About Clio Computers
Clio Computers: Taking pride in service to others
From parts and products to accessories and repairs, you can trust Clio Computers to meet all your everyday computing needs. Located in central Michigan, owners Paul and Patty Lee have been serving the Genesee County community since 2001.
“My husband started the business in the basement of our home, and then we started renting a retail space in town,” Patty explained. “And now we own our own building in downtown Clio.”
Admittedly, she hadn’t always planned on joining Paul at Clio Computers. Patty worked at a bank for 26 years while he handled everything himself. But, once she retired, Patty came to work alongside her husband.
Now, her role is indispensable. Not only does she intake all the jobs and do all the books, but she also keeps inventory, waits on customers and handles the finances.
The cost of sky-high credit card processing
Bug in the system: The cost of sky-high credit card processing
As a merchant, monthly payment processing fees are almost a given. But for Clio Computers, excessive rates were significantly undercutting the bottom line.
“Some months they could be as high as $700,” Patty said. “And a small business just can’t do that.”
Hoping for better rates, she and her husband worked with three different companies in just 12 years. Each one promised hundreds of dollars in savings, but none ever delivered.
In October 2023, Patty started looking for the right partner. Luckily, her search didn’t last too long.
She’d been shopping at another local business when she noticed a sign on the merchant’s counter. As she took a picture of it, the man behind the counter explained how Sekure Payment Experts Edge program passes payment processing fees onto customers — that way, they don’t assume the cost.
“He gave me the number of his representative,” Patty explained. But, as fate would have it, she never had a chance to call. Not even a day or two later, the phone rang.
“I never even talked to another company,” she said. “Sekure happened to call, and it was like ‘Perfect, this is what I’m looking for.’”
Before Sekure:
Broken promises
Excessive processing rates
Bad customer support
Every time somebody tried to offer us a lower rate, we looked into the program to see if it would really save us money. But then Sekure’s Edge program came along, and it was exactly what we needed.
Hassle-free from setup to service
Clio Computers joined Sekure in November 2023. According to Patty, the onboarding experience was “super easy.”
“We did it by phone and emailed back and forth a little bit. The machine showed up, and we could dive right in,” she explained. “It was easy to understand and Sekure supplied everything we needed … It was self-explanatory, and I did it all myself. By the next day, we started using it, and it was very simple.”
Patty added that Sekure’s customer support is a nice change of pace. In the past, companies gave Patty the runaround, transferring her from one person to another — but not anymore. With Sekure, she’s treated the way she deserves. Instead of getting lost on hold or constantly repeating the problem, Patty can talk to just one person who sees her question through to the end.
“Sekure’s people have been wonderful,” she said. “Whenever I’ve had an issue, the customer service has been great. I had one lady who even sent me her email and phone number and said, ‘I’m going to be your personal Payment Expert. Whenever you’ve got a problem, I’m going to take care of it for you,’ which I thought was amazing.”
Patty’s Payment Expert helped her set up the Edge program, which passes credit card fees on to customers. At first, she and Paul thought this might upset customers.
“Some of our sales are several thousand dollars,” Patty said. “And we thought, ‘What if we don’t want to give that fee to the customer?’ Sekure gave us the option where, if we felt like we didn’t want to pass on the fee, we could absorb it ourselves.”
For the first month or so, Paul and Patty paid the fee. After that point, for large transactions, they simply told customers when their repairs were ready that there was an additional fee if they paid with a credit card. So, they’re giving customers full transparency and freedom to pay however they want — and saving money in the process.
Why Sekure
Great equipment
Expert guidance
Dedicated support
No hidden fees
Exclusive rates
Big-time savings for small business owners
“Sekure has saved us a ton of money,” Patty said. “$300 per month, at least.”
That’s about $3,600 yearly, which is a lot when you’re a small business. It’s especially important to Paul and Patty, who expect to retire soon.
“There’s only three of us. We’re in a small town,” Patty said. “We don’t really have big plans for the future … but if we did, Sekure would be our first call.”
How much could you save? Find out with a free statement analysis
I would tell merchants about the wonderful experiences we’ve had and absolutely push them to go with Sekure, because I’ve just been amazed. And we’ve had such a wonderful experience that I can’t wait to tell people.
Spend less, save more at Sekure
Stop overpaying for costly transactions. With Sekure, you’ll find better equipment, rates and support — all in one place.
Contact us today to get started
