Accepting credit cards in your painting contractor business is just one more way to separate your business from the other guys. Credit Card acceptance will bring in customers that you would never see otherwise! Just showing those Visa-MasterCard symbols on your painting bid forms and on your advertising like door hangers will make a huge difference to your bottom line. This is fact, not conjecture.
Studies show, for example, that a person going through yellow page ads looking for a plumber or other construction professional, will always prefer those with Visa-MasterCard symbols over those that have none. And this includes people looking that DO NOT EVEN HAVE a credit card to use!
Being a credit card merchant gives you a professional image and adds stability and credibility to your painting contractor business like nothing else! Credit cards are so commonly used that people are distrustful of companies that do NOT accept them. To the customer, it is not WHY the company does not CHOOSE to accept credit cards, it is what is WRONG with the company that CANNOT ACCEPT credit cards.
Skeptical? Try it. Credit card merchant accounts are easier than ever to get. Worried about the percentage credit card companies take out? Consider it a cost of doing business and forget about it. Think of all the jobs you might have left behind by NOT offering your customers the option of paying by credit card. The 2-3% or so these companies charge will be more than offset by the extra work you will get.
Consider these benefits credit card acceptance brings to the painting contractor:
- No more, or at least, fewer trips to the bank. Everything is done automatically.
- Most people find it easier to pay for anything when using a credit card, after all its not money, its plastic! Even if you are not the low bid, the convenience to the customer of credit cards can give you the job!
- Customers can pay OVER THE PHONE for progress payments.
- The "check's in the mail" is never an issue.
- Never have to deal with "bounced" checks.
- Customers appreciate benefits to them like credit card incentives, air miles, "extras", or rebates.
- Customers can "extend" their budget and have more done by you because of the credit card.
- Customers can have work done without having the "cash" and you will be doing it because you offer credit cards.
- Commercial customers can pay quicker with credit cards. They do not have to submit paperwork to the "powers that be" to get a check cut for you.
You should accept credit cards in your construction business because that is the way people like to pay!
Make it easier for your customers to pay, not more difficult. The fact is, you'll NEVER know just how much work you've been missing until you start accepting credit cards in your construction business!
Do you have experiences, questions or ideas concerning using credit cards as a marketing tool for contractors? Please comment below!