How Birch Boys Found its Roots in Chaga
Birch Boys, a company specializing in sustainably sourced Chaga products, began its e-commerce journey in 2016 with Shopify. Founded by Garrett Kopp, the business has a unique origin story rooted in the Adirondack Park region of New York. Garrett’s grandmother introduced him to Chaga, a medicinal fungus, during her battle with pancreatic cancer. This discovery ultimately led to the creation of Birch Boys, which has since grown into a highly successful, vertically integrated business, offering a range of Chaga-based products, including teas, tinctures, and skincare.
The Roadblocks to Subscription Success
Before implementing Appstle Subscriptions, Birch Boys faced significant challenges with their previous subscription platform, B** Subscriptions. Key issues for them included:
- A cumbersome customer interface that was difficult for users to navigate.
- Inability to support mixed carts (subscription and non-subscription items), leading to customer frustration.
- High costs and inefficiencies in managing customer subscriptions, which consumed valuable time and resources.
Kaitlin Lawless, Vice President of Birch Boys, explained,
“With Bold Subscriptions, I essentially knew every customer by name because they had so many issues. We needed a solution that was more intuitive and customer-friendly.”
Finding the Right Fit: Appstle Subscriptions
After evaluating several options, Birch Boys chose Appstle Subscriptions due to its:
- Highly customizable customer portal, tailored to simplify the subscription experience for their older demographic.
- Ability to support mixed carts, resolving previous customer pain points.
- Cost-effectiveness, saving Birch Boys approximately $700 annually compared to their previous platform.
- Responsive and helpful support team, which played a critical role in addressing implementation challenges.
Kaitlin noted,
“Appstle’s customization options are phenomenal. We were able to tailor the platform to meet the specific needs of our older demographic, making it incredibly user-friendly.”
Navigating the Transition to Appstle
The transition to Appstle Subscriptions was a smooth and collaborative process, showcasing Appstle’s commitment to customer success. From the beginning of the migration, the Appstle team provided exceptional support, ensuring Birch Boys could quickly and efficiently migrate from their previous platform.
Kaitlin Lawless, Vice President of Birch Boys, shared,
“Appstle’s support team was super responsive. Whenever we had questions or needed assistance, they were there to help us immediately.”
The migration process was straightforward, with Birch Boys exporting their data from Bold Subscriptions and seamlessly integrating it into Appstle. Kaitlin noted,
“We exported our data from Bold, and with just a few manual adjustments, it synced perfectly with Appstle. The process was straightforward, and the Appstle team guided us every step of the way.”
The Appstle team’s expertise and hands-on approach were instrumental in ensuring a successful implementation. Kaitlin highlighted,
“The Appstle team was fantastic. They quickly understood our needs and helped us get everything set up efficiently. The whole team was incredibly supportive.”
This seamless transition allowed Birch Boys to focus on delivering a better experience for their customers without disruption. The positive implementation experience reinforced Birch Boys’ confidence in Appstle as a reliable partner.
Measurable Improvements with Appstle
Since adopting Appstle Subscriptions, Birch Boys has experienced significant improvements in both customer satisfaction and internal operations.
Enhanced Customer Experience
Customers now enjoy the ease of subscription management through features like magic links and a user-friendly portal. Kaitlin explained,
“Since switching to Appstle, we’ve seen a significant reduction in customer complaints related to subscriptions. Our customers love the ease of use and the magic links feature.”
The ability to support mixed carts has also been a great benefit for Birch Boys.
“Appstle allowed a mixed cart of items, some items bought under ‘subscribe and save’ and some bought as one-time purchases. This prevented customers from having to place two separate orders with separate shipping costs, which they really appreciated,”
Kaitlin said.
Improved Operational Efficiency
The Vice President of Birch Boys noted a substantial increase in productivity, as less time is spent on customer service duties related to subscription management.
“My time is much better spent on strategic tasks rather than troubleshooting subscription issues,”
Kaitlin shared.
Business Growth and Retention
The subscription program has become a valuable tool for customer retention, offering convenience and ease of use. Birch Boys now has a growing number of subscribers who require minimal intervention, a stark contrast to the frequent issues experienced with their past subscription software.
Kaitlin highlighted,
“Our subscription program is about customer ease and retention and Appstle has made a huge difference in the ease of use for our customers.”
Educating Customers on Chaga
In addition to improving their subscription model, Birch Boys is committed to educating their customers about Chaga.
They have created a blog titled 10 Misconceptions About Chaga to dispel common myths and provide accurate information about this unique fungus. Kaitlin emphasized, “
We’re the Chaga authority, especially in North America. Our blog helps customers understand what Chaga is, how it’s sourced, and its benefits.”
You can read more about Chaga and its unique properties in their blog here: 10 Misconceptions About Chaga.
Conclusion : A Partnership That Delivered Results
Appstle Subscriptions has proven to be a valuable partner for Birch Boys, enabling them to deliver a superior customer experience while streamlining internal operations. The platform’s flexibility, cost-effectiveness, and robust support have made it a perfect fit for Birch Boys’ unique needs. As a result, Birch Boys has not only improved customer satisfaction but also enhanced its overall business efficiency.
Birch Boys highly recommends Appstle Subscriptions to other businesses in their industry.
Kaitlin stated,
“Appstle has allowed us to offer a subscription model that’s ethical and customer-focused. We’re not about trapping customers in subscriptions—we want to make it easy for them to manage their orders.”
With its customizable features, competitive pricing, and exceptional support, Appstle Subscriptions App is an ideal solution for companies looking to optimize their subscription models while prioritizing customer satisfaction.
