Now that Spring is officially here, many of us use this season as an opportunity to clean out that closet at home or finally change out the air filter. With the itch to “Spring Clean” among us, it is the perfect time to take an audit of your grocery retail point of sale equipment and mark off those technology to-dos. By taking a few proactive steps, retailers can stay on top of their POS systems, ensuring that they are ready for the remainder of the busy year ahead while also extending the life of their hardware.
TRUNO routinely audits our inventory of grocery point-of-sale equipment, ensuring all defective parts are being sent out for repair, and performing preventative maintenance calls to retailers across the country. In fact, TRUNO’s maintenance customers’ systems are proactively maintained and monitored by our nationwide, 24x7 service and support network. It certainly makes for an easier “Spring Cleaning” to-do list when you have a reliable, proactive technology partner year-round, not to mention an overall stronger return on your investment.
We have put together a list of POS technologies that all retailers should test on each of their lanes this Spring. While some of these may sound rudimentary, many are forgotten more than you might think. By just inspecting these 5 items and addressing anything that needs repairs with your technology provider, you are setting your operations up for success and avoiding more costly issues down the road.
1. Make sure all your displays work properly on each lane.
Does the touch screen work? Do the customer displays work?
2. Ensure that anything that scans on your lanes is functioning correctly
This includes scanner scales, hand scanners, and other barcode imagers. If you have a wireless hand scanner, be sure to test that it can hold a charge for a while and does not lose charge after just a few minutes.
3. Be sure to test all printers and confirm that they are operating without any issues.
Ensure that all receipts being printed are legible and easy to read, as faded receipts can cause state inspectors to condemn a register from service.
4. Ensure everything is functioning correctly on your self-checkout units, especially the cash and coin feature.
Some retailers will have a cash issue on their SCO units and simply put the device into “Card Only” mode. While this is a great quick fix, it can often be forgotten about. If your store has any issues with this, be sure to open a ticket right away.
5. Ensure that all your card readers are correctly working with all methods of payment
This includes insert, swipe, tap to pay, Apple Pay or Google Pay, and any other alternative payment methods. If one or two cards fail each day, it is often the cards, but if you are seeing numerous issues each day, then you may need the device replaced. Additionally, always check your pin pads for skimming devices. Criminals have started targeting more and more grocery stores across the country, making inspecting each device a “spring cleaning” essential.
If you see any issues or irregularities with any of these POS technologies in your store, don’t hesitate to contact your technology repair provider as soon as possible.
As TRUNO’s Director of Service, some of the best advice I can give retailers is this: Don’t wait to call in a ticket just because you don’t need the register at that time. You never know when something unpredictable could happen at your store. Taking care of any issues in a timely manner helps to ensure small issues don’t become large ones. And, when you need the equipment, it’s ready to serve your customers.
If you are an existing TRUNO Service customer, remember that our live support center operates 24/7, ensuring that there’s always a real person, not a robot, to take your call. That means you get expert experience in troubleshooting and problem resolution, even in the middle of the night. If you’d like to learn about getting started with TRUNO’s Service and Support or Preventative Maintenance, please contact us or reach out to your TRUNO representative. Our teams work around the clock to not only keep your store reliable but also help proactively set your store up for success.
