Marketing point of sale is highly competitive, particularly when you are in the lower price range like us. Unfortunately in markets that are extremely competitive often distortions creep in. One such example occurred recently when users of a competitor's point of sale software were shocked when they discovered that their point of sale software did not include stock control. They discovered it is an optional extra which they need to buy plus they have to pay more for support if they do buy it.
Several where confused as although they were assured that the pricing was open, transparent and public where they could simply look up a price list.
I was stunned to that their point of sale did not automatically include stock control, so when people rang me up upset, I decided to investigate.
I looked up online some dictionaries. I could not see anything in the Macquarie or Oxford but the Cambridge dictionary here states
"a computer system that records a store's sales and which products it has in stock,"
Which states what I though was true that a point-of-sale system has stock control.
I then looked up the Britannica, which did not state anything the Wikipedia encyclopedia here states
"Businesses are increasingly adopting POS systems, and one of the most obvious and compelling reasons is that a POS system...and more efficient stock control."
Which makes it a bit unclear whether POS Software does or does not require stock control to be point of sale only that it needs to make stock control more efficient.
I looked up our website and its quite clear that we consider a point of sale includes stock control. We actually call a system that does not have stock control to being a scanning system. The last scanning systems we sold was in DOS. So a lot of people out there have systems roughly equivalent to these older DOS systems as the more modern DOS systems have stock control.
Which makes me think that this open price listing practice is like the official photo of actors, models, Presidents, Prime ministers, etc. yes its the photo of them but its hides much as its done by a master photographer who knows how to use items like exposure, angles, positioning and poses.
Anyway its clear that these people should have been much more cautious of the salesman who touted this transparent pricing. It did not include the basic features that I think are in point pf sale. Talking to some of them, it appears much is else is missing too.
POS Solutions recognizes that you aren’t just another faceless retailer. With us, you are not getting charged extra for features; you get the lot.
Update: This post generated a lot of discussions which is good as I think it is important that this immoral practice is stopped of selling half systems as whole systems.
What can I say other then Caveat Emptor "Let the buyer beware." All POS systems are not the same, do your homework before you make a selection!
