All small businesses depend on word-of-mouth marketing to some degree, but when it comes to big-ticket sellers like furniture retailers, it couldn’t be more important. Here’s how credit card processing plays a role in shaping the customer experience and exceeding their rising expectations.

 

Keeping Up With Customer Expectations

Whether they’re furnishing just one room or their whole house, your shoppers come into your store expecting a fantastic customer experience. While they may not come back regularly for their own needs, they do play an essential role in sustaining your business’ revenue through their reviews and word-of-mouth referrals.

In other words, furniture retailers need to focus on creating a memorable customer experience that will satisfy their clientele and stick with them, so next time a friend or family member needs furniture, they send them straight to you. The right credit card processing software for furniture retailers helps meet and exceed every expectation.

Speed

An astonishing 88% of consumers in the United States want a faster checkout experience. The fact is, we’re all busy, and no one enjoys spending their time waiting in line. As a furniture retailer, you likely don’t have a standard checkout line, but you do have a payments process that might take longer than customers desire.

The right POS and payment terminal will help get your customers out the door faster – rather than keeping them at the counter as they add up the seconds they’re wasting with a slow payment process, excess paperwork, or inconvenient list of payment options.

Versatility

On top of a fast checkout experience, consumers want options. It’s no longer a simple question of “credit or debit?” Today’s consumers spend in many ways and they want a payment process that conforms to their expectations. For instance, while most people have moved away from swiping the magnetic strip on their card, “dipping the chip” is no longer the top preference.

More people expect contactless payment options, with nearly a 50% increase in the use of contactless card and digital wallet payments since March 2020. This means you need updated hardware and software to accommodate consumers’ changing payment preferences while still accepting a wide range of payment methods.

Security

Security is top-of-mind for today’s consumers and it’s your duty as a retailer to reassure them that your payment processes are up-to-date with the latest security standards. This means displaying updated hardware backed by secure software and offering a variety of payment methods so customers can always choose the payment option most comfortable for them.

Customers don’t want to see you typing in their credit card number to store in your system. They want to be able to swipe, dip, or tap and be on their way, knowing that their card number remains secure the entire time

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Modernization

The best hardware will offer additional features that come along with modernization, like the option for customers to get an emailed receipt for their transaction. On your end, the credit card processing system should also simplify reporting and cut back on administrative work so that your furniture store can focus on what’s most important: serving your clients.

What to Look for in a Payments Provider

Your furniture store needs a payments provider that helps you meet the needs of your customers, and that means you need to partner with a company that understands your industry and what your clients expect. On top of that, you should look for the following features and services.

  • Around-the-Clock Service: If your payment system is down, you’re losing business. You should choose a payments provider who’s open even when you aren’t, allowing you to get answers to your questions whenever you have them.
  • Responsive Support: In addition to having high availability, the service team needs to be actually accessible and responsive during the hours listed. You can’t judge responsiveness by the sales team, either. Read reviews to understand how helpful technical support is.
  • Standard Compliance: The right payments provider will help you achieve and maintain compliance with PCI Security Standards, which is now a requirement for small businesses.

The fact is, you have plenty of options when it comes to a merchant account — so do you go with the big name that’s advertising everywhere? Or do you opt for a company with a proven track record of helping small businesses like yours? The decision is up to you, and to help make that decision, you should spend some time researching your options.

Red Flags to Look Out For

During your search, be weary of any company that lacks reviews or has a bad rating across websites. Read terms and conditions in detail to fully understand any fees you may be subject to, and stay away from services that require large setup or account fees.

Tips for Choosing The Right Provider

As you go about reviewing the merchant services available to you, be sure you do your due diligence. Read reviews and testimonials for the service and speak to a specialist who can answer your questions. Understand what goes into setup and how available support will be throughout the process. Have them refer you to documentation and tutorials so you can gauge the amount of effort and technical knowledge required on your end.

When in doubt, always ask questions. You should have a thorough understanding of the service, fees, and what you’ll actually be getting before you ever pay a penny. Preferably, you’ll thoroughly review and compare a few options so that you can make an informed decision about which merchant account fits your business the best.

Find a Merchant Account That Works for You®

You have plenty of options when it comes to a merchant account, but one thing is for sure: You deserve a merchant account that works with you and for you. Here at NMA, we pride ourselves on offering quality, reliable service while specializing in small, local businesses just like yours.Our attention-to-detail combined with modern hardware and software enables us to offer updated solutions with quality service to back them. Interested in learning more? Explore our offerings and all of the membership perks that come along with joining NMA as a merchant.