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Our Client:
The National Merchant Retention Team for a Leading Credit Card Issuer

Situation:

Merchants that accepted a leading credit card were calling the credit card issuer to cancel their Merchant accounts primarily because they didn’t see the value of acceptance and the high merchant discount rate.

And to make matters worse, when we began working with the Merchant Retention team, agents were leading off every cancellation request with an offer of money for the merchant not to cancel for the coming year. This quickly created a cycle where merchants would call in annually, threaten to cancel, and receive subsidies for not cancelling.

Direct Channels Solution:
  • First, we stopped the tactic of saving a merchant cancellation by offering a financial benefit as the first option. We made that the very last option.
  • We then trained and coached Retention agents for two days a week, four hours a day, focusing on the true value of acceptance, how to properly communicate it avoiding logic traps, and what probing questions should be used to move towards a solution.

Results:

After almost a year of training, when merchants call, they are now convinced by the Retention agents that there was great value in keeping their Merchant account. Understanding the true value, most merchants requested not to cancel their account. The client’s retention goal was $100M. By October, we had helped them save over $500M.

“Michael’s [Direct Channels] sales and relationship skills combined with a solid background in training and development made him a substantial contributor to the success of my organization. Accountable for leading skill development training and mentoring sessions for high-value client managers, Michael built solid relationships with staff across three sites, assisting them in their individual development areas resulting in high impact discussions to uncover challenges and identify opportunities to strengthen relationships providing post-training net revenue gains of $30M+. His passion for the customer and dedication to my employees showcased in his performance throughout every interaction.” – Deana, Global Head of Operational Technology & Customer Engagement.

“Direct Channels Group has proven to be a strategic partner in our telesales channel.  The expertise and thought leadership provided by the DCG team has had a positive impact on the success of our program and given me peace of mind. When it comes to translating our overall tele-strategy into tactical action, DCG delivers.  Their support in crafting the right dialogue with vendors, agents and customers enhances our ability to get the right message out to our customers and drive bottom line results.”

LORNA KAPUSTA, VICE PRESIDENT, AMERICAN EXPRESS

“Direct Channels Group provided critical support in the launch of two new external call centers within six months.  They delivered a robust training curriculum and facilitated the new hire training in a clearly defined and effective method.  Their on-site coaching support resulted in key behavioral changes and improved call quality for new agents. DCG has been instrumental in the development of new merchant engagement programs.  From overall strategy conception to tactical implementation, DCG has shortened the time to market and improved chances of success for our new initiatives by providing expert support and sound advice.”

DEANNA PERRIN, GLOBAL PARTNER MANAGEMENT, GROUPON

“Melody Medina and Direct Channels Group had an enormous impact on our business at Chartis.  DCG hit the ground running and, unlike any other consulting group, immersed themselves in our business, learning our practices, understanding our goals and listening to our customers.  As a result, they were able to deliver tangible and long-lasting results.”

LESLIE HYMAN, VICE PRESIDENT, AIG (CHARTIS)