POS System

Everyone loves to get a deal, especially when you’re a business owner. Money you’re not spending is money that goes back into your business. However, some deals are too good to be true. Always be wary of “free” as it’s rarely true. For example, the true cost of “free wifi“. Free POS systems come at a price too. Here are four ways that “free” isn’t actually the case.

From an article by Business2Community:

1. System Components that are not Free:

   Make sure you look at what exactly you are getting for free. You could be asked to buy hardware and then get the cloud-based app software for free. Of you could be asked to sign an agreement where you pay for the software, payment processing, support, and service but you get the POS hardware for free. Look at what it includes and make sure you are getting everything you need for your budget. If you are not careful, you may have to purchase additional software with the functionality that your business requires after the fact. Educating yourself on the whole costs that are associated with the various offers will help you in the end to have a clear picture of what your contract will include.

2. Cancellation Fees:

   Cancellation fees are another cost that is absolutely necessary to look into when you’re researching a “free” POS option. Say for instance your business needs to grow, you want to add a new location, or your business is closing and the “free” POS does not meet your needs any longer, you may have to cancel it. It is important to know whether there are penalties associated with canceling.

3. Processing Limits and Account Holds:

   A good thing to look for in a company that is offering a “free” POS is if they verify credit histories prior to the account approval. If they do not, find out how they handle fraud. A company may have processing limits, put holds on funds after certain amounts for a period of time, or deny a transaction once you have reached your processing limit.

4. Service and System Downtime:

   Good technical repair and service is hard to find, especially at any given moment when anything can go wrong. If a POS system needs servicing or goes down, know what service is included and if it will cost extra. When purchasing hardware and dealing with a company that provides an app through the internet, support and service could be two totally different things than what perhaps a local POS reseller may provide. Since service and support are so important, especially to a busy business owner, it is important to know exactly how much of that is included and what else will go out of pocket. If the support and service is limited, it is worth calculating what any period of downtime would cost and how long your business could go with all systems down.

No Matter What POS System You Use, We Can Maintain or Repair It.

If your POS system goes down, your business comes to a screeching halt. Great Lakes Computer offers POS System repair and maintenance. We can conduct preventative maintenance to prevent downtime. We can also get you back online quickly in the event of an issue. Our service is unmatched.

There have been plenty of blockbuster movies that have shown us what the future of retail shopping could look like. In the Minority Report, eye scanners identified customers walking through the door and projected holograms of sales catered to the shopper. In Wall-E, shoppers never have to leave their hover chairs as they simply request the service or product they want and a robot brings it right to them. While some of these technologies are closer than others, the ultimate goal they convey is the same – we can use mobile technology to make the customer experience a seamless one.

Point-of-Sale systems (POS) have come a long way from the days of the first electronic cash registers. The original purpose was to process payment transactions, that’s it. Now there are POS systems available that essentially act as the brain of your business. They track inventory, monitor staff activity, backup your data to the cloud, and generate reports that lead to you running a leaner business. They can be built to provide customers and staff with information right on the sales floor via touchscreen kiosks and mobile units.

Here is what we can look forward to in the future:

“A truly seamless in-store experience will feature mobile technology at virtually every stage of the shopping journey. Geofences will give consumers access to exclusive in-store experiences within a retailer’s mobile app, and beacons placed throughout the store can trigger specific actions or content displayed through that app based on a consumer’s location in a store.

Stores can update and coordinate digital signage through mobile management services while creating new experiences through the use of smart mirrors and other futuristic retail technologies that are quickly entering the mainstream.

Increasingly, brick-and-mortar retailers are putting mobile technology into the hands of their workers. According to Retail Dive, 89 percent of retailers intend to arm in-store employees with mobile technology within the next three years. The goal is to make these employees more productive, valued resources for shoppers who need assistance.

With mobile technology in the hands of every worker, retailers can embrace a clienteling approach to customer service that uses mobile technology to pull up customer shopping profiles, check inventory both in-store and at nearby store locations, make product recommendations and many other services that expedite and improve the in-store shopping experience.” (MobileBusinessInsights.com)

POS systems are enabling brick and mortar retailers to provide the same information-centered sales experience an online retailer can. This is a great way to bring some of that business lost to internet shopping back in through the door. Regardless of who is doing the selling, customers will continue to benefit from a more tailored, seamless experience.

Great Lakes Computer can ensure your POS System gets the job done.

No matter how old-school or advanced your POS system is, Great Lakes Computer Corporation has the expertise to repair and maintain it. Great Lakes Computer ensures peace of mind with POS Systems uptime through our specialized on-site POS repair services. We fix the problem the first time and avoid costly interruptions to your business. We carry on-site spares to secure a quick and cost-effective response to your POS Systems repair needs. Our POS Depot Repair Services will provide you with a substitute POS System to keep you going while your POS equipment undergoes repair.