We have made a decision to quit offering Western Union in our newsagency. The margin we make is too slim, the new compliance costs too high and the transactions inefficient for our business.
A key goal in our newsagency, like many, is excellent customer service. This is a challenge if you have a Western Union transaction for a first time user of the service. It is difficult to provide the Western Union customer excellent service and the other customers shopping with you at the same time.
The issue was brought into focus during the recent lottery jackpots. Our efficient handling of high traffic fast transactions was interrupted by slow labour intensive Western Union business. We had to make a decision about what was right for our business. Our customers come first and this meant that Western Union had to go.
We have not made the decision lightly. Indeed, we have been considering this for several months, analysing the data, assessing other business Western Union customers brought to us, taking not of traffic impact.
If the commission we made was better we might have continued to offer the service.
I had a rep in a few weeks ago peddling Western Union, funny thing though, they asked if I was a member of the ANF.
I didn’t know it was a rep’s business to ask such a question. I wonder what the connection is?
The ANF is the Western Union agent on behalf of newsagents. It makes a commission from every sale and provides back office support. This should have been disclosed.
If Western Union went direct to Newsagents instead and the commission increased, would it make the service more viable?
There are still back office services to provide. It depends of the efficiency of the ANF and the margin they take compared to others. For us, this decision is about counter traffic efficiency.
at least more of the commission would be better than nothing.
Its almost as bad as phonecards for commission.
Considering its also the online scammers weapon of choice, its relevance is slowly starting to wear away.
I got tired of seeing spinsters sending money to gigilos in Ghana and India and 40 year old men sending money (for rice) to the Philipines. I have also told a customer not to send money as he was obviously being scammed only to abused and then see him a few weeks later trying to find where his money had gone.
ive been thinking about pulling out lately as well, now with all the extra compliance crap its all becoming too much for very little commission
If more companies (i.e. phone providers, ticket providers, etc) were made to listen this kind of feedback, coupled with messages like, ‘Sorry, we don’t think we can continue with a product that virtually costs us money’, maybe a better deal could be brokered – either collectively or individually? Like the issues with print media and our businesses in the future, a statement needs to be backed up with action, like withdrawing provision.
I also think if bodies like the ANF are involved, there should be more transparency at the marketing end at the very least.
If it was a case of us actually making something out of each transaction, rather than the phonecalls and transaction fees being liabilities, we’d consider doing phone credit. As it is now, even our local supermarket won’t touch it with a barge pole. If they won’t, then it really speaks volumes about how potentially negative it would be for our business.
So, until small businesses are offered a decent share of the astronomical profits for the investment/labour, it won’t happen here.
id like to know what ANF % gets compared to what i receive, anybody privy to that info?
When I quit last month, they sent me a form to fill in. In small print was a statement saying I gave 120 days notice. The actual period of notice required is 90 days, so watch out for that.
We have decided to egt out of WU too. The ANF were not helpful recently and I figured why stay with something which costs so much.
So the ANF can make money of the Newsagent’s commission, without the Newsagent being a member of the ANF.
A good rort if your on the right side of it….
quit western union a few months back. time waster for so little profit. and im not racist but talking to the operators who have trouble with english was very frustrating.
Poor sad Tony..and the old chestnut “im not racist but….”
Oh Helen, get off your politically correct horse. It is a fact that the time wasted trying to communicate with a help desk that has difficulty with English adds up.
I do agree with Y&G though, we need to be putting some of our complaints into action….
B wouldnt stand for Bigotted now would it?
i have no problem with people from other countries.
i do have a big problem with people who can’t speak english if their primary job is to talk to english based companies on the telephone.
this includes western union and phone companies.
i am sorry if you got offended, i dont know why though.