A First DAtA Customer suCCess storY

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ClientHurwitz Mintz Furniture

ChAllengeMaintain unmatched service in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina

solutionFirst Data Credit/Debitand TeleCheck processing,implementation services

resultsProblem-free service,easier reporting, customer/employee satisfaction

firstdata.com © 2010 First Data Corporation. All rights reserved. Page 1

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First Data ensures an unmatched experience during a time of crisis.

Family-owned hurwitz mintz Furniture has been a new orleans institution since 1923, built on a reputation of quality and service. Dissatisfied with the customer service of its previous payment processor, the company found a more able partner in First Data.

then disaster struck. in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina, with unprecedented demand for essential furniture, hurwitz mintz was forced to rebuild its payment processing infrastructure from the ground up. First Data was on the scene to get the store back in business, ensuring an unmatched experience even during a time of crisis.

Customer service and employee satisfaction Provide a Comfortable Combination for hurwitz mintz Furniture

THE CHALLENGE

Family owned and operated since 1923, hurwitz mintz Furniture prides itself on being the south’s largest Furniture store. A fixture in new orleans for over three generations, the mintz family has built an unmatched reputation for quality and service.

But when it came to payment processing, hurwitz mintz was less than satisfied with the service it was receiving. Approvals were a problem and customers were getting frustrated. “Customer service played a key role in our selection process and First Data had the other providers beat,” says susan hibbs, operations manager for hurwitz mintz.

Couple that with First Data’s credit/debit and check processing solutions, which proved invaluable in CoD transactions, and the choice was obvious. “We were ready to go, everything was set up,” remembers hibbs. then disaster struck.

THE SOLUTION

“Katrina hit and we had 41 inches of water. We were one of the first stores in the area to reopen. People needed furniture, just the bare necessities, and First Data was there when we needed them. they helped us move the credit department upstairs, got us new equipment, made sure it was up and running, even helped us run transactions.

“We had to do a lot of CoD after Katrina, drivers phoning in transactions, so another big thing for us was approval turnaround. it was immediate, even for checks. We never had check processing before, and when First Data offered us teleCheck, we jumped on it.

“even with all the commotion, implementation was easy, it was just flawless. one thing i like about the equipment is that it’s one machine. We had limited space, so that was a big help. First Data came in, did the training and we were good to go.”

THE RESULTS

“Working with First Data has been a dream,” reports hibbs. “With all we’ve been through, we’ve never had a problem with down lines. Can you imagine 30, 40, 50 people waiting in line to make a purchase? From a customer service standpoint, that’s a big decision to make. so to me, you can’t even measure that.

“reporting, too, is so much easier because it’s batched that day and funded the next. We just know our money is going to be there. Accounting goes online, compares First Data’s reports with ours, and if everything matches up, we close in one day.”

“most of all, if the customer is satisfied, and the employees are satisfied, then i’m satisfied,” says hibbs. “First Data really makes it a lot easier on everybody in the company – and the customer. You can’t ask for better customer service than that.”

A First DAtA Customer suCCess storY: HURWITZ MINTZ FURNITURE

firstdata.com © 2010 First Data Corporation. All rights reserved. Page 2

g“People needed furniture,

just the bare necessities,

and First Data was there

when we needed them.”

- Susan Hibbs Operations Manager Hurwitz Mintz Furniture