Why Update Your Store's Point Of Sale Equipment And Programming?

Your store's point of sale or POS equipment refers to the equipment you use that allows customers to pay; many decades ago, this was typically just a cash register. Today it often includes an electronic scanner that allows customers to pay by credit or debit card, with the transaction being immediately recorded. If you haven't updated your store's POS equipment in some years, you might note some features that are now available and how they can benefit your business and your customers.

1. Receipt control

For smaller stores or those that often sell low-value items, you may hear your cashiers constantly asking customers if they want their receipt, and may see unwanted receipts piled up in the trash. Today's POS equipment can allow cashiers or even customers to note if they want a paper receipt before it's printed. In some cases an electronic receipt can be sent to the customer's email address after they enter it. This may seem like a small point but the amount of money you would save on paper for your receipts can add up over time, not to mention cutting back on trash in your store and the waste of paper production for unwanted receipts.

2. Digital signage

Your POS equipment will tell customers what they've just purchased, but it can also encourage impulse buys and additional purchases as well, if you use digital signage. This is ad space that is used on the keypad or screen that your customers see. It will advertise items they can add to their purchase at checkout, or it might direct them to a website for other special deals. This can increase impulse sales or return customers, as they may be more likely to remember sales offers that they receive right before walking out of the store rather than signage they see well before they begin to shop.

3. Self service

For small food service stations and specialty coffee shops, self service POS systems can allow customers to punch in their own order and specifications and then pay at the same time. This can reduce their wait time as they are not standing in line to order and then waiting to pay once the order is prepared. It also reduces the risk of human error on the part of servers, since the customer specifies their order on a screen. These self service stations can even accept cash and dispense change and this reduces a risk of a clerk's error in handling cash.

For more information, contact a company like Austech Weighing Pty Ltd.