Etiquette for improved security

Essential POS etiquette when it comes to security, according to Richard Dorf, MD of PXtech

Employee fraud is one of the many challenges facing retailers none more so in retail environments which are largely cash-based. This is another area where effective use of the EPoS can help retailers to reduce the opportunity for theft.

It’s important that your EPoS system prevents staff trading with the till open, instead only allowing a sale to be rung up when the drawer is closed. Your system should also be capable of tracking adjustments such as price overrides and other opportunities for staff to commit fraud. Set up your systems to recognise these transactions and make them stand out. Such systems can also offer you the opportunity to track your staff and see when they arrive and leave and identify who is managing each transaction.

If your tills are connected to the internet, make sure that they are secure and locked down so that staff cannot access the internet through this connection. The tills need to be connected to transmit sales data, but make sure that this is all that they do. Don’t forget that this is a till and is the most important piece of equipment in the store. It takes the money and this is the reason that you are there - so make it secure.

Etiquette for improved customer service and revenue

Richard Dorf, MD of PXtech, discusses essential POS etiquette when it comes to customer service...

To service customers effectively, it’s important that retailers learn to utilise EPoS to allow staff and the brand to communicate effectively with customers. Clearly you need to make sure that customers are fully aware of what they are being sold, how much it is going to cost them and that you’re making sure that they receive the correct change.

However, it’s also important for your EPoS to communicate with and assist your staff. It could be that you use your system to alert staff to up-selling opportunities or promotions, which trigger when purchase combinations are made. This demonstrates efficient service, but can also make a significant impact on transaction values.

The way the information is presented to your staff on the EPoS, needs to support a good dialogue with the customer. For this, promotional materials and up-selling opportunities need to be clear at the appropriate point in the transaction. Once the sale is made, there are also further opportunities to promote products and encourage return visits, including receipts showing promotions, loyalty vouchers etc.

Make sure that if a customer responds to such promotions, the product they are buying is ready at the point of sale so that queuing times aren’t lengthened, as it is fetched from elsewhere in-store. When queues do form, staff with handheld devices walking down the queue to serve customers, are excellent for ‘queue busting’ and again improving the customer experience.
In addition to working on a practical level, it’s essential that POS is discreet and able to embrace its environment and supports the image of the store.

Master the etiquette of great sales

All good retailers practice professional etiquette throughout their stores, and few are as important as great etiquette at the point of sale (POS). As this is the place where the sale is made or lost, it’s essential that the environment is fine-tuned to service the customer effectively and ensure that money can be taken securely. This etiquette involves the electronic POS equipment (EPoS) as well as the actual physical environment.

Check back next week when Richard Dorf, MD of PXtech, will share some knowledge of essential POS etiquette that can help retailers make all the difference to this crucial area of the store...

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