Accepting credit cards

This post is written as part of the Local Case Study Series. To Follow the Series, visit this link.

One of my first jobs asked me if I accepted checks, but the voice that was coming out of my mouth was saying yes… I accept cash.

After all, I wanted the job because I was a new business… but I didn’t consider how much accepting cash could cost me. To make a long story short, I cleaned for the real estate agent who wasn’t there and ended up having to chase her around for a few weeks (spending hours of my valuable time) to get what was owed.

I eventually got paid, but realized time wasn’t all accepting cash was costing me… here are 3 reasons I now only accept credit cards for Enjoy Maids and 3 methods to help your clients transition.

  1. Cash collection is a headache

Since you are most likely sending off employees or contractors to appointments, cash collection becomes dicey. You don’t want your employees carrying large amounts of cash to each appointment with the chance that something may get lost or may not make it back to you. Add in the fact that the client may not always be home and you spend much of your time worrying about how you will get paid. Collecting all payments via credit card eliminates that.

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  1. Credit cards help me upsell

Just a few minutes ago, I placed a Thumbtack bid for a deep cleaning. The total was $263. The customer booked and then added $130 in extras. Now, even if we got to an appointment and one of our cleaners upsold a few services, the chance that our customer would not only have extra cash, but be willing to part with said cash is slim. People find it easier to purchase more when they can put it on a card.

  1. Credit cards inspire trust

If you are accepting credit cards, customers with think you are running a legitimate operation. Add to the fact that recognizable logos automatically make a customer feel more comfortable and you more likely to get a sale.

So accepting credit cards is important… but how do you change the clients that are already on a cash based system?

  1. Let them know you are moving to credit cards only for their convenience

Let your customers know you are accepting only credit cards for their convenience. Chances are, most people have credit cards and use them more than cash, so being able to pay with them should be a bonus.

  1. Let them know you are moving to credit cards for their safety

You can also let clients know that they have more protection when they pay with a credit card. This will alleviate many concerns on their end and also let the client know you are thinking about them as well.

Cropped portrait of African American housewife wearing casual top using mobile phone entering information on her credit card while signing up on food delivery website while spending evening at home

  1. If all else fails, offer an incentive

If a client insists on paying with cash, offer an incentive to switch them to credit card. After all, offering a slight discount on the first service or future services has its pros especially when considering that you remove the admin costs that a cash-based operation brings as well as the ability to seamlessly upsell and the insurance that services will be paid for upon completion.

All in all, accepting credit cards (especially if that is your only method of payment) is a business decision and you have to decide if it works for your service business.

This post is written as part of the Local Case Study Series. To Follow the Series, visit this link.