Co-Brand your gift cards and maybe save a buck

Have you ever thought of doing this?    


Co-Branding is when you support another companies brand with your own in order to connect the two in your customers mind.   It can be a great way of enticing your customer to visit you because of that connection.  In the specialty beverage world a natural fit is the coffee shop and the roaster relationship.  

Where do gift cards and POS come into co-branding?  Interestingly enough, in a couple ways.  Think about all that real estate on the back of your nice looking gift card.  Now, slap a "Proudly Serving YourRoasterNameHere"  on the back with your roasters logo.  This is an immediate co-branding opportunity.  Want to save some money?  Ask your roaster to pay a portion of the tab on the gift cards or to discount the next order of roasted coffee to help offset the cost.

For those of you with restaurants and cafes, you can do this same thing by asking your cheese vendor or beverage provider (think Coke/Pepsi) to do this. 

Want another way?  SP-1 has the ability print a coupon on the bottom of a receipt.  You can use this to proudly promote a partner, vendor or even another business in town.    

Contact us at:
SelbySoft
Mike Spence
800-454-4434
Sales@SelbySoft.com
WWW.SelbySoft.com
8326 Woodland Ave. E
Puyallup Wa 98371

Training on your POS

Has it been a while since you dug into some of the other features of SP-1?  Did you hire a new manager and now want to train them on the back end of SP-1?


One of the challenges with any store is that they rarely have an opportunity to train on the POS because it's in use.  It's not a time zone thing either - I don't know a lot of owners who would want to train at 3am or 11pm with their staff.  It's usually because the POS is in operation!


So, why not call us and let us help?   With our SP-1 POS we can setup a virtual training session of your SP-1 system through our support department that let's us train any of your staff outside of the POS computer or even outside of the store!  

This is a free option included with our support plans.  Don't hesitate to use it! 




Contact us at:
SelbySoft
Mike Spence
800-454-4434
Sales@SelbySoft.com
WWW.SelbySoft.com
8326 Woodland Ave. E
Puyallup Wa 98371

Why you SHOULD NOT buy your own equipment

Buying hardware on your own is a bad idea. . .How is that for a starting point?  It's true though,  it's not usually just a bad idea, it's a potential recipe for disaster.


I know that many of you feel that you should be able to buy the cheapest computer you can find at Costco or Best Buy and be up and running in minutes.  I'm sorry - it just won't happen.   


One of the best reasons to purchase equipment from the same company you buy software from is the support.  The crude term is "One throat to choke" but it can be appropriate.  The amount of money you save purchasing a computer based on price will not justify the long term support you will have to supply.  Notice that I said you in that line . . . Expecting the POS company to support equipment they were not paid for is just not realistic.  


Right now the cheapest I can find a computer is about $200 less than what we sell one for.   Of course that does not include:
Setup by a qualified technician.
A professional version of the OS.
PCI / PA-DSS hardening including proper Windows user setup, passwords, turning off and eliminating of the unused services, activating the required auditing.  
No finger pointing when an issue comes up. 
The proper port configuration and software setup in Windows to function with all the peripheral equipment. 
Supporting that computer through the warranty and, in some cases, beyond.  




So for an extra $67 a year you get all of that and more.  And, let's not forget that we have to agree that talking to one of our technicians is way less frustrating than the kid behind the counter at a box store or the guy on the other side of the planet when buying over the internet. 


Are there exceptions?  Of course, but call us before you spend the money on the computer.  


Contact us at:
SelbySoft
Mike Spence
800-454-4434
Sales@SelbySoft.com
WWW.SelbySoft.com
8326 Woodland Ave. E
Puyallup Wa 98371

4 Loyalty Card alternatives

Not interested in doing a traditional "punch" card system?   Looking for something different than "buy 10 get 1 free"?   Try one of these alternatives that other SelbySoft customers have used and passed on to us. 


Buy a gift card, get a drink... Pretty standard but still a great way to get around doing a punch card at all.  If I buy a $30 gift card then I get a free drink (up to $3.00 value) right then and there.  This can be great because it eliminates a customer being "owed" a drink at a later time.  You get the money and they get the drink.


Surprise a customer... This actually IS a punch card system but you don't tell anyone about it.  Instead of customers keeping track of points, your POS reminds the crew member that it is time for the customer to get a free drink.  The biggest catch is that it is not something that happens with the customers knowledge - you only track it internally so it is a surprise.  It's a very effective way of saying Thank You to your existing customers.


Surprise a customer #2 (gift card) . . . Create a gift card account that you load every day or week.  Allow your employees to use this gift card to buy a drink for your customer.  This is a great way to help your employees feel empowered at the store.  Be careful that it is not only being used for friends or for the same customers and it can be an awesome way to make a customers day.


Surprise a customer #3 (lottery)... Keep track of the points for your customers.  When a customer has ordered 10 times, have your POS prompt to record the visit.  Every week enter all the customers that have ordered 10 times into a lottery for free or discounted product. 




There you go. . . A couple ways to reward customers without duplicating what you competitors might be doing.  If you have a different method you use, let us know! 






Contact us at:
SelbySoft
Mike Spence
800-454-4434
Sales@SelbySoft.com
WWW.SelbySoft.com
8326 Woodland Ave. E
Puyallup Wa 98371

What is Leasing?

Today we have a guest blog from one of our partners.  Gary Lentz at Vend Lease has worked with us to secure financing to purchase SP-1 for many of our customers.  I asked Gary if he had some words to help clarify leasing. . .  

From Gary Lentz - Vend Lease

First, let’s rid ourselves of the notion that leasing is a “dirty” word.  Many of us are of the mind set that if we lease something that we made a bad decision, or that we were somehow mislead in the transaction and wound up making a bad deal.

Let’s set the record straight…Today, leasing is the preferred method by over 80% of U.S. corporations that purchase capital equipment.  If you own a business that requires equipment, or technology, to produce revenue, or save time and labor, then leasing may represent the most cost-effective course of action.  Leasing provides benefits that solve business problems and satisfy company needs.  Often, leasing is the more efficient way to grow your business with less risk to capital.

A lease is normally structured in one of two ways – as a capital lease or as an operating lease.  However, each is used for different purposes and treated differently from a business accounting perspective.  What’s most important is that leasing, in general, affords businesses the opportunity to invest in the latest technology and stay ahead of the competition.

Below are some of the benefits of leasing that business owners may want to consider:

1.       Lease payments may be 100% tax deductible (consult your tax advisor).

2.       Leasing preserves other established lines of credit.

3.       Fixed lease payments facilitate monthly budgeting of your expansion project.

4.       Leasing improves cash flow, allowing you to pay for equipment as it generates income.

5.       Keeps cash in your hands while you update to more technologically advanced equipment.

Growing and expanding any business requires equipment and technology.  Leasing will clear the hurdles that typically confront the purchase of capital equipment, i.e., sticker shock, lofty down payments and shrinking lines of credit.  Leasing is frequently less expensive and is one of the building blocks to building business success.

If you are interested in seeing how Vend Lease can help with your next expansion project visit www.vendlease.net, or contact Gary Lentz directly at glentz@vendlease.net

You can also find an application at http://vendlease.net/pdf/CreditApplication.pdf

Contact us at:
SelbySoft
Mike Spence
800-454-4434
Sales@SelbySoft.com
WWW.SelbySoft.com
8326 Woodland Ave. E
Puyallup Wa 98371

Do you ever look at your customer receipt?

Random Competitor Receipt

I pay attention to customer receipts.  It's part of my job and I always like to see how different companies present a customer receipt.  

Recently I received a receipt from a store that was using one of my competitors.  I was a little shocked at how bad it looked.  The prices don't line up, the quantity field has 1.00 instead of whole numbers (after all you are not selling 1.25 scones).  I'll hope that the receipt is partially a reflection of the way that company setup that particular location.  Maybe, just maybe they have some switches that will allow them to reconfigure the receipt to look better.   


Seeing this receipt made me realize that many people don't really consider how a receipt might look when they are shopping for a POS.  I think that the receipt can be very important as it is a reflection of your store and your professionalism.  It's also a reflection on the POS company.  Nobody is perfect but receipts should look good.   


For example, the receipt I'm referring to has the quantity as 1.00.  The reason this is a poor reflection is that it shows a lack of thought in programming.    It makes sense to take it out to two decimal places if the item being sold is weighed and sold by the ounce / gram etc.  This company choose to mark every quantity to two decimal places, even if the item is not something that is weighed.    It was most likely done this way because it was easier from a programming standpoint.   


We have the same ability to sell by weight.  We choose to add the extra lines of code to insure that weighed items are taken out to two decimal places and other items just show the whole number.  It just makes sense!  

SP-1 Receipt

Contact us at:
SelbySoft
Mike Spence
800-454-4434
Sales@SelbySoft.com
WWW.SelbySoft.com
8326 Woodland Ave. E
Puyallup Wa 98371

Stop Buddy-Punching!

It's amazing sometimes how loose security can be in the food and beverage industry.  Considering the fact that statistics say employee theft is likely in 75% to 95% of all locations, we know it probably is happening to you.  

There are all kinds of theft out there but I'm going to focus on employee time theft today. 

Do any of these scenarios sound familiar?

Your employee is running late (again) so he calls a friend.  The buddy clocks him in and he is collecting wages without working. 

There is a ticket that needs voiding or a discount applied.  The manager is busy.  So, the employee knows the code, grabs the managers swipe card or keys and fixes the ticket. 

Happens all the time right?  It shouldn't. . . These are just two scenarios where biometrics (fingerprint id) can help.   With a fingerprint id in place there is no mistaking who did what and when.  

Fingerprint readers are cost effective, safe and reliable.  Better yet, they are theft proof when used right.   Want to bring control to your location?  Call us and find out more. 

Contact us at:
SelbySoft
Mike Spence
800-454-4434
Sales@SelbySoft.com
WWW.SelbySoft.com
8326 Woodland Ave. E
Puyallup Wa 98371

Got Cloud? We do!

There is a lot of talk about cloud based computing, storage and POS in news over the last year.   Did you know that we are on top of this and have been for a while? 


Cloud Based Backup Service.  SelbySoft offers, free of charge, a cloud based backup service for every customer on an annual support plan.  What this means is that we have the ability to backup all of your data, tickets, customer files to a central server outside of your store.  This is a great option that allows you to be safe and have peace of mind when thinking about your data.  Did  we mention FREE? 
P.S. We introduced this cloud based backup to our customers in 2007!


Best of Both Worlds.  With SelbySoft you get the best of both worlds.  Secure, controllable data storage at your site and the cloud backup.  What this means is that your data is never held hostage and no internet connectivity problems will interrupt your operations at the store.  


Gift Cards.  You are probably aware that we have a free, built in gift card system in SP-1.  This is stored locally in the POS and does not even require an internet connection to operate.  Now, with the cloud backup you are secure offsite as well.  Interested in cloud based gift card systems?  We do it!  Two different methods of having your gift card systems stored and processed out of the store.  Oh and both are free!


Corporate Reporting.    We can't forget that our corporate and multi-store operators are taking advantage of our cloud based options when accessing their data from their laptop, home or corporate office!




Contact us at:
SelbySoft
Mike Spence
800-454-4434
Sales@SelbySoft.com
WWW.SelbySoft.com
8326 Woodland Ave. E
Puyallup Wa 98371

Sell by weight? We handle it!

Do you sell coffee by the ounce or pound?  What about loose-leaf tea?  If so, you should look at a retail scale that is electronically hooked up to SP-1.  I touched on this briefly in a previous blog (Retail Options In SP-1) but thought it worth supplying some information about using the scale itself in SP-1. 

Scales are accurate.  So is SP-1.   Once you have an integrated scale, you will get 100% of the price per weight.  For example, with a scale, the employee puts the tea / coffee on the scale and l SP-1 calculate it.  If the tea weighs at 100.5 grams and is $19.75 per 100 grams the sale is calculated at $19.85.    We know that an employee will often round that tea to 100 grams to make it easy if they are typing it in.   Even worse is the employee who transposes a digit or misreads the scale.  At $.19 a gram mistakes add up quickly!

Scales are easy.   Take product, place on scale, hit a button.  It's simple.  

Customers trust them.  When a customer knows the scale is electronically connected to the POS, they trust the totals that they are given more.  

Contact us at:

SelbySoft

Mike Spence

800-454-4434

Sales@SelbySoft.com

WWW.SelbySoft.com

8326 Woodland Ave. E

Puyallup Wa 98371

Contact us at:
SelbySoft
Mike Spence
800-454-4434
Sales@SelbySoft.com
WWW.SelbySoft.com
8326 Woodland Ave. E
Puyallup Wa 98371