Working with leading edge, progressive retailers is where ProphetLine gets most of its ideas for future enhancements. We identify, spec out and release functionality that will enable small specialty retailers to better serve their customer base and identify new ways to improve profitability. ProphetLine was the World’s first specialty retail management system, which means we have had many years to write functionality into our product. Almost all of the enhancements we are currently working on are those that streamline current functionality and include more automation.

The newest release, available today, includes comprehensive support for customer marketing, merchandising and behind the scenes communications that replicates data back to corporate as often as needed. All of these features are meant to save owners and employees hundreds of hours on the technical side and put this time into taking care of customer needs. When our customers talk, we do listen.

The fear of a Wal Mart or Target store going in the same general area is something that will put fear in the heart of most small retailers. That should not be the case, because of the old clich that it is hard to turn a big ship. Small retailers have the ability to turn on a dime if they have reliable information on their inventory and services provided, they can make quick decisions. The only way to get this information is with a point of sale system that drives the data seamlessly through all of the reporting.

If Target carries Brand "A", then you carry a more exclusive Brand "B" and make yourself different. If your POS Software has built in email marketing functionality, you can notify your good customers in advance of the merchandise arrival and set up a private showing before you put the merchandise on the shelve. It’s all about the customer experience. ProphetLine can’t compete with Microsoft and their big bucks if we did the very same things they did, but we can give superior service and develop our software to give the small retailer an edge. A Retailpreneur’s most distinguishing quality is not the willingness to take risks, but the ability to put the past behind and seize new opportunities in the future.

U.S. shoppers bought gift cards in just about every type of retail store and shopping center this holiday season, spending a record $27.8 billion on the plastic presents, according to the National Retail Federation. By mid-January, though, their recipients had redeemed fewer than half – 37.3 percent – the trade group said Tuesday.

That is a perfect reason to put a gift card program into your retail outlet. Not only is this gift card income, money you get to use interest free, but a majority of gift card users spend more than the balance on the gift card and portions of the balance are never used at all. ProphetLine POS Software builds a gift card program into their product through their credit card processing partner, Mercury Payment Systems. If you use the credit and debit card functions of Mercury, you incur no transaction fees on the gift card usage.

Everyone always has a survey showing the importance of proper inventory levels. Retailers should improve customer service and product availability if they want fewer shoppers to walk out of their stores without buying, according to a Deloitte & Touch USA survey shared at the NRF Show. About 64% of those surveyed said the item or size they wanted was out of stock, 57% reported the register line was too long and 52% noted a sales associate was not easily available.

This all relates back to carrying proper levels of inventory as related to sales. If you never run out of product, you are over stocked and if you always run out, then you need to adjust your inventory levels. Overstocking can be as costly as being under stocked. You need quick and concise information to keep inventory with good turn rates, proper sell through percentages and as little mark downs as possible. The rest of the survey was based on good business practice related to quality customer service.

I just returned from New York at the end of last week and was it great to get home. New York is always enjoyable, but the travel was almost impossible. Everything was backed up in Dallas because of the ice and getting there was nearly a miracle. This show is the biggest show for retail technology and provides a good gauge for what will be important to retailers in the near future.

There wasn’t anything that was earth shattering or so innovative that it took the show by storm. Most everything was last year’s model with a different ribbon and a new name. After doing the NRF Show this year, I felt good about where ProphetLine is and where we are going. ProphetLine POS Software is so fully integrated and feature inclusive, you can run a specialty retail store and never need another product. I can now outline our development schedule this year with the confidence of knowing ProphetLine is going in the correct direction and staying on the leading edge.

I run Vista for my operating system at work and have had my share of ‘growing pains’. Here is a quick article from the folks at the MSD2D (MSD2D is the premier resource for the Microsoft Exchange, SharePoint, .NET and server security communities.) .NET Newsletter that sums it up pretty good.

Derek Hatchard and I have had similar experiences with Windows Vista: It’s pretty and pretty cool, but some of your peripherals just might not function. Derek mentions his Samsung ML-4500 printer and TASCAM microphone don’t work. For me, my HP Photosmart 3300 printer doesn’t work. I just have to guess that a lot of hardware vendors simply aren’t going to port “old” drivers over to Vista, ever [weeping noises]. This is just another nail in the coffin of the Vista upgrade scenario, if you ask me.

Just a word of caution. Make sure your POS Software and Hardware will work with Vista before you make the move. At ProphetLine, we have tested our software with Vista. It works well, however, we too are still waiting on drivers for some of the things typically used in a retail business such as printers, customer displays, etc.

In a prior blog, Greetings – Honest or Duty, I mention how it can easily seem employees can say ‘hello’ to customers and only seem to be doing so because the manager or store owner told them to do so. Well, I recently had another experience with the reverse effect of this.

I went to pick my truck up from the local Ford dealership. They always greet me when I come in (and when we meet out in public) so it is normal to hear the honest ‘hello Randy’ from them. The service manager I typically deal with was helping another customer and so I waited. After a while another manager asked if I was being helped (nice move on his part and showed he was aware of what was going on). I stated I was and thanked him.

Another customer walked in and I greeted her and told her the desk managers would be right back (why make her wonder). Shortly thereafter, a lady employee walk within three feet of both of us standing at a counter with no one behind it. Her response. She turned without saying a word and disappeared into the nether regions.

Remember, customers are people too and even if you aren’t the person that can help them, you could be the person to get them assistance. If you see customers standing or looking like they need assistance, ask them. You might be the difference in a one time shopper and a repeat customer.

With all the ice, power outages and flooding happening around the country, people are thinking about Emergency Preparedness & Response. We all know the drill – you should have non-perishable food, fresh water, battery operated radio, fresh batteries, light, but how often do we think about these before the emergency happens? What about in business? Do you have guidelines in place stating clearly – If this happens, do this?

Emergency Preparedness & Response is more than just a life saver, it can be a business saver as well. At ProphetLine POS Software, we understand how important you business is. ProphetLine POS has built in backup software. Can be re-installed and functional on a new computer in a very short amount of time. We understand because we have been there. The other side of the emergency is what if it is only a small problem? Does your business have clear procedures for"¦
 

Power Outages

Do you write hand tickets or close down

Do you have power backup so computers can shut down gracefully

Do you have power backups to run critical systems

Computer Crashes

What problems are critical

Do employees know how to tell if it is a hardware or a POS software problem

Do employees know who to call for hardware and/or POS software problems (they could be different companies)

Do you have backup/extra terminals that could be used

Customer problems

What can the clerk/sales person offer if anything to resolve issues

What management personnel handles what type of complaints/issues

Having clearly outlined procedures in place will enable your business to run more smoothly even in times when things are not going as planned. Procedures should be reviewed and changed on an annual basis. Employees should be notified of the changes and new employees trained to efficiently know when and what to do in the event of an issue.

At ProphetLine we understand and can help. We’ve been there!

The answer is really simple. You should buy POS Software when you consider it an investment and not an expense. It is an investment in the future health of your business. The initial cost of the software and hardware is a good start, but there are continuing expenses that include ongoing training, support and software upgrades. You may never even come close to using all the features in a good quality POS Software product, but if you target just 15% of the features you feel that can improve your business, your retail improvement will not be far behind.

In 1996, ProphetLine was doing a technology tour with the winners of various categories of software that won Microsoft Retail Application Developer Awards. Jim Dion, president of Dionco, was the speaker for the shows and I must have heard his program twenty times, but I never tired of listening to it. He always stressed training and support and a portion of your revenues reinvested back into your store technologies. It was never considered an expense, but an investment that must be maintained. If two percent of your store revenues is your technology budget and you get a return of seven percent or better, it’s a no-brainer.

There used to be a saying, "No one ever got fired for buying IBM. That referred to large companies where the IT staff was covering their rear and buying from a large software company with a pricey product. Small retailers have a better option, because their purchase is usually made by the manager or owner. This decision is dictated by the functionality of the software, responsiveness of the support staff and a personal relationship developed with the sales and project management staff.

ProphetLine POS Software/Retail Systems prides itself on a more one to one personal relationship that gives comfort to the retailer that someone really cares about their business. Your calls are usually answered in a short period of time and if not, you are put into the system for a quick return call. You have a choice, call and talk to someone you don’t know and have never talked to before, or call and talk to someone you have developed a relationship with. I think you’ll like the way you feel.