We currently do not use the User Choice Option for our clubs. We simply have a lowest tier reds and whites, middle tier reds only, and a case club version of both. We’re looking to spice up our May club shipment by offering a library Cabernet alternative to the normal shipment (we’re not ready to release our 2014s, so we need something fancy to distract the peoples as well as deplete some tasty older vintages).
My question is this- we want people to be able to select the quantities and vintages in the “user-choice” way, not just emailing me and then I make a task to remember to change their order at the time of processing. I don’t want to lose a sale because people forgot to check in with me. Should I convert my clubs to User-Choice for that shipment only, or should I start to think about allowing them to do that for all of them (even if it’s just one wine but changing quantity), therefore making my User-Choice conversion permanent?
For those that use User Choice, what are your likes and dislikes? Anything I can do to make it easier on our members to add to their orders is great in my book.
My first advice for you is to set up a test User Choice Club and walk through it like you are a customer. It’s not very user friendly. In fact, it’s kind of buried in the member’s account and can be confusing for them to use. You’re still going to end up with a lot of people that just email or phone in what they want because of that.
If you offer any discounts based on bottle thresholds to customers, those won’t work either within User Choice.
You could also just switch your clubs over to User Choice and run them like normal for releases without alternatives.
Real-talk, though, User Choice kind of sucks and it could be soooo much more powerful as a sales tool. It needs to look nicer and more user friendly. It needs to be easier to access. And if you want people to add on wines, there need to be more tools to incentive your customers. C’mon, Vin65.
I agree with everything that Ed said. I have been going back and forth on using it, and have pretty much stopped using it. It’s especially problematic for a fixed price package club.
I just do it via email. I send out an email in advance, and ask them to reply to make any changes or additions. In at least 3 or 4 places in the email I say REPLY TO THIS EMAIL to make changes and additions. Guess what? You wouldn’t believe the number of phone calls we get, and pickups that want to exchange bottles on their (already processed) pickup order when they come in. Or maybe you would…
That’s how we currently do it, and I agree- so many responses! We always do a standard “upgrade to a case and get more discounts on your wine or perhaps a shipping incentive” for our club runs, and we get a pretty good response. This is the first time we’ve done a “switch out completely” option, so it’s really helpful seeing the user-choice feedback. I want to make sure I’m not missing a helpful tool in capturing more upgrades and switches. I’ll play around with it and see whatI think first hand.
Some wineries that use User Choice have to post tutorial videos for their members to use it. What does that tell you about the user experience?
But…I’m confident that @Brent@Karson@SarahBarwin@Andrea and the rest of the squad are cooking up the future of custom Wine Clubs as we speak and we should all greatly benefit from it.
Thanks! I’ll definitely do a test-run as a club member for the User-Choice option. Our owner is in a club that has a User-Choice function as she loves it as a consumer, but I think she might be more clever than the average bear. I worry a lot about confusing or frustrating our long-term members who aren’t familiar with it.
I’m sorry to hear it’s not as successful as it could be…perhaps in the future?!
We have offered user choice clubs from day one as a tool to get people to join the club. It is definitely a sales tool that people like. I have one or two out of a couple hundred user choice members that can’t seem to figure out how to make their selections. We send an email 2-4weeks in advance and provide directions on how to edit their selections. We also allow for people to call or stop by the winery to make their selections.
The down side is that members can purchase the cheapest wine we sell, although I would say that is the exception to the rule. Most members use it as their red only club, but they get to choose. Quite often they trade out a white for more expensive reds. I don’t care for the effort it takes to set up the club at processing. I think it would be better if we would choose which skus are offered up front and somehow link it to the products themselves.
