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Insights and Expertise

StreetSmarts SM

Give merchants the guest experience

By Allen Kopelman approved app to a relationship manager. The underwriter
Nationwide Payment Systems Inc. is the guest of the relationship manager who advises the
MLS of the application's status.
ears ago, when I worked as an executive chef, Transparency, accountability
our hotel created the Be Our Guest program
to teach staff members to treat each other like MLSs depend on a whole lot of guests to approve and ac-
Y guests. For me, this meant not going Gordon tivate our merchant accounts, troubleshoot POS devices
Ramsay on my cooks. Because a cook who is yelled at and deal with all kinds of issues. When we don't get an
will take her bad attitude to a server who will be rude to answer from a relationship manager or risk department,
a bartender and busboy, and so on. it hampers our ability to get things done.

We need to keep people happy and communicate politely Of course, we feel bad when we can't take care of our
by saying please and thank you. customers. When our customers' money is on the line,
it's tough to wait for a call or email. Delays usually in-
In merchant services, the same rules apply. A risk man- dicate that somewhere down the line, there's a broken
ager should not speak rudely to merchants or treat them link in this chain of taking care of the customer, which is
like criminals. But I've seen it happen numerous times. our merchant, the person who pays everybody along the
whole chain.
Why would anyone disrespect a merchant, the very per-
son who's paying us? And why can't ISOs recognize and Please, thank you
respect high-earning merchant level salespeople (MLSs)
by answering their calls and expediting their high-vol- Merchant services is a complicated business with a lot of
moving parts, and most are beyond our control. That's
ume, high-value VIP merchant applications?
why it's important to focus on the few things we can con-
One bad day trol, like our attitudes. A small gesture or act of kindness
can have a magical effect on everyone along the chain.
In hospitality, one person's bad day can impact the entire
value chain. Consider the dishwasher who throws a towel When was the last time you thanked an underwriter, sales
on the floor, causing a server to slip and overturn a platter manager or help desk associate? These people are as much
of entrees. Now the manager must apologize to the guests your guests as your merchant customers and equally re-
while they wait for the kitchen crew to re-prepare their sponsible for your success.
orders. In this case, the dishwasher is the weakest link in
the chain. Make a habit of saying "please" and thanking anyone who
completes a task on behalf of you or your customer.
In the payments business, everyone is a guest in the chain
of taking care of a merchant. The customer is the guest of The next time you reach for your phone to call your help
the MLS who passes a deal to the underwriter. The MLS desk or toll-free customer support, remember a little kind-
is the guest of the underwriter who passes the declined or ness can go a long way. Why disrespect a customer service

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