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sonalize the shopping experience," Laszig said. "These "Beyond just speed and more payment options," Sino-
AI and ML-powered solutions are easy to integrate and vois said, "the things that would make the biggest dif-
becoming more accessible and affordable." ference are lower fees, fewer disputes and easier inte-
grations with the software they already use. On top of
Kahn stated that implementation continues to be a that, having responsive support when issues come up
challenge, especially for merchants investing in new can save a ton of time and stress for them and is typi-
POS or smart terminal solutions. "Even after onboard- cally rewarded with better merchant retention. Any-
ing, many cite reliability as a top priority, followed thing that makes running payments smoother, more
by stable systems, dependable funding timelines, and predictable, and less costly really matters to them."
responsive customer support when something goes
wrong," he said. "What they want most is confidence According to Sills, true customer service is becoming
that their technology and service partners will perform a lost art, and it shouldn't be. "Those who provide it
consistently. greatly will thrive in the long run," she said. "It's a num-
ber one key to retaining clients.
"Streamlined integrations and reliable services, from
setup to daily operations, make the biggest difference The old adage of it's not what they said but how you felt
in keeping merchants focused on their customers in- is real. People remember if they screamed at a poorly
stead of their payment problems." established chatbot, slammed down the phone on a
byzantine phone tree, and crumpled up a statement be-
Baxter said, "Integrations that focus on the merchant cause it looked too much like a cellphone or cable bill
experience can free up the merchant, allowing them to for which they also couldn't make neither heads nor
concentrate on their core business. tails.”
Aggregating data across multiple payment methods, "Conversely,” she continued, “people remember when
data sources and vendors, or automating repetitive a well-spoken, seasoned, intelligent person picks up
work can make payments more seamless." their call and guides them through their issue to full
resolution. They remember when the ability to reach
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