Walk in Your Customers’ Shoes

UX or User Experience – is quite the buzzword these days, and for good reason…especially if you want your customers to have a positive impression of your organization. And, employing some basic techniques to improve the experience for customers to pay their bills is easier than you may think.

Have you ever looked at your website with your “payer hat” on? Considering the user experience is a great exercise to determine what improvements (if any) need to be made to your site.

• Is your payment button or link easy to find on your home page?
• Are there multiple ways to navigate to your payment page?
• Do the links work?
• How many clicks does it take to get to the payment page (the fewer, the better)?
• Do you list ALL payment options – including your Pay by Phone (IVR) number, Pay by Text, PayNearMe on your site?
• Are payment methods accepted listed (Mastercard, Visa, Discover, American Express, e-check) and convenience fees outlined (if applicable)? This can reduce confusion at checkout.
• Do you provide FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)? This can reduce the number of phone calls coming into the office.

Similar questions apply to your billing statement (paper and electronic versions). When was the last time you looked at your bill like a recipient would?

• Is the payment amount and due date prominently featured on the bill – or do you have to hunt for it?
• Are the various ways to pay presented on the bill: online, phone, text, PayNearMe, kiosk, mail, in-person/drop box?
• Do you list the payment URL and IVR phone number on the bill?

Think about it from your customers’ perspective… the last thing your customers want to do is pay a bill. So, make it easy for them. Communicating the electronic payment options will also help your team by freeing up time to do other things. WIN – WIN.