Thursday, September 17, 2009

Merchant Account Providers - Selling the First-Rate Points

By Anne Torres

So you're an online merchant and you get it why you need a merchant account. It's not about trend, of course, but a universality you won't bother escaping because there's not a lot of chance you'll get away with it. The Internet has become another word for convenience and if you can't deliver on that, you'll have to answer why. And you better do it faster than a looming click-away. That's why you need to get serious about finding a merchant bank that allows you to give your customers the full advantage of electronic payment while making sure you're getting the same royal treatment.

Knowing how much it matters to your customers that you care about their convenience is a good start to finding a merchant company that will care about yours. Customer service is, thus, paramount whichever side of the fence you're in.

Bear in mind that good service hinges on availability, so if you're getting busy signals too often or hold times that last ages, that's not a good sign. Neither are apathetic-sounding phone attendants who seem to have no idea what they're doing with a call like yours or those who couldn't give you straight answers because their business isn't any straighter.

Another indication of a good merchant account provider is a good turnaround which should be no later than three days for a sale to arrive in the bank. If it takes longer, it's taking too much from clients. There may be no way of telling turnaround unless you're essentially holding an account, but a merchant bank will always have a track record.

Now and again, it's tempting to overpay in exchange for really good customer service. Companies that charge exorbitantly explain that to enjoy this kind of service, you have to pay a higher price. It almost makes sense except for the fact that the premium a company puts on its clients is supposedly basically precious. A higher paid telephone service attendant, for instance, won't unavoidably serve you better than the one who receives a few hundred dollars less. Or an operations manager won't automatically treat you better than a receptionist who just got the job.

Selecting your merchant account provider is fairly a tiresome task with customer service comprising but one aspect you have to look into. Fees are another, all reasonably priced from Discount Fees to Monthly Statement Fees and your contract must not bury you with unruly time and cost demands, especially when the threat of fraud is high.

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