Keeping more clients with better customer service
Keeping more clients with better customer service One thing we have to keep in the forefront of our minds as our business begins to grow is the power of customer service. After all, we are all in the business of fixing problems. Every client you have right now is your client because he or she had a problem and you fixed it, simply put. Never thought of it that way, this fact is true, and the reason you are reading this right now is, there is something you want to do better, or want to begin doing so in essence you are looking for a solution as all your clients are, when they call you. If we can remember this from the company level then we will look at customer complaints from a different perspective. When a customer complains, about a service or product, he/she does not really care about your product or service, what they care about is the problem they were, having in the first place that is as of yet unresolved. Your client has made a purchase from you, for you to fix there particular problem and your solution has come up short. The only thing that the client is looking for is to have his original problem fixed. Below is and example of customer service explained and how it has saved one client and created an onslaught of referrals from this client. Let us assume one of our clients calls in and begins to complain about how long it took our company to repair his pc. He also tells us there is another company online that does remote support and they have a 24×7 30 sec response time. In addition, it took us 1 hour to respond and 15 minutes for repair. So what do we do, the product he purchased (DirectTek core) clearly states response time to calls are 2-4 hours and our (DirectTek pro) has a 30 second response time and repairs average 8 minutes. Clearly, our client has purchased the wrong product and what he is upset about is the solution we presented does not fit his needs. The biggest mistake we could make at this point is putting the blame on the client. We could tell him that when we presented our solution to you, it was your company that chose the core product; furthermore, our response times are clearly indicated. We would be right in telling him that but we would probably be with one less client. Instead, we choose to use the opportunity as an up sell versus a loss of a client. we would tell the client in this example, “Sir we are sorry we did not live up to your expectations, but we do have a product that is better suited to you needs and at this time we would like to offer you our DirectTek pro. This solution will resolve your downtime issues and due to you being unsatisfied with our other product we will offer it to you at a 10% discount rate with one month free”. For us to do this our profit margin on that sale will be less then usual. We also have to give him a month free (more loss) but remember the client has already purchased the first product(profit) now he purchases a second product (profit) and he will tell his colleagues about how great our company is, (word of mouth) all in all I think the customer service went a long way. Good customer service does not have to be performed only in the face of problems though. One of the most profitable forms of customer service comes in the form of cross selling. Let’s use our insurance broker as an example. One of our clients (Associated Management) implemented a cross sale, customer service plan here’s how it works. They specialize in worker’s compensation they also carry automobile, fleet, and life insurance. They implemented a customer service call center which would call there existing customer to make sure they were happy with there current insurance solutions. They then began the up sell process of explaining to them the discount they would receive by converting there fleet, life and automobile insurance over to them. As well as making it more convenient to the client by having to only, keep track of one company instead of dealing with multiple companies. It lead to an 11.3% increase in revenue (recently implemented give us some time) Conclusion: Stay in the business of fixing problems and you will stand a better chance of staying in business.12 Years as an I.T. professional, jobs involve but not limited to Help Desk manager,Jr Admin, Sr.Admin,MIS Director,MIS Account Manager/purchaser,Technical Outsource Coordinator,Software Trainer,Network Design. Currently I.T. Consultant
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Merchant Account Services
What can Merchant Account Services do for your business? Here is a preview of some of the advantages that your company can enjoy when your application is approved for a merchant account. 1. Merchant Account Services can provide your business with a credit line that is similar to the one offered by a personal credit card. You will have to apply for it, of course, and your company must meet the acceptance criteria to be approved. In general, your company should not have a history of bankruptcy, nor should it have a bad credit background overall. You should not be involved in shady dealings or the type of business that lenders hesitate to approve. These may vary by lender, so ask your preferred financial underwriter whether your type of enterprise will qualify. You also should be able to demonstrate that your organization has the means to pay monthly fees associated with a merchant services account. Under these conditions, a lender is likely to approve your business for this special account. 2. Merchant Account Services can equip your company with various type of electronic equipment and credit card processing technology. If your own a shop or store, for example, you can install a tabletop credit card processor for the cashier’s use at checkout. You can get one with a combination terminal and printer for better spatial management and convenience. Another version is the wireless model that you can take with you for deliveries or remote service. You can process payments onsite before leaving without the hassle of leaving a statement and hoping the customer remembers to pay on time each month. 3. Merchant Account Services is ready to advance your company when you are. In addition to a credit card processor, you can become equipped with a pager and an e-check or debit processor for added convenience. For more sophisticated credit card processing applications, you can ask about wireless options and install a phone order and payment system that is operated by keypad touch or dialing. Your clients will be able to dial a toll-free number, listen and respond to prompts, and then enter a credit card number for point-of-sale payment. 4. Merchant Account Services can prepare your company for the electronic age of business by helping you to set up a Website that provides a credit card payment option. Your site can list a complete product description guide, along with prices and ordering information, allowing your customers to transact business at their convenience and pay instantly in real time with a credit card. Your lender will coordinate a gateway to deposit payments in your company’s account. Your company will outdistance competitors in the field by offering customers the latest bill-paying technology. Your merchant account can position your company for growth and success that you never imagined. Of course, you will need to check out the fees and any possible risks associated with a merchant services account, but you will probably find that your company is likely to benefit when you apply and are approved for Merchant Account Services. Shane Penrod is the founder of <a href="http://www.merchant-account-quotes.com" title="http://www.merchant-account-quotes.com" target="_blank">http://www.merchant-account-quotes.com</a> Specializing in allowing merchants the ability to shop and compare multiple quotes from national merchant account providers. For free quotes on merchant account rates and fees, please go to <a href="http://www.merchant-account-quotes.com" title="http://www.merchant-account-quotes.com" target="_blank">http://www.merchant-account-quotes.com</a>
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Choosing The Right Merchant Account Provider
As a business owner, you want to succeed. You undoubtedly want to increase your sales and make more money. The best way to do this is to offer your customers the ability to pay for merchandise with their credit cards. Whether you operate your business in a physical location or online-only, allowing customers the option of credit card payment is logical. You will increase sales because of the convenience of the payment options you offer. The vast majority of shoppers, online and in person, prefer to pay with their credit cards. Opening a merchant account is the way to give your customers more payment options. But it is important that you find out as much as you can about merchant accounts and merchant account providers. A merchant account is set up through a bank or an online merchant account provider for a retail or online organization in order to accept credit cards as payment from customers. A merchant account is not a bank account. The merchant account provider’s job is to place the money you earn from credit card sales into your bank account. It used to be that merchant accounts were only offered by banks and providers to retail businesses that were located in a physical location. But with online shopping gaining popularity over the past several years, merchant account providers have started providing accounts to online business owners as well. Even though most banks still do not provide online merchant accounts due to the constant concern over credit card fraud, there are an increasing amount of online merchant account providers that offer services especially to those merchants that market their products online. Because of the high number of merchant account providers out there, it is important that you research all aspects of them, what services they provide, and especially the costs they impose, so that you don’t lose precious profits. When looking into merchant accounts and providers, be aware that there are two types pf payment processing that they will offer. These are manual and real-time processing. Manual processing requires that the credit card number be delivered through a phone transaction, fax transaction, or an online order form. The order is processed manually by contacting the payment processing company (through an Internet connection) to verify the credit card number, or by using a point of sale machine to swipe the card at the time of purchase. This type of processing is more secure, less costly, and ideal for a low-volume merchant in a physical store location. Real-time processing is perfect for web-based merchants because the credit card is immediately processed at the time an order is placed. Pending verification and approval of the credit card, the customer receives notification (via e-mail) that his or her order is accepted and fund transfer is approved. This is the less secure of the two processing options. There are costs associated with opening and sustaining a merchant account. Not all of the fees are necessary, and not all merchant account providers will charge them. One type of cost is the application fee, which covers the costs of processing your application, whether you open an account or not. A number of merchant account providers will waive the fee if you decide to open an account. And some merchant account providers do not charge this fee at all. There is often an annual fee associated with a merchant account as well. Merchant account providers charge this fee simply for holding an account with them. Another common fee is the statement fee, a monthly fee that can be as much as $25 per month, and is supposedly imposed by the account providers in order to cover their own costs. Yet another fee is the discount rate, which the merchant account provider earns from each of your sales, usually between 2 and 4 percent. The fixed transaction fee, like the discount fee, is also based on each sale, but the provider takes the same amount regardless of the cost of the product purchased, usually .20-.30. Usually, buried in the fine print of your agreement with your provider is a termination fee. Because some providers require a lengthy commitment period more than 2 years, this fee applies if you cancel your account early. There are also various miscellaneous fees that are levied on your account. Often, these charges are withdrawn if a customer requests a refund, and wants the amount credited back to their card. There are many costs associated with an online merchant account, and it can cut into your profits. It is important that you evaluate different the merchant account providers you are interested in so that you save yourself money down the line. You can also use your current sales information to guesstimate the costs of your merchant account. More than likely, you will have a long relationship with your merchant account provider. Therefore, you should have the utmost trust and confidence in them. Your provider should offer various services that will give you options in making your business transactions run smoothly. They should be able to accommodate several brands of credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express, etc.), in addition to providing other payment alternatives, such as PayPal. They should have a record of impeccable service and reliability. They should also be first-rate customer service providers. Any problems should be handled discreetly and quickly. Despite the seeming necessity of having a merchant account provider, it can make or break your business with its fees and service. That is why it is important to know the ins and outs of a merchant account provider, and to choose one carefully. Learn the essential information for picking the right merchant account services at <a href="http://www.merchants-account-services.com/merchant-account-provider.html">Merchant Account Provider</a>
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