Though modern POS systems are now becoming a common sight in small businesses around the globe, many retailers, restaurants and food trucks still insist on using the “tried-and-true” analog cash register.
Though the familiarity of these obsolete devices is popular among those who have experience using them, the advantages a POS system offers over a cash register make it the ideal choice for a small business, as they make processing transactions much easier and offer features that can turn your cash register into a full business management solution.
Ring Up Sales Quicker and Easier
Modern POS systems give you and your customers much more flexibility when processing payments, primarily because they allow for much more than cash transactions.
Payment services such as Apple Pay and Samsung Pay are becoming increasingly popular with consumers, and it is beneficial for a small business to accept these payments as it generates far more chances to turn prospective customers into paying ones.
POS systems are also typically compliant with the EMV standards put into place last year, allowing you to ring up customers and not worry about losses incurred from processing fraudulent transactions.
A POS system also allows you to easily split payments up between multiple customers and payment types. Businesses such as QSRs (quick-service restaurants) can benefit from the advantage of handling split payments.
Groups of diners typically take their time to split one bill amongst themselves and doing the math either mentally or on paper can lead to errors. Split payment functions let you just type in the desired amounts or divide the total cost, doing all of the math for you.
If you manage a business that is centered on custom ordered placed by your clients, a POS system allows you to stay on top the fulfillment of those orders from start to finish. Bakeries benefit from this when creating custom desserts, and delivery-based businesses can track when a meal is ordered, prepared, sent out and then finally delivered.
Much Easier To Use/Train On
Compared to traditional cash registers, a POS system will be much easier to learn how to use from the moment you boot it up.
Instead of dealing with a myriad of keys and buttons (which are always mislabeled or not labeled at all), a POS system uses much simpler and intuitive interfaces and are typically integrated with tablets and other touchscreen devices. A POS system can be updated with new items and functions, allowing your POS system to grow alongside your business.
When training new employees that are younger and more accustomed to today’s technology, they will be much easier to train on a modern POS system. As mobile platforms featuring touchscreens are extremely popular with the younger generation entering the workforce, who have probably never even used an older cash register and would be overwhelmed at how to use it properly.
Lowers Human Error
The ease-of-use and simplicity of a modern POS system minimize human error, which in effect improves relations with customers and prevents internal operations from slowing down due to error resolution.
Errors on an old register can lead to a lot of internal issues due to misinformation (incorrect pricing, wrong item sold, and so on) and problems with customer service due to a customer being inconvenienced due to the error. 62% of global consumers do not return to a store after a bad customer service experience.
Cloud-based data storage is a hallmark of modern POS systems, allowing you to seamlessly have your data stored in a safe, remote location while it is logged in real-time during the business day. Since the system does all the information logging for you, the risk of human error is effectively eliminated.
This prevents issues such as inventory discrepancies and the arduous task of using a ledger to write in each sale, where one wrong count can throw off your data significantly. Many POS systems offer management software with report generation tools, so you can double-check your numbers on the spot.
It Only Gets Better From Here Onward
Given that modern POS systems and software are constantly being updated with more features and better performance, a small business can fully expect to have a plethora of options and features to consider when they wish to take the next step in growing their business.
In today’s retail and service climate, small businesses need everything they can acquire in order to stay competitive and handle operations and drive customer satisfaction.
Often unable to keep up with the hectic pace of business and customer management, it is imperative that a small business employs the use of a POS for cash register for complete business management.
As the authority on small business management and POS systems, eHopper is always on top of the game when it comes to analyzing what small businesses need in order to efficient and profitable. Our skilled team of developers, marketers, and account managers is devoted to providing small businesses around the world with management solutions that promote the cost-cutting and the generation of profit.