Helping Customers Transition to EMV® Cards

Helping Customers Transition to EMV®  Cards

Across the board, reports and surveys seem to indicate that the greatest customer complaint concerning EMV®  cards is the processing time, which may often lead to lengthy lines and check-outs at the POS. You, as the merchant, can play a valuable role in helping customers navigate this transition to EMV®  cards and keep things running smoothly for your business.

1. Prepare Employees:

Shortly after the arrival of your EMV® -compatible terminal, hold an educational meeting with your employees to familiarize them with the ins and outs of the new system. You may also want to provide them with resources for trouble-shooting common problems quickly and efficiently, so that, if something goes awry during a transaction, they’ll know how to solve the problem. Having an EMV® -informed staff can really help to minimize wait times at the POS.

2. Engage Customers at POS:

An EMV® -informed staff will also be able to guide customers through the transaction process. At first, many customers will be uncertain or unsure about how the new system works, and, thus, more likely to make a mistake that could void the transaction and hold-up the line. Engaging customers from the beginning of the sale, guiding them through the transaction, will help educate customers on how the process works, and likely reduce transaction time when they visit again.

3. Open Another Terminal:

This may not be a viable option for some, but if possible, you may consider opening a reserve terminal that can alleviate a customer line(s) in case a problem arises with the one of the other terminals. Or, if a line(s) becomes backed up because of processing times, you’ll be able to serve customers on the alternate terminal to cut wait times in half.