Extending the life of a POS system
Small- and medium-sized businesses often operate under profit margins that mean they need to make every penny count – twice, if possible. Certainly, they need to be certain that they take the steps necessary to extend the life of their POS systems for as long as possible. This is a particular challenge in small business environments such as restaurants and bars where POS equipment may be in use for as much as 18 hours per day – with never a day off. Add in the moisture, grease, and heat that may be present in such a setting and it is almost a recipe for equipment failure.
Thankfully, there are steps that businesses can take to protect the financial interest that they have in their POS equipment. One of the most important of all is a reliable system for data backup. In this case, reliability means automation; businesses need to be sure that their information is being backed up not just monthly, weekly, or even daily, but instead on a continuous basis throughout the length of each workday. A smart backup system will create up-to-date copies of the entire POS database as well as additional files specified by the system operator.
Keeping POS equipment clean is the single most important proactive step that businesses can take to make their systems last longer. Grime, dust, and grease can play havoc with the responsiveness and reliability of a POS system. When it comes to equipment featuring touch screens, a glass cleaner is a must, but for best results, businesses should avoid any trace of ammonia, which over time can damage the screen’s responsiveness. Glass cleaner should never be sprayed directly on a screen; a much better procedure is to spray a cloth and then use it to wipe the screen down.
In order to clean fingerprint readers, a good technique is to use a strip of clear plastic tape. This can remove the buildup that inevitably accumulates on such devices. Even the printers attached to a POS system need their share of regular maintenance; they should be wiped down on both the inside and the outside to remove dust.
With regular, simple maintenance and a reliable backup program, point of sale repair calls can be reserved for those situations that are truly inevitable.
What to do if your POS system goes down and business must go on?
It is always important to have a service provider who not only responds quickly to POS repair calls, but offers what is termed Depot Repair Options. These solutions provide substitute POS systems to keep your business up and running even when your main system is down. There are many options of service available through Depot Repair. Click here to learn more about Great Lakes Computer’s service options and their one hour reposne time guarantee on all POS repair calls.
