We processed another phone order in the newsagency yesterday, a sale that we got thanks to a Facebook post. The customer lives interstate and was happy for us to post the item for a small handling fee.
Key to being able to handle this type of transaction is being able to take payment over the phone. Some newsagents cannot do this because they have not made arrangements with their EFTPOS provider. It is easy to do and once setup, you have another method of payment that makes over the phone, email and other out of store purchases easy.
My advice is make sure you can handle payments over the phone and then start to use it.
Customers are everywhere today, often not in your shop. The more able you are to serve them when they are ready to purchase the more purchases you will achieve.
The shop is just one location for your business. Think and act beyond this and compete for today’s shopper. It starts with being able to transact with them.
I have government accounts that regularly phone and pay with corporate cards. BTS time I have another group ring and place school orders for families that we deliver directly to the school . Orders are paid by card over the phone and I can then email them back their receipts direct from POS.
Have had over the phone credit card payment for home delivery for a long time, but more recently have had sales of gift ware and plush that customer saw previously or phoned to see if we had in stock. They can pay over the phone and pick up later or if local we can drop it off for them. Too easy!
Last time I looked, admittedly a couple of years ago, having MOTO (mail order or phone order) added to my EFTPOS was $11/month or $132/year. Not a great lot in the big scheme of things I know. But still not something I’d pay for unless I knew It was necessary. The rare occasion someones wanted to pay something over the phone I’ve got them to direct debit it into my account and its never been a problem.