How To Handle Broken POS And Barcode Equipment
March 5, 2013
In today’s tech-dependent world, when the equipment breaks down, business slows down. Barcode technology and Point of Sale (POS) products have revolutionized retail and back office operations, but it comes at a cost unless you know how to keep the hardware working. When the equipment fails, businesses must look for a cost-effective approach to POS repair or to replace key system elements. Time is money and you are losing it if you are sitting around with equipment that doesn’t work. POS and barcode systems are just fancy doorstops unless they are in-service. Repair? Call for help? Or buy new hardware? What approach is going to keep your business in the green?
Do-It-Yourself
One solution to POS breakdowns is to let the in-house Technicians do the repairs. It does make sense. They have training in your systems and would always be right there with a smile (hopefully!) to repair or refurbish any broken hardware. POS and barcode equipment repair is highly complex and requires education and experience. You are not paying for service. You are paying for expertise. Sensitive equipment like this requires distinct training. A degree and experience with other IT hardware is not enough. POS repair technicians need education on each system. The IT department may look at the issue initially, but from there, you need someone with appropriate experience.
The cost and training of having your own repair staff can be prohibitive.
Send It to the Manufacturer
When the monitors fail to light up or the scanners fail, there is always the manufacturer. If you go online to most manufacturers’ websites, they offer the option to send equipment in for repair. This obviously has some disadvantages. Manufacturers often try to steer customers in buying new equipment, rather than repair older, out of warranty hardware. Manufacturers are notorious for taking a long time for repairs, especially if you don’t have some kind of service contract in place.
The cost of manufacturer out of warranty repairs is high and service contracts may bind you to them for several years.
Buy New Hardware
This option sort of makes sense. You can replace the broken equipment and tell yourself it is worth it. You will be upgrading that old piece of hardware to get the latest gadget on the market – or will you? It is often the case that the newest, shiniest and brightest hardware is not compatible with the older software and systems.
The compatibility of new hardware with any older equipment or software needs to be thoroughly investigated before investing in major new purchases. Unless you are refreshing your systems company wide then buying new may not make sense.
What is the Answer?
Once the equipment goes out of warranty, the answer is to move on from manufacturer POS repair options. High-tech hardware such as POS and Barcode scanners are expensive. Businesses need to get every minute of use out of them. Broken does not mean dead in most cases. Barcode equipment repair is a cost-effective approach to extending the life of your equipment.
The manufacturer repair service is not the only game in town. Turning to third-party service companies is the right approach for fixing broken components and getting maintenance. With a service company, you save money and add years of life to your investment.
When equipment breaks down there are options, but third-party service companies provide prompt repairs and knowledgeable technicians without the hassle that comes from dealing directly with the manufacturer, or the cost of keeping someone on the payroll to fix the system. It is the logical business solution for many companies.
