We are in the process (again) of choosing a POS company. Most of you know I had a bad experience this year. I realize how much money we lose every day without one. Every day there are several instances where a POS would help us. What should I be looking for when shopping? I have already received 2 demo cd’s and I am prettty impressed with all they can do and how easy they are to work on. I would like to integrate surveillance with the POS but not right away since money is an issue. Do you guys have any suggestions? Also I would like a company that does the menu for me. The last company we went with just gave me a giant package and I was required to do it myself, it was very stressful and I really didn’t know what I was doing, not to mention they never even installed it!! I also need one that does not use resellers! I want to deal directly with the company. Also has anyone heard of I3DVR surveillance system? Any feedback would be helpful.
You really need to know how to do the menu. Any time you make a change you do not want to have to pay somebody to do it. It should be pretty easy to do if someone shows you correctly. I learned ours in about 20 minutes. What I would suggest is to go to the company before they come to you to do the install to put your menu in. It will cost you a few more dollars to fly and stay there for a couple days but when your spending 15-20g’s, so what, and then you will know how to do it and be ready to roll when they install. As far as which syastem to go with, that is a VERY difficult question. The reason I say that is because my impressionfrom from talking to many people with different systems is that many of these POS companies are on top of their game at the software level, including DT. Just about all the complaints I hear are at the support level. Most of these companies have similar software available with some different bells and whistles obviuosly. Find the company that you are most comfortable with as far as taking care of you at the support level and go with them. I will be looking at a new system in the next week or so from the most reputable POS company that I know of. They say they have a new system that is tailored to the pizza industry cause in the past their system was not. I will get back to you with any info. Good luck.
After speaking with your husband this week Signature Systems would like to help you guys out. If possible give us a call here toll free at 1-877-968-6430 so we can give you a couple of possible solutions. By the way we also recieved your entry into the contest as well.
Have a Great weekend look foward to talking to you
Lisa, I have to suggest that you call DT and give them one last chance to “make things right”. At this point, as my memory has it anyway, they offered to fix the POS but not the surveillance system. Even if they only fix the POS part, that’s at least some money you won’t have to spend. At the very least, you do have their software and it’s paid for. Perhaps buying suitable hardware will make the system run correctly (the POS part).
You’re already out $17k. I’m not suggesting you give DT more money, but perhaps buying the correct equipment to run the software will help. After all, a LOT of the cost is the software anyway.
Snowman,
Are you serious? Call Diamond Touch and give them one last chance!! We have called them too many times to count, we have given them 7 one last chances to make things right with ZERO results. This has been going on for a year and they have not made good on anything they have promised to date. The entire staff has my phone number and I haven’t received a call, but I did get a letter last week from DT saying your support is about to expire- Please re-sign for our wonderful support package! I thought this would make me upset but it just made me laugh!! I did get a little upset when Tom E-mailed me last Friday to say "If it’s any consolation to you we have finally and completely severed all ties with CEI (the reseller) Talk about salt in the wound!! We have lost enough money by not having a POS system, I’m sure we can ALL agree with that. I appreciate the advice, but I think it would be a waste of time.
I agree with Lisa. Why in the world would she want to even think about calling Diamond Touch. If anything, DT should be calling her with an offer to return her $17,000 in exchange for the equipment that never worked.
Hopefully she will choose a new pos company that she can trust.
Snowman,
From what I am being told I don’t think we will be able to use the software. The server is underpowered. one company told me today they may be able to upgrade it for me but I have to ship it to them. Another guy told me the touch screens we have are junk. We are really going to have to do alot of research this time around before making a decision. I would love to be able to use the equipment we already have but it looks doubtful.
Talk to Speedline they do everything for you and have great service and support. They bent over backwards for me. I have had them for 6 months now and love the system.
Lisa, where are you guys located? I’ve been in this forum for the past three months because I am opening a pizza shop, but the money to open it is coming from 10 years experience as an independent computer consultant. If you’re close to St. Louis (or would buy me a plane ticket) I’d be glad to come in for a day or two and look over the whole situation for you free of charge and try to give you some profit-neutral advice about how to proceed. I think you need someone without a profit motive to tell you what is GOOD and what is BAD and what you can live with. I have 5 years of POS experience (none with Pizza specific, but several general retail systems) and I know what I’m doing in that area.
Jay-PDQ and Mike Colman,
Glad to see someone offering help to Lisa, she certainly deserves it.
Has everyone read her story?
You said is was a mistake that you deleted it. Put it back. It was the best and most read topic on the TT.
Mike
Mike,
Wow! We really appreciate your kind offer to check out our equipment. I would take you up on it, but we have already had an independent computer consultant come to the store and he told us he would not recommend we use the equipment to run our store. One of the major POS companies told us they might be able to upgrade some of it but at this point we really do not want to take the chance of running into problems later. Maybe we could talk over the phone and I could telll you what we have and get your opinion. Thank you very much for your offer it really meant alot to us that there are people out there willing to help. We have been researching 5 different POS companies and hope to make a decision in the next month or so.
I read all your posts, but I don’t recall anything that would preclude your use of the existing computers for your POS system. I believe you said that the computers were a few years old, but age is a non-issue if the computers were used as a demo system. It is a different issue entirely if the computers were previously installed in a restaurant and used every day of those “few years.” A few hundred or even a few thousand hours of demo time in a clean environment will not affect their functionality or dependability. Spending more money for an unnecessary computer replacement seems like it would do more to aggravate your situation than anything else.
I have 25 years experience with computers, accounting software, and industry-specific software like restaurant POS systems. I would be pleased to talk with you about your situation. Even though my company sells restaurant POS software, not one word will escape my mouth about buying our software. I am offering advice only, and as much of it as you need. For free.
I too Come from A mixed pizza/ computer background But Unfortunatly Im not based in the US so I can`t offer to come and see you, My advice would be get another opinion,
heres why,
You say the server is underpowered and out of date but POS dose`nt need super fast equipment to work ok,
you say the touchscreens are junk, are they faulty?
most important reason YOU OWN THE SOFTWARE! and this would make up a good part of the price,