Sarah Elizabeth
Being part of the ClearSale team means being part of a family — and one that’s committed to helping its customers fight fraud. We sat down with Faye McEachern, ClearSale’s director of partnerships and one of the newest members on our team, to find out what she loves about the company, what she thinks e-commerce merchants should know about fraud prevention, and how merchants can safely grow their business.
Q: How did you get to your position at ClearSale? Can you share a brief background on your experience?
Faye: I've been in e-commerce in one way or another for the past 11-ish years. Denise Purtzer (VP of Partnerships & Alliances at ClearSale) and I worked together in a previous life at a payments company. I was lucky enough to be chosen to come on board and work with her again!
Q: What do you appreciate about ClearSale’s company culture?
Faye: I’ve been with ClearSale only a short time, but it didn't take long to realize that, unlike many companies, ClearSale truly lives and breathes their core values.
It's a breath of fresh air to be part of a company with more than 2,000 employees that makes such a point of respecting and embracing that professionals are people and not simply the sum of their skill sets.
Q: Why do you think merchants should prioritize fraud protection for their businesses?
Faye: If you don’t work in the fraud protection world, you likely underestimate how much online fraud there actually is. We all know it exists, but I doubt that most truly understand the extent of the damage it can do. From our perspective, if you’re not putting fraud protection systems in place, you’re setting yourself up for the kind of damage that could be irreparable for your business.
Sure, not every business is hit with a huge breach or a swarm of fraudsters with fake credit card numbers, but having fraud protection is like having health insurance. It’s vital to have in case that emergency does come.
But on top of that, it’s critical you have access to the kind of preventative measures that keep you healthy. Merchants who invest in their fraud systems are better equipped to stop fraud before it happens. Not only does it protect their businesses, but it also serves to protect their customers.
Q: What’s the most important thing a merchant should know about fraud?
Faye: I would say the most important thing to know is it can happen to anyone. You might think your small store isn’t on any fraudster’s radar or that you sell a product that has a low resale value, so you must be safe. The reality is that fraudsters will use low-impact and low-value products to test card numbers on the deep web. That means you can be hit with a huge amount of chargebacks all at once, causing some serious damage to your merchant standing. You have to be prepared, no matter what you sell or how large or small you are.
Q: What would be your top advice to an online business just starting out?
Faye: My top advice would be to make sure you do your research. Putting in some legwork before committing to solutions that get your business up and running will help ensure success. Make sure you find a robust e-commerce platform that meets all your needs (now and in the future), a comprehensive fraud solution that has the ability to scale with you as you grow, and a payments company that understands your goals and actively provides solutions that help you meet them.
Q: Tell us about the most memorable moment you’ve had while working at ClearSale.
Faye: There have been so many memorable moments already, but I'd have to say my first week of training will forever be in my heart. I’ve never felt more valued and welcomed than I did meeting the entire team for the first time. From meeting other brand-new people like me, to meeting one of our co-founders and our EVP, we all were equals and spent our time learning, laughing and eating … and laughing some more.
Q: When you aren’t protecting merchants from fraud attempts, what are your favorite hobbies?
Faye: So many things! I draw, firespin, hula hoop, spend as much quality time as I can with those I love and most of all, laugh. Some might say laughter isn't a hobby, but I beg to differ. Cracking jokes in the most inappropriate settings is probably my absolute favorite pastime.
Q: What’s one thing we might not know about you?
Faye: I’m proud to say I won my third grade science fair with a project on “how boxes are made.” My dad worked at a box manufacturing company, and I was thrilled that everyone was so interested to know the secrets behind box-making!
Interested in learning more about how ClearSale’s amazing team of professionals can help protect your business — no matter what your size, what you sell or where you’re located? Contact us today.