Companies are only as great as their point of sale solutions. You might have the best products or an interesting brand, but if customers can’t buy from you quickly and easily, then nothing else matters.
Since essentially all of your business rides on the point of sale solution you choose, it’s vital that you do your research when looking for one. Here are some dealbreakers when shopping for point of sale solutions that you should be aware of.
1. Long-Term Contracts
Long-term contracts are the bane of every customer’s existence. No one likes to sign them. If the point of sale solutions company that you’re looking at using only has a long-term and inflexible contract to offer you, walk away.
Too many things can change in business so quickly that you don’t want to be locked in with a company that might not be able to offer you what you need in the future. It’s not a good way to do business and it can hinder your growth.
Find a company that offers short-term contracts or allows for flexibility in its contracts so that, as your company grows and changes, it’ll be able to keep up with you.
2. Price Point
It’s always our first instinct to go for the cheaper option when we’re purchasing something, but avoid this mistake when you’re looking at point of sale solutions. The cheaper option doesn’t necessarily translate into it being the best option for your company.
Before committing to a provider, make sure you know what you need in a point of sale solution and what you might need in the future. If the cheaper options can’t provide what you need, then you shouldn’t settle for less.
You need a solution that will give you exactly what you need in order to help your business succeed.
3. Think to the Future
It’s not enough to think about what you need immediately in a point of sale solution. You also need to think to the future. You may not know exactly what’s going to happen in the future, but you certainly have an idea of where you want your business to be.
Are you going to start offering delivery services for example? Then you’re going to need a provider that can offer you wireless solutions that can be taken on the road. If the ones you’re looking at can’t do that, then move on and find a better solution that can fit your needs now and in the future.
4. Compatibility
When looking for point of sale solutions, it’s important to also look at compatibility. The price could be perfect for the system, but it’s no good if you have to update software and hardware to get everything to work properly.
Look to see which systems will work with the hardware and software you already have. If nothing does, make sure you take into account software upgrading and hardware purchasing when comparing prices.
5. More Than the Software
Purchasing a point of sale solution is about more than just the software. You also need to take into account customer service and tech support should you ever run into any kind of problems. If the company you’re looking at doesn’t offer stellar service, it’s an automatic dealbreaker.
Shopping for point of sale solutions can be tricky. Keep these dealbreakers in mind so you don’t waste time, energy, and money on a POS solution that isn’t in your overall best interest.
