Portable POS (point of sale) systems; what are they? How do they work? What’s all the craze about them these days? These modern business tools offer so much more than just a portable terminal for processing credit cards and touchless payments. A far cry from the point of sale tools of old, portable POS systems offer greater versatility, reliability, and affordability than ever before.
Whether you’re running a small startup or you’re a retail giant, a portable POS system may be just what your business needs to go to the next level of sales and customer service. That’s right; just one tool can do all that. Here’s how.
The Short Answer
The short answer is yes, a portable POS system is a good idea for your business. Not only does it expand your payment processing abilities, but it can also improve your customer experience and better organize your store. With so many features packed into one software system, you’re certainly getting a great value for your money.
Why Payment Processing Matters
Payment processing is constantly changing because the way we exchange money is always evolving. From coins and dollar bills to touchless mobile payments, things have changed quite a bit in just 20 years. Nowadays, pretty much everyone has a smartphone. Smartphones have the ability to store and share credit card information for seamless payments; something you wouldn’t be able to process with a traditional card terminal.
The more versatile you are in your payment processing, the more customers you’ll appeal to. If you’re already limited by your old software or hardware, you’re likely losing out on some pretty important opportunities to appeal to new customers. Think about it; what’s your favorite payment method? Which stores do you avoid because they don’t accept it?
POS systems update as new payment methods are created, so you can be sure you’ll always be in the loop and won’t have to sacrifice any sales.
Inventory, Customer Experience, Checkout
These three important parts of your business are far more linked than you might think. If your inventory is off, your customer experience drops and your checkout times can suffer as your employees try to locate missing products.
POS systems offer real-time inventory management, so your counts will always be accurate. Not only does this allow you to better serve the customers, but it also saves time, money, and stress from poor inventory management techniques.
Make no mistake, how you manage your inventory affects every aspect of the business. Stop losing money to poor inventory management!
Customer Experience
How your customers experience your business will determine whether or not they come back, remain loyal, and support your brand. Have you ever had a poor experience at a retailer or restaurant? You probably didn’t want to go back to that business anytime soon.
Customer experience should be every business’s priority, and it involves so much more than just how your employees interact with the customer. Your prices, customer service, checkout times, inventory accuracy, the business’s atmosphere, and so much more play into the customer experience.
A POS system can at least address a few of these aspects. You can collect customer information and track sales, offer gift cards and promotions, and more.
You Can’t Afford To Not Use POS Software
As the world of payment processing continues to change, so too must retailers, restaurants, and businesses of all types. You can bet that customers are going to use the new payment methods, whether you’re accepting them or not. For every payment method you don’t accept, there’s a competitor who does, and that simple fact could be enough to cost you a lot of business.
Don’t let the competition get the upper hand and leave you behind. Get yourself set up with the latest POS software so you can stay ahead of the curve and better serve your customers. When your customers are happy, so is your wallet!
Choosing The Right POS
The next issue is choosing the right POS system for your business. There are general POS systems that work with just about any industry, and there are industry-specific POS systems for retail, restaurants, and bars. First, consider your industry and what you want out of your POS. Do you just need a better way to process payments, or are you looking for an all-in-one business management tool?
Don’t forget to consider your budget and also the needs of your customers when you’re choosing POS software. Look for the core features (inventory management, payment processing, support, and report generation).
The Take-Away
The bottom line is that a POS system is a good idea for your business, it’s just a matter of finding the right one to match your specific needs. Remember to look for the core features and good luck in your search!
