Service Level Agreements Best Way To Protect Your EPOS Investment
News earlier this Spring that even a supermarket giant the size of Tesco can experience technical problems with its tills shows the importance of protecting your EPOS investment with comprehensive service level agreements.
Funnily enough there are a surprising number of people resent paying for service level cover - not just for their EPOS solutions but for other electrical and technology products they use at work and at home. Some are even prepared to gamble it will be OK and that nothing will go wrong. And if it does, then they'll sort out then.
It's a risky policy and one that can cost a lot more than any annual cover charge. Not just in terms of getting the problem resolved (which can be a very simple issue that an expert can diagnose online in a matter of seconds) but in lost revenues. Tesco's glitch meant they had to temporarily close 67 stores while they rebooted the tills. How many of those customers in the stores at the time patiently waited for the problem to be resolved? And how many went to a rival store to buy their groceries! What would you have done - considering your time is so precious. I know I'd have been walking down the aisle of the local Sainsbury's or Morrissons before you could shout 'Two for One' at me!
Our approach at GS systems is to always encourage our customers to have round-the-clock cover - rather than finding themselves caught out with extra charges at weekends and evenings. After all, 'glitches' don't discriminate! These agreements offer the best form of long term protection with structured service level agreements give customers continued support after the initial guarantee period has expired.
Even if they are simple problems - for example, most issues can be resolved quickly and efficiently by the GS helpdesk as a lot of them are simply the result of an error in the operating processes - they still take time to resolve.
An SLA is the best way forward if you don't have cover, especially as we've automated our processes internally so a charging process is in place for all clients not protected by an agreement. This means there will be a set fee for responding to a call in addition to extra charges depending upon the time taken to resolve the issues. This approach is standard, not just for the EPOS sector but all technology and software markets.
We have a series of maintenance support plans that can be purchased to give businesses the cover and the security they need to run their enterprises smoothly. Each plan is tailored to achieve the right balance between operational and budgetary needs- and we're always more than happy to discuss and amend these plans.
Welcome to our E-Blog
Hello. I'm Niels Nielsen, the managing director of GS Systems, one of the UK's leading independent EPOS providers. This blog is my take on what matters to those of us who use EPOS to ensure their businesses grow. If you want to find out more about anything I'm saying simply email me or call 0800 655 6264.