(Part Two of a Series)

Like customer loyalty programs themselves, customer loyalty program applications aren’t created equal. The most effective customer loyalty programs are based on the most comprehensive solutions. When evaluating different options, look for the following features:

• Multiple vehicles for rapid access to individual customers’ information–for instance, by swiping a membership card through a magnetic stripe reader, scanning a bar code on a membership card or key tag, or keying the person’s name or telephone number into the POS terminal.
• The ability to quickly gather member data; for example, by scanning a customer’s driver’s license to auto-populate a member record.
• The ability to record ancillary customer data, such as birthdays and anniversaries.
• Tools for recording itemized purchase details each time a customer executes a transaction–for instance, Mrs. Jones bought one red shirt in a size 12 and one blue shirt in a size 14 on March 1 and a yellow shirt in size 16 on March 2.
• Tools for automatically tracking and generating rewards.
• Tools for generating and sending a variety of collateral to customers, including newsletters, coupons, and announcements about sales, promotions and new product introductions.

Loyalty and gift card programs integrated into pcAmerica’s Cash Register Express and Restaurant Pro Express POS software solutions offer all of these attributes. With these tools and capabilities at hand, you will be empowered to effectively target and attract existing and potential customers in the most compelling manner.

(Part One of a Series)

Consumers have always been somewhat selective when deciding which stores and restaurants they’ll patronize on a regular basis, but with the economy in its current state, retailers and food service operators face even more competition for a shrinking share of everyone’s disposable dollar. A well-honed customer loyalty program not only bolsters your potential to attract the attention of consumers who have never before visited your establishment; it also turns new customers into repeat customers who’ll be only too happy to spread the word about it to others.

With a loyalty program in place, you can target existing and potential customers via a variety of attractive offers, such as frequent shopper or diner discounts and “freebies” based on purchasing activity.  You can also encourage repeat business with birthday or anniversary rewards. Who doesn’t love a bargain or a free meal or gift? Given a choice between patronizing a store or restaurant that features such perks and one that doesn’t, consumers will generally go for the former.

What’s more, data gathered from loyalty program enrollment forms–for example, favorite foods or suggested additions to inventory or restaurant menus–is extremely valuable when it comes to making good business decisions. Initiatives that reflect customer preferences are bound to have a positive effect on cultivating a loyal clientele. And as if that weren’t enough, compared to the expense required to attract new customers with advertisements or sales, loyalty programs like these are an inexpensive way to keep existing customers coming back and the POS system ringing up sales.

pcAmerica’s Cash Register Express and Restaurant Pro Express feature a range of tools that make executing a loyalty program a simple process.

Your purchase of point of sale software ranks among the most important investments you’ll ever make for your business. But how can you be certain that you’re choosing the right product? Sure, a recommendation from a value-added reseller (VAR) or another retailer–as well as your own gut instinct–counts for something. However, it’s also important to try before you buy by viewing a demo of the POS software prior to signing on the dotted line.

Why? For one thing, just as operators’ approach to retailing varies, so do their business needs. Through a demo, you can assess whether the POS software you’re considering truly satisfies your unique business requirements. You can also determine if the point of sale software offers other essential attributes, such as scalability, compatibility with other programs you’re running (for example, accounting and credit card processing), and ease of customization.

Another reason to insist on a software demo is that it gives you a feel for the overall system and whether you–as well as employees–will be comfortable using it on a day-to-day basis. You’ll be able to tell whether you’re happy with the way the point of sale software handles everything from basic functions, like processing cash sales, to more complex ones, like generating purchase orders and reports.

You wouldn’t think of buying a car without taking it for a test drive, would you? The same should be the case when it comes to purchasing POS software, especially because you’ll want to leverage your investment not just for the short term, but for several years to come. And lack of time to wait for a demo CD is no excuse to avoid this step. pcAmerica provides an online demo of its Cash Register Express and Restaurant Pro Express that gives you a comprehensive overview of the POS solution in a just a few minutes.

pcAmerica, leading developer of point of sale software for the restaurant and retail markets, has announced the ability of their software applications to integrate with social networking website Facebook. This move further expands their footprint in the social marketing arena and shows their commitment to integrating social marketing into point of sale.

Currently, both Cash Register Express and Restaurant Pro Express POS software seamlessly integrate into social networking websites FourSquare and Twitter. The capability to integrate into Facebook also provides merchants with a broader variety of social marketing platforms that enable them to reach a wider audience. The use of social marketing with point of sale enables merchants to create a low cost marketing platform that rewards customers for using and promoting their brand through social networking.

For more information visit pcamerica.com/socialmarketing

“Should I computerize my restaurant or retail point of sale (POS) system?” It’s a question every food service operator and merchant has pondered at one time or another–and it’s one you should answer with a resounding “yes.”

Consider the cost savings, which easily add up to 5%.  By computerizing, a store or restaurant with annual sales of $500,000 can lower its daily operational expenditures by $83.33 per day, or $25,000 annually. The required investment? Just $2.10 per day for a typical single-station configuration.

Computerized restaurant and retail POS systems, such as pcAmerica’s Restaurant Pro Express and Cash Register Pro Express, offer significant advantages over conventional cash registers. Combining computerized cash registers, bar code scanners, inventory control software and wireless hand-held inventory tracking devices offers:

1. Speedier customer throughput. Used together, barcode scanners and computerized cash registers allow you to process transactions 50% faster than with conventional cash registers.
2. Increased accuracy: Checkout is more accurate because the price of every item is specified in the retail or restaurant POS system.
3. Reduced theft: Monitoring every piece of inventory with computerized cash registers and barcode scanners cuts theft by an average of 2 ½%.
4. Enhanced shrinkage control. Comparing “on-shelf” inventory to computerized reports lets you monitor breakage and inventory that isn’t stolen, as well as track
   new items as they arrive. The end-result: additional shrinkage reduction of up to 2½%.
5. Better inventory level and margin management. Computerized inventory reports make for easier, more efficient tracking of trends and seasonal sales patterns. With these reports in hand, you can quickly identify and order more products that generate the most profits, and fewer products that carry lower profits.
6. Improved customer retention. Remember, your best customers are your existing customers. Customized mailings based on computerized contact lists keeps them coming back.

The world of point of sale software providers can be tricky to navigate. In selecting the appropriate software solution, there are some important points to consider.

1. Is the software scalable? If you are part of a growing company, you need to make sure your point of sale software can keep up. Although a certain software solution may seem to be the right choice at first, down the line there may be problems expanding it to meet growing needs.
2. Is there a compatible interface? Does the POS software work with your accounting software, and does the credit card processing work with your current merchant account? The extent to which point of sale software integrates with your existing programs can be a big deal in setting up an ideal system.
3. Is it easy to make changes to the programming. Menu items and inventory are not constant. POS systems should be able to adapt on a seemingly endless level in order to keep up with ever changing demands.

pcAmerica offers the easy and compatible POS software solution. Both Cash Register Pro Express and Restaurant Pro Express are software solutions that offer complete flexibility to meet the needs of any size business. These software solutions are 100% flexible, with customizable inventory and menu options. pcAmerica can help your business deliver quality service with less hassle.

Before deciding on a point of sale system provider, business owners should make sure they are familiar with the service policies offered. There are several key questions to ask;

1. Will they be there when you need them? – Many providers can be difficult to get a hold of if business hours don’t match up due to timezones, or if they keep unconventional hours.
2. What is the RMA (return merchandise authorization) policy? If there is a problem with equipment that makes return or exchange necessary, what sort of time factors will it involve? Small businesses may not be able to afford losing a POS unit for several days, let alone weeks waiting for repairs or replacements.
3. Is there a guarantee? When it comes to customer support, the proof is in the pudding. Support can’t be all talk. Customers need to be able to rely on their POS providers for easily accessible and reliable customer support.

pcAmerica offers leading industry support for all customer needs. They are there when you need them, offering full service 24/7 reliable customer support. pcAmerica will work for you to help solve any problems you may have and get your business up and running again as soon as possible. Plus, they offer hourly training to help avoid those problems in the first place. Reliable support and training is the right solution for any business.

When selecting sources for point of sale equipment and software, it is important to consider the compatibility of each component selected. There is a danger in trying to put together a do-it-yourself POS system, that the pieces may never fit together quite right. In addition, seeking out support can turn into endless finger pointing sessions. The software company refers you to the hardware company for support, and vice-versa.

Why not avoid this trouble altogether? pcAmerica offers a one-stop-shop solution for all of your point of sale needs. As a full-service provider, pcAmerica offers access to top quality POS software and hardware, as well as training, installation and 24/7 technical support. Receiving all of these services from the same provider saves countless headaches, as well as hours of lost productivity. It just makes more sense to choose pcAmerica as your one-stop point of sale resource.

The Restaurant Pro Express Table Transfer function can quickly seat a party at another table with ease from any POS system. Simply touch the Transfer Table button and select a new table that is available for customers. Servers can also transfer guests to at any occupied table to another server.

This feature allows managers to send checks from one server who may be ending their work shift to another server. Our table transfer diagram screen is ideal for busy table service restaurants that are looking for a quick and easy process to transfer customers from one table in the restaurant to another or allow tables to be transferred amongst the serving staff.

Restaurant Pro Express enables servers to divide checks several ways from any point of sale system in a split-second. With the use of our touchscreen based POS systems, servers can split a check evenly for each guest or by a guest’s order. This handy feature also enables servers to use the POS system to touch and drop individual items.

With this ease-of-use, speed, and flexibility users have the ability to split checks which reduces mistakes and ensures guests who are in a hurry won’t wait long for their checks.