Nothing will drop your business like malfunctioning Point Of Sale (POS) technology.
Just ask Starbucks. Several years ago they suffered an outage, rendering their POS technology useless for a short period of time. This outage forced baristas to hand out thousands of free drinks to satisfy irritated customers.
Regular maintenance on your POS will keep it running longer and smoother.
Understanding the POS management system installed in your store helps you know how to maintain it properly. Maintain your POS technology with these simple steps. Keep reading to learn more about Point Of Sale tech for your business!
Know Your POS Technology
Understand how your POS technology works. Read the manual from cover to cover to familiarize yourself with it.
Then conduct an inspection regularly. Keep an eye out for dirt or dust buildup that could cause problems to your Point Of Sale system.
Your eyes are your first line of defense for problems. Regularly inspecting the POS will help you see a problem before you have one.
Keep It Clean
POS management systems are particularly susceptible to the filth that will compromise their effectiveness. Grease, grime, and dust clog pores.
If you run a restaurant, your POS will shut down more quickly than other businesses. You must keep it clean.
Start with the manual. Read it. Do not do anything to your POS that would void its warranty.
So even if you read that you should use vinegar on your POS, see what your manual says first.
Next, turn off the components. You want nothing on while you clean the POS. This means you should clean the POS either before you open for the day or after the last customer has left.
Then, start dry. Begin with a dry cloth to dust the POS. Use small tools to scrape out any crevices where grease and gunk have gathered.
Try to find a microfiber cloth. These have special fibers that basically suck up dust. They attract the dirt you're trying to remove.
Once you've thoroughly dusted your machine, break out the distilled water. Use only distilled water if you use any to clean the POS.
Then dry your POS system thoroughly.
Remember to clean the inside of your computer. Dust can accumulate and then cause your point-of-sale system to overheat.
Remove the buildup from finger sensors with a piece of tape and wipe your POS technology inside and out.
Keep It Cool
Overheating will cause your POS technology to shut down. Sometimes overheating will cause damage beyond repair.
For these reasons, you need to keep your POS well ventilated.
Keep your POS in a cool area. Do not place it against a wall or anywhere that would block the flow of air through the unit.
Most units already have some sort of cooling fan. Unfortunately, most need more than the fan they come with. So keep them in a place with cool air movement.
Keep It Consistent
Use the POS consistently. This means you need to train staff on how to use the system, but do not let everyone use it.
Make sure you train them thoroughly in the proper protocol. Make sure they know how to use your system.
Have a staff in-service or meeting to train new staff on how to properly run the POS technology.
Create a manual of protocol or cheat sheets near the system. This way your staff can see how to run the machine.
Use the basic methods of teaching to teach your staff how to use the system:
1. Show them how to use it.
2. Have them practice using it with you watching.
3. Have them use it alone.
Encourage them to not just mash buttons when they get confused. Instead, they need to ask questions.
If a staff member breaks your POS technology, you will lose business. Take time to train them well.
In that training, make sure they use their fingers and not a pen. Teach your staff to not just touch the screen with a pen.
Engineers designed touch screens with pressure sensitivity. They respond best to fingers until someone uses a different tool. Use your fingers.
Keep It Up to Date
Begin with reliable POS software. You will spend a big chunk of change on this software. You want something you can trust.
Then, as you maintain it, consult experts. Use a point-of-sale system repair service should your POS system go down. The software engineers and technicians know best how to keep your POS running and keep you in business.
You can troubleshoot some on your own as well. Begin by rebooting your system regularly. Try to do this daily when your business is not open.
Make the reboot a regular part of the closing checklist for your employees. Put it somewhere between "clean the bathroom" and "shut off the lights."
In addition to rebooting, you should back your system up regularly. If you are not already using a back up for your data, use one.
You can use an external hard drive or an off-site data storage company. This way if something happens to your business, your data will still be safe.
To back up your system regularly, you need to purge data as well. Get rid of what you do not need. If you do not know if you'll need the data, send it to that off-site database.
Check your system regularly for updates. Then download those as soon as possible. Updates keep your POS technology running bug-free.
An old system will not run efficiently. So when you purge data, back up the system, and update the system, you'll have smoother running POS technology.
Keep Your POS Technology Running
Successful businesses thrive on the details. POS technology maintenance qualifies as some of those details. Payment is always a top priority for businesses to survive and thrive.
Dusting, cleaning, updating, purging, and backing up your POS technology will keep it up and running. And you can rest easy knowing you will not lose a sale with your properly function Point Of Sale system.
