How to Rebuttal the Client Issue of Integration with Existing POS Systems
Posted by amiller on March 31, 2011 · Leave a Comment
Introduction
One of the most common objections clients voice when choosing a loyalty program is whether or not that program integrates with their current POS (Point of Sale) system. This objection does have some merit but there are many other important aspects to consider ‘beyond integration. In actuality, there are scores of critical issues which should be considered when it comes to choosing the proper loyalty program such as ease of use, automated database collection, cause marketing solutions, use of cash back rewards currency instead of points, multiple applications on the same card with separate balance tracking, business synergy capabilities with cross platform loyalty options, accountability and transparency, and working with consultants with actual expertise in customer loyalty. POS integration does save a few seconds of time during the card swiping process, but that time saved pales in comparison with other important issues. There are also several limitations to POS integration that actually cause more inefficiency in the loyalty lifecycle you’re going to learn about in this article.
When shopping for loyalty programs many merchants do not realize what to look for and are not even aware of what to ask or how to investigate. They are literally clueless when it comes to loyalty and may not even understand the terminology even when they are clearly verbalized. Due to their ignorance, many merchants look at cost rather than ROI. They have no idea that installing the wrong loyalty program may very well cost themselves tens of thousands of dollars in lost revenue each year! Just be aware that integration often comes out of a mindset of not knowing what to ask. The business owner defaults to the only question he or she understands. If you grasp this psychology ahead of time, the question or concern of integration won’t throw you for a loop. Rather, you should act as a consultant and immediately break down all the important issues which may be far more important than saving a few seconds at checkout.
Remember this point when speaking to a merchant… Does the customer care whether or not the loyalty program integrates with the POS? The obvious answer is of course not, customers prefer value, convenience, cash back rewards, relevant communication and much more. They could give a rats ass about integration, they don’t even know what the term means. If the transaction takes a few seconds longer to value their business, they are absolutely fine and in actuality prefer being treated as a person rather than as a transaction. Sometimes business owners forget who the boss is, it’s not them; it’s the CUSTOMER. Remember the phrase…’The customer is always right?’ Maybe we should look at what THEY want rather than what WE want. When we put the customer first, they usually return more often and spend more money when they do. Frequency and higher spending is the name of the game, not POS integration.
Having said all the above, does that mean we don’t care about integration or think it’s not that important? Of course not. We think it’s important since our clients think it’s important, but it’s one of many issues, not the end all be all to customer loyalty. We currently integrate with Micros and are planning integration with Positouch and others during 2011 and beyond. We constantly perform due diligence with other POS system vendors to determine potential partnerships. However, since each POS integration project costs roughly $25,000 in development, configuration and testing, we must carefully weigh each opportunity including market share and number of client locations brought under contract with integration.
Since there are so many POS systems in the marketplace, and because integration is NEVER guaranteed to succeed even when it is systemically possible, we need to make you aware of how to overcome this objection. The bottom line is you need to know how to successfully rebuttal this issue if you plan on having a bright future in loyalty program sales.
POS System Overview
The term Point of Sale (POS) system can technically refer to either a credit card machine (VeriFone, Hypercom, Nurit, Ingenico etc.) which handles credit card processing and/or sales transactions. However, the term usually refers to a more robust cash register type system with customized buttons based on the products being sold from that particular business. This POS system probably handles most of the key operations including cash management, order tracking, inventory control, and credit card processing. Some of the more widely deployed POS systems in the restaurant and entertainment industry include Micros, Aloha, Positouch, Agilysys, Restaurant Manager, Digital Dining and hundreds of other systems.
For the purposes of this article, we are going to focus on integration with the major POS systems rather than credit card terminals since credit card terminal integration does not really constitute a POS system and is much simpler to replace or swap out. If a merchant will not order your loyalty program due to the hassles of installing a new machine or swapping out a credit card terminal then he is just making an excuse and never planned on ordering in the first place.
Several POS system vendors (especially the larger ones) do offer integration with 3rd party gift and loyalty interfaces but this is not always the case. Some vendors support 3rd party integration for gift cards but not for loyalty. Furthermore, even if a particular POS system does offer the ability for 3rd party integration, there can be obstacles. First, the local merchant might not have the appropriate hardware and software installed to support integration such as the proper version of Windows Server or the proper version of their POS software. These compatibility issues represent obstacles the merchant might not want or is even able to overcome since their POS dealer controls what versions of software are installed. Furthermore, the POS dealer, who controls the merchant’s POS network, might not even allow integration to proceed. The local POS dealer might be concerned with security issues allowing another company to interface with their network or the POS dealer might want to promote their own company’s gift and loyalty module (usually an inferior points bases system).
Using a POS vendor’s own in-house gift and loyalty module can be very risky for the merchant. Many business owners are not happy with their POS system and with 100s of choices in the marketplace and new systems coming online all the time, the likelihood of them switching in the near future might be greater than they realize. What happens if the merchant runs their in-house loyalty program offered by the POS vendor and then wishes to switch to a different POS system? Extracting the right loyalty data for import into another system is not only messy, it could be impossible. You should bring up this point to prospective clients who are considering installing a loyalty module offered directly from their POS vendor. Remember, what you hear is not always the truth.
There are literally hundreds of POS systems across the restaurant and retail landscape. It is systematically impossible to integrate with ALL of them not to mention prohibitively expensive. There are no rules, no standards, and no policies governing POS integrations. Each vendor handles integration in their own unique way. However, since this issue comes up on a regular basis, a salesperson needs to know what’s involved, how to explain the issue, and intelligently inform the business owner so they can make the proper decision. Here are the three main reasons why clients believe integration is important.
1. Increased Processing Time: The merchant thinks the extra step will take too much time. In reality, the process takes maybe an extra 5 seconds and can be the most important 5 seconds a business can spend with their customer. Just ask yourself the following question. What if you told your wife you were too busy to process another transaction and although you would like to value, appreciate and reward her faithfulness, she was simply not worth the 5 seconds or the hassle involved. Instead, you wanted a wife who was integrated into your daily planner. This conversation would probably not go very well and your customers prefer that you pay attention to them rather than save a few seconds. You might suggest the business owner ask his wife for verification. You see, sometimes it takes a little time to develop a relationship. You can’t treat customers like a wham bam thank you mam and hope to build loyalty. If you like this little analogy you’ll like the real truth even more. Unless the loyalty program outsources the process of database collection (like we do) the merchant is not saving time. He’s wasting it (more on this topic below).
2. Lack of Reconciliation Reporting & Controls: The merchant thinks there is an increased risk of reconciliation issues or lack of controls which employees might abuse on a 3rd party system rather than an integrated solution. In reality, our reporting, security and fraud monitoring capabilities are probably vastly superior than anything the business has in place now. Even if they are not superior, they are perfectly adequate for reconciling transactions and redemptions back to POS.
3. Closed Loop System: The merchant thinks there is an advantage to keeping all processing modules and customer data collected at the point of sale under the same umbrella (i.e., the POS system). There is one clear advantage and that’s being able to process the gift or loyalty transaction at the same time as the normal ticket transaction. The advantages usually stop there unless the data can be queried and tied to the transaction for subscriber list generation. If the merchant houses their data on their local system onsite as opposed to the security and reliability of professional data center management, then additional disaster recovery risks arise for the business owner that should be considered. Lastly, you can reassure your clients with 100% certainty on the safe use of 3rd party applications. Many retail heavyweights in the Fortune 1000 space utilize VeriFone Omni terminals which are often placed directly next to POS systems to run some kind of special application they just cannot do from their POS system. If integration isn’t necessary for the likes of Staples or Dick’s Sporting Goods, then it’s probably not necessary for Jake’s Seafood House either?
Regardless of what the merchant thinks or understands, when this issue arises you face a flee or fight decision and we hope you’ll stay around for the fight. The worst possible mistake we can make when communicating with our potential customers is agreeing with them on faulty assumptions or the perceived liability of integration. Once you agree with the customer or show a lack of expertise in dealing with these issues, the merchant will lose confidence in your ability and the solutions you represent. Closing ratios will plummet, frustration will increase, and it’s all due to a lack of knowledge or preparation on your part. There is no reason to leave dollars on the table and merchants will appreciate a skilled representative (looking to educate rather than sell) in order to make the best decision possible about their business. You will not win the sale every time on this issue. Depending on your skill level, you might not even win most of the time but if you believe passionately in the program and are confident in your rebuttal abilities, you’ll land several wins that otherwise would be losses.
Now that you’ve been prepped with some background information about POS systems, let’s dive into some play by play scenarios and learn effective rebuttal strategies to turn this perceived liability into an asset. By mastering these techniques, knowledge and information contained in this article you will be much better prepared to deal with these situations when they inevitably arise.
The Power of Database Outsourcing
The objective in using this type of Q&A is to better understand how the merchant is currently collecting their customer data (if at all) and how much time, effort, and expense is going into the process. When we compare the time (and expense) it takes to properly build a customer database (without paper forms or outsourcing the input of data) against the time it takes to process a transaction through a non-POS integrated system, the answer is obvious – – – our program SAVES time rather than adding to it. What if 5 seconds longer on the transaction also saved 40 hours per week in manually inputting data from business cards, fish bowls, sign-up sheets, asking customers for information at POS or other similar type of collection methods? Over 90% of businesses don’t even try to collect customer data and less than 1% of the 10% who do, collect their data properly so the market is wide open to our solutions whether or not integration with their POS is possible or practical.
You see, collection of customer data which is tied to the transaction for relevant communication is THE MOST important element in loyalty marketing. Everything else PALES in comparison so any business owner asking about integration without having an efficient data collection process is demonstrating their ignorance. Of course, you don’t need to insult the poor business owner, but you certainly need to redirect the conversation to more important issues such as the survival of their business. Have you noticed in all the press releases of major restaurants and retail businesses filing bankruptcy, they never talk about what type of POS the business used. However, in the recent BK filings of Borders (Feb 2011) the company did emphasize their new found dedication to customer loyalty programs and the fact they did not pay attention to this prior was a key mistake which helped lead to their decline. Borders had an excellent POS and was using a cheap loyalty substitute which was integrated with their system, but it was not tied to the transaction and failed in a number of other fundamental strategies. Would the proper loyalty program have saved Borders? We don’t know for sure, but the company did reference this very issue in their bankruptcy filing papers as one of the key factors they should have improved upon. The lesson should be obvious, don’t worry about POS integration until we have customer data nailed to perfection.
Most POS points based programs or those which integrate with POS, do not have an automated database building function, let alone a customer service help desk that personally answers phone calls and emails from cardholders on behalf of the merchant. In order to do database building correctly, the process should really be outsourced to professionals. This is why over 90% of merchants you visit don’t even know how to build a database or do not even try. Of the 10% who are attempting to build a database, most use fish bowls, business cards, paper sign up forms, annoying questions at checkout and other similar type methods which consumers despise. If this were not bad enough, recent surveys have indicated that ‘blasting’ to a database is now causing more harm than good. Business owners who now believe they have a database to communicate with may be very well losing customers if their program is unable to ‘query their data’ and send relevant information to their customers. Less than 1% of all programs have this capability so the odds of this being in place are very rare. This is just one example of how business owners mistakenly place integration over database building and database building is far more important to the value of a business.
As a matter of fact, you might very well consider database building as the main topic of conversation with every sales call. Most business owners realize the value of data, understand they are not collecting it properly and indeed are looking for a solution to lower costs and communicate with their customers. If you focus on this concept alone and how our solutions are superior to others in the market, your success should increase dramatically.
Here are a few examples:
Sales Rep: “Mr. Jones, how do you currently build a customer database?” (By the way, this is an EXCELLENT way to start the conversation)
(Note there are only three possible answers to this question as follows)
Merchant: “I don’t even have a customer database.” (Most common response)
OR
Merchant: “Through paper sheets and sign up forms which are then entered into my system at a later date.”
OR
Merchant: “I ask customers for their phone number or email address during check-out and then enter the data right away”
Based on the response received from the merchant, there are a number of follow-up comments we might choose. In addition to data collection, we shine in all areas of data utilization and implementation, so you will almost always have a better solution ready to present no matter which answer you might receive. More than likely, there is not even a proper method in place for collecting the data. But, in the small chance there is, the follow up and use of this data is more than likely not being utilized correctly.
Sample suggested replies are as follows:
Sales Rep: “Mr. Jones, would you be interested if I could show you a better way to build your database, an option which eliminates paper signup sheets, tedious data entry, improves accuracy, and saves time as well as money?”
Sales Rep: “Mr. Jones, do you know how long it takes for you to collect and enter this data supplied by your customers?”
Sales Rep: “Mr. Jones, do you think the time it takes you or your staff to collect this data, decipher and transpose the information and then enter this data into your system might be better spent elsewhere such as actually running other areas of your business?”
Sales Rep: “Mr. Jones, do you realize the proper collection of data is the most important aspect in building your business and maintaining profitability in the digital age?”
Sales Rep: “Mr. Jones, were you aware that blasting to a faceless database could be annoying your customers or even cause customers to defect to your competition?”
There are many different ways to reply along this line of thinking. Once we have some type of answer, we can then start moving into the following areas.
Sales Rep: “What type of information do you collect anyway? Is it just an email address? How do you know the email address is legitimate or spelled correctly? Is the data tied to a transaction so you can see which customers are ordering certain items? What kind of options do you have with your data, or how do you utilize it?” Would you like to be able to use this data more effectively such as knowing who your top 100, 200 or X number of customers are by zip code, purchase behavior or frequency? How attractive would it be for you to push a button to communicate to these selected (targeted) customers and bring them back more frequently without any advertising costs? Do you have a system in place for birthdays, anniversaries, utilizing either professional email or text?”
Sales Rep: “Did you know many of your customers prefer to speak to a live human being when it comes to supplying data, learning about your business or communicating with them in the future? Did you know we provide a call center on your behalf for this very reason? This call center is staffed with live human operators who assist YOUR customers and help them activate their cards over the telephone and personally answer emails on your behalf. These hard working folks thus help you build YOUR database. Immediately upon registration the customer’s marketing data which has been collected on our end magically appears inside of your private and secure database with double opt in validation. There’s no time, no manual input and NO PAPER FORMS needed. Does your POS vendor offer this type of service? How much would it cost to hire a staff like this to work on your behalf?”
Sales Rep: “Mr. Jones, you mentioned earlier being concerned about the time it takes to perform an extra transaction outside your POS system correct? Well, your current system of collecting customer data sure takes a lot more time doesn’t it? Were you also aware that even with integration, there are still two card swipes, one for the credit card and another for the gift and rewards card? So in reality, there is not much extra time added with a non-integrated solution is there? In reality, a lot more time is added in the acquiring and inputting of data, much more so than a few seconds at the time of sale. Do you see how we will actually SAVE you time rather than add to it? More than just time Mr. Jones, we are building your database and establishing relationships with your customers. Today’s customers are more concerned with relationships, convenience, and relevant communication than they are being hustled out of the restaurant as though they are nothing more than a transaction. Does this make sense Mr. Jones? Mr. Jones, would you be interested in a system like this which not only saves valuable time and money but gives you a turn-key solution to communicate with your customers and show you care?”
The Power of 24×7 Fundraising
Collection of data is a obviously an extremely important consideration when describing the differences between our program and other competitive programs that integrate with POS systems but there are others and we want to cover the big areas in this article. Cause marketing / fundraising with cash back rewards currency is almost always a major differentiating factor and a hot button topic for many business owners. During the sales pitch, you need to hammer fundraising and the merchant’s unique ability to use our program to network with local non-profit organizations because there is a very good chance any competitive loyalty program the merchant is considering that integrates with POS is not addressing this critical area.
Here is a list of questions we might consider in getting the conversation started in the right direction. Also notice how these conversations or questions often relate to database building. For example, even though cause marketing might be a great strategy to drive new business, what system is in place to track this new business and communicate with these customers after their initial visit?
Sales Rep: “Mr. Jones, are you interested in increasing business from the local non-profit community in your town?” Possibly on an exclusive basis within your market? How would you feel if Pastor Jones or Rabbi Smith were to encourage their members to frequent your sub shop as compared to Subway or Quiznos?”
Sales Rep: “Mr. Jones, do you offer any fundraising programs or cause marketing strategies in conjunction with visitation to your business?” Do you know the difference between the two?”
Sales Rep: “Mr. Jones, does your business ever receive requests for donations or gift cards from local non-profits? (NOTE: Many businesses receive numerous requests from non-profits seeking gift cards or donations). We have noticed that many business owners are very agitated with the constant requests for money but are often torn between saying no and causing bad feeling or negative Word of Mouth inside the community. They are looking for a way out and you have it.”
Sample replies might include…
Merchant: “Yes I’m bombarded with requests for donations. People come in every day asking for money, gifts, or free products and services.”
Merchant: “We host fundraising events all the time. We have groups who book their fundraising ‘parties’ here and we give back 10% to 20% of what is spent.”
Merchant: “Actually, we have informed selected non-profits to hold onto their receipts, total them up and bring them in each month for a 10% donation.”
This line of questioning gets the conversation moving in the direction of fundraising, community involvement and how supporting selected groups has always been good for business. Most business owners understand that a properly designed fundraising strategy pays back many times over. Even with old school fundraising, if the ROI is not there, many business owners still feel an obligation to support their community. The problems with many traditional fundraising concepts include:
1. They are not tied to the transaction
2. They are usually selective, not everyone can be supported
3. There is no tracking or reporting to show which group is supporting the business
4. There is no accountability or transparency on the non-profit side
5. They often involve paper, coupons, or other difficult to organize materials.
In other words, the technique involved in establishing and implementing a fundraising strategy leaves much to be desired and something we can improve tremendously. We help expose these obvious flaws and then show them how to turn donations and fundraising into a customer acquisition powerhouse via cause marketing. Once we get the dialog moving in this direction, it’s easy to help the merchant visualize the increased results. Not only does the thought of new customer acquisition and increased frequency excite the merchant, but having a tool in place to stop the constant requests for money in a positive manner is worth a great deal to many merchants. One local merchant put a banner in front of his store with the following message:
NEED MONEY?
If your non-profit needs funding, come in today!
Needless to say a number of curious people ask how the program works. He then issues free cards with games of bowling or a free meal loaded on the card and lets them know they can earn 5% on everything they spend for the entire group. No matter what their size might be (whether a 30 member lacrosse team or 5000 member University), he supplies as many cards as they request free of charge. The group can then hand these cards out to their members and each time they visit (for years on end) they raise money by simply frequenting his business. We have even devised a strategy to increase donations when they visit during slower periods or when they market or promote his business inside of their non-profit location. There are many very powerful ways for business owners to achieve record results when they implement a powerful cause marketing module.
Some additional fundraising questions:
Sales Rep: “Would you be interested in running a fundraising program which encourages consumers to visit every SINGLE day and not just on the days when planned banquets are hosted?” Would you prefer when they visit they pay full price without any advertising fees?”
Sales Rep: “Our loyalty system offers an unbelievable fundraising module which automatically tracks the sales from non-profit cardholders who come in and spend money. We then report the donation of each cardholder directly on their printed receipt and notify the administrator in real time! The entire process is automated, electronic, accountable and secure. No box tops, no flyers, no coupons, no distribution expense, no discounting, no planning, just simple and easy fundraising (and database building) with every visit.”
Sales Rep: “Imagine having the ability to blanket the many different schools, churches, little leagues, soccer clubs, and other non-profit associations in your community with your very own custom branded gift, rewards and fundraising card. We might even ‘load’ these cards with $5.00 – $10.00 in rewards of offer a free sandwich or lunch to drive the initial visit and build your database. Once they come in to use their ‘free money’ or eat their ‘free meal’ we have them for life with a way to communicate with them, gather their feedback and value their business with the push of a button. Each and every future visit rewards the customer, supports their community and helps sustain our environment. These types of programs are WIN-WIN for everybody, wouldn’t you agree?”
Sales Rep: “We can even give non-profit leaders their own unique logon ID and PW to check sales and donation activity from their own members IN REAL TIME!. With all the greed and corruption of our current economic climate, non-profit associations are wary of being ripped off or misled. Our system utilizes a trusted 3rd party platform which provides complete transparency and accountability. Real time reporting means both parties (you and your fundraising clients) will be aware of all donations, amounts due and how those funds were created, down to the very penny. Merchants can decide in advance along with the non-profit regarding the frequency of payments, percentages of donations, specials during certain periods and more. Fundraising clients will love this new found automatic fundraising model without any real change of behavior and promote your business all over town!”
Sales Rep: “Mr. Jones, does your POS system or current rewards program provide you with this powerful fundraising capability? Do they provide you with a turnkey system to attract new customers from outside your business while encouraging pastors, rabbis, principals and other leaders of influence to promote your business throughout the community and send their members to your restaurant over and over again?”
Sales Rep: “Mr. Jones, between us, if we can increase sales of your business by as much as 20% just through the fundraising channel alone, is it that not worth a few extra seconds to swipe a card through a different system not integrated with your POS? Or would you rather keep sales flat and not grow?”
Reconciliation & Fraud Monitoring Controls
Another area merchants might be concerned about is the ability to track mistakes, fraud, and/or abuse of the system. In their mind, the merchant frets over the internal controls of using a 3rd party system which they think might increase the risk of abuse. All retail merchants (and especially restaurants) worry about employee theft, mistakes and abuse. As a matter of fact, it’s often one of their most pressing concerns and weighs heavily on their minds, even when they sleep! For this reason, we have designed a robust set of fraud monitoring reports designed to accomplish one thing: flag suspicious activity processed through the system and do so on auto pilot so the business owner does not have to worry about these things and can get a good night’s rest. No batching, no hatching, the system can be set up by the merchant to notify him via email each day on the transactions processed the previous day most likely to warrant closer review. It’s a good idea to bring up this topic because the merchant may be thinking about it even if he or she is not verbalizing it. Here are some conversation starters:
Sales Rep: “Mr. Jones, we provide awesome reconciliation reporting. Our system not only provides complete summary and transaction level details in real time in an attractive color-coded report, we also have the ability to email you this report every single day for your convenience. Let me show you a demo report.”
Sales Rep: “Mr. Jones, we take fraud monitoring VERY seriously. Does your POS system include fraud monitoring reporting to flag any suspicious activity? Can you flag high dollar loads, selected redeem transactions, multiple purchases or visits within the same day, or unusual sales activity?”
Sales Rep: “Can you flag high frequency transactions from the same card which may have taken place on the same day or over a period of days? How about flag individual cards or specific clerks? We can even track people who try to activate more then one card or activate without providing their email address. We can do all these things and more and even email you the Fraud Monitoring report each day so you can stay proactive and not be forced to log-in and download reports.”
Other POS Integration Comparison Strategies
Aside from database building, fundraising and reporting, there are lots of other topics you can cover with merchants to separate your loyalty program solution from one that integrates with the prospect’s POS system. Often times merchants don’t look past integration and thus fail to see the bigger picture of the entire loyalty lifecycle process. Swiping cards, issuing rewards and building a database are all just cogs in a large wheel. For example, once we actually collect the data how do we actually use it to effectively communicate with our customers and bring them back more often? Let’s cover a few more conversation starters which may very well ring the hot button that turns the merchant around.
Sales Rep: “Does your system have the ability to offer real cash back rewards or is it limited to a points based system which is difficult to understand for both customers and clerks? If you’re planning on installing a points based system, you might as well just flush tens of thousands of dollars down the drain every year. Points currency does not even compare to the ROI generated from instant cash back rewards. Why install a clearly inferior system that costs you untold thousands in lost sales just to save a couple seconds when swiping the card?”
Sales Rep: “Does your system automatically email your customers the next day thanking them for visiting and reporting current rewards balances while encouraging them to visit more frequently’?”
Sales Rep: “Can your system also be used to query your customer database in order to target selected customers and move them into specific groups such as VIP, Corporate Meetings, Happy Hour, etc.?”
Sales Rep: “Can you create email marketing and text message campaigns within minutes with your POS system? Were you planning on using a separate specialized vendor (i.e., 3rd party application) for email marketing and mobile text messaging to communicate with your customers? If you were planning on using a separate vendor for email and text anyway then that means the component of loyalty involving communication with customers is not integrated with your POS wouldn’t you agree? That’s going to involve all kinds of uploads and downloads, imports and exports and dealing with opt outs and bounces. Now that’s not only time consuming and a giant hassle it’s confusing and a waste of money as well. You might be looking at two or three steps to accomplish what we can do with one.“
Sales Rep: “Loyalty is more than just a swipe of the card. That’s just one part of the lifecycle. If you’re planning on using a separate service to handle your email and/or mobile marketing then why not use our 3rd party system which handles everything under one umbrella? The only thing our system doesn’t do is integrate directly with your POS (yet) and I hope by now you have seen there are many more important issues to consider.
Sales Rep: “Does your POS system vendor work closely with you to design custom graphics for posters, table tents, postcards and other advertising collateral to ensure your marketing objectives align with your branding and your program is rolled out properly?”
Sales Rep: “Mr. Jones, I am a customer loyalty specialist. I work for a loyalty marketing company. This is what I do for a living. You can call me anytime to discuss strategy, marketing, or any other need which might arise. I will work with you in order to help build your business save you thousands of dollars in possible mistakes based on my years of experience. It’s hard to put a value on customer service and private consulting. We offer much more than a box of software, it’s more like a partnership in working together so we can achieve the best results possible. Loyalty is much bigger than just swiping a card or saving a few seconds, the entire process must be organized and the right offers communicated to your customers in order to achieve maximum ROI. I am here to help you make this a reality. Does this make sense?”
At the end of the day, we will either educate the merchant on the many other important advantages beyond integration or they will be steadfast in their opinions and not willing to listen to the facts which only serve to interrupt their pre-ordained point of view. At least we will not go down without a fight and make a good case for our solutions. That’s what the sales process is all about– presenting all the facts and letting the merchant come to their own conclusion based on the facts. NEVER apologize for lack of POS integration. Apologies are lethal during the sales process. Just explain the facts and you will close a much higher percentage of deals by simply educating the merchant with the truth.