Experts Offer 8 POS Pre-purchase Tips

By Patricia Morris Buckley

Several manufacturers and retailers shared words of wisdom for pond and water garden retailers that plan to purchase a point-of-sale system. They said:

• Decide what is really important in a system for your business.

  Before investing in a point-of-sale system, pond and water garden retailers should decide what they really need the system to do for them. (Courtesy of RB Control Systems)

  Choose three or four things, and select a company that does those things. — Corinne Kraft, a partner in RB Control Systems in North Versailles, Pa.
• Keep an open mind. A software developer might offer new ways to operate your business that might help it run even better. — Kraft
• When selecting a software company, make sure you are comfortable with the people. They are the ones you turn to when problems arise. — Kraft
• Talk to other companies that use the software. Get references. — Kraft and Scott Gunther, owner of Wildbirds Unlimited in Paramus, N.J.
• Ask companies about their options for training and support. Find out the costs involved. — Kraft
• Try to get the system installed at least two months before the season starts. That way, you can work through any bugs early on. — Marc S. Want, executive vice president of marketing and development at Business Control Systems, in Iselin, N.J.
• What takes the most labor in your store? That’s what you tell salespeople that you need from your system. Present your problems, and see if they can help you. — Want
• “Do not just look at one company and let them sell you. Look at different products so you find the best one for you.” — Deb Spencer, co-owner of Water’s Edge in Lawrence, Kan.

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Experts Offer 8 POS Pre-purchase Tips

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