A POS system can completely overhaul your entire business when used correctly; improving your inventory management, marketing efforts, and more. Modern POS systems aren’t just cash registers anymore, but rather all-in-one tools that serve as productivity and management powerhouses to keep your business running smoothly. If you’re thinking about adding one of these great tools to your arsenal, you’ll want to consider these tips first. Here’s what to look for in a POS system for your business.
Versatility
A good POS will be versatile, meaning it can perform a variety of tasks from the same interface. Most POS systems come standard with at least an inventory management system, information-gathering software, and a product catalog/payment processing software. Keep in mind that these features are considered the bare minimum for POS software, so if you’re looking for a bit more bang for your buck, you may want to choose software that offers a bit more in terms of features.
A versatile POS system can serve as the base of operations for your entire business. From there, you can manage how and when you market to your customers, how much inventory you have and how it’s ordered and organized, how you manage your employees and their time cards, and even create gift cards and manage loyalty programs.
The more features you’re getting with your POS system, the better spent your money will be; just make sure they’re features you’ll actually use. Some POS systems have too many features, and some of them aren’t all that useful.
Customer Support
Point of sales systems should, at the very least, have a customer support team behind them. When a business offers s customer support team for your purchase, it tells you two important things about that business:
1. The business cares about its reputation and the impact its products have on the world.
And
2. The business values its customers’ trust and wants to provide a service to foster that trust for years to come.
Customer support is often offered on a 24/7 basis by POS software companies, and this can be greatly beneficial when you’re in a pinch. Let’s say you’re a retail store, and your Black Friday sale begins in two hours but your register just went down. You look everywhere on the machine, the paperwork, etc, but there’s no customer support number! Now you’re left without a register or any way to fix it, during one of the biggest sales of the year.
Now picture yourself purchasing a brand-new POS system, and calling the customer support line at 3 am on Black Friday and hearing a human voice on the other end. You simply can’t do better.
Good Service Record
Even with support staff, it’s still important to check the company’s service record to be sure you’re doing business with a reputable organization. Online reviews on the company’s customer service, products, and overall business practices can tell you a lot about how the business operates and how much it values the customer. Doing business with a company that doesn’t care about its customers only leaves you in a rut later on, so research the company first and pay close attention to reviews.
The best part about the reviews is that they’re from first-hand users of the software, so you can be sure you’re getting honest opinions on how the software and the company function. That being said, you’ll need to be wary of overly-positive and overly-negative reviews alike. Look for any trends on either end of the spectrum, as repeated complaints or compliments are usually where the truth is.
Affordability
Researching the POS software before you buy is crucial to getting the best deal possible. Consider the affordability of the software you want by comparing the features and service record against the competition and the price against your budget. Can you afford the software? Will you have to save up for it, or perhaps choose a different model? Knowing what you can afford ensures you’re getting the best tools for the price that makes you the most comfortable.
Adaptability
The last thing you’ll want to consider when shopping for a POS system is its adaptability. Your business will (hopefully) grow at some point, and you’ll want your POS system to be able to grow with you; otherwise, you’re stuck shopping around again in a few years and having to reorganize your entire business around a completely new system.
Choose a system that can scale with your business so you won’t have to change over as your business grows. This will help save you money and stress in the long run, and make things easier for you, your employees, and your customers. An adaptable tool is more useful than one that becomes outdated as your business grows!
