If I create a customer and not a contact is there a checkbox that lets me add it to a contact?
In WineDirect, Customers are Contacts who have made a purchase. Can you elaborate further on the workflow you are going through?
Alternatively, you can reach out to support@winedirect.com and we can take a look at some specific order scenario/examples for you and help you there 
I thought that as well. Once they purchase anything they should be a contact, no?