Service-based companies all have one thing in common: they need a simple and secure way to accept payments at their business. Enter: point of sale software. Your point of sale is a key part of running a business, so choosing the right POS is an important decision that should be made accordingly.

Here are the top 5 things to look for when deciding what point of sale to use at your business:

Turnkey support

Imagine you’ve chosen your point of sale, set it up, and things are going along just fine. But then, something happens. You have a question about a unique ticket, you can’t figure out how to use a new feature or something just breaks.

Responsiveness is key during times when you need support. This is especially true for point of sale systems since they are what you use to accept payments. Look for a company that offers stellar support, and research past customer reviews to see how they stand out from the rest. A company with less-than-stellar support can be a headache to deal with and cause real implications for your business. 

Ability to customize

Not every business is the same. Being able to customize your point of sale is an important thing to look for when researching POS software for your business. 

Your business is unique, from the services you offer to the payment types you accept. Your POS should be customized to work the way your business does. Your POS should mold to the way you run your business, and not vice-versa. 

When looking for a point of sale software, make sure you’re clear about the type of business you run, your services and what makes your business unique. Look for a customizable point of sale that works with your business now, and can scale with you as your business grows. 

Advanced business tools

When people think of point of sale, they typically think of one thing first: accepting payments. While this is the main function of a point of sale, it’s not the only thing that a point of sale can do. 

From appointment check-in kiosks to advanced business reporting, point of sale software can offer many features and tools outside of payment processing. By taking the time to compare different POS features, you can determine which POS can simply do the bare minimum, and which can go above and beyond to help you grow your business. 

Ease of use

You’re not the only one who will be using your point of sale. Front desk workers, business admins and other employees may also need to use your point of sale software for various reasons. 

If your employees have trouble with your point of sale, it can result in wasted time, incorrect bookings and more. When trying different point of sale options, keep usability in mind. Plus, be sure to ask how you can customize your point of sale access for different types of employees. For example, your front desk staff should be able to book appointments, use the checkout and manage the waitlist, but probably shouldn’t be able to run payroll. 

Compatibility

Last but not least, think about the existing tools you use to run and market your business. For example, your payments provider, CRM, marketing tools, etc. Choosing a POS that integrates with your current technology can help provide more transparent reporting, allow you to create customized marketing campaigns and more. 

Learn more about the Marketing 360® Point of Sale

Marketing 360® Point of Sale is designed to assist service-based businesses with a physical location in managing every aspect of their business via one powerful platform. 

From booking appointments and checking out customers to managing inventory and payroll, the POS has everything businesses need to run and grow their business. Plus, our integration with Marketing 360® Payments makes it easy for businesses to manage their payments, appointments, inventory and more, all from the same platform.

Contact our Payments team at 970-614-1461 to learn more about the Point of Sale.