Andrea Murdock, owner of Hotel Commodore, saved money on her credit card reader costs and received better customer support by switching to Handepay.
Following a fifteen-year career on cruise ships, Andrea and her husband Rohan decided to open a luxury hotel in the Welsh Spa town of Llandrindod Wells. Boasting a luxury spa, ballroom, restaurant and café, Hotel Commodore is perfectly equipped to cater for weddings, holidays and conferences.
Following a stylish renovation, the hotel was crowned champion of Channel Four competition ‘Four in a Bed’ in 2017, beating stiff competition from other hotels around the country.
The hotel takes 90% of their payments on card, so Andrea wanted to find a reliable and customer-focused credit card reader provider.
“I was with my previous provider for over five years, and I was really fed up with them. I had issues with some transactions taken through the credit card reader, and found contacting them for support really difficult.
I also felt that they hadn’t been clear about the terms and conditions involved when I renegotiated my rates. I was disappointed to find out that by doing this, I had been locked into my contract for an extra year.
I went on a comparison website to see if I could find a credit card reader provider with a better support system. I wasn’t looking to make any savings, I thought that all providers charged similar rates. I had no clue that some companies add on extra charges for things such as non-secure payments and international card payments.
Once I had submitted the comparison request, I was bombarded with calls from different credit card reader providers. None of it felt personal, it seemed as though they were all reading from scripts, however when my Handepay advisor got in touch it was a breath of fresh air.
I felt that she was really honest about the savings we could make by switching and it instantly put me at ease. She wasn’t pushy, and gave me the time I needed to look at the price comparison.
I was surprised when she told me that I could save almost £100 each month, an overall saving of 23%. Over the length of the credit card reader contract, we’ll save just under £5,000! What’s more, Handepay even offered to give me £150 to cover the exit fees from my previous provider.
Installing the Handepay terminal was easy, and I was pleased to discover that my new credit card reader is equipped with a very long lead. We have a large reception desk and used to be tethered to one spot when taking payments, however our new terminal can move around, providing a lot more flexibility.
I have also noticed that my new machine uses less than half the amount of till roll than my previous machine. This means even more savings, as we won’t have to purchase replacement paper as often.
The support I’ve received from Handepay has been second to none. I’m so pleased that I’m now able to call up a UK-based office if I have a question about my credit card reader. I’m always able to speak to someone helpful straight away, rather than waiting on hold.
We’re still in the process of renovating the hotel, so the extra savings we’ve made have come in useful. The money we have saved just by switching card terminal provider will cover the cost of one room’s renovation!”
