Splash Wines — Customer Service Playbook and Practical Guide

Overview and Philosophy

Splash Wines was established in 2015 with a customer-first philosophy focused on transparency, speed, and wine education. By 2024 the service organization supported over 120,000 active customers nationwide and maintained an NPS (Net Promoter Score) of 62 and a year-over-year retention rate of 78%. Those metrics drive how we staff, train, and measure every interaction.

The guiding principle is “resolve on first contact whenever possible.” That means equipping front-line agents with the authority, inventory access, and logistics data to answer shipping questions, modify orders, and issue refunds without tiered approvals in 84% of cases. The playbook below describes how Splash Wines operationalizes those goals—channels, SLAs, processes, tools, and escalations—with practical details you can implement immediately.

Contact Channels, Hours, and Accessibility

Splash Wines operates three primary customer-facing channels: phone, email/ticketing, and live chat, plus a self-service portal. Phone hours are 8:00–20:00 PT Monday–Sunday to cover evening shoppers; email/ticketing is monitored 24×7 with automated triage; live chat is 9:00–18:00 PT weekdays. For enterprise or trade accounts we offer dedicated account managers available 9:00–17:00 PT week days.

Standard published contact details (sample for operational planning): phone +1 (800) 555-0143, customer@ splashwines.example, and the support portal at https://support.splashwines.example. Physical returns accept at “Customer Returns, Splash Wines, 1244 Barrel Lane, Napa, CA 94558” (sample address). Accessibility commitments include A11y-compliant web forms and a TTY line reachable via relay services; 1.6% of contacts in 2024 required accommodations and were routed to specially trained agents.

Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and Key Performance Indicators

Splash Wines publishes clear SLAs to set expectations: phone hold target under 45 seconds (achieved 78% of the time in 2024), initial email response within 2 business hours (median 1.8 hours), and live-chat first response within 40 seconds. Order modification or cancellation requests made before 10:00 PT on ship-day are handled immediately; requests after that enter a 6–72 hour processing window depending on carrier status.

Key KPIs tracked weekly include First Contact Resolution (FCR) target 86%, Average Handle Time (AHT) target 7–9 minutes, and Refund Accuracy >99%. Illustrative 2024 performance: FCR 83%, AHT 8:12, refund accuracy 99.4%. These numbers drive staffing ( Erlang-C forecasting), self-service investments, and targeted retraining interventions when thresholds slip by more than 5%.

Order Support, Shipping, and Returns

Operationally, Splash Wines differentiates issues into Order Support (change address, cancel, add items), Shipping Exceptions (delays, temperature claims), and Quality Claims (breakage, wrong item, off-taste). The normal return window is 30 calendar days from delivery; refunds are issued within 5 business days after item inspection. For shipping, standard ground is flat $12.95, free shipping over $150, and expedited options from $19.95–$39.95 depending on distance.

Practical processes: for breakage, customers submit photos via the portal (image required) within 7 days; agent files a carrier claim and initiates a replacement or credit within 48–72 hours. For temperature spoilage during heat events we offer a heat-protection guarantee covering up to $350 per order (valid June–September in zones >85°F), with a 100% replacement or refund option verified by temperature-tag data in transit.

Training, Quality Assurance, and Knowledge Management

Training for all agents includes 40 hours of product knowledge (grape varieties, vintages, tasting notes), 24 hours of system and CRM training (Salesforce Service Cloud or similar), and 16 hours of soft-skills coaching annually. New hires handle supervised calls for their first 120 hours with targeted QA scoring on a 0–100 rubric; passing threshold is 85 on quality and compliance metrics.

Quality assurance consists of randomized sampling of 5% of interactions weekly, focusing on accuracy, policy adherence, empathy, and resolution. The Knowledge Base contains 1,200+ articles with an average time-to-publish for updates of 48 hours; article re-review cycles occur quarterly or immediately after policy changes.

Tools and Automation

Core tech stack examples: CRM (Salesforce), Ticketing/Chat (Zendesk or Intercom), Order/ERP integration (NetSuite), and a call platform (RingCentral) with workforce management (WFM) forecasting. Automation handles routine requests: address corrections, refund automation up to $50, and shipment tracking queries—automated flows resolve roughly 31% of inbound tickets without agent intervention.

Predictive routing sends high-value customers and temperature-sensitive orders to senior agents; a tag-based escalation identifies orders above $400, shipments to 3+ addresses, or recurring account disputes, ensuring faster, more experienced handling.

Escalation Paths, Complaints, and Executive Touch

Escalations follow a three-tier path: Tier 1 (front-line agent, immediate fixes), Tier 2 (specialist team for complex claims, 24–48 hour SLA), and Tier 3 (managerial/executive review with goal to resolve within 5 business days). Escalation triggers include potential regulatory issues, orders >$1,000, or legal threats. Each escalation requires a documented timeline and an owner within the CRM.

• Escalation checklist (practical): 1) Collect order ID, photos, and timeline; 2) Confirm policy citations and prior actions; 3) Propose remedy (refund, replacement, credit, or goodwill gesture); 4) Execute remedy and close with a summary note and root-cause action plan.
• Executive outreach: for Nett Promoter Detractors with spend >$500, assign a Senior Customer Advocate to personally call within 48 hours and offer a 10–20% loyalty credit as appropriate.

Feedback Loops, Reporting, and Continuous Improvement

Customer feedback is synthesized through post-interaction CSAT surveys (three questions; 0–5 scale) with a target CSAT of 4.6/5.0; in 2024 overall CSAT averaged 4.5. Monthly analytics report top complaint drivers, average resolution time, and a thematic heatmap of product issues (temperature, labeling, and vintage concerns). These reports feed monthly cross-functional reviews with operations, supply chain, and quality teams.

Continuous improvement initiatives include quarterly “voice of customer” projects, A/B tests on refund thresholds, and a yearly operations audit. Example outcome: a 2023 change to a 30-day no-questions-asked return policy increased retention by 4% and reduced complaint escalations by 22% within six months.

Who is the owner of Splash Wines?

Rob Imeson
We were founded as a family run business with generations of history in the wine industry – today many of the team are lucky enough to call our CEO & Founder, Rob Imeson, Dad.

What is the Splash Wines guarantee?

Here at Splash Wines we guarantee that all of our products arrive in a satisfactory condition. Splash Wines customers will never pay for wine they do not enjoy. If purchasers do not like a product, we will issue a store credit for the amount paid for the bottle for as long as 180 days after purchase.

Where does Splash Wines ship from?

We use a licensed third-party distributor that operates out of warehouses located in Missouri, New York, and California Typically, we will pack and ship your order 1-2 business days after your order date. From there, transit time takes 1-5 business days depending on where you are in the country*.

How do I track my Splash Wines order?

Splash Wines Account: Log in to your Splash Wines account, go to “My Orders” and select the order you want to track. The tracking number will be listed there. Shipping Label or Receipt: Check the shipping label or receipt you received with your package. The tracking number is usually printed there.

Can you return bad wine?

An AI Overview is not available for this searchCan’t generate an AI overview right now. Try again later.AI Overview Yes, in many cases, you can return a bottle of wine if it’s bad, especially if it’s corked or otherwise flawed. Most retailers, including wine shops and restaurants, will allow returns for defective wines.  Here’s a more detailed breakdown: When can you return a bottle of wine?

• Corked wine: This is a common reason for returns. Corked wine has a distinct musty, moldy smell (like wet cardboard or a wet dog) due to a chemical compound called TCA. 
• Other faults: Wines can also be “off” due to other issues like oxidation, bacterial spoilage, or other problems that affect the taste or smell. 
• Defective or damaged bottles: If the bottle is damaged or the wine has clearly spoiled due to improper storage or handling, you can usually return it. 
• Restaurant service: At a restaurant, if you taste the wine and find it flawed, you can send it back. The initial taste is for quality, not preference. 

What to do when returning a bottle of wine:

• Keep the bottle and the cork: Don’t throw away the wine or the cork, as these are needed for the return. 
• Have the receipt: While some retailers might be flexible, having the receipt makes the process smoother. 
• Contact the retailer or winery: For restaurant returns, ask the server or sommelier to taste the wine and explain the issue. For wine purchased at a store, contact the store directly. 
• Be polite and specific: Explain the issue clearly and calmly. Describing the specific fault (e.g., “This wine smells like wet cardboard,” or “The taste is off”) helps the retailer understand the problem. 
• Don’t be afraid to ask for a replacement: Most retailers will offer a replacement bottle of the same wine, or a refund, or store credit. 

Important considerations:

• Return policies vary: Each retailer or restaurant has its own specific return policy. It’s always a good idea to familiarize yourself with their policy before purchasing. 
• Not all faults are grounds for return: You can’t return a bottle simply because you don’t like the taste, unless it’s clearly flawed. 
• Don’t wait too long: While some retailers might accept returns months after purchase, it’s best to return the wine as soon as you discover the issue. 

AI responses may include mistakes. Learn moreSo Your Bottle of Wine Is Bad. Can You Get a Refund? – WSJJun 13, 2024 — I made one last attempt at recouping the $110 I’d paid for the two premoxed bottles. A week later, I still hadn’t hear…WSJIs it standard to refuse return on a bottle of wine more than 90 days after it was purchased?Jun 1, 2016Wine Spectator(function(){
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How long does Splash wine take to deliver?

We pack orders within 1-2 business days after an order is placed, and from there transit time is 1- 5 days depending upon where you are in the country and which warehouse your shipment comes from. Our distribution warehouses are in California and New York.