In the retail and restaurant industries, much has been said about the benefits afforded by the Android operating system. But many merchants find a fixed point of sale (POS) system is the best choice for their business operations. Consequently, there are myriad of advantages to be had from choosing Android-based fixed point of sale POS hardware. Here are three ways an Android POS terminal will benefit your business.
1. An Android POS terminal offers maximum durability.
Personal familiarity with mobile operating systems is spurring some retail and restaurant operators to gravitate towards consumer-grade devices for use in their establishments. While this may seem like a good idea at first blush — especially because of the potentially lower up-front cost of iOS hardware — it really isn’t. Consumer-grade devices used at the POS simply aren’t durable. Choosing an Android POS terminal that is ruggedized — that is, manufactured with components and to specifications that make it more suited to use in retail and restaurant environments and less likely to cause problems — can eliminate the negative impact using consumer-grade devices can have on your business.
Specifically, a built-for-purpose Android POS terminal, by virtue of its ruggedized nature, withstands damage from such common occurrences as spills and splashes. Dust particles and grease are far less likely to “settle” in areas like the crevices between the glass on the terminal’s screen and the terminal enclosure, and to interfere with proper operation once enough accumulation has settled in.
Similarly, because it is ruggedized, the Android POS terminal designed for restaurants and retail can withstand extreme temperatures. As a result, it should continue to work in such applications as remote POS (e.g., on outdoor dining patios or during sidewalk sales on hot summer days), allowing operations to run smoothly. What’s more, a ruggedized Android POS is more impervious than other options to damage — and therefore, requires less frequent, costly replacements.
2. Training employees to operate an Android POS terminal is hassle-free.
Employees are already very familiar with the Android operating system, as they have seen it in action and have most likely used it themselves on their personal tablets and smartphones. Consequently, training a new employee to use Android POS hardware is a simple process that takes just a short amount of time — typically, just a few minutes. And of course, the less time such education takes and the faster employees can use an Android POS terminal on their own, the lower the retailer’s or restaurant operator’s training expenditures — and the lesser the chance of losing a customer who cannot wait for a transaction to be processed by a “newbie” who is still unaccustomed to the POS system.
3. Setting up an Android POS terminal is fast and easy.
When an Android POS terminal is part of an all-in-one POS configuration, the terminal comes with such options as a touchscreen display, magnetic stripe reader, biometric reader, and customer display. With all the necessary components already incorporated, setup becomes a breeze, requiring minimal time and effort. There are no worries about which peripherals are appropriate to use and which are not. Your vendor can facilitate finding and installing POS software that is compatible with the Android POS terminal.
You will likely find other benefits to an Android POS — like a smaller footprint that takes up less counter space — once you take a closer look at this option. The durability, ease of training, and simple set-up afforded by an Android POS terminal are strong arguments that retailers and restaurant operators will find it an excellent choice for now and in years to come.
