You are starting a new business and you are looking for a POS system to help you with giving your customers the best possible experience. But one thing to remember is that you have to take the time to find the right POS system. If you don’t take the time to find the one that is right for you, it can cause a lot of problems for your business.
There are a variety of mistakes that people make when looking for a POS system, based
Major Mistakes Made in Choosing a POS System and How to Avoid Them
on the Point of Sale website. Below we have listed just a few of them.
3 Mistakes Made When Searching for a POS System
- Not Knowing What You Need: If you’re not automated or if you use a POS system that is obsolete, you may have procedures that are inefficient for your business. Every one of your business’ processes such as transfers, receiving, and purchasing need to be demonstrated before you purchase the system. Your selected provider also needs to have a lot of knowledge of your industry and have the ability give you recommendations based on that industry.
- Not Getting Product References: The last thing that you want to do is to make a purchase until you have spoken with other people who are using the system. Requesting references from local vendors lets you visit those businesses and see how the POS system works. When you speak with the references, you also want to be sure they’re using the same version that you’re evaluating. Ask the references how they like it and how they’d rate the support. You can also use the references for creating a support group if you choose that POS system.
- Forgetting About Due Diligence: When you are choosing your POS system, ask yourself what information you have about the POS system company. There are a lot of companies that sell that system but there aren’t many companies which exclusively sell POS systems. The companies who are in the POS system business are dedicated to that specific market and have a lot of expertise and knowledge. So it’s a good idea to ask yourself these questions to help you choose the right one.
- How long’s the company been around? Make sure that you are choosing one that has been around a minimum of five years. You want to select one that has a good long record to ensure that you are selecting a good one.
- How much revenue and employees does the company have? A company that is financially strong will have enough resources and revenue to support you for your POS system’s life. Bigger companies with a lot of employees offer excellent support services, installation, and training.
- Is it a strong company and is it traded publicly? Public companies offer full disclosure safety and capital market access. Financial statements which have been audited give information about the strength of the company. You can obtain records regarding public companies through sites such as Fidelity, Yahoo Finance, and eTrade.
Software support and development is capital and labor intensive. When you choose a company that’s strong, you are making sure that the software selected is going to be updated with some new and exciting features for years to come.
Once you have started looking for a POS system, there are some questions that you want to ask your possible vendor before making a choice. These questions, referenced on Best Coffee POS, are going to help you with making the right choice.
5 Questions to Help You Weed out the Bad Eggs
- Is the software U.S. based and does it come with free 24/7 United States based support for a year, or does it only last for 90 days before you have to pay a huge fee for your annual contract?
- Are there features in the software that protect against employee theft?
- Does the system have something in place to stop employees from clocking in another employee?
- When I am not in the store, can the POS system send reports automatically so that I know how my store’s doing? Are these reports viewable from any mobile device or computer at no additional charge?
- Will my POS system come with a design that will save on bulky countertops and a lot of cables?
Some of these questions can help the business, while others can help the employees. For example, a recent lawsuit alleges that Jimmy John’s managers clocked their employees out while they were still working.
Choosing the right POS system is essential to helping your business thrive. Take time to find the right system for you and to make sure it’s going to help your business and your customers. Look at the ones available, including one from Shopify, and choose one that fits your business best.
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