“Going with what seems to be the lowest price quote you can find might end up producing the lowest value, too.” – Merchant Maverick
Merchant Maverick wrote an article on the Top 5 Most Common Complaints Against Merchant Service Providers, talking about everything from bad customer service to outlandish leasing agreements. As a local, Anchorage-based merchant service provider who places high value in personalized service and trust, we believe we have found the solution to every one of these common service-relationship problems. It’s a bold statement for sure, but we’re here to tell you why local is better, and how we’re different from everybody else.
1. Local Merchant Service Providers Are There When You Need Them.
The #1 most common complaint of merchants is difficulty getting ahold of cancellation departments. Not only are we committed to customer service that doesn’t leave you in an endless circle of forwarded calls, but we’re right down the street, so if you can’t get ahold of us for any reason, you can come to our office and take care of business in person! Very few (if any) of our competitors can say the same.
2. We Wouldn’t Put You in a Bad Agreement, Because We Go to Your Church.
Okay, some of us are not affiliated with any particular religion, and those who are may not go to the self-same church that you attend, but we are held accountable by our local community!
Many merchants complain about being put in expensive POS system leasing agreements. In general, leasing agreements for POS systems are not as cost-effective as purchasing a POS system outright. Often, the total cost of leasing a POS system (when you sum all of the monthly payments) is more than the POS system itself! We offer Clover POS systems for purchase and we only offer leasing agreements in special cases where our clients prefer leasing for ease of payment, because we don’t want to put you in a tight spot.
3. The Pricing Models We Use Are Transparent Because We Can’t Hide Behind Miles of Telephone Lines.
Merchants also complain about a practice that is all too common in our industry, deceptive sales tactics and pricing schemes. All too many merchant service providers offer tiered pricing models that blend fees to mask their rates. We offer the most transparent and recommended pricing model in the industry, the interchange-plus model, which shows you line-by-line what you’re paying and why. Other providers get you hooked on a shiny, “pre-qualified” price then dodge your phone calls about why your rates aren’t what you thought they would be. We don’t do that.
4. Our Customer Service Representatives Are Local Too, Their Kids Go To Your Kids’ School.
We can’t emphasize it enough–We care about your community because it is our community too! We’re your neighbors. Your schools are our schools. Your business is our business. We aren’t going to go for days without answering your calls like the other guys merchants complain about. Each of our customers is assigned a dedicated customer service representative for their account who is available to meet them on-site if necessary.
5. Not Only Are We Local, but We Have Competitive Rates!
The last and perhaps greatest complaint of most merchants is high fees. Many business owners think local is better, but more expensive. We’re local but we still come at a great value! Learn more about what we’re doing to beat national credit card processing rates for local, Alaska business owners.
If you would like to benefit from a local merchant service provider who values transparency and personal relationships with their customers, give us a call! We would love to talk to you about our commitment to customer service and compare your rates.