With the explosion of mobile devices in recent years, it is no surprise that retailers and restaurants are looking toward mobile point of sales devices as the technology of the future.
More than half of all Americans own a smartphone or tablet, and utilize these devices to shop online, making it hard for brick and mortar establishments to compete. With the help of different types of POS systems for restaurants and retail stores, managers and owners can reach out to mobile device users, and hopefully appeal to their sense of fast service.
But a cloud POS solution, and POS software does have its drawbacks. Here are some of the disadvantages of mobile POS for restaurants, retailers, and other companies.
- Internet Connection. It may seem antiquated to have a POS device that is connected to the phone line, but in the event of router problems or internet connectivity issues, it will come in handy. A mobile point of sales system requires a steady internet connection, making it impossible to conduct routine business transactions if the signal is down. Downtime can be extremely costly, especially in a store when customers are waiting in line, or on the weekends when retailers deal with the bulk of their consumers.
- Speed. Not only should your internet connection be reliable, it should also be able to handle multiple devices at the same time, as well as several screens. In most cases, a mobile POS device will require a few different screens to check a customer out, email or text a receipt, and also search for products based on customer queries. Retailers and restaurants will need to invest in a connection that has a high bandwidth, which could be expensive.
- Data Risks. When switching from one POS system to another, there is always risk involved in the transfer. Data could be lost during the process, and this could prove damaging to your company. Most companies rely on data to run their business, as it hold information about inventory, customers, sales, and several other critical components. In addition to these risks, mobile POS providers could charge to extra fees for uploading this data to their system.
While mobile POS devices do offer more efficiency and integrated business functions, it is important to consider the challenges these systems can present. As long as companies plan accordingly, they can reduce the probability of mobile POS complications.
