Retail POS Dealers: How to Find the Right One for your Business
Retail Point of Sale (POS) System Overview
Since a retail POS system is a very important component of your business, choosing for a POS dealer is a big decision - bigger in many ways than your decisions when it comes to POS software and hardware. Price may be an issue, but you’ll surely get what you pay for, so it is worth it doing your research before going 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 with any problems that might occur.
POS Support
As every retail business owners know, customer support is vital for the success of a POS installation. Make sure you know exactly what your POS dealer provides in terms of emergency responses, replacement policies, and telephone support. This is the single yet most important aspect of a POS purchasing decision.
Installation
Getting a quality POS installation will have lasting effects which will benefit your business for a a long period of time. Qualified installers will not take a standardized approach to installation: first, they will analyze your needs, test your existing infrastructure, which also includes the power lines, and they make sure you get a system that that perfectly fits your location and business needs. On the first week or two of using a POS system will determine whether it flies or flops, so a well-tested installation is essential. Ask how often the POS dealer will be on site during and after your launch - only after the system is installed, or will they come back to check in and answer the inevitable questions that arise?
Experience with POS
As with any major business purchase, potential vendors’ experience in the industry is also important. However with POS systems you can go further: study how much experience the vendor has in supplying systems to other establishments in your line of. internet cafe’s have different needs than a boutique store, and a quick-service food chain varies considerably from a sit-down sushi restaurant. Good POS salespeople will ask you about your business, what your business needs, then supply you with a solution that is appropriate for you.
Facilities
Visiting POS dealers’ facilities can be a great way to get familiarized with their operation. You’ll be able to visit their workshop and check out how they work. You can ask for an organizational chart or a simple tour of their help desk. When it comes to your support needs, distance may or may not be that important to you - if you’re planning to rely on telephone support and shipping components back for repair, it will not matter, but if you expect field technicians to come to you, distance from the POS vendor can be a hassle.
System Demonstrations
Nothing will give you a better sense of how easy a system is to use than trying it yourself. Some vendors allow on-site demos, which gives you an advantage of being able to see how the hardware looks in your location. Others will invite you to try out the system in their shop, which gives you that facilities tour we discussed. Either way, an in-person demo is strongly recommended if you are not knowledgeable with POS systems.
References
Another well known way to investigate POS dealers for your business is by asking for references to other customers - make sure you’re asking 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’s a list of questions you may want to ask them:
- How has the POS system influenced your business?
- What would you want to be done differently with your POS?
- Any support or repairs you’ve made? How did the vendor respond?
- Do you know of other people who uses this system? This can get you additional references to call, and some may be more honest about the capabilities of the system.
Another thing, you can also ask for references that dislikes the dealer. Why? Every business has it’s own faults, which means they also get dissatisfied customers from time to time. By this, you could learn a thing or two 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 harder. Many POS dealers charge expensive restocking fees, 0 and up, for returns on complete systems; while some vendors only allows you to exchange hardware for others, but some may not accept returns at all. Again, make sure you understand these policies before signing a contract with them.
How to find the right retail Point of Sale system provider for your business?
A convenient way to receive multiple quotes for retail POS systems though the web at: Retail-POS-Solutions.com
The author of this article is a retail POS system expert with over 20 years experience serving the needs of businesses just like yours.
Tags: point of sale system support, point of sale systems, pos equipment, pos support, pos systems, retail point of sale, retail pos