Hey Beta Buddies!
My name is Pesso and I run Pesso’s Ices & Ice Cream, in New York City. I’ve been a Beta Tester for Square for years, starting out by answering a post back in 2014 to just test a new feature and provide some feedback. Testing one new feature became ten, and I eventually took the plunge to officially join the full Beta Program in 2017. I can’t even begin to explain how much of an incredibly rewarding & valuable experience it has been from day one, but I’ll do what I can, and hopefully you’ll get as excited and inspired as I’ve been.
New Features First
One of my favorite things about being a Beta Tester with Square is getting the chance to play with and use new features faster. Some are ideas that Sellers have been requesting, and others are things that we’ve never even thought of, that the Square Team came up with on their own. As Beta Sellers, we get to be the first ones to try them out so we can take advantage of the benefits faster, and our businesses get to run smoother sooner.
I absolutely love getting to try out new features without waiting more time until they get to full release. Sometimes we’ll get to test a new feature a week or two ahead of full release, and sometimes it could be months earlier. But no matter how much earlier it is, we get to try out brand new features that help our businesses immediately.
Providing Product Feedback
While there are personal benefits, the most fulfilling thing about being a Square Beta Tester is helping to improve Square overall, by providing critical feedback on the new features we test. As Sellers, we know best about how our businesses operate, and what we need out of our POS & Business Management software and features. By being Beta Testers we have a clear line of communication to tell the Square Team what parts of each new feature works and what needs to be improved. We get to give feedback about it all to make sure things work the way we want and need them to. We are the front lines and get to directly influence what gets launched to the rest of the Sellers.
And even better, the Square Team really listens, and they will change what they’ve made in order to suit our needs. Our voices really get heard, and these products get built according to the needs of our businesses. We get to make sure that these products are changed to make them fit our businesses, rather than changing our business to fit the products.
Faster Feature Requests
The Square Team set up not only the Beta Program, but also this amazing Beta Community. While anyone can pitch new feature requests in the Seller Community, because this Beta Community is a small group of dedicated Sellers providing feedback, it acts as a sort of fast track for new feature requests. There’s also a dedicated section in the Beta Community just for Feature Requests, where the Square Team updates the status as they are being developed.
While nothing is guaranteed to be built quickly, since Square of course still needs to prioritize their projects according to their larger company needs, a lot of attention is paid to feedback from the Beta Community. What we say here is heard and acted on, and in some cases even brought up to the front of the line. Square listens to us, real small business owners, and builds what we want and ask for (within reason). They do this because they know that if it doesn’t work for us, it’s not good for them.
I really don’t know of any other company where you can put in so many product suggestions, and that the teams themselves will listen and possibly even reach out directly to you for more information, and that you then get to test out the new product, provide more feedback, and then see your idea come to life for a full launch.
Square listens.
It’s the best.
Bragging Rights & Impact
And finally, back to something selfish: I get to say things like “You know how with the Square Loyalty Program, that you can now enable the Skip Receipt feature and the Claim Points screen will still come up? Yea, that was me. I got to talk directly to the Loyalty Team and I told them how much that receipt screen with Loyalty was slowing us down, and they found a way to make it work. You’re welcome.” I get to have that immense satisfaction that I genuinely contributed to the creation of something that is now helping not only myself, but so many other people too.
It’s a pretty amazing feeling knowing that your suggestion has become a reality, and is now helping other small businesses. We all started our businesses to make an impact on our own communities, and by being a Beta Seller, you can expand that impact and that reach beyond your individual shop. You’re making a better experience for businesses and customers all around the world.
Thank you for being a part of the Square Beta Program. We can’t wait to see what you come up with!
Pesso