VineSpring Team Spotlight | Kelli Silva
This week we’d like to highlight another prized member of the VineSpring team; Kelli Silva. If you’ve contacted VineSpring support, it’s likely that you’ve chatted with Kelli. As one of our Customer Support Specialists, Kelli supports wineries and breweries in any way she can. We interviewed Kelli, who started working in the wine industry at age twelve, to see what brought her to VineSpring and keeps her committed.
WHAT ATTRACTED YOU TO VINESPRING IN THE FIRST PLACE AND HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN ON THE TEAM?
VineSpring Co-Founder, Chris Towt, was a customer of mine at a previous job. He was always extremely kind, encouraging, and positive. I wanted to work for him for years. When opportunity struck, I jumped at the chance! That was over four years ago.
CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT YOUR ROLE AT VINESPRING?
I work in Customer Support. If you call into VineSpring or click on the live chat button, you will get either myself, Britney or Shannon on the other end. My role is to support wineries and breweries with any questions they may have or assist wherever is needed. If you need someone to review your release before your release date, need help with setting up an allocation or wine club, refunding an order, reviewing an email campaign before sending out, that’s us in support.
AS A MEMBER OF THE CUSTOMER SUCCESS TEAM, WHAT IS THE BIGGEST ASSET YOU BRING TO THE TEAM?
Being a team player! We all work remotely but I think it’s important to always check in with the team to see if they need any help. Normally when you are in an office you can peek over the cubicle to see if help is needed, or you can feel the tension in the office and jump in to help. But since we work remotely it’s necessary to stay in tight communication through instant-messenger to make sure everyone is good.
WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT WORKING WITH VINESPRING CLIENTS?
Our clients are amazing! To us, they are not just clients, they are our friends. We know what goes on in their lives and they know what goes on in ours. We truly enjoy them and love helping them!
WHAT IS YOUR HISTORY IN THE WINE INDUSTRY?
My dad worked in the wine industry most of his life, so it runs in the family. My first job was sweeping the floors in my dad’s wine storage warehouse when I was twelve. I worked there full-time over the summer from age twelve to fourteen. I swept the floor eight hours a day. Then I got a job at seventeen, right out of high school working for a wine distribution company. I worked there for twelve years before spending the last four years at VineSpring.
WHAT DO YOU SEE IN THE FUTURE FOR DTC ECOMMERCE?
I fully agree with Matthew Fay about integrating with other services to make the DTC experience as flexible, informative, and profitable as possible. I was in awe when I heard Parker, one of our talented developers, speak at our retreat in Breckenridge about all of the possibilities of integrations for the future: Alexa, Siri, etc. Imagine…. “Hey Siri, send a case of 2017 Dunstan Rosé to my home for delivery on Friday.”
TELL US ABOUT YOUR FAVORITE TASTING ROOM EXPERIENCE?
The VineSpring Team went to Breckenridge, Colorado this summer and we visited Breckenridge Distillery. The atmosphere was fantastic and so was the company (and I’m not just saying that because they are reading this). The distillery was truly impressive! They treated us well, were extremely knowledgeable, and they must have had twenty different types of bourbon, vodka, rum, and gin to taste. Then we had an amazing dinner in their private ‘Black Arts’ room. Mmmmm... Maple bacon, burgers, steak, rigatoni. You name it, we had it.
WHAT IS YOUR PERSONAL MOTTO?
Commitment trumps motivation!
WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GREW UP?
I wanted to be a mom. I wanted to have a family and have seven kids. I stopped at two! Originally I wanted to be a police officer. But, I’m afraid of the dark and new police officers usually get assigned to the night shift. I would be too scared to pull anyone over and leave my car!
FOR WHAT WOULD YOU BE FAMOUS FOR?
One thing I know for sure is that it definitely would not be my cooking. Anyhow, I just took a quiz online called “what would you be famous for” and the results: “You would be famous for, ”A Scandal.” You love getting into trouble and enjoy the thrill of the chase, which leads you into situations that aren't exactly family friendly. Your rough-and-tumble scrappiness may get you into a lot of scrapes and sticky situations, but at least you're never dull or boring!” I’m going to go and reevaluate all of my values now. I seriously am a good person.
