How do you educate clients after they sign up?
We have an implementation team that actually goes around to the [client] companies to implement the cards, get people signed up — which is really key because just signing on a client and saying, ‘Oh, we got this customer,’ you only get 400 cards out with them, you really don’t make money. See, the way we make money is on volume. When people use the card as a signature, we get paid the interchange from Visa or Mastercard.
They will educate them on the card on how not to get charges. They sign the people up that way. If you just put a check-stuffer in their check, they’re probably not going to sign up because people hate change. But we’ve found it to be very successful to send out the implementation teams so you can see who we are, get who we are, know that the company that you work for is backing this.
We also have a small tutorial [on] how to use an ATM so you don’t get charged with checking your balance. They educate them on the fact that Global Cash Card won’t charge them to talk to a live customer service rep. Some of our competitors will say, ‘Well, if you talk to a customer service rep, it’s $2,’ which is absolutely ridiculous.
They also educate them as to have a breakdown of the savings a paycard does versus a live check.
Once in a blue [moon], we’ll bring up some people who have already gone with the paycard in the company and let people know, ‘Hey, this has been great for me and here’s why.’
That’s the key. If we don’t do a good job in them liking the card, us, they’re going to … complain. They’re going to say, ‘Hey, we don’t want this.’
What’s the key to customer service?
We do our own customer service in-house. Some of our competitors go to a third party; most of them are not in the country. We’re based out of Irvine; the customer service here costs a lot of money. We just feel it’s completely necessary because it’s people’s money. The most important thing to them is their money. People … really need an answer to their questions immediately. … Believe me, I’d love to cut costs, but it’s too valuable.
We do have the best system and technology in the industry. We have our thing, which is: Systems and service equals easy — the formula for paycard success. You hear some nightmares with companies that have went with other paycard providers. … We just want them to have a long-term relationship with us and we know that if they’ve got 30,000 of their employees on our card and their employees are happy, they’re not going to make the change.
Our president is in the middle of customer service. He can come sit with me in the corporate side and he doesn’t want to. He knows it’s a financial product and he knows people want answers immediately and they want decisions made. They don’t want to wait for someone in India to call someone else and for that person to not really be available if they have those kinds of questions.
We’re open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. And (our reps) know that without customer service, there is no growth, there’s no job security. They see that customers can be snatched up. They go through a really grueling three-week program with our product, how it works, our system, calls. We really strive to have people understand that it’s a relationship that you are trying to build with them.
They give (clients) their cell phone numbers. They say, ‘Look, if you have a question … call us.’ So it’s all relationship building. We are dedicated with weekly calls — or in some cases, there’ll be biweekly calls with them. We just don’t hand you a piece of plastic and you’re on your way. We’re with you at your hip every step of the way.
How to reach: Global Cash Card, (888) 220-4477, ext. 210 or www.globalcashcard.com
