This piece originally appeared on the GreatAmerica Office Equipment Blog forum. Click here to read other topics of interest to our industry.
October can be a spooky time, but a poor customer experience can haunt you any time of the year. The vendors you choose to do business with, and their processes and capabilities can absolutely impact your ability to retain your customers.
When it comes to how your finance source will go about helping you administer contracts, it pays to be your own advocate and hold a magnifying glass up to their capabilities, as well as their values, to ensure a good fit. How can you make sure a poor experience with your financing source doesn’t haunt your efforts to create a positive customer experience? Ask yourself these questions before choosing a finance source for your office technology business.
What Kind of Invoicing Customizations are Available?
We regularly get told by dealers that including the right information, reports, and features on an invoice makes it simple for your customers to make payments to you. More importantly, doing so will proactively answer their questions, displaying the information they need to conduct their business successfully.
Your finance source should be equipped to handle the unique nuances your customers’ billing process may require, otherwise, the billing process can become a source of friction for your customer. So what invoice features should your financing company be able to customize for your customers? Check out this blog entry to see how you can customize invoices to help make your customers’ lives easier.
Do They Offer Flexible Payment Structures?
The simple act of offering a flexible payment structure can benefit your customer in a number of ways, and your financing source should make it simple to set up any kind of payment structure your customer might need. By utilizing the back-office services of a finance source with the proper capabilities, you can customize the billing experience your customers have with you, save time, and reduce overall errors. A properly thought-out payment structure can go a long way toward keeping your customers happy and paying on time. Read about the flexible payment structures we make available to you so you can accommodate your customers here.
Are They Seasoned Experts When It Comes to Bundling Administration?
There are right ways and wrong ways to bundle. One big issue we’ve seen dealers have with bundling has largely to do with the way these contracts are billed and collected. Many finance companies haven’t quite figured out how to bundle equipment, services, and supplies accurately and timely, so dealers may try to do this themselves. But especially when it comes to MPS, the billing and reconciliation process can get complicated, so it’s best to team up with a vendor with sophisticated accounting capabilities and a staff with experience and know-how. You’ll find it so much easier to successfully administer your program and keep your customers happy via a single invoice solution.
Does Your Financing Source Provide the Proper Tools and Resources to Make Your Customers’ Lives Easier?
Ease of use is huge for your customers, so providing them an easy way to receive documentation or provide their signatures electronically can actually make or break their overall experience. And when it comes to getting them quotes or getting their credit approved, it’s important you are able to take advantage of software or mobile applications that make these processes as seamless as possible.
