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Sage switching all customers to ACH payments?

  • 1.  Sage switching all customers to ACH payments?

    Posted 07-08-2021 09:13
    Is Sage really moving all customers to ACH payments?  "We've listened to our customers"????  Is this the solution to their total mismanagement of expired credit cards?  How about an easy web link to update your payment information?  Did I just miss the partner announcement for this?  It is summer in Michigan and we have to take all of our vacation time in a 3 month span......

    A client just sent this to me as e-mailed from Sage:
    Pre-Renewal Reminder
    6/30/2021
     
    We've listened to our customers We're moving to ACH payments and need your updated payment details by 09/27/2021
    Customer Number: XXXXXXXX
    Customer Name
    Thanks for continuing to trust Sage as your preferred partner to help run your business. Your business care plan for SAGE 100 ERP SILVER PLAN SP is coming up for renewal.
    We've listened to feedback from customers and to make things as easy as possible for you, we're moving to ACH payments and auto-renew as standard. I will be calling you soon to arrange this.
     
    What do you need to do now?
     
    You need to have updated payment details ready for our call - we're switching all customers to ACH payments from now on. Switching to ACH provides a series of benefits, including hassle-free, automatic renewals. We'll need your details by 09/27/2021.
     
    Tell me when would be best for me to call you - I know that your time is valuable, so please email me on Kevin.Wilson@sage.com <mailto:Kevin.Wilson@sage.com> to let me know what times are best and I'll fit around you and your schedule.
     
    Tell me if there is somebody better suited for me to speak to - I have your details on file, but know that organizations change, so there may be someone more suitable for this conversation. If I should be speaking to someone else about renewing your Sage Business Care plan, please introduce me to them via email.
     
    As your Customer Account Manager, please feel free to call or email me with any questions you have about your renewal, or if you'd like to make changes to your account. My phone number is 678-280-5000 extension 111414, or my email is Kevin.Wilson@sage.com <mailto:Kevin.Wilson@sage.com>. Also, did you know that Sage 100 and 300 can now be deployed in the cloud on Microsoft Azure? Please contact your Sage Partner to learn more.
    Thank you again for your loyalty to Sage!
     
    Kind regards,
    Kevin Wilson
    Customer Account Manager


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    Bernie Lehman
    Lehman Wesley & Associates
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  • 2.  RE: Sage switching all customers to ACH payments?

    Posted 07-08-2021 11:52
    Love Sage's selective hearing - When a few people (?) ask about a better way to pay SAGE, they listen!!  When a lot of people offer suggestions to enhance the functionality of Sage 100..........  Crickets!  To paraphrase - $140,000,000 can't even buy you a good cup of coffee at Sage any more!!!!

    ------------------------------
    Jeff Schwenk
    FORMER 90M Board Member
    Bottomline Software, Inc.
    Waynesboro VA
    540-221-4444
    ------------------------------



  • 3.  RE: Sage switching all customers to ACH payments?

    Posted 07-08-2021 12:28
    I think you did miss the announcement. I had it in the newsletter about a month ago (+/-). I believe this was announced on one of those ( sometimes ) rambling all-hands.

    Clearly the issue is twofold:

    1. Credit cards expire and must be manually updated with a new expiration date. And if Sage can’t charge the card it seems to be a “keystone cops” type of drill to figure out who will update that payment info

    2. Sage doesn’t seem to have a simple way for customers to login and maintain their own info ( contacts, payment type, expirations, etc )

    One thing I have learned is Sage never ( ever ) wants to proactively deliver any news that they think might be perceived as negative to customers. At least not in a way that is coherent for the end user





    ---------------------------------
    Wayne Schulz - Schulz Consulting - 860-516-8990
    ---------------------------------





  • 4.  RE: Sage switching all customers to ACH payments?

    Posted 07-08-2021 14:18
    Here's what I got from my web hosting provider recently.  It is ridiculous that Sage wants to be a subscription company without paying for the infrastructure to actually do it.  Customers should be able to go online and change their user count, see what adding a module would cost,  and update their payment methods at any time.  Somebody at Sage just realized "hey, we no longer own a credit card processor.  We need to cut out these fees we're paying."

    Hi Phil,

    The following domains are scheduled to renew automatically 31 days before expiration on the Charge Date listed below:  
    Domain Name: friendlysystems.com
     
    Charge Date: 2021-07-12
     
    Renewal Charge: $15.99
     
    Current Expiration Date: 2021-08-12
     
    Or click here to get things moving ahead of schedule:
     
    Renew Now
     
    Your AutoPay-enabled payment method will be charged on the "Charge Date" listed above. To ensure your domains are successfully renewed, please review and update your credit card information in your control panel. Renewal will not occur and autorenew will be turned off if your payment cannot be processed, at which point you will have until the "Current Expiration Date" listed above to manually renew any domains you wish to continue to own. Once a domain registration has been renewed and accepted by the registrar, it is non-refundable and irreversible. You own the domain until it expires. Important Renewal, Cancellation, and Billing Information: All domain name registrations above are set to automatically renew annually at the then-current rate (plus applicable taxes) until automatic renewal is disabled. Current and up to date annual pricing can be found here. You can view your registered domain names, their renewal dates, costs, and change their automatic renewal settings any time in the Registrations page of your web panel. If you do not wish f or a domain name registration to automatically renew, its automatic renewal must be disabled prior to its listed renewal date. Renewal dates take effect at midnight (Pacific Time). When a service renews, your account will be automatically billed for the renewal period. If you have AutoPay enabled, DreamHost will take payment from the associated payment method at that time. If you would like to disable AutoPay, you can do so any time using the panel's Manage Payments page. Detailed and up-to-date cancellation instructions for AutoPay can be found here. Disabling AutoPay will remove automatic renewal settings for all domain name registrations.

    You can also find more information regarding your account, including our automatic renewal terms, in our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

      If you have any questions about this process, please contact support.
      Happy domaining!
    The DreamHost Domain Renewal Robots

    ------------------------------
    Phil McIntosh
    President
    Friendly Systems, Inc.
    Asheville NC
    678.273.4010 ext 5
    ------------------------------



  • 5.  RE: Sage switching all customers to ACH payments?

    Posted 07-09-2021 09:34
    As a customer first philosophy, they should accept many forms of payment to make it convenient. PayPal, Venmo, Credit card, Bitcoin, ACH, gold bullion, etc.  I'm sure the 2% fee the credit card company charges helped hasten the decision to only accept ACH.  How about eat the 2% and keep some customers happy.

    ------------------------------
    Doug Higgs
    Midwest Commerce Solutions, Inc
    (312) 315-0960
    Assistant to the Traveling Secretary
    ------------------------------



  • 6.  RE: Sage switching all customers to ACH payments?

    Posted 07-09-2021 10:24
    Sage's core business model is buying software, slapping on a Sage label, then licensing it (with inconsistent efforts at software maintenance).
    Not being absolutely stellar at their core business of managing customers / accounts / licenses / payments... for a "world class" software company?  Sad.

    ------------------------------
    Kevin Moyes
    Technical Systems Analyst
    Munjal White Consulting Co.
    Toronto ON
    ------------------------------



  • 7.  RE: Sage switching all customers to ACH payments?

    Posted 07-09-2021 14:16
    I think most reseller realize that Sage's customer that they serve first are their shareholders, certainly NOT the end users.  If end users were the first to be served, they would have a lot more to show for their $140,000,000 annual contribution to support the Sage elite across the pond.  Instead, they are the dairy farm dishing up ice cream for the Intacct crowd.  So sad that we got the boys to the senior prom and now we are dumped for the new pretty cupcake in town.  All we are asking is for some TLC.

    ------------------------------
    Jeff Schwenk
    FORMER 90M Board Member
    Bottomline Software, Inc.
    Waynesboro VA
    540-221-4444
    ------------------------------



  • 8.  RE: Sage switching all customers to ACH payments?

    Posted 07-15-2021 17:16
    Credit cards will still be accepted -- as Wayne mentioned due to CC expiration dates, currently that is very manual process on Sage's side.  They are working a smoother process for customers to be able to update CC info in the portal.

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    Melissa Secody, Operations Manager
    melissas@dsdinc.com
    DSD Business Systems
    San Diego CA
    800.627.9032
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  • 9.  RE: Sage switching all customers to ACH payments?

    Posted 07-15-2021 17:41
    @Melissa Secody is correct. We asked our PAM on Tuesday and she confirmed this.​

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    John Hoyt, Co-Founder
    Next Level Manufacturing Consulting Group
    johnh@nextlevelMCG.com
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  • 10.  RE: Sage switching all customers to ACH payments?

    Posted 07-16-2021 11:36
    Our sales team spoke with our PAM, they stated:  "Sage's immediate focus is to convert the check paying customers to ACH."; that was the purpose at this time for this message.

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    Madeline Stefanou
    RKL eSolutions, LLC
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  • 11.  RE: Sage switching all customers to ACH payments?

    Posted 07-16-2021 17:47
    Is it me or does everything that Sage touches turn to cement boots.  Life is too short to be this hard!  I expect more for $140,000,000 in annual subscription revenue.

    ------------------------------
    Jeff Schwenk
    FORMER 90M Board Member -140,000,000 is a TERRIBLE thing to waste!!!
    Bottomline Software, Inc.
    Waynesboro VA
    540-221-4444
    ------------------------------



  • 12.  RE: Sage switching all customers to ACH payments?

    Posted 07-17-2021 08:28
    @Melissa Secody @John Hoyt @Madeline Stefanou - Thanks for the follow-up, I didn't realize this customer was paying by check and that poorly worded e-mail they received from our CAM at Sage didn't offer an option to use a credit card.  As usual, the full scoop comes from 90 Minds!​

    Thanks again!​​​

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    Bernie Lehman
    Lehman Wesley & Associates
    ------------------------------



  • 13.  RE: Sage switching all customers to ACH payments?

    Posted 07-17-2021 11:19
    Edited by Wayne Schulz 07-17-2021 11:21
    This was discussed by Ahren Johnson on the May 2021 Partner call

    They framed this as a new customer contact strategy. It's not clear exactly which customer payment types they are talking about in the presentation. From the context of the discussion, it seemed as if this applied to all customers no matter how they paid. Whether they would be calling ACH, check, CC payment type customers was not explicitly stated.

    - Send no pricing - renewal reminder 90 days out
    - 60 days send renewal with pricing - via mail and electronic
    - Sage follows up with a phone call
    - "If we don't have a valid ACH on file it is the preferred method of payment right now for Sage - so we are giving them a heads up to make that migration to ACH -- if we have ACH on file to let the customer know it will be auto-renewing"
    - Goal is 90% commitment ( I suppose this means some type of autopsy on file )

    Relevant slide:




    ------------------------------
    Wayne Schulz - Schulz Consulting - 860-516-8990
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  • 14.  RE: Sage switching all customers to ACH payments?

    Posted 07-19-2021 15:36
    Update:

    I just had a customer email me asking if a request by Sage for an updated credit card was legit.

    In the email Sage advised the customer that their credit card was expiring and to please update their account with either a new expiration date or go online to add a new credit card.

    There was no mention of ACH or any other type of payment except updating their existing CC info.

    Just an FYI if what I saw “in the wild” today ( via customer copying me on their email )

    ---------------------------------
    Wayne Schulz - Schulz Consulting - 860-516-8990
    ---------------------------------





  • 15.  RE: Sage switching all customers to ACH payments?

    Posted 07-19-2021 16:43
    Sage just posted this...

    How to add or update Credit Cards on the Sage Customer or Partner Portals 



    ------------------------------
    Kevin Moyes
    Technical Systems Analyst
    Munjal White Consulting Co.
    Toronto ON
    ------------------------------



  • 16.  RE: Sage switching all customers to ACH payments?

    Posted 07-19-2021 16:55
    If Sage can coach it's customers to update the credit card information online and to pay the renewal online, they may be able to reduce the manual data entry.  Best SaaS company.

    ------------------------------
    Doug Higgs
    Midwest Commerce Solutions, Inc
    (312) 315-0960
    Assistant to the Traveling Secretary
    ------------------------------



  • 17.  RE: Sage switching all customers to ACH payments?

    Posted 07-19-2021 21:24
    Thanks! Great link to send this customer

    ---------------------------------
    Wayne Schulz - Schulz Consulting - 860-516-8990
    ---------------------------------