Ah yes: your point-of-sale (POS) system. That piece of advanced technology that you spent a significant amount of money on, so that you could boost customer experience and increase sales. What’s not to love?
Well, unless you’ve checked to make sure (actually, double-check), then there’s a chance that your employees aren’t in love with your POS. In fact, they might fear, loathe and dread it. Here are the four reasons why:
- It’s s-l-o-w.
A slow POS system turns what should be a rapid touch point into a tedious, awkward and frustrating process for customers; one that that makes employees — and the businesses and brands they represent — look bad, and stuck in the last century. Yes, retro is in, but old school is out. Slow POS systems are the latter. Heck, you might as well be using Internet Explorer (sorry, I’ll take that back — there’s no need to hit below the belt).
- It’s unreliable.
Few things — actually, make that almost nothing — embarrasses customers more than having their transaction declined. But you know what? Nothing irritates or even infuriates them more than learning that this rejection was because a POS system didn’t want to work and play well with their perfectly valid payment card. Sadly, employees are on the front lines of this unhappiness, and make very easy targets.
- It’s needlessly complex.
Customers shouldn’t feel as though they need to watch a how-to video in order to figure out which button is for checking and which is for savings, or how to leave a tip (presuming that they don’t talk themselves out of leaving one after such an uphill climb). Again, employees are on the front lines here, and even if they politely and professionally guide customers on what buttons to press, it’s not a pleasant experience — and hardly fits into the “omnichannel, seamless, gap-free end-to-end buying experience” that retailers promise, and that customers expect.
- It’s not mobile.
Handing customers a POS system attached to a coiled wire is about as high-tech and impressive as going to the gas station, and getting a key with a hub cap attached (so that you can’t steal it — the key that is, not the hub cap). It’s easy to understand why employees and customers dislike twisting and turning to accommodate wires. It’s harder to understand why businesses use a wired POS system in the first place! Companies like Retail Management Solutions offer a secure, wireless solution that enables employees to turn any area into a payment hub — even outside at the curb (which is ideal for retailers like pharmacies).
The Bottom Line
Your POS system needs to be an ally in the fight for customer loyalty and increased sales — not an enemy. Don’t get misled by marketing hype or vendor promises. Speak with your employees to see if the “S” in POS experience doesn’t really stand for “sale”, but for another 4-letter s-word (yeah, that one). If so, then you know that upgrading to something better is a top priority.
