A good POS, or Point of Sale system, is a great asset for a business like the salon business. It is an all-in-one device, good for keeping appointments, inventory, working as a cash register and merchant account-credit card device. There are, of course, many different brands that offer a POS system, but you have to find one that works for you.
The key to the operation of a POS system is really the kind of service that you get from the supplier of the device. When it comes to credit card processing, the more recent systems have a daily closing, where you can see the actual results each day. This allows for a follow up with the customer if there are any discrepancies, and also you will know each day how your credit sales stacked up.
Inventory is a great feature with a POS system, as everything can be bar coded into the system, and it will keep track of what has been sold and when new inventory needs to be added. This can be based upon your own guidelines as to when certain items need to be ordered.
Most of the major brands have software that comes with the system in order to handle all of the day to day needs that will come up. Having a go-to system that handles all of the mundane functions such as customer sales, purchases and appointments, helps free up the proprietor; allows the proprietor to spend more worry-free time with customers instead of getting hung up on bookkeeping and machine problems.
One item to be on the watch for is systems that handle updates with apps. Rather than having to update with new software all of the time. Software can get real expensive every time that there is a major update. Apps are gaining in popularity because a proprietor can just pick the apps that do what fits their business scheme, making updates painless.
Consumers are intrigued by hair salon POS systems, as by now, they are familiar with them and they view these new devices as enhancements to customer service upgrades that are designed to make things run smoother. Things like signing their credit OK on the POS screen always gets a comment or two, which simplifies and puts some informal bonding into the process.
Many POS systems are now coming out with portable POS systems, which for a salon could be positioned at each station. When the operator is finished with the nail session, or the hair styling, payment for the session, scheduling for the next appointment and any purchase of products can be done right at the station. The software will handle each separate station and bundle it together into one file.
The software for these hair salon POS systems can even handle promotional and marketing processes, since all of a customer’s data is being collected. It can also collect and file metrics as far as numbers of customers, which processes are most requested, amount spent per customer, and so forth. These devices are incredible and the software that runs them is ever evolving in order to provide new functions.