URGENT Recommendation needed - impending Item Description Synch (POS/ONLINE)

[JoeTend]

Hi Square Folks!

I recently saw that Square is enabling Item Description Sync between POS and Online, regardless if we want this to happen. The current message on the Online dashboard reads "Item description sync will be automatically enabled on 1/9/2024. To specify the source of your item descriptions, please enable sync before this date. Go to Item sync settings". I see that they pushed the date until after the holidays as it was originally scheduled for 12/12/23.

Here's my problem -- We have our Item Descriptions sync between POS and Online intentionally turned off. This is because we use Item Description on the POS to show specific information on the digital receipts that our customers receive (simple two-line plant care instructions based on the item purchased). This is big part of our business model and makes our business stand out amongst the crowded plant shop space. We use the Online Item Description for full details about the plants and other items we sell. We wouldn't want paragraphs of information showing up on the in-store digital receipts.

I've tried getting through to talk to someone at Square about this, and despite requesting a phone call back, all I received was an email from someone telling me to duplicate my catalog and change all the item names so that we can have two different catalogs. This defeats the entire purpose of having Square POS and Online integrated -- the all-in-one inventory is the point.

My ideal situation here would be that Square doesn't go through with this change. Second choice would be that someone contact me to discuss how much this change is going to hurt my business model. BUT, figuring that would be a futile fight, does anyone have an thoughts on where to go from here? Any clever ideas for providing the service to the in store customer and the online customer at the same time? Open to suggestions!

Thanks & cheers.

Joe

[DinaLRosenberg]

I get it- this is a huge pain in the **bleep**. We actually have all the information now in both and we do have large paragraphs on our digital receipts.... honestly we find most people don't really look at their digital receipts anyway (we don't print hard receipts).

[DinaLRosenberg]

Oh for you I would recommend putting the two line plant care at the top of the description and then all the other information after that... that way the people shopping in-store will see that info first.

[JoeTend]

Thanks Dina. The reason for my panic is that our customer know us for offering the on-receipt care instructions and it's a big part of what we do to differentiate ourselves.

[Candlestore]

@JoeTend ;

My Clever Idea would be use your POS description for both in store and online.  This way the customer gets information about the item(s) they purchased.   Then Create a PDF or Text Page that lists care for all your items that will be paragraphs online.  Like A blog text page for your online customers.  Now do not ask me how to accomplish this since I do not use Square's online services for my Online sales.  You could also have a link to your web Blog / text page in the description.... like for more information about our other care tips visit www.(yourstore).com/Blog  for example.

[JoeTend]

hi Keith. Thanks for that. I had a similar thought rolling around the back of my head. Thanks for confirming I might be on the right path. 😉