There are hundreds of reasons to automate your point-of-sale counters. Counting down from 10 to one, here are my all-time favorites.
10. Streamline operations: Automatically connect to your suppliers to order parts and stock. An automated POS system can tie purchase orders directly to an order, ensuring that you are invoicing for all of the outside purchases you make. This streamlines your operations and prevents money from falling through the cracks.
9. Speed service: Empower your counter staff to look up which tires have the best gross margin, or which ones they get spiffed on. This helps provide quotes to your customers much more quickly and gives the fastest service possible.
8. Impress your customers: Counter staff can look up information about repeat customers by simply entering their license plate number. It allows them to greet customers by name and even have a heads-up about things going on in their world. This raises the bar on customer service.
7. Increase inventory turns: Quickly look up inventory and sell what you have in stock, instead of what you don’t have.
6. Raise the bottom line: Automatically calculate shop supplies and enter them on the order/invoice. This improves the bottom line, and it is done behind the scenes — without the counter salesperson having to remember.
5. Sell at the right price: Make sure pricing is accurate for all of your customers, all of the time. An automated POS system can ensure that you don’t under- or over-charge, especially when you have pre-arranged pricing with specific customers. This improves customer satisfaction and helps manage your gross margins.
4. Elevate your image: Provide a professional-looking invoice with no mathematical errors. This improves your image and credibility in the customer’s eyes.
3. Reduce wait-time: The speed you deal with customers at the counter is key to the success of your operations. Automated systems allow you to look up what tire size fits any vehicle, and see what you have in stock to match your query. Customers don’t like to wait for information; make sure you are waiting on your customers, and that they aren’t waiting on you.
2. Know more, sell more: The automated POS system allows you to recall previous history on a customer. This is very important to see prior work performed, prices charged, and uncover possible issues. This prevents potential conflicts with customer over-pricing or services not performed.
1. Sell more: When you automate your POS system, service reminders, denied past services, and future services are all right at your counter staff’s fingertips. This allows them to sell more, improve your revenue per ticket, and increase your bottom line.
If you are not automated at point-of-sale, included here are just some of the many reasons you should be.
If you are automated at POS, make sure that your software allows you to perform the functions listed here — doing so will increase your profitability and better your business.
The bottom line is, an automated POS system can, and will, improve your bottom line!
If you have a POS feature that is in your “Top 10” that I didn’t mention, please send it along to me. Good luck and happy selling!
Wayne Croswell is CEO and president of WECnology LLC (www.wecnology.com) and is a “complimentary technology advisor” for independent tire dealers. He can be reached at (603) 249-5530 or [email protected]
