POS Tablets: A Quiet Revolution In Retail

A long line at a cash register may warm a merchant’s heart but will dismay a customer in a hurry. While the old-time cash register has long since been replaced by computer terminals, this has benefited merchants more than customers. Although more efficient at processing transactions, customers still have to wait in line at a counter.

Now all this is changing with tablets. The use of mobile technology that uses payment processing applications is becoming increasingly more common. This quiet revolution in retailing has made it faster and easier for merchants to check our customers and improve customer service.

A Win-Win Solution

From a merchant’s perspective, POS systems have improved productivity, boosted efficiency, and delivered an impressive return on investment (ROI). It has made retailing much easier. Besides reducing common retail nightmares like theft and abandoned shopping carts, retailers can easily track customer sales, review a salesperson’s performance, stay on top of inventory, and arrange for reorders.

Then, from a customer’s perspective, POS systems have resulted in quicker attention at stores. It has increased checkout convenience, and made the whole shopping experience much more pleasurable. For those in a hurry, on a lunch break or between appointments, it has made it much easier to get in and out of a store fast

Point of sale systems (POS) have reduced wait time in retail store lines, made it more convenient to order and pay at a restaurant, and have resulted in the creation of customer service kiosks in busy stores. POS tablets can be seen used by street vendors, baristas at coffee shops, and merchants in busy department stores.

Top 5 Benefits Of POS Systems

Let’s take a closer look at how a POS system can dramatically improve your retail business:

1. It works better than a cash register.

A POS system will do everything a computerized cash register does, including:

• Listing products legibly on invoices
• Recording payment methods used to make purchase.
• Automatically calculating sales tax.
• Printing advertisement on the back of a receipt.
• Adjusting pricing for sales events.

However, a POS system doesn’t simply replicate the cash register, it does much more. For instance, it can factor in special discounts for regular customers; keep track of customer’s purchases by name, and allow any salesclerk to help the customer without looking for a manager to verify discount eligibility.

2. It keeps better track of customer’s sales.

Repeat business from frequent customers improves profits, and POS systems make it easy to keep track of which customers buy more often and that should be rewarded with special discounts.

3. It improves sales teams by tracking each employee’s sales performance.

POS tablets allow business owners and managers to keep track of how each salesperson is performing on the job. By grooming good salespeople and retraining poor performing employees, it will be easier for a retailer to build a high-performance sales team.

3. It tracks inventory.

Efficient inventory management serves two purposes: one, it reduces shrinkage (loss of merchandise through employee or customer theft); and two, it prevents loss of potential revenue from running out of stock.

4. It calculates reorders.

It was not too long ago when retailers had to go through the tedious process of calculating how much they should reorder. They had to look at records of seasonal sales to estimate the average sales volume for a busy or slow season. Now all this can be done automatically, with smart algorithms calculating optimal purchase levels for different times of the year. In many instances, this assessment is much more accurate than subjective human estimates.

A Versatile Solution

It’s no longer necessary to have a stationary POS system on a counter attached to a cash drawer and a receipt printer.

Tablet technology makes it easier for salespeople to ring people up wherever they are.

Two good examples are POS tablet use at a restaurant or large store.

Restaurants

With POS tablets waiters don’t go into another room with customer’s credit cards nor do they disappear for an interminably long time as other customers distract them on their way back. Instead, they can cash customers out at dining booths or tables.

When estimating seating availability, hosts and hostesses at the reception desk need only glance at a tablet figure out seating.

Tablets not only speed up the dining experience for patrons, they also allow employees to serve more efficiently.

Line Busting and POS Kiosks

In addition, tablet technology makes it easier for line busting, as it will be easier to serve customers faster by setting up tablet POS kiosks for customers to pay for merchandise before a line forms. Shorter wait times results in happier customers.

Should Your Business Use POS Tablets?

The best way to decide whether or not you want to adopt this new way of retailing is to analyze the pain points in your business. It’s an ideal solution for merchants who have a limited budget and a small location but who still want to increase profits as well as customer satisfaction.