5 Reasons Merchants Stay Loyal to Resellers

Customer loyalty is crucial to just about any business, but for merchants that may be particularly true, given how many options people have to buy the things they want these days. With this in mind, it’s vital for retailers to consider the ways in which they can engender more customer loyalty by identifying what they’re doing well already. A little knowledge and effort to improve their customer service without dramatically changing their operations, can go a long way.

One of the biggest things that generally leads to more repeat business is the ability of a merchant to provide value and be reliable, according to Loyalty 360. The 10 highest-ranked retailers in customer loyalty nationwide were those that have been around for a long time, were not closing stores or reducing the size of their workforce, and generally gave shoppers low prices for dependable goods. The opposite was true for most of the 10 companies ranking lowest in customer loyalty. The same logic applies to resellers – providing value and reliability to merchants keeps them happy and loyal.

Here are 5 reasons why merchants will stay with you:

1. Going Above and Beyond
Of course, many of the things that seem to lead to the most shopper satisfaction – good deals, reliable quality, etc. – are fairly common-sense, and smaller merchants may need to go take a step beyond those basic expectations, according to Zuora.

Fortunately, there are now more ways for smaller merchants to make sure their offerings are at least comparable with bigger competitors. They may be able to use modern point of sale systems to get a better look at what customers are buying and how quickly their merchandise is moving. That, in turn, can inform better decisions about future orders and services they may need. They can also use their point of sale systems to create seamless payment experiences. Resellers can help merchants choose the right point of sale system and software to create these smooth payment experiences and to have accurate tracking and reporting.

2. Finding Better Ways to Connect
To get those customers’ attention – and keep it – you need to know what they value, and this is another area where modern point of sale systems can really help, according to My Total Retail. The ability of any merchant to draw connections between individual consumers and the kinds of purchases they make on a regular basis can help to produce valuable insights into who buys what – whether speaking individually or within demographic groups – and make decisions based on that data. When a reseller shows a merchant how to attract and retain customer through POS systems, it does not only reveal their knowledge, but it will also add even more value to what you have to offer them.

Of course it may be wise to work on building loyalty programs that reward repeat customers just for coming back, in exchange for providing even more information about what they like to buy. The benefit there is not only in the fact that it informs better decisions about future inventory, but also gives merchants the opportunity to market directly to those people via email or other channels, increasing the likelihood that they return. Resellers can play a vital role in showing merchants the various loyalty programs available and how that will better their business.

3. Adding Convenience Without Sacrifice
In addition, it’s important to consider the ways in which modern POS can also wow consumers in certain situations, according to the Center for Client Retention. One type of technology that is starting to make its way into more types of brick-and-mortar stores is the self-serve checkout machine, which allows consumers to go through the scanning and payment process at their own pace and potentially avoid longer lines.

While some companies have clearly had success implementing these systems, others say that while there are clear benefits to such a switch (such as reducing costs), there may also be some drawbacks. For instance, smaller merchants in particular may help their customers shave a few seconds off a transaction time, but they also lose the personal touch that can help create long-lasting connections between customers and merchants. Resellers can help a merchant determine what will work for them and what they specifically need for their individual business.

4. Getting Into Omni Channel
Indeed, a positive customer experience is by far the best way for merchants to engender a long-term relationship with shoppers, and that’s where omni channel comes in once again, according to Super Office. Recent data suggests that when omni channel works best, it can help to retain nearly 9 in 10 customers, versus just 1 in 3 for companies that choose to go without or haven’t invested in omni channel properly.

However, there are right and wrong ways to implement omni channel for merchants of any size, and those that end up being repetitive – asking for the same information over and over as clients work their way through the process – can prove more frustrating than anything and can have the opposite of the effect intended. With this in mind, merchants must test out any systems they want to adopt to make sure they operate as smoothly as possible. When examining available options, it’s also important for retailers to work with a POS reseller that can help walk them through which options will work best for them both now and in the future. As a POS reseller, it is important to brush up on industry information and be a point of thought leadership for merchants.

5. Communicating Effectively
Finally, it’s vital for resellers to make sure to ask their merchants – particularly those they see on a regular basis and have a rapport with – about what they think can be improved to make the customer experience even better. This doesn’t mean every recommendation needs to be put into action, but resellers that can gain a consensus and find new ways to innovate are those that are most likely to get positive word of mouth and ensure repeat business.

In a continuously expanding payments landscape, there is a lot of pressure on merchants to correctly equip their business. For those that are seeking a simplified solution to their payment needs, the right value-added reseller (VAR) could remove a lot of the headache and stress from the payment process. Resellers need to equip themselves with the knowledge and the best practices to keep their clients happy and thriving. It is important for merchants to understand that the best reason for choosing to work with a reseller is that there is a single point of contact for every question or issue that may arise. Resellers need to stress this fact, especially to keep repeat business. Offering support, training, and peace of mind all in one place can save business owners time, energy, and money. In order for a reseller to keep a client, it is important for them to offer all of those things and more.

This article originally appeared here: 5 Reasons Merchants Stay Loyal to Resellers