There are three pillars that underpin the work that we do at the MIA, and the first of these is that we try and ‘bring the industry together’. What that means in practice is that we are not only a forum for discussion and debate, but that we can share examples of best practice and ways members can refine how they run their businesses. So it is really pleasing when a member brings us an example of this that we can share around.
Enter stage left The Music Dept, an Independent MI store that has been operating in the centre of St Albans for over forty five years. They offer a wide range of instruments, focussing on pianos, guitars and bass for musicians of any level, as well as services such as repairs and hire. The experienced team is led by Ford Shackcloth (surely one of the greatest names in MI) and it was he that I caught up with to find out about his experience with Safepay.
“The thing I have learnt is that you should treat your card payment services like you do your car insurance, you need to check on your deal every couple of years at the very least. I got a good initial package from my last provider, but it slowly crept up and was guilty of just letting it slide. Lets be honest it can be a minefield, and there is always something else you can be doing”
It was Ford’s wife that introduced him to Safepay. She works for the Association of Indoor Play and David & Matthew Rothwell from Safepay had been providing support to many of their members. After learning of some of the rates that Safepay were offering, and comparing them to his current package, Ford reached out to Safepay and very soon the process of reviewing the options that The Music Dept. had in place was underway.
“Straight away it was a very simple decision. The fees were around 30% cheaper from the get-go, but also the service level was so much better. We were used to a lag in getting paid particularly over the weekend, and Safepay were offering next day payments. There is also an enormous amount of admin around PCI which my existing provider was supposed to help with but didn’t. Safepay have picked up the ball on that one as well and taken that headache away”.
‘We made the decision to switch just before Christmas, which might seem like a crazy idea, but I wanted to take advantage of the lower fees as soon as possible. As it happens I shouldn’t have worried, the terminal arrived literally the day after we signed up and David appeared to ensure we were up and running. It really has been that easy.”
It was Ford that suggested that David should contact the MIA, because he honestly felt that they would be able to help other Music stores in the same boat. The Music Dept. has a relationship with another MIA benefit provider in CoverNotes and Ford recognised the difference it makes when the service being offered has been tailored to the MI sector. In turn this is hugely helpful to the MIA, as finding providers of services like this if often quite difficult.
“Safepay work with Dojo card payments, and this is the reason they are very competitive in terms of fees. The icing on the cake is the personal service that David & Matthew provide, which is the bit that makes the transition, set-up and problem-solving far less of a headache”.
Of course any member benefit provider is only as good as the last interaction they are involved in, and at the MIA we review member experiences regularly to ensure the recommendations we provide members are worthwhile. We would always encourage members to review the arrangements they have in place for services such as card payments, and so getting in touch with Safepay might not be the worst idea in the world. It certainly worked out for The Music Dept.
Safepay are of course happy to talk to any business operating in the MI sector, but MIA members enjoy preferential rates by confirming their membership details. Please contact anthony@mia.org.uk if you need help with this.
