The customer may view the products and services they buy as fantastic, and a great investment. But if the payment process is unsatisfactory, they can become annoyed, frustrated, distrustful, and angry. Oftentimes the friction is so bad that they immediately cut their ties and take their business to a direct competitor.
That’s why all businesses with a client-centered customer service philosophy need to ensure that the payment experience is as hassle-free and smooth as possible. The key is to design the process thoughtfully and strategically around the customer’s needs and preferences. Fortunately, today’s technology makes convenient, frictionless payments not only achievable but affordable.
Sources of Dissatisfaction
Customers don’t want to waste time and deal with complications, just to make a payment. The more steps they have to take, the more aggravating the process becomes. A textbook example of this is when they are given no other way to pay except by responding to a paper invoice and writing a check. Then they have to find a stamp and mail it. To confirm and reconcile payment, they have to wait for the check to clear, and for their next monthly statement to arrive. The more limitations and delays they experience, the more reasons they have to take their business elsewhere.
What Today’s Customers Expect
Today’s customers want a variety of online payment options. They want easy-to-access online account portals. They expect everything to be digital and electronic. That means invoices, billing statements, receipts, and automatic payment reminders. They demand and deserve privacy and redundant security – with features like encryption, tokenization, and cloud-based payment safeguards. Plus, they want to enjoy all of those payment processing features and services seamlessly, across multiple devices, including mobile platforms.
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Giving Customers Everything They Want
That’s a long list, but it’s now possible to give the customer everything on their wish list. That includes centralized billing and acceptance of multiple payments in a variety of currencies. Fully integrated payment systems also offer the reassurance of PCI compliance and Level III processing. But customers also value uniformity in branding, because that symbolizes consistency and legitimacy across all levels of customer service. That’s why the best digital payment systems enable businesses to display their familiar logo and other unique brand elements throughout the payment process.
Affordable, Turnkey Business Solutions
Systems like Converge, for instance, deliver all of these customer-oriented solutions with lightning fast transaction times and 24/7/365 U.S.-based customer support. There is even reimbursement assistance of up to a quarter of a million dollars, to help businesses in the event of a credit card data breach. That’s a lot of perks that customers love. Such innovative resources can help business owners and managers sleep better at night while cutting overhead without compromising service.
Happy Customers are a Gold Mine
Disgruntled customers strain resources, and their complaints take time to resolve. That distracts personnel from serving other customers. But happy customers are easy to take care of, and the happier they are, the more they spend. Superior customer service pays huge, sustainable dividends. Research shows that when customers return after a great experience, they tend to spend 140 percent more than those who suffer a bad experience.
That’s why designing the ideal payment experience for customers is a brilliant strategy, especially when technology makes it so simple and easy to do.
