We visited a small retail business recently to switch them to our software and found their hardware, which they had purchased less than a year earlier, to be inadequate to the task. In fact, based on what we saw, we suspected that the hardware they purchased as new was actually secondhand. It was that old and under spec.
While we are a software company first and foremost, were also sell hardware to those that want it. The hardware we sell is retail business grade Hewlett Packard hardware. By retail grade wee mean quality, robust hardware designed for retail business use. This is not hardware you can buy from a shop. It is not cheap. But it lasts and it is backed by a three year on site warranty.
With hardware, like POS software, you get what you pay for.
Spend a bit more today on quality hardware and you will get a better return that you would on buying cheap hardware today.
The Tower Systems relationship with HP is solid, professional. We selected them because of the quality of their gear and because of the backup they provide in the rare instance of their being a failure. We have fo8und them to be true to their word. This is important to small business retailers.
We had a situation last year where a retail business in the outback of Australia experienced a hardware failure. The HP tech made two flights and drove for several hours to provide the on-site warranty coverage promised by the company. There was no hesitation. The support promised was delivered, making the small business owner a lover of HP for life.
But back to the story we started this post with. The small business retailer was ripped off by their previous POS hardware supplier in our view. They paid too much for hardware of dubious quality. This left the business with further costs and only the option of legal action against the company that duped them. They chose to not take action. Instead, they prefer the store of poor quality hardware to spread, so others do not make the same mistake.
