The Holiday shopping season allows retailers to make great sales before the end of the year. But business owners and managers know that this time can also be overwhelming and stressful. Before the big holiday rushes, take some time and prepare your payment processing system and staff to handle the higher volume of sales so that you’ll have one less thing to worry about.
Tighten Your System Security
Protecting your customers’ data is a vital part of running any business all year, especially during the holiday season. Take some time to ensure your security software, firewalls, and network are up to date. Refine your process to ensure that you are only collecting the necessary data from customers so that in the case of a data breach their data is protected.
Upgrade to Offer More Payments Options
Customers love having several different options when it comes to payment. While credit cards still reign as the most popular, mobile payment systems such as PayPal, ApplePay, or GooglePay are becoming more widely favored, especially by younger generations. Check with your point of sale company to see what mobile options are available to your business.
Have a Backup Plan
Point of Sale system failure can happen to any business at any time, especially during the holidays. What is your plan when this happens? Do you have the ability to take cash payments? Will you go old school with a manual credit card imprinter? It may be a good idea to have a backup device or two with a mobile data plan and an alternative mobile payment system so that you don’t have to rely on one option. Whatever you decide to do, make sure that your entire staff is aware of the backup plan and trained on alternative payment collection methods.
Refresh Your Staff on Payment Processing Procedures
Human error is one of the most common ways that payment systems can fail. Before your busiest times, refresh your employees on the proper procedures for collecting payments from customers. Answer any of their questions and allow them to share issues they have encountered in the past. This ensures that everyone is prepared for various scenarios.
We hope that this holiday season is a successful one for your business. As always, Viking Payment Services is here to offer you the most secure and accessible point-of-sale system for businesses of all sizes.
