« Stop Procrastination Today | Home | Improving Self Esteem Helps You Cope Better »
Retail Systems: How to Find the Right Point of Sale (POS) Dealer
By Chief Procrastinator | February 22, 2010
Retail POS System Overview
Since retail POS systems is a vital component of your business, choosing a POS dealer is a big decision - bigger in many ways than the decisions you make about your POS software and hardware. Price can be an issue, but in many cases you get what you pay for, so it is neccessary to do your research before committing to a POS dealer. In any case, you have to make sure if your POS dealer is dedicated to and capable of supporting your business through any problems you might have.
Support
As discussed here, customer support is critical to the installtion success of your POS. Make sure you know exactly what your POS dealer provides in terms of response times, product replacements, and phone support. This is the single yet most important aspect when planning to purchase POS systems.
Installing POS
The quality of a POS installation can have lasting effects on your business. Qualified installers will not take a standardized approach to installation: first, they’ll analyze your needs, test your existing infrastructure, also includes the power lines, and they make sure you get a system that exactly matches your business needs. The first week or two of using a POS system will determine whether it flies or flops, that is why a well-tested installation is vital. Ask how often the POS dealer will be on site during and after your launch - only after the system is up and running, or will they pay a vist after and answer possible problems that may have arised?
Experiencing POS
As with any major business purchase, potential vendors’ experience in the industry is also important. But with POS systems you can go further: learn how much experience the retail vendor has in installing systems to other retail establishments same as with your business. Dry cleaners differ in needs with grocery stores, and a self-service cafeteria varies considerably from a five star sea food grill restaurant. Good POS salespeople will ask you about your business, find out what your particular needs are, then provide a solution that is appropriate for you.
Facilities
Visiting POS dealers’ facilities can be a great way to determine how they operate. You will be able to check out their repair shop and get a sense of how busy they are. You may want to ask for an organizational chart or a simple tour of their help desk. When it comes to your support needs, proximity may or may not be very important to you - if you’re planning to rely on phone support and shipping components back for repair, it will not matter, but if you plan to have field technicians to come to you, distance from your POS vendor can be a hassle.
System Demonstrations
To make sure that the system is easy to learn and operate, test it for yourself. Some vendors do on-site demos, which gives you an advantage of being able to see how the hardware looks in your location. While other vendors will invite you to try out the system in their office, which gives you that quick tour at their facilities we discussed above. Either way, an in-person demo is strongly recommended if you don’t know how to operate a POS system.
References
Another familiar way to investigate POS dealers that’s right for your business is to ask for references to other customers - make sure to ask for references that are in business similar to yours. Expectedly, you will be referred to the vendor’s most satisfied customers, but you can still learn a bit from them. Here are some sample questions you might want ask the references:
- How did POS systems enhanced your business?
- What would you want to be done differently with your POS systems?
- Any support or repairs you’ve made? Was the POS vendor responsive?
- Do you know of other people who might be using the same system? This can get you additional references to call, and some may be more honest in their advices.
Don’t be afraid to ask for a reference that dislikes the dealer, as well. Every business has unsatisfied customers from time to time, and you could also learn from them.
Return policies
You may get a return policy but that depends on the manufacturer, not all of them issues warranties that ables to get repairs or replacements, and even returning an equipment is more difficult. Many POS dealers charge expensive restocking fees, $500 and up, for returns on complete systems; some vendors may allow you to exchange hardware for others, but some may not accept returns at all. Again, never forget to review their policies before singning any contract.
How to find the right retail Point of Sale (POS) system provider for your business?
Here’s a convenient way to receive multiple quotes for retail point of sale systems though the web at: Retail-POS-Solutions.com
The author of this article is a has over 20 years of experience in retail POS systems serving the needs of businesses just like yours.
Topics: Productivity |
Comments
« Stop Procrastination Today | Home | Improving Self Esteem Helps You Cope Better »