Point of Sale — How Do You Choose Which Value Added Reseller (VAR) To Use?

A couple of thoughts on picking a VAR — or Value Added Reseller to buy that new point of sale system.

If you’re going to be working with a local VAR, point of sale expert or POS system dealer, it behooves you to do exactly the exact due diligence you would before employing a doctor or lawyer. That’s to say, do your homework! The investment you make in your point of sale system might well run into the tens of thousands of dollars — not just in money, but in time setting it up, training, support and getting it moving. It would be wonderful to make certain the VAR you’ve selected has the appropriate point of sale experience and expertise to create your POS installation successful.

Some questions to ask prospective resellers:

How long are they installing point of sale systems?
How many systems have they set up?
Have they set up the identical POS system which they need to market to you, for anybody on your line of business — or in other words, do they actually know anything about your company.
Can they provide references? (be sure that you call a couple.)
How much training is included? (10 hours? 20 hours? Have you got to prepay for blocks of time)
How many service hours are included and how much does a service contract cost and what does it cover? Is it 24/7, 9am to 5pm? Is it onsite, or do they dial in to your computer, or is it only telephone support?
Take your time and find out more about the point of sale merchandise and the VAR thoroughly. Purchasing a POS system is kind of like getting married — it’s a long term commitment. In actuality, you might well be spending more time with your POS system than with your partner.

It’s ideal to make sure you’re really compatible.