About a week ago, at my friend’s bar, after a rather stressful Saturday night of rowdy customers, a narrowly averted bar fight, and the usual weary clean up, everyone was more than ready to go home. Unfortunately, the final sales tallies couldn’t be processed because the credit card lines seemed to be down. Settling up the night’s sales was at a standstill until the credit card slips could be processed. The technical support help line was giving the manager the runaround. Furthermore, the manager was leaving within about three hours for a weeklong vacation! Arrangements were being made for another employee to come in on Sunday to run the slips when the system came back up at the last minute.
Situations like these can be a minor inconvenience or a major hassle. But imagine what would happen if your payment processing capability seized up in the middle of a busy rush of customers? The inconvenience has been passed along to the customers, and you run the risk of losing major sales. High quality technical support at such times is essential, but not all technical support and customer service lines are created equal. Evaluating a payment processing provider’s customer service is an important—perhaps the most important—task you face when choosing a provider. How can you go about this?
First, ask basic questions about the customer service/tech support the company provides. Most payment processors provide a tech support line, but depending on your type of business (such as a bar where transactions are processed late into the night) you may require one that operates 24 hours, and not all do. Get the provider’s customer service number and try calling it yourself at different times during the day. A merchant account provider should be able to give you referrals to other businesses that have used their service: call these as well and get their feedback.
What if you have a mechanical problem with your POS terminal that can’t be fixed over the phone? You should find out how long it will take for your provider to get someone on-site to repair or replace your machine. If your payment processing capabilities are going to be held up for several days your business may suffer considerably.
How quickly will they be able to set up your system and get your processing services up and running initially? This varies as well from company to company, from less than a week to six weeks. Can your business afford delays?
Ask questions that provide you with an understanding of the basic administrative issues with your account. For example, how long will it take for your sales, when processed, to be deposited into your company’s bank account? Clarity and transparency is key. If you feel that your merchant account specialist is not explaining the process of setting up, running the equipment, discussing your rates, helping you choose the right service package for your particular business, and so on, in a clear, helpful manner, than that provider may not be right for you.
Posts
