-grade $39 supermarket arrangement. I should have read reviews first.

I placed a same day order for flowers for my mother's 60th birthday. Over seven hours after the order was confirmed I received an email that the order wouldn't be delivered until the following day, leaving me no time to make alternate arrangements. I called the customer service number provided only to be disconnected after holding for ten minutes- this happened twice. I spent thirty minutes on the phone after finally reaching someone, being put on hold again, transferred to new people unfamiliar with the issue, etc. The best solution they could offer after was a measly 10% off my order and a variety of excuses about why the order wasn't fulfilled as promised - including that the local florist wanted more money for the arrangement I purchased and wouldn't do the order. Terrible company, and obvious from the mechanical responses of customer service that this sort of thing happens all the time. Take your business elsewhere.

Not a mom and pop shod. poor service, long hold times into a call center

Paid $250.00 for flowers that were dead or dying. Prepared to refund 50% only. False advertising and Terrible customer service.

Results do not equate to the pictured product. Customer service is a joke with automated responses. The arrangement appeared to be a $20 bunch of flowers in a dirty cloudy vase without a ribbon or bow. The arrangement was not semetrical or professional at all!

Was to have been the recipient of 2 dozen red and white carnations with Christmas greenery in a red vase. Ava's confirmed to the sender that the gift was delivered on Monday,12/20/16. They were not delivered. Ava's had a replacement deliver sent from a local Modesto florist on Tuesday, 12/21. I received 16 roses with berries.and greenery. The white roses were starting to brown and within 24 hours the rose heads were bent over. The red blooms were partially open when received. At 7:30 pm on Thursday, 12/23 my original Christmas bouquet order arrived. The carnations were bound so tight that the carnations were crushed, The white ones were brown after no water for at least 5 days, There was no greenery of any type and my red vase was purple that clashed horribly with what was left of the red carnations. I give Ava's credit for trying to make the order good even though the replacement bouquet from their local contact was definitely old stock. Their own quality control is also at issue. Even if the order was received on time, what was received was not what was ordered with both bouquets being a disappointment to receive.

Ordered a bouquet of Gerber Daises for my wife. When flowers were delivered they were dead. I called into Avas Flowers to let them know and ask for a refund. They told me the would just re-deliver, however I explained to them that my wife got dead flowers the experience was already ruined and that I wanted a full refund. After 15 minutes on hold to speak with a supervisor, and 10 minutes of a very frustrating conversation the supervisor (Dania) informed me that they would only do a refund less fees and delivery charges. I told her they chose the delivery method and set the fees and I wanted a full refund, she said it isn't their policy to do that. When I asked to speak with someone who could issue a full refund and make that decision she informed me she was the supervisor and they would only do a partial refund. NEVER do business with this company. They simply don't get what it is to stand not only behind the product, but also the client experience. Customer beware!

Ordered balloons on 1/10 and now it is 1/12...still no balloons. Customer service was not listening. Their employee made a mistake and the management was not accountable. Did not get a full refund. I will make sure never to use them again!

I ordered a get well arrangement that I selected from an online site of photos Ava's had posted. I had the opportunity to see the flowers and I was so embarrassed I couldn't believe what I was seeing. The vase was half filled, despite the fact that I had paid extra for the the larger size, and there were mostly wilted greens plus one huge open almost dead yellow rose and some wilted fallen over mums. I totally understand their site said substitutions were allowed and necessary but they never said dead was also included as a substitute. The quality was beyond horrible had they sent artificial it would have been better. I wrote to them stating my disappointment and sent a photo of the flowers that were sent vs what was selected and they of course refused to do nothing and simply reminded me of their substitution policy. Online they posted the importance of customer satisfaction and the value of this to their business. Never were more false words spoken. I was the fool for not reading all the negative reviews that have been posted about this "florist". I have to honestly say having read them now, they are all true and I would have saved a lot of embarrassment and money. Please do not use this florist for any reason. Save yourself looking like a cheapskate who paid .99 for flowers.

Flowers were not delivered on day they promised and then they said the flowers died before the next day so they had to deliver a different arrangement. I said I wanted to cancel my order within the 24 hour window but they promised me a $20 refund to my credit card if I would accept the substitute. I should have known better... because no refund was ever issued and when I called and spoke to them about it I had extremely rude service from Dorothy who said she was a supervisor. She told me that John (the supervisor who promised me the refund) issued me store credit and there was nothing they could do about it even though I very specifically asked if it would go on my credit card. She acknowledge he made a mistake but she refused to do anything about it. Stay away from Ava's flowers. This is the second bad experience I have had - I should have learned the first time.

This is a very sophisticated scam operation. Not a local florist. CEO is Matthew Neuenhaus . . . actual name of company is Flower Tech Inc. avasflowers is a sophisticated internet scam. This company is not a “local” family florist, it is an internet "sales" boiler room and warehouse, whose owner, Matthew Neuenhaus, is based at 300 corporate drive, Mahwah, NJ 07430. Many sales agents who are NOT local to any U.S. location, are actually recruited in Passig City, The Phillippines and Teguicigalpa, Honduras. The company's camouflage website technology lures customers into believing it is a local florist and its phone practices train employees to cement that scam. (See yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/avasflowers-mahwah-2?hrid=dBACLO4RGmMwaBGwkS7AKQ) florist detective gives this company an "f" rating.

I will never use Avas Flowers again! I order a large premium bouquet for $100 and received a small bouquet that I could have picked up at a local grocery store. I sent pictures through their customer service and would at least have hoped for them to send a better bouquet but that . This is what they replied: We regret that you were unhappy with the receipt of your order. After reviewing your beautiful photo, and reviewing the recipe of this particular arrangement all flowers are represented accordingly. Therefore, your order has been approved and meets the Product Description as well as our Substitution Policies. I have attached a copy of Our Substitution Policy for your viewing. **Item pictured is a depiction of an arrangement that we will make as similar as possible with the same look and feel**

I placed an order today for a friend. She has been home all day. The flowers were never delivered even though I got an email and text delivery confirmation. I called the company to ask. They said no one was home (not possible). I asked if they could send the delivery truck again because they said it was delivered at 3:01. My bill says they will deliver before 7pm. They said everyone already went home for the day and the shop was now closed. Then the person on the phone hung up on me. I called back. This time the customer service person yelled at me. I asked to speak to a manger. The manager was even worse. Yelling at me and saying my friend was lying and was not home. I asked if someone could pick up the flowers. He said everyone had already gone home for the day (it was not even 6:00pm yet) I asked for a partical refund....again no. I told them I wanted to cancel my order. He said he could cancel my order but they would keep the flowers and I would only get $20 of the $64 I spent back. Then he also hung up on me. I have never had such a terrible experience with a business.

Ordered a funeral arrangement, it was not delivered. The funeral has been over a week now and spent several hours on hold today trying to get a refund. At first they said they didn't have the product and wanted us select a different arrangement, then wanted us to select a fruit basket (for a funeral that happened over a week ago???). Avas Flowers eventually refused to give a full refund and their final excuse was "we have already made the floral arrangement and couldn't deliver it because the card wasn't signed".

First time using Avas Flowers. Never again. Desperately needed these flowers for personal reasons for a close friend. Paid extra to have them delivered before the 1pm time frame the next day. They were never delivered. Spent over 2 hours on the phone, waiting on hold for extremely long periods of time. Was promised (despite the fact that the flowers would no longer be relevant and the surprise had been ruined when I had to ask my friend if she had received them) they were promised to be delivered the next day by 3:30pm. They were never delivered. I spent a total of 2 more hours on the phone. I e-mail and did not receive a response. I was told on the phone multiple times the designer and driver could not be reached. When asked why I wouldn't be receiving some type of refund, all that could be offered was a store credit (even after asking to speak to a supervisor or manager). Store credit for a place I never wish to work with again. I do not have $70 to just waste on flowers, however, I felt it was appropriate due to the circumstances to spend that much. Although I am being told they will be delivered tomorrow, who knows, and at this point, this has been such a disappointment and nightmare, I hope no one turns to Avas flowers for their needs. This has been the biggest let down and I am heartbroken.

If I could give them zero stars, I would. I ordered a funeral wreath the same day my grandmother passed away. The funeral was scheduled for Saturday, and I ordered the flowers on Monday. Ava's Flowers charged me an expedite fee, $9.99. During a customer service call regarding other mistakes with the order, I asked how far in advance flowers need to be ordered to avoid an expedite fee. Ava's Flowers acknowledged the error and sent a revised invoice. The new invoice amount was actually higher than the original amount billed -- after the supposed $9.99 credit. How does that happen? When I called back about the new invoice amount, the customer service person was rude, belligerent, and kept interrupting both my husband and me as we tried to get clarification about the new invoice amount. Keep in mind, this is after multiple calls to correct other mistakes, such as getting the message on the card wrong, and getting the recipient's name wrong. In addition, Ava's florist nickled and dimed me for everything possible, such as $3.99 to include a message with the flowers, $4.99 for a bow on the funeral wreath, and a $13.99 service fee (this fee mysteriously appeared on the final invoice, which is why the invoice amount increased, even though I had received a $9.99 credit! Save yourself the hassle. Don't do business with this company! Beware! This corporate conglomerate does not care about your loved ones. Buy local and support local shops and businesses. Ava's Flowers were not a local shop, even though it claims to be when you do a Google search. If you don't believe me, try it. No matter what town you search, Ava's will show up as a "local shop." Don't believe it! They take your order, and then subcontract with a local supplier. In fact if you ask, most reputable florists refuse to work with Ava's to fulfill orders. In the future, I will use Yelp to ensure that I am indeed working with a reputable, local florist with a brick and mortar storefront.

I ordered a deluxe blissfully PINK bouquet for same day delivery. The order was not received until the NEXT DAY, in the AFTERNOON! When I found out which florist in my area they sent my order to, I called them. The owner read to me the order Ava's Flowers sent to him, it stated "DESIGNERS CHOICE for $39." I paid over $80 for this arrangement and I didn't even receive what I ordered. The flowers I received were a CHRISTMAS mixture of red, white, and gold flowers.......seriously?! Christmas is over!!! When I requested a refund they told me they were not able to process that because they couldn't reach the florist who filled the order, that is BS bc I've been talking to him and he said no one has tried to reach out to him since he received my order. It's not his fault since they didn't even send him the correct order to fill!!!!!! I will NEVER order from this place again, and I wish I had read reviews before wasting my money!!!!!!

They sent the totally wrong bouquet as a gift and if we wanted to receive a refund, they said they would have to go to the house and pick the flowers up from the person who received them a week earlier. NEVER USE THEM.

The customer service hangs up on you. Since they are a third party they can not garrentee you will get your order. They refuse to cancel the order. They have paid to take their BBB rating of a F off of Google search.

Ordered funeral arrangement and paid extra for holiday delivery. Flowers did not deliver. Got. Orification 30 minutes after funeral began. They offed to deliver to a home address later or a fruit basket. Neither was appropriate. Embarrassed!!!! My son in law's mom funeral. Will get a refund but damage done. They assured me of delivery 1 hour before service. Made excuse they were to busy to complete order because of holiday. Sad. Poor business practices.

Not a very Merry Christmas !I chose Ava's as I thought they were local. The website said "Coppell, TX Same Day Flower Delivery, Shop & Order Today!'. They are in New Jersey. It also said I had 35 minutes left to order, which I assumed I would be able to get a Christmas delivery. The 35 minutes part is still flashing and it's Christmas morning. I called customer service on the 24th, as the flowers should have been delivered on the 23rd. The answer was " oh yeah, let me check with that designer " and then the CSR said " it will be delivered today ( Christmas Eve). Nothing has been delivered. I spent sixty dollars on an arrangement for Christmas Day and nothing happened.No one called or emailed to say they were not able to deliver. It's sad. I do this every year because I can't be at my sister's.I am not sure how these people are still in business.

I am getting married. I ordered flowers w/ message asking my sister to be my MOH, no message and I paid for it. They wrote her address on the greeting card. The flowers looked awful compared to online. I'm so sad this was taken away from me because of their screw up And I paid almost 100 dollars! Never again with this company.

Promised delivery on the Saturday before Christmas. The flowers were purchased by the team for our boss. The sales man promised the delivery would take place on time. He checked with the driver and used the phrase 150% guarentee it would be on time. The order arrived on Monday December 26 at 2pm, over 48 hours later than "guaranteed " Never again. Customer service was no help either, offered me $8 back and 10 credit. Credit to use in your lousy store? No thanks.

Horrible experience. Ordered an advertised seasonal arrangement (over $106 charged) for friends grieving the loss of a loved one. Avas Flowers claimed their "designers are off" and wanted to substitute. I asked if the designers would be in several days later and was told "yes" and was told they could deliver the arrangement at that time. Found out by calling Avas the day AFTER the arrangement was to be delivered it never arrived. Again they tried to change the order. Ad STILL shows availability and SAME DAY delivery of the item I ordered. Left a message with Customer Service to talk with the owner. NO response. Requested a refund. NO response. Will NEVER use again. Will NEVER recommend. Will continue to purse my refund.

My precious Aunt passed away. I specifically wanted to order a gourmet basket for the family. I asked for specific items. They gave us nothing we asked for. The fruit consisted of 6 apples and one orange. They gave me no meat or cheese which I specifically requested. Customer service was rude, hung up on me and I let them know I was going to save other people from being scammed. Never use this company! NEVER!

Did not get my flowers expensive and no one answers the phone