Contactless payments are here to stay, but the most clever businesses have a little more than tap-and-go up their sleeves…

Cashless payments are pretty much the norm for businesses and customers nowadays. They’re convenient, more secure, much more hygienic than handling notes and coins, and save a heap of time for businesses tracking sales.

Square is one of the most popular contactless systems. You’re probably familiar with their tap-and-go card readers (Square Reader) that work with EFTPOS, credit cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay.

But many Australian businesses are thinking outside of the box (or Square) and using Square’s wider suite of products to save time and improve the customer experience all around.

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Exhibit A: The BLOW, Sydney and Melbourne

Phoebe Simmonds, founder of THE BLOW. Image: Supplied.

Phoebe Simmonds is the founder of The BLOW, pitched as “the nation’s premium Blow Dry experience”. With two successful locations, the Melbourne Flagship Boutique and Sephora Sydney, Phoebe’s salons give customers fast, effective treatments to make them feel a million dollars, any day of the week.

“The BLOW has always been so much more than a salon, it’s a community of women that come together to lift each other up,” Phoebe tells us. “It’s about creating emotional as well as physical transformations and helping our guests feel like they can walk out and conquer their day with confidence. To be able to do that, with a smile, a hairdryer and a hit of good hustle, makes everything we do meaningful and worthwhile.”

How The BLOW uses Square

The BLOW uses four Square products to do business: Square POS, Square Appointments, Square Online Store and Square Reader.

“We’re all about making things as effortless for our guests as possible,” she explains. “I love how intuitive and seamless the customer booking experience is, just a couple of clicks, a saved profile and voila, they have an appointment for 7am the next morning. And if they’re in a rush, we can easily check them out and process their payment with their card on file, no hanging around at reception – all ease and efficiency.”

Inside the world of THE BLOW. Image: Supplied.

Phoebe says Square’s all-in-one services make it easy for her to get on with doing business.

“Rather than working with different merchants to deliver different operational elements (salon booking system, pre-booking deposit, POS terminal), it’s all taken care of by Square, which saves a lot of time and transaction fees,” she adds.

Run a retailer or service business? Get Square POS now.

Exhibit B: Farmer’s Daughters, Melbourne

Alejandro Saravia from Farmer’s Daughters. Image: Supplied.

Farmer’s Daughters is one of the most exciting concept dining experiences to hit Melbourne in recent times. Opening in January 2021, this three-storey venue in the heart of the Melbourne CBD invites diners to indulge in the best of the Gippsland region, from the deli to the restaurant to the rooftop. Chef Alejandro Saravia (Pastuso, Uma) is passionate about heroing the artisan farmers, producers, growers and suppliers of Gippsland, Victoria’s food bowl.

“Farmer’s Daughters has reinforced the identity of what it means to be Victorian, especially a Gippslander and has provided a better understanding to the general public of how rich and diverse this Victorian region is,” Alejandro tells us. “We love bringing Gippsland closer to Melbourne after a worldwide pandemic. It’s exciting, challenging and rewarding at the same time. We are closing the gap between farmers and producers and the end consumer.”

How Farmer’s Daughters uses Square

Farmer’s Daughters uses three solutions from Square: Square for Restaurants, Square Register and Square Terminal.

“The Square products have changed the way we work in the hospitality industry. The amount of time that has been saved through the management of the back of house systems, stocktaking and revenue control has changed the way we operate,” Alejandro says.

“The ability to make a smooth transition between the customer and staff using the Square Terminals has given us the ability to increase customer satisfaction and revenue. We started the venue with three Square Terminals but within three months of opening it has increased to six overall.”

Farmer’s Daughters campfire marshmallow, summer berries and shaved 65% Cuvee chocolate. Image: Thom Rigney/Supplied.

Alejandro is also a fan of the Square for Restaurants’ by-the-minute reporting capabilities, which can be accessed on site or remotely.

“The ability to generate reports remotely and at any time as well as the backend usability are a major plus for the Square products,” he explains. “You can track sales and revenue at the click of a button. We find that Square creates a hub for all your operational needs from invoicing to daily sales and online trading. For example, the ability to have an online shop integrated into our back of house management has helped increase revenue and sales.”

Run a hospitality business? Get Square for Restaurants.

Exhibit C: The Borrowed Nursery, Brisbane and the Gold Coast

Lauren Lance from The Borrowed Nursery. Image: Supplied.

Need beautiful plants for a special event or retail space? Lauren Lance and The Borrowed Nursery have got you covered.

For more than five years, Lauren’s business has been the go-to for pots and plants for purchase or hire for weddings, engagements and corporate events. The Borrowed Nursery venues themselves are also available for hire: the flagship store is at Mermaid Beach on the Gold Coast and a new store has recently opened up in Windsor, Brisbane.

“I love that we can create a truly unique experience for our customers across a range of services,” Lauren says.

How The Borrowed Nursery uses Square

The Borrowed Nursery uses Square Register and Square POS for its retail services.

After trialling Square Register, she noticed an “immediate impact on our customer experience at the checkout”.

“Being able to view their items on the screen and interact with the device directly using the customer-facing display has allowed us to really improve our customer service,” Lauren says.

Customers have responded positively to features like choosing to get their receipts sent via text or email, and the opportunity to provide instant online feedback on their in-store experience.

“It’s particularly handy for our customers as these digital receipts contain plant information and car guides which are easy to reference and refer to after their purchase,” Lauren explains.

Square Register at The Borrowed Nursery. Image: Supplied.

So the customers are happy. How about Lauren, then? The Square POS software has made her life easier with features like instant analytics and syncing online and multiple bricks-and-mortar stores on one dashboard.

“[It] has made it so easy to expand with our additional stores in the last year,” she explains. “It’s been a seamless experience to set up each of the stores and their inventory.”

Need a new system for your retail business? Get Square POS and Square Register.

To save time and effort on payments and improve your customer experience, check out the full suite of Square payment solutions to see what’s right for your business.

This content is brought to you by Kochie’s Business Builders in partnership with Square.

Feature image: Lauren Lance, Phoebe Simmonds and Alejandro Saravia.