Find out why good customer service is so important from a payment processor. We’ll address key indicators of good customer support from credit card processing companies to help you make the best decision for your business.
“Time is money”. Anyone who owns their own business knows how true this is. That’s why it’s so frustrating when you have to wait for the answers to a problem that’s sidetracking your business.
Problems with processing payments can be especially frustrating since it often means you can’t take in any funds from clients or customers. Minutes can seem like hours if you have to wait to begin accepting payments again.
Yet, many business owners fail to think ahead about what might happen if they have problems with payment processing. They might only pay attention to processor fees, contracts, or equipment that’s offered. But when problems arise, they finally realize they made a mistake.
You don’t have to suffer those consequences, however. Learn what you’ll need for customer service from a payment processor before you sign a contract. We’ll take a look at what you should know so that you can make a decision for your business that you’ll be happy with later.
We’ll start with an essential part of any customer service experience: how easy it is to contact help.
Ease of getting help
Make no mistake, you will need help at some point. It’s not being pessimistic, it’s simply a fact: things will go wrong. Systems might go offline, equipment might have glitches, questions will arise over fees or transactions—the list goes on and on.
That’s why the ease of getting help is the greatest consideration any business has to make regarding customer service. So before signing up with a processor, everyone should find out the answer to a key question: “What’s going to actually happen when things go wrong?”.
Fortunately, the answer doesn’t only arrive through experiencing a payment problem. Instead, you can learn this before you commit. Go onto their website and find out all of the ways you can reach them. You can try out each one of their channels: email, call, or any other means they provide to get in contact with them. Pay attention to how long it takes to receive a response via email or chat.
If it’s a phone call, see what actually happens when you call the number: is it a series of frustrating automated messages? A general voice mailbox that promises to get back at their earliest convenience?
Or is it an actual knowledgeable, helpful person? Someone who knows your company and can talk you through any issues?
Test out a payment processor’s speed of response as well as the usefulness of their help. Doing so will save you time and stress.
If you don’t do a lot of payment processing, these may be the only two considerations you need to make to judge a processor’s customer service. However, they’re not the only ones. Depending on your business needs, you may need extra service. We’ll address that next.
Customer service availability
Receiving fast help during business hours might solve any issues your business face. But what if your business has unique needs?
For example, you might accept payments at all hours of the day or night. Or you have to batch out at an unusual time. If that’s the case, you will need more from a processor’s customer service.
Pay attention to what a payment processor offers at unique hours of the day to find out if they’ll provide extended service. You may even need to try them at night.
As you call them at these times, note the speed and quality of their response. You might also look for a dedicated emergency line that’s available outside of normal business hours.
Customer service doesn’t just deal with system or equipment issues. Likely, any business will sooner or later have to contact their payment processor to resolve issues. Find out what you need to know about resolving issues below.
Resolving payment or processing issues
Insufficient funds. Cardholder restriction. Transaction not allowed… the list of payment or processing errors goes on and on.
Your business will eventually have to deal with at least one of these issues. Depending on the volume of transactions, it may even be a regular occurrence.
That’s why it’s especially important to find out how difficult it is to resolve any payment or processing issues before you commit to a processor. As you did before, test out the response time and service from a prospective payment processor.
As you do your evaluation, ask yourself these questions:
- Do you get in contact with someone directly, or do you have to leave a message and wait for an unknown time to hear back from someone?
- Do they have quick answers to your questions, or do they have to investigate and get back to you?
- How knowledgeable does the customer service representative appear to be? How personable?
Having the answers to these questions will tell you how quickly your payment processor can resolve any issues your business may face, letting you put these problems behind you to keep your business moving forward.
Summary
Good customer service from your payment processor directly affects how your business will run. So test out a processor’s customer support before you sign a contract with them.
Pay attention to how easy they are to contact, when they’re available, and how well they resolve any payment or processing issues. Doing so will make life much easier for you and any employees when issues arise—which is certain to happen.
Not sure what processor to start with? We at Progressive Payments Solutions invite you to try us out first. Doing so will establish a benchmark with which you can compare other payment processors. We know our customers personally, allowing them to obtain the right solutions to their unique problems.
That’s because we believe your business deserves every advantage, especially when it comes to having what you need to make the best decision. So to help you, we’ve put together a comprehensive guide that clearly lays out the five most important steps to choosing a payment processor. Grab a complimentary download and start saving money today.