VineSpring + Square: Better Together
Craft producers pour their passion into their work and customers are attracted to that passion. Perhaps the beverages that craft producers make aren’t considered “necessities,” but the experiences they create enrich lives and create lasting relationships—and that’s essential.
The customer experience determines how people think of your brand, what they buy now, and if they will buy again in the future. It’s your job to make sure that customer experience as enjoyable and seamless as possible. You need to tell your unique story and at the same time remove any obstacles that might get in the way of a smooth purchase process.
You can do this in many ways, from the language you use to tell your story to the technology you use to support your business. As craft beverage eCommerce and club management experts, we are always looking for new approaches and partnerships that would help enrich the customer experience and help our clients grow their customer base.
That’s why we’ve chosen Square as a primary technology partner.
The Best Technology for In-Person Payment
The Square POS system has always been a fantastic tool for small businesses—there’s no training required, it’s widely used, customers are familiar with it, it functions online or offline, and it’s user-friendly for both staff and customers. Square has made a name for itself by offering attainable and affordable products that help craft businesses in all verticals simplify their payments and succeed.
As the world was dealing with the pandemic, Square stepped up for small businesses, making changes that allow companies, like wineries, breweries, distilleries, and cideries, to create an even better checkout experience. They also invested in their APIs, enabling better integrations and more robust exchange of critical customer information. So, we’ve decided to double down on our relationship with Square, strengthen our integration, and work together to benefit craft producers of all sizes.
Why Square Matters
If recurring revenue isn’t top of mind for your business, it should be.
Why is recurring revenue so important?
Allows businesses to scale
Makes it easier to budget
Gives you peace of mind!
Subscriptions, like wine and beer clubs, make a business more predictable and stable, both operationally and financially.
The best place to build relationships and get people invested in your club is in the tasting room / tap room. You can do a lot online these days, but the physical experience of being where the beverage is produced is unmatched. This is where you need to make sure that there is a clear path to join your club and to make a purchase without any distractions or annoyances.
With VineSpring and Square integrated, craft producers can combine the simplicity and power of both products to enhance the experience. Square provides the in-person software, VineSpring bridges the gap to your eCommerce and clubs.
How We Enhance the Customer Experience
Our goal is to create an uninterrupted flow of critical information between Square and VineSpring. When integrated, craft producers get customer visibility in Square and order visibility in VineSpring. This means that when a customer is in your tasting room, you have the information you need, including club member information, customer since date and lifetime value, at your fingertips in the square app—allowing your staff to create a better experience. Plus, when a new customer enters Square’s system, that information is synced with VineSpring, creating a new contact that can be synced with MailChimp or other marketing platforms.
By using Square’s hardware, tasting room staff can be behind a desk or using a portable device, online or off. Staff will know vital information about the guest that can help them personalize their interaction, letting the customer know they are valued. It’s likely that customers have used Square before and can simply swipe their card and be on their way. No hassle, no roadblocks, just a simple, painless transaction.
We’re also integrating Square payments directly into the VineSpring platform. This enables the card swiped in the tasting room to be stored and attached to customer profiles in Square. Reporting and reconciliation is streamlined with just one payment processor to deal with.
All of the information shared between VineSpring and Square and the intuitive nature of both products make a huge difference for craft producers. We saw this difference and are dedicated to building and maintaining a deep integration that you won’t find anywhere else.
Continuous Innovation with the Hub-and-Spoke Model
Craft producers have two main types of tech stacks they can choose from when looking for technology partners.
Hub-and-Spoke Model - Combining the best of breed products and integrating them
All-in-One Model - Using a system built to address all issues in one product
Learn more about the Hub and Spoke Model
At first glance, taking a hub-and-spoke approach seems complicated, as it involves working with multiple vendors. But when done successfully, craft producers can combine all of their best-of-breed technology into one fully integrated system that is much more powerful than any all-in-one.
One of the reasons why we recommend the hub-and-spoke model for craft producers is because it allows them to choose partners that are completely focused on what they do best. Each partner dedicates their energy to making sure their “spoke” functions smoothly, includes modern features, and always innovates to bring the newest and best technology to their customers.
POS systems are just one spoke in the “best of breed” ecosystem, but they are a crucial one. Since Square is a world-renowned expert in payments, they have a team of people who think and breathe payments and constantly innovate and add features. Those features will only make the customer experience better over time.
While we’ve created a robust integration between VineSpring and Square around payments, that is only the tip of the iceberg. We’re long-term partners and plan to continually innovate alongside Square so that VineSpring clients will have the best of the best in clubs, eCommerce, and POS.
Here are examples of features craft producers will be able to experience with the VineSpring and Square integration in the future:
Store and access customer payment information across both systems
A seamless process to sign up new club members in-person
Visibility of Square inventory in VineSpring
The ability to offer and accept gift cards online or in-person
The ability to manage pickup orders from VineSpring in Square
It’s the Whole Experience that Counts
The beverage alcohol industry is known for providing its customers with more than “just a drink.” It’s the whole customer experience that counts—from the tasting room to online and beyond. Arming your business with best-of-breed tools helps shape that experience.
By using the Vinespring and Square payments integration, craft producers are better equipped to optimize the experience and make it easy to purchase and join clubs.
If you’d like to learn more about the partnership and direct integration between Square and VineSpring, contact us or schedule a demo.
