It’s not a charming thought to realize your sale systems can crash just as hard as any piece of technology. After all, as a business, you’ve got servers to maintain and data to protect.Downtime can impact any form of technology, despite modernization and improvements. So, to prevent (or prepare) for this, we have a few tips to help in the event of a POS system failure.

Prepare for all Outcomes

You should have a BDR (backup disaster recovery) plan in place. If not, getting one now is of paramount importance. That’s because a plan will help you prepare for failure of a POS system. You must assume that at some point, nodes will fail, and having something to go by when the worst happens is important.

Depending on how you do business, traditional solutions are also possible. Technology is good, but it relies on legacy systems; don’t forget them.

Perform a Restart

The first step in many troubleshooting scenarios? Restart the POS system. Will it fix your problem? Possibly. It’s a simple step to take before you start pulling your hair out.

Inform

You should alert all customers and employees that you’re experiencing some type of POS downtime. Provide as much information as you can here. This will allow cooler heads to prevail and cut down on frustration. It also deals with confusion which will only make matters worse. The problem is agitating on its own, so no need to add fuel to the fire.

Check with Manufacturers

Depending on what kind of system you use, it’s always good to have the manufacturer number on hand. This is a step to take when your routine methods aren’t working. It may take extra time and cost money for repair, but it’s far better than allowing the problem to persist for long.

Prep Employees

Make sure employees understand how to sell and tax just in case. This is a skill everyone should know, really, but you can keep things moving along while the problem is resolved.

Check Breakers

One of the last steps you can perform is to check the POS breakers. Employees can check breakers by flicking them to see what systems have been affected by power outages or other errors. That saves a lot of time, especially if you need to call for help.

Simple, isn’t it? These methods aren’t a guaranteed fix, and after you’ve tried them you’ll likely need additional help. But, before you send in for the army, it’s good to have a few easy techniques on standby.

Remember, just because a POS system is simple by design doesn’t mean it can’t be affected by modern technological problems. Just like you would with a server farm or any piece of tech, be prepared for the worst.