Some businesses just seem to make it really hard for their customers to pay for their purchases. Here are some common problems in this area:
1. LONG QUEUES TO MAKE A PAYMENT
We all hate having to stand in long lines to give someone our hard-earned money. Queues seem to be getting longer, not shorter. Look for ways to speed up the payment process.
2. NOT ACCEPTING ALL PAYMENT OPTIONS
We generally assume that all businesses will accept all credit cards these days, but this isn't a fair assumption. It can be very embarrassing to arrive at the cashier's desk only to find that they don't accept the credit card that you wanted to pay with (or the only one you have on you). Some businesses even seem to run into problems with taking cash off their customers. The more payment options that you can offer, the easier it will be for your customers to do business with you.
3. COMPLICATED PAYMENT PROCEDURES
Some businesses have developed complicated payment procedures that require a long time to process. The customer has to stand at the cash register waiting while forms are filled in, credit card numbers are typed in manually, questions are asked, and so on. These businesses are dinosaurs; in the new electronic age, there is no excuse for long, drawn-out and overly complicated payment procedures.
Often payment procedures have evolved over time and the system being used today is no longer efficient or relevant. I always recommend that payment procedures for customers are reviewed on a regular basis to find ways to make the system work better and faster. Make it quick and make it simple, and your customers will appreciate it.