Hello again everyone! Here is your next instalment of your weekly support blog. With the weather starting to chill it sure feels like Winter is creaping up on us and doesn’t it? Hopefully some of our usual happy and chirpy customer support news will help you forget about the winter blues setting in! 
In this week’s issue we’ll cover our most popular member query of course, and those heart warming good feedback messages from your customers to have a good read through! It’s really important to us that we keep sharing all of this great information with you and keep you in the loop! We’re still just as pleased and proud to tell you, that your Customer Support department is still running just as smooth as it always is. So let us share the news with you so far and some of the good feedback for you this week!
Monday 12th - Sunday 18th Oct 09
Member Query of the week
Over the past week we have seen an increase in our members querying the 3-D secure code page that is presented to them when making a payment. As we know, all Internet transactions that want to provide their customers with a secure way of making a payment online now have this page implemented into their system.
For those who are unfamiliar as to what exactly this system is, 3-D Secure protocol is something we use developed by Visa to improve the security of Internet payments. We ensure any customers who query protocol are told that the service named Verified by Visa as you may know is one of the safest methods of payment. MasterCard has also adapted a similar protocol called MasterCard SecureCode that we use. Both are designed to allow authentication of cardholders by their Issuers at participating merchants. The objective is to benefit all participants by providing Issuers the ability to fully authenticate cardholders through the use of a password during Internet purchases, reducing the likelihood of fraudulent usage of Visa and MasterCard credit cards and improving overall transaction performance which is something that puts thier mind at ease.
The combined effect of ease and flexibility of implementation, secure transmission of account information, and reduced disputes offers the following benefits for all parties involved:
* Increased consumer confidence, which leads to increased sales.
* Increased card acceptance through better merchant confidence in accepting international transactions
* Reduced cardholder disputes, exception handling, retrievals, chargebacks, re-presentments, write-offs, and associated handling costs
Members that query this page simply want to know what the page is and if completed grants them immediate access as a full member to the site which is the case.
Since having the 3-D Secure Code Page on our payment system, not only has it reduced our chargeback rate, prevented fraudulent transactions but has also provided our members and partners with peace of mind
Customer Satisfaction Rate
98.7%
Good customer experience feedback for you!
Here are 2 quotes for you to look at that your Customer Support Team has received this week.
We received a message from Sandra, datingpartners.co.za
Sandra: “Lucy… Thank you… I will sleep a lot better tonight and I am so appreciative of your response and explanation… I want to thank you also for a wonderful site… I have met some really, really great friends and I know that they will remain lifelong friends… I will recommend you everytime and your support team and response if phenomenal… You have answered all my concerns and again I salute and thank you. Sandra”
And we have another message to share from George, datinggroup.co.uk
George: “Hello support team, Thanks for everything, your site was excellent and well organised, easy to use. I managed to find a lovely woman on the site and we are both very happy! I will therefore not need to continue as a basic member. Best regards”
Has the 3-d wotsit meant an overall decline in signup level? Are people being discouraged from proceeding with legitimate transactions?
Hi Dope,
The 3D Secure Page will actually increase the number of members who pay by card. It shows them the site is completely secure and that we are working with the bank to ensure that their card details are safe and secure on the net.
Think of it as the pin number you use in a shop but instead it’s over the Internet! Fraudulent card details will not be able to get past the secure page. It’s an important feature that has been introduced to give the customers that extra level of trust in our sites. If anything it only encourages them knowing they are safe.
Yeah, I mean it sounds good. My concern would just be that any extra steps/hoops to jump through (sorting out a PIN number, for example) only lead to a reduction in sales, and protect the card processor at the expense of the service provider.
I’d be interested in seeing any hard data that you guys get hold of suggesting the opposite is true. Perhaps page abandonment rate tracking pre- and post-?
Hi Dope, I can understand your concerns regarding a reduction in sales, however, this is now a very common procedure regarding online purchases. Although this is a relatively new feature, the 3- D secure page now appears on the majority of websites wherever a purchase can be made. Once an online password or security question has been established, this will remain the same for all online purchases. Members will not have to set up a different password each time they make an online payment.
Therefore, the longer this feature is in place the more familiar this system will be to all cardholders.
With regards to stats relating to how many people abandon this part of the payments page, I can assure you that there continues to be a good growth in revenue since this page has been implemented on our websites.