Remove every barrier you can to fandom. A fan will be an evangelist for your work.

- Dave Kellet

ow do you find a service provider, perhaps a contractor or a landscape company, to work on your home or property? You probably ask friends or neighbors for referrals. If a neighbor says, "I used ABC Tile Setters, and they were OK" or "The previous owners used Bob's Landscaping so we just continued with them," are you likely to seek out these companies? Probably not.

While it appears that these outfits haven't done anything wrong, it also appears that they haven't done much to wow their customers: Those are not glowing reviews.

Chances are you will continue to seek referrals until you find someone who says, "We love Joe's Lawn Service. Our lawn was dead and filled with weeds and they've created a putting green out here." As a customer, you want to spend your money with a company whose established customers are thrilled with its service.

The same situation applies to the payments industry. Sure, you probably serve merchants who think you provide adequate service. But wouldn't it be better to have them eager to tell others about you because in their eyes you're a superstar? Not only will you eliminate the risk of losing these customers, you will have an entire PR team working for you ... for free.

So, how do you get your customers to become members, and maybe even President, of your very own fan club? Make things easy for them by being accessible, listening well and taking action on their behalf.

Be accessible

Give merchants your direct telephone number and (here's the important part) answer the phone. Make it easy. Rather than offering your office, cell and home phone numbers, provide one number and always answer it. If you are going to be on the road or out of the office, forward calls to that number or have a competent person answer your phone while you're away.

Take action

When merchants contact you for help, help them. Don't offer a version of, "That's not my department," and refer them to someone else. If their issue is with a malfunctioning terminal, find the person who can and will fix it. Stay on top of the problem until you know it has been solved to the merchant's satisfaction.

Never give merchants another number to call and hang up on them. Instead, offer to make the call yourself. Do the legwork.

Clients are already frustrated when dealing with a problem they haven't been able to resolve; don't make it worse by forcing them to play phone tag with a stranger or relay their problem anew each time they are transferred from one department to another.

Streamline processes

Have you ever called an automated system (such as a cable or insurance company) and before you speak to a human, you are asked to enter your account number, ZIP code, phone number, etc.? Then, the customer service representative gets on the line and asks you for your account number, ZIP code, phone number, etc. Is there anything more frustrating? Eliminate this frustration for your merchants.

Streamline your business processes so there is as little repetition as possible.

Listen and answer

When a merchant asks a question, answer the question asked. Don't provide the answer you have ready. For example, a merchant may ask when customer service phone representatives are available, and you may answer, "Our Web help is available 24/7/365." While that answer is about customer service, it doesn't answer the merchant's question. If you can't answer a question, be honest. Say, "I don't know that answer, but I will find out and get back to you by the end of business tomorrow." And then do just that.

Make it easy

As a consumer, how many times have you had to jump through hoops just to get basic service? For example, you contact a company to schedule an on-site service call, and a representative doesn't show up at the appointed time. So you call back and reschedule, and when you finally meet, the representative isn't equipped to provide the service you need. By this time you are frustrated and irritated. Plus you've made no progress in resolving your problem.

Don't let these self-defeating practices take root in your business. Ask merchants what they need. Help them be specific. If they don't know what would help, ask questions until you discover what they require.

If you need to visit merchants before you can determine a plan of action, let them know up front. And if it may take more than one visit to resolve the problem, let them know that too. Then they will not expect a resolution before you are able to provide it. And, it goes without saying, but we'll say it anyway: Show up on time, every time.

Merchants want the best service for their money, and they will do research before choosing a provider. As they investigate companies, they will ask peers for referrals. If you are able to turn your client base into your fan club, you will not only improve client retention, you will have a group of unpaid supporters singing your praises to prospective customers.