Picking a POS
Point-of-Sale systems can help you achieve growth, but investing in the wrong POS is a costly and frustrating experience. You will want to consider what your current system’s pain points are and make sure the systems you are looking at will provide solutions. The last thing any business owner needs after spending money and time setting up a new POS system is for that system to create new problems on top of the old ones.
We’ve come up with a few tips to keep in mind when choosing the correct POS that will drive your business needs. When chosen correctly, we’ve heard business owners boast a 20% increase in sales!
Train Your Employees Quickly
Training employees on any new POS can be time consuming -- especially if you are planning on adding new check stands or opening new locations. You definitely want a system that is intuitive and has a visually-appealing interface that is easy to understand. Even if you are training an employee on more sophisticated functions, like taking inventory or adding items to your inventory, the processes should not differ radically in training time from more basic functions. In situations where you are short-staffed or particularly busy, you shouldn’t have to take your attention away from your customers getting into a long explanation with an employee about how to handle a particular function.
Streamlined Inventory
Having a POS that is powerful enough to track your inventory and customers’ buying patterns is vital to increasing your bottom line. When you are able to see your highest selling products or items in real time, as inventory is automatically updated with each transaction, you have the tools necessary to meet your customers’ needs. A great POS will send you alerts when you reach low stock and a management console that allows you to easily create purchase orders, keep track of vendor info, and automatically updated your inventory when a new order is received. With a mobile POS, you will be able to see exactly how you are doing with a popular menu item or product from your phone or tablet even if you can’t be in your stockroom at that moment.
Customer Relationship Management
In today’s marketplace, your customers are the lifeblood of your business. It can be a challenge to find new ways to connect with them, but Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is also huge in looking at a quality POS system. If you are able to quickly input your customers’ info and keep track of their buying preferences, then you will automatically increase your level of customer service. Many businesses want to implement loyalty programs, but keeping track of them can be tedious and, if done manually, create inaccuracies. A solid POS will do the customer loyalty program for you. As technology advances, our ability to serve give a high level of service does as well. Customers expect quality, detailed information rapidly and you want to be sure your POS will allow you to keep up. The last thing you want your employees to be telling a customer, “I’m not sure our system can do that; I’m sorry.”
If you would like to hear more about how you can take control of your inventory and keep your customers happy, read a testimonial from small business owner, Jenna McCarthy, who shares her journey to finding the right Point of Sale system for her unique Tea Talk cafe.
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