In a World Where Winery Reservations Can Make or Break Your Business…
Imagine this: A packed Saturday afternoon. Your winery is buzzing. Guests are sipping. Reservations are flowing like a perfectly aged Cabernet.
Now, imagine the opposite—double bookings, last-minute cancellations, and a stressed-out staff. Nightmare fuel, right?
One platform claims to solve it all: Tock.
But is it the hero your winery needs… or just another system with frustrating limitations?
Let’s break it down:
✅ What’s working with Tock
❌ What’s breaking (and why it matters)
🚨 What YOU need to do to keep your reservations (and revenue) on track
What is Tock and Why Do Wineries Use It?
Tock is a reservation and event management platform built for restaurants, wineries, and hospitality businesses. It lets you:
- Book tastings, tours, and special events all in one place
- Sync with major winery POS systems like Commerce7 and OrderPort
- Sell prepaid or deposit-based tickets for events
- Send automated confirmations and reminders to guests
Sounds pretty good, right? But here’s where things get interesting…
The Pros of Tock: Why Wineries Love It
1️⃣ Handles Events & Reservations Easily
Tock makes it super simple to sell tickets, manage seating, and book experiences. Whether it’s a standard tasting or a VIP winemaker’s dinner, everything runs through one system.
2️⃣ Integrates with Winery POS Systems (Sort of)
If you’re using Commerce7, OrderPort, or other major wine POS systems, Tock plays nicely with them… mostly. (But there are some headaches, which we’ll get into next.)
The Cons of Tock: Where Things Get Messy
1️⃣ POS Integration is… Meh.
Tock syncs with your POS, but only in the most basic way.
- Want to track where reservations came from (social, email, website)? Nope.
- Need detailed customer data across multiple visits? Good luck.
✅ Better Strategy:
- Manually tag reservations in your CRM so you know what’s actually driving bookings.
- Use Google Analytics to track referral sources.
2️⃣ Automated Emails & Texts? Pretty Bland.
Tock’s auto-reminders get the job done, but they don’t look or feel like YOUR winery.
- The branding is generic.
- The formatting is basic.
- It doesn’t sound like YOU.
✅ Better Strategy:
- Rewrite confirmation and reminder emails to match your brand voice.
- Add a personal touch so customers feel connected to YOUR winery, not just some system.
3️⃣ The “OpenTable for Wineries” Pitch? Not Really.
Tock claims to bring you new customers, but let’s be real—most of your bookings come from your own marketing.
- Wineries aren’t seeing a flood of new traffic from Tock itself.
- Your website, email list, and social media are doing the heavy lifting.
✅ Better Strategy:
- Stop waiting for Tock to send you customers.
- Focus on SEO, email marketing, and social media to drive traffic.
- Make sure your Google My Business listing is optimized.
Winning Strategies: How to Make Tock Work for You
📊 Track Your Reservations More Effectively
- Add a custom field or tag in your CRM to track repeat visitors vs. first-time guests.
- Analyze patterns to improve your marketing efforts.
🚀 Turn Off Tock’s Generic Review Requests
Tock automatically sends a “Leave a Review” email post-visit. But does this really help your winery? Not really.
✅ Better Strategy:
- Send a post-visit email from your own CRM instead.
- Use that email to encourage wine club sign-ups, purchases, or future visits.
💡 Customize Tock’s Emails
You can’t change how Tock’s emails look, but you can tweak the messaging.
- Rewrite confirmation emails to match your brand’s personality.
- Add personal touches so guests feel like they’re hearing from YOU, not a generic system.
Final Verdict: Is Tock Worth It for Wineries?
Tock is a solid tool if you use it strategically.
If you’re expecting it to:
❌ Bring in new customers automatically → You’ll be disappointed.
❌ Handle all your data tracking seamlessly → You’ll hit limitations.
❌ Deliver branded customer engagement → You’ll need to tweak it.
The wineries that win? They use Tock as a tool, not a crutch.
🚀 Own your reservations.
📩 Use email marketing to drive traffic.
📊 Track your own data to make smart decisions.
What’s YOUR experience with Tock? Drop a comment below!
FAQs About Tock for Wineries
1. Does Tock charge wineries per reservation?
Tock offers flat-rate and commission-based pricing. Some wineries pay per reservation if they use the “discovery” feature.
2. How does Tock compare to OpenTable for wineries?
Tock is event-focused, while OpenTable is more about general dining reservations. If you’re selling ticketed tastings, Tock is the better fit.
3. Can I customize Tock’s reservation widget?
Yes, but with limitations. You can tweak the colors and layout, but full branding customization isn’t an option.
4. What’s the best way to drive bookings outside of Tock?
- Use SEO to rank for “winery near me” searches.
- Invest in email marketing and social media ads.
- Create a loyalty program for repeat visitors.
🎥 Want a deeper dive? Watch the full breakdown on the Email Mavens’ YouTube Channel for more no-BS wine marketing insights!
Cheers to taking control of your reservations! 🍷
