As Pandemic Rages, Businesses Urged to Get Digitally Creative and Invest in Protection

TAMPA BAY, Fla., April 6, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- As governments scramble to contain the spread of the global COVID-19 pandemic, normal life has become upended. Last week, the governor of California ordered a statewide closure of schools for the remainder of the school year.(1) New York City's theaters and museums stand shuttered and empty.(2) Around the world, long-scheduled public events have been canceled.(3) Monica Eaton-Cardone, co-founder and chief operating officer (COO) of Chargebacks911, notes that while the challenges businesses are currently facing are large and complex, opportunities exist to reduce losses and shore up customer relations.

Due to the array of event cancellations and travel restrictions,(4) businesses that have been hit the hardest include the airline, event sponsorship, ticketing, and hotel industries. To minimize loss, Eaton-Cardone urges these companies to concentrate on customer service, with a focus on being understanding but firm. "Rather than totally refunding a canceled trip, for example, a hotel or airline or card issuer might offer to roll prepaid vacation expenses into a monthly recurring program that allows the customer to convert their funds into loyalty rewards that never expire. This might lead to the sale of a $10 monthly service that could become a new revenue stream for the company."

For the food and beverage industry (particularly for restaurants), notes Eaton-Cardone, the COVID-19 crisis is accelerating an already active shift to eCommerce. A year ago, restaurant delivery sales were projected to grow at more than three times the rate of on-premises revenue.(5) By the second week of March this year, New York City had joined Illinois, Ohio, Washington, and Massachusetts in ordering the closure of all bars and restaurants, leaving pickup and delivery (mostly ordered online) as the only option.(6) For restaurateurs—and indeed, for retail as a whole—now is the time to invest in digital marketing as more and more customers turn to the web for their needs.

Furthermore, it is also a prime time to invest in protection, as the rise of eCommerce will inevitably be accompanied by a surge in fraudulent chargebacks. To control costs, and to free up the merchant's employees to concentrate on growth and customer service, Eaton-Cardone strongly recommends that companies that are moving more rapidly towards eCommerce immediately outsource the management of chargebacks to an experienced specialist in the field.

Finally, she urges managers to bear in mind that the current situation—even being as complex and difficult as it is—will benefit some businesses:

• As noted, eCommerce rates will increase as more consumers shop online to avoid unnecessary travel. This could create opportunities for big-box retailers to more effectively monetize their omnichannel operations.
• Reduced interest rates create opportunities for some companies to grow.
• Companies like insurance providers, grocers, food producers, online collaboration tool providers, and risk mitigation firms may even have opportunities to create a positive impact.

"Sometimes," says Eaton-Cardone, "the best innovations are born out of solving a problem. Instead of focusing on the gloom and doom, get creative! Get your team together and explore new ideas for growth."

About Chargebacks911/The Chargebacks Company :

Chargebacks911 empowers businesses to combat constantly evolving fraud tactics and mounting customer disputes that directly threaten profitability. Operating as The Chargeback Company in Europe, Chargebacks911 has pioneered effective, industry-leading solutions designed to reduce chargeback fraud, alleviate processing costs, mitigate risk and recover revenues. 

The company's unparalleled expertise and proprietary technology have earned three consecutive CNP Customer Choice Awards for Best Chargeback Management Solution, three successive AI Lions' Den Awards for Best Airline Industry Solution, and Gold and Silver Stevie Awards from the American Business Awards (ABA). With innovative and highly scalable services ranging from Intelligence Source Detection™ (ISD) to Tactical Representment, Chargebacks911 uncovers the true source of chargebacks, battles unjustified disputes, rescues lost revenue, safeguards reputations, and defends against relentless, ever-changing cyberthreats. Chargebacks911 considers themselves to be a hero to the payments industry, nemesis of fraudsters and trusted protector of over 2.4 billion transactions per year, representing clients worldwide. For more information, visit http://www.chargebacks911.com. 

About Monica Eaton-Cardone:

As an acclaimed entrepreneur, speaker and author, Monica Eaton-Cardone is widely recognized as a thought leader in the FinTech industry and a champion of women in technology. She established her entrepreneurial credentials upon selling her first business at the age of 19. When a subsequent eCommerce venture was plagued by revenue-leeching chargebacks and fraud, Eaton-Cardone rose to the challenge by developing a robust solution that combined human insight and Agile technology. Today, her innovations are used by thousands of companies worldwide, cementing her reputation as one of the payment industry's foremost experts in risk management, chargeback mitigation and fraud prevention. As CIO of Global Risk Technologies and COO of Chargebacks911, Eaton-Cardone leverages her global platform to educate merchants on best practices in fraud prevention and to spotlight the competitive and economic advantages women can bring to the technology workforce. Her nonprofit organization, Get Paid for Grades, invests in students to inspire a new generation of innovators. Get to know more about Eaton-Cardone at http://www.monicaec.com.

1.    Beam, Adam, and Thompson, Don, "California Governor Says Most Schools to Remain Closed Until the Fall Amid Coronavirus," TIME, March 17, 2020, time.com/5805370/california-schools-coronavirus-covid19/.
2.    Paulson, Michael, "Broadway, Symbol of New York Resilience, Shuts Down Amid Virus Threat," New York Times, March 12, 2020, nytimes.com/2020/03/12/theater/coronavirus-broadway-shutdown.html.
3.    Zraick, Karen, and Garcia, Sandra E., "Coronavirus Cancellations: An Updating List," New York Times, March 18, 2020, nytimes.com/article/cancelled-events-coronavirus.html.
4.    Hansler, Jennifer, and LeBlanc, Paul, "State Department raises global travel advisory and urges US citizens to reconsider travel abroad," CNN, March 12, 2020, cnn.com/2020/03/12/politics/state-department-global-advisory-travel-abroad/index.html.
5.    "Study: Delivery Sales to Outpace In-Restaurant Sales," QSR, March 5, 2019, qsrmagazine.com/news/study-delivery-sales-outpace-restaurant-sales.
6.    Melin, Anders, "N.Y.C. Joins Illinois, Ohio, Washington and Massachusetts to Close Bars and Restaurants," TIME, March 15, 2020, time.com/5803692/bars-restaurants-closed-coronavirus/.

SOURCE Chargebacks911