Template:How To Work With Processor Support

→ Processor PC Support representative, whom you will be talking to may be overwhelmed with calls or new on the job. If you are unclear about what you need done or the rep is in crunch mode, the reps first reaction will be to tell you to speak with your software provider. If you follow the simple guidelines below, the troubleshooting session will be brief and efficient.

1. Before contacting the processor go over the Merchant Account Troubleshooting Guide to determine if you can solve the problem yourself or if you can make a preliminary diagnosis to save time on the phone.
2. Make sure to call Processor PC Support or ask for PC Support or Advanced PC Support, someone who can see the trial transactions that you or we have run on the account directly on the processing servers. In 99% of cases merchant account reps or bank reps do not have the right tools to help you, unless it is something very obvious like a typo.
3. Make sure to identify yourself as the rep for 911 Software. Many times the processor support person will start by telling you to call your software support and try to hang up even the problem may be on his side. If you hear '"we don't support this software, please call your software support"', tell them, that you are calling from software support and go on to the next point.
4. Ask the rep if you could go over the account settings. If you are getting the error while authorizing, read the settings directly from CreditLine Authorization Configuration Dialog for the particular card type that you were using. If the error is a batching error, read the settings directly from CreditLine Settlement Configuration Dialog. Click Merchant Setup Button to get to the settings.
5. Clearly state how you are connecting to the account. Let the rep know if the account is IP (state the platform if available, such as FDMS North) or dial-up (state the phone numbers used) or both.
6. Confirm that the account is terminal capture (not host capture)and setup for 911 Software CreditLine use. Insist on checking that both the platform and terminal capture (some reps do not know what that means, so ask) are set correctly.
7. Confirm that the account is NOT set for auto-capture/auto-settlement. The software will close the batch on its own.
8. Ask the rep if your transactions are hitting the server. Run a sample transaction while you are on the phone with them so that they can confirm that.
9. Inform the PC Support representative whether you are receiving an error while authorizing or batching. Be specific. It helps to know if, for instance, you can auth but not batch. If you have the error, give the error to them.
10. Some PC Support desks have the first line of defense that simply tells you to talk to your software provider. Tell them that you are a software provider representative and need to troulbeshoot the account with the processor PC Support reps. Go through the steps above.
11. If the rep insists that you speak to the software provider, tell the rep that you setup quite a few of these accounts and there is an incorrect response or an error coming directly from their servers so is there anything that they can do to find out what is going on. Go through the steps above.
12. If the rep tells you that they have no such error, tell the rep that while the error may be misinterpreted or the error code missing due to an incorrect server response. The error is coming from their servers and you just need the rep to help you troubleshoot. Go through the steps above.

SAMPLE CONVERSATION
The following much abridged conversation was taken from a real debugging session and can help you in finding the best strategy when dealing with a rep who is new or unwilling to debug the account properly
911:The merchant account does not batch. We think it is setup as host capture, please check for us.
R: We can't support your software, call your software provider
911: I am the software provider, I need support for the account not the software
R: The account is setup correctly, I don't know how to debug it
911: Is it setup as terminal capture?
R: Yes
911: Is it setup for North platform?
R: Yes
911: Why doesn't it batch?
R: We do not support 911 software. Please call your software support.
911: I am the software support. It has to be setup as XXX North, terminal capture. Do you know what terminal capture means?
R: No.
911: Is it on XXX North?
R: Yes
911: Our records indicate that the account was setup on XXX South and is moved to XXX North. Are you sure it is on XXX North now?
R: Yes, sure.
911: Can you PLEASE check that the account is setup as terminal capture
R: ok wait..... Sorry, the account is setup wrong.
911: What is wrong?
R: It is not setup on the North platform.