Promises made years ago
When the distillery was being built, you sold founders' memberships. Each tier came with promises: a bottle from the first cask, a name on the wall, a tour, a discount in the shop, early access to releases. Years later, the first whisky is ready. The spreadsheet has names and tiers, some old addresses and a column of notes. Which founders have had their tour? Who is entitled to which bottle number? Who has moved house?
Why club promises get lost
Clubs run for years, staff change, and the promises were written in marketing copy and terms at the time of sale. Entitlements are spread across the spreadsheet, the webshop, the tour booking system and people's memories. Members change email and address and do not tell you. Some benefits are taken, some are not, and nobody tracks which.
- Tiers and entitlements are in marketing copy and a spreadsheet.
- Benefits used are not recorded.
- Member contact details go out of date.
- Early access is handled by emailing a list.
- Shop discounts are applied by staff who remember.
What forgotten promises cost
Founders who feel let down, and founders are the people most likely to talk about you. Benefits delivered twice or not at all. Bottles for founders mixed up with general release stock. And a lot of staff time answering individual emails about what each member is owed.
The timing makes it worse. A founders' club is often sold years before the first whisky is ready, by people who may no longer work at the distillery. The members have been waiting a long time, and the moment their first bottle arrives is the moment they judge whether the wait was worth it. A wrong address or a missing name on the wall at that point is remembered.
There is money in it too. Discounts applied to people who are not members, or not applied to people who are, both cost you, one in margin and the other in goodwill.
A member register with a portal
- Each member has a record with tier, join date and the entitlements from that tier's terms, each as a line to be delivered.
- Delivered benefits are marked with date and detail: bottle number sent, tour date, gift posted.
- A member portal where members update contact details, see their entitlements and claim benefits such as booking their tour.
- Early access to releases uses the member list, with personal links for members, through your release process.
- Shop and webshop discounts are applied by member login or code, not by memory.
- Reserved bottles for founders are held as a separate allocation in stock.
- A report shows outstanding entitlements, so nothing is forgotten.
| Entitlement | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Founders' bottle | Spreadsheet note | Reserved and recorded when sent |
| Tour or visit | Booked by email | Claimed in the portal |
| Early access | Email to a list | Personal links |
| Discount | Staff memory | Applied by login or code |
| Contact details | Out of date | Member updates them |
A club that keeps its promises
Members see what they are owed and claim it themselves. Staff see what has been delivered. Early access works smoothly on release day. Discounts are applied correctly. And when the founders' bottles finally go out, every member gets the right one at the right address.
Is your club like this?
- Member entitlements live in a spreadsheet.
- You are not sure which benefits have been delivered.
- Many member addresses are out of date.
- Early access is an email to a list.
- Staff apply member discounts from memory.