In 2020, New Zealand businesses were faced with an array of challenges brought on by COVID-19 and had to adapt to extended lockdowns, restrictions and new ways of working and generating business. In true Kiwi spirit, we banded together and united to support each other and whilst we are not yet in the clear, there are a number of lessons we can learn to help our businesses prosper in the year ahead.
Here are our top tips for ensuring you have the best payment solution for your business:
Number of terminals
During lockdown many business owners wanted to reduce the number of terminals they had, due to having fewer customers. This made total sense at the time, but as customers return to their previous volumes it’s a good idea to assess whether your current number of EFTPOS terminals is sufficient to cope with the numbers.
If you’re starting to get bottlenecks in store and lines are becoming a problem, you may benefit from additional terminals.
If you’re busy, or have an upcoming busy period like a special event, but not ready to commit to a long term contract, consider taking out Short Term EFTPOS Rental.
Do I have the right setup?
There are a number of different EFTPOS terminal setups available and which is best for you comes down to what works for your business:
We have 2 piece terminals, in which one is customer facing and the other is for staff to process the payment on – this is great for hygiene as it minimises contact between your staff and customers. [button here]
We also have mobile terminals, which are great for taking payments on the go – these operate on a mobile network so can rove around the store, or anywhere where there is mobile reception to take payment. Mobile terminals can also support social distancing if they are integrated. [button here]
Do I need contactless?
Having contactless payment capability has a number of advantages: faster processing, more convenient for customers and it’s great for supporting hygienic payment practices.
All of Smartpay’s terminals are set up to accept contactless payments – you just need to activate it via your merchant bank.
Learn more about contactless payments.
Regardless of whether you switch on contactless payments, it is sensible to offer hand sanitiser at your counter for your customers to use before touching the terminal.
Alternative ways of paying
Don’t have an online store? Did you know you can accept credit cards payments over the phone? You can check if Mail Order/Telephone (MOTO) is enabled by contacting Paymark (0800 729 627) and if it isn’t you can enable it by contacting your merchant bank.
Learn more about MOTO transactions.
Build loyalty in your customers
Customer loyalty means repeat business and referrals, so try and inspire it in your customers whenever you can. Loyal customers will also often stick with you through difficult times. Futureproof your business by ensuring it has a loyal customer base to carry it through unforeseen circumstances.
To do this, consider offering loyalty programs and other incentives to keep your customers coming back for more.
If a customer has a good experience with you, ask them to post a review to Google or Facebook – positive reviews are one of the best ways to generate new customers from the hard work you’ve already done.
Learn more about how you can increase sales by improving the customer experience.
No one can tell the future, but you can make sure your business is in a good position to handle whatever this year throws at it! We wish you all the best in the success of your business and if you ever need help or advice with your payment solution – please reach out!