Today’s customers are more than simply purchasers of goods and services. If you want to attract and keep an expanding circle of loyal brand ambassadors, you need to offer them more. One of the best ways to enhance your interpersonal connection to these all-important buyers is with the help of your mobile card swiper.
What are mobile card readers?
No doubt, you have seen and used these hand-held devices as a customer. If you have tapped or swiped your smart credit card or mobile phone near a merchant’s near-field communication (NFC) contactless reader, you have already embraced the technology. The components are simple:
- A smartphone or tablet.
- A peripheral device that interfaces with it and enables customers to tap or swipe their devices or cards.
- Software that connects the phone or tablet to the payment processor to enable the transaction to be completed.
Although your mobile reader will be small, it should come jam-packed with features that can help you accelerate your services and enhance the quality of your relationships with buyers.
Make checkout faster and easier.
Mobile card readers are portable and do not require a connection to the internet with wires. As a result, you and your staff are no longer tethered to the check-out counter. Instead, you can approach the customer right when they are browsing for products or encountering difficulties.
Thanks to hardware and software that will give you real-time inventory updates, you can get item details and suggest accessories that can enhance the purchase even further. Ultimately, your customer will leave your store satisfied, telling themselves that they finally got help from someone who really cared.
Integrate with rewards programs.
Everyone enjoys getting something for nothing, and few of us can resist that warm glow that comes when someone thanks us for our business. Your mobile card reader can connect with the other components of your point of sale system to offer highly attractive and effective incentives that reward customers for their continued loyalty. From mega-corporations like Starbucks to mom-and-pop retailers, business owners of all sizes have come to see just what a powerful tool these programs can be in attracting, cultivating, and bringing back your best customers.
Ongoing communication to foster positive relationships.
One of the best features of your mobile reader is that it will integrate seamlessly with your other systems, including the customer contact database you should be building thanks to your loyalty program. Without being overly pushy, you can keep your business near the top of your customers’ minds with occasional email blasts, newsletters, or blog posts. These will, in turn, often lead to positive social media reviews and new referrals to your website that could be converted into valued members of your community over time.
There is a reason why customer management is now a lucrative science. When you implement programs and systems that put your buyers first, they will shower you with repeat business and glowing feedback. Why not start the positivity today by speaking to your merchant service provider about adding mobile card readers to your payments and customer experience toolkit?
