The Right Time for RITE

Those of you who follow my blog know that the point of sale company that I worked for, DirectPOS (or RVP Business Systems), stopped selling and supporting point of sale systems in fall of 2013.  Since then I have spent well over $8,000 of my own money traveling to meet with prospective employers who offer similar products and services to what DirectPOS offered.

After multiple meetings, I am pleased to announce that I have joined the team at RITE. The time was right to join RITE with the release of Retail Management Hero and Retail Realm Essentials as well as Cloud Retailer.

Don't panic - my blog site and YouTube Channel will still be a source of no cost point of sale advice and news but will now offer retail point of system sales and services that many of you have been asking for.  My focus will be around retailers located in Idaho and Utah as well as the surrounding states. RITE has multiple locations already so on-site support is available nationally as needed.

I'm looking forward to helping retailers in the US find the best point of sale solution for their business or organization!

Do contact me at kevinantosh@gmail.com or 208-340-5632 as I'll be working up some discounts and promotions over the coming weeks.

EMV Advice and Discount Options for Former DirectPOS/RVP Business Systems Customers

Update July 2016: Since many Microsoft RMS point of sale software would like to keep using RMS for another couple of years but still need to deal with the EMV Liability Shift Date, visit this post for more information on the Card Defender EMV add-on for Microsoft RMS versions 1.3 and higher (and HQ as well): http://retailpospondering.blogspot.com/2016/06/card-defender-emv-add-on-for-microsoft.html

Update July 2016, Retail Management Hero demo and overview: http://retailpospondering.blogspot.com/2016/07/new-version-of-rmsretail-management.html

With the EMV (chip based credit and debit cards) Liability Shift Date coming up quickly (October 1st, 2015 in the United States), I wanted to pass along some important information for former customers of DirectPOS (RVP Business Systems) who formally sold and serviced cash registers and point of sale systems out of offices in Boise, Idaho, Salt Lake City, Utah and Spokane, Washington.

If you happen to be a former customer of DirectPOS or RVP Business Systems, you likely have questions related to making sure that your cash register or point of sale hardware and software is ready for the EMV Liability Shift Date.  I have made arrangements with multiple trustworthy companies to help you determine what, if anything, you need to do related to your current equipment and EMV.

Even better, these companies will offer you a special discount related to any costs you may incur. Because this involves multiple different types of hardware and software, as well as over 3000 different businesses and organizations, you need to contact me for more information.

Here are the systems that qualify for the discounts:

• MICROS e7
• MICROS 3700
• Sam4S Cash Registers
• QuickBooks Point of Sale
• NCR Silver
• NCR CounterPoint SQL
• Microsoft RMS
• Microsoft HQ
• Microsoft POS 2007 or 2009

If your business is using one of the above systems, and resides in the states listed below, do contact me for free advice and direction on what to do.  I will also be reaching out to all of you as time permits.

• Idaho - ID
• Utah - UT
• Washington State - WA
• Oregon - OR
• Wyoming - WY
• Montana - MT
• Ohio - OH
• Minnesota - MN
• Iowa - IA
• Wisconsin - WI
• Louisiana - LA
• Texas - TX
• Florida - FL
• California - CA

The goal here is to make sure that the upcoming EMV Liability Shift Date catches no one by surprise.

Are you  in the US and in need of no cost retail point of sale advice?  I'm happy to help and can be reached on my cell at 208-340-5632 (I am on Mountain Time) or via email at kevinantosh@gmail.com. There is also a contact form to the right that can be used to reach me.

Reminder on Discounts for Former DirectPOS/RVP Business Systems Customers & Microsoft Dynamics RMS Users

Update June 28th, 2015 - special discount and incentive from a national NCR CounterPoint Partner for RMS and HQ users: http://retailpospondering.blogspot.com/2015/06/big-discount-and-incentive-for.html

As August 2014 quickly winds down, a reminder that I have arranged for some significant discounts if you happen to be a former customer of DirectPOS/RVP Business Systems who had offices in Boise, ID, Spokane, WA, and Salt Lake City, UT but sold point of sale systems throughout the United States.  It doesn't matter which system you bought from them as I have made arrangements to cover everything from cash registers to multi-location retail and restaurant point of sale solutions.

The discounts also apply to anyone who is currently using the Microsoft Dynamics Retail Management Store Operations or Dynamics POS 2007/2009 point of sale software programs.

You'll need to contact me for more details using the contact form to the right, via email at kevinantosh@gmail.com or on my cell at 208.340.5632.

Big News at Bindo

Some very cool news related to the Bindo Point of Sale (POS) solution.  As I have mentioned before, Bindo POS is a true "Mobile 2.0" point of sale solution with additional features and functions not found in Clover or Silver.  Bindo POS still retains the affordable monthly payment structure that today's retailers prefer over an upfront cost of $4000-$10000+ for a traditional point of sale system.

Based on phone calls and emails that I receive several times per week via this (rather basic) blog site, retailers of all sizes are choosing Bindo as their POS solution with a nearly 5 to 1 margin over other solutions like NCR Silver, Clover, QuickBooks POS, NCR CounterPoint, Retail Pro, and Microsoft Dynamics RMS.

I also want to let folks know that Bindo will be expanding to service the geographical areas formally served by DirectPOS who stopped selling and supporting POS systems in late summer 2013.  This is great news for retail stores and museums in the states of Idaho, Utah, Wyoming, Oregon, Washington and Montana!

Here is the official press release from Bindo:

FOR IMMEDIATE PRESS RELEASE 

PRESS CONTACT 

Benedict Wong 

VP Business Development at Bindo 

ben.wong@bindo.com 

+852 6202­5613 

+1 (212) 603­9715 

NYC RETAIL STARTUP BINDO RAISES USD1.8M SEED ROUND AND OPENS NEW 

OFFICE IN SINGAPORE 

Bindo Expands in Asia: An iPad POS That Helps Small Businesses Compete with Amazon 

MAY 29th, 2014 (New York, NY) ­ Bindo, a New York­based retail startup has just raised an 

oversubscribed $1.8mn seed round for international expansion. The round is co­led by Gary 

Vaynerchuk, a renowned social media and wine expert, and Singapore/Tokyo­based East 

Ventures. Other investors include NYC­based Metamorphic Ventures, and other private angels 

with decades of experience in brick and mortar retail, ecommerce and internet­related 

businesses. 

Bindo has developed a cloud­based iPad Point of Sale (POS) system that enables 24/7 online 

shopping for the end consumer. Not only does the POS offer a comprehensive array of features 

ranging from inventory management to customer relationship management (CRM), Bindo offers 

merchants the mobility to consult, sell, and close the deal simultaneously, providing a VIP 

experience to every customer. Its CRM creates customer profiles at the point of checkout 

enabling the merchant to later engage with the customer post­sale. 

More uniquely, merchants can launch their entire store online onto web and mobile with one click 

and efficiently operate omni­channel commerce with one unified inventory, saving hours of store 

management tasks each week. This turns the POS into a powerful retail platform capable of true 

online and offline commerce. Bindo Marketplace then aggregates all the stores on the Bindo 

network, onto one consumer platform, and allows consumers to shop from their favorite 

neighborhood store online, and have it delivered within hours 

 “Our mission at Bindo is really to strengthen local economies and support local businesses, 

whilst making shopping more convenient for consumers”, said Brad Lauster, cofounder of Bindo. 

“Having personally experienced the difficulties small business face selling online, we wanted to 

find a way to bring merchants online without diluting brand awareness. We are not interested in 

simply providing an online storefront for merchants to promote themselves; we are aggressively 

co­marketing our marketplace with our merchants so that together, we have the means to battle 

the Goliaths of e­commerce.” 

The Bindo Marketplace app also makes mobile commerce and e­commerce infinitely more 

convenient for the consumer, by bridging the gap between online and offline retail. In­store 

purchases are saved, viewable and reorderable on the mobile app, and loyalty points are tracked 

across multiple channels. It is a hyperlocal marketplace for consumers that want to find and 

purchase a particular product in their neighborhood stores online, which they can do so scanning 

the barcode with their app. 

Bindo will split the funding equally between development and sales. The development team will 

focus on delivering the Marketplace and providing a seamless experience for both merchant and 

consumer. Since Bindo’s private beta launch, inbound leads have been increasing exponentially 

each month; substantial resources will be allocated to scaling the sales team to support the 

rapidly growing number of merchant demo requests. 

ABOUT (BINDO) 

Bindo is a NYC startup with offices in Hong Kong. It was founded in 2011 by Jason Ngan and 

Brad Lauster. Bindo has developed a cloud­based iPad POS (Point­of­Sale) that enables online 

shopping for the end consumer. In a few months, it will be releasing Bindo Marketplace: a 

consumer app that aggregates all the stores using Bindo POS onto one platform, allowing 

consumers to purchase directly online from their favorite neighborhood store, and have it 

delivered. In doing so, Bindo aims to close the loop between the online and the offline. As the 

network grows, Bindo becomes a real­time product graph, connecting brands, consumers and 

merchants.  

Why This Blog Site Exists...

Many folks have asked me why this blog site even exists - especially since the site generates no ad revenue and as I am not currently employed full time within the point of sale industry.

When DirectPOS/RVP Business Systems closed back in September 2013, I initially intended to stop posting point of sale news and information on this site. However, with over 58K in views, a YouTube Channel and near daily calls or emails from folks having point of sale related questions, it became clear that this blog site still had a purpose.

That purpose is to provide free and unbiased point of sale advice, news and information. Please visit my contact page for information on how to reach me.

Paper, Ribbon and Label Supplies for Former DirectPOS Customers

Many businesses across Idaho as well as Montana, Eastern Oregon, and Eastern Washington relied on DirectPOS to provide receipt paper, printer ribbons, and barcode label supplies. Just a reminder that Ada Cash Register has taken over supplying these items as well as handling cash register sales, programing, and repairs.

Here is the contact information for Ada Cash Register:

Ada Cash Register
600 N. Maple Grove Road
Ste. P5
Boise, ID 83704
208-407-2202

Ada Cash Register also offers discounts for volume supply purchases. 

Review of Spark Solutions Group/Cowans Restaurant Soluitions

Update June 2016: RITE Solutions has officially expanded to offer retail point of sale systems in the markets formally served by DirectPOS/RVP Business Systems. The includes the states of Idaho, Utah, Montana, Wyoming, Nevada, California, Oregon and Washington with a special focus on the Boise, ID, Salt Lake City, UT and Spokane, WA markets.

Back in September of 2013, the point of sale company that I used to work for, DirectPOS, sold their customer lists to One Step Retail Solutions and Spark Solutions Group/Cowans Restaurant Solutions. I wanted to pass along some feedback from former DirectPOS customers specific to Spark Solutions Group/Cowans Restaurant Solutions. Unfortunately the feedback has been mostly negative.

• Local techs have all quit
• No local support like we used to have
• No commitment to helping customers
• No local presence
• I've already switched to Khamu Solutions as they can offer me local support and training
• Keep pushing me off to a call center for support even though my business is near their office
• Expensive

I wish that I had better reviews/comments to pass along - especially since there are hundreds of businesses using the Micro's solution from DirectPOS.

Are you in the US and in need of no cost retail point of sale advice? I'm happy to help and can be reached on my cell at 208-340-5632 (mountain time) or via email at kevinantosh@gmail.com.

Update 24.April.2013:  Since Jason C. posted his comment and offered to to speak with unhappy customers I have not heard any additional complaints related to Cowans/Sparks.  The same can not be said about One Step Retail Solutions.

Customer Feedback on One Step Retail Solutions

Back in late summer of 2013, the company that I used to work for, DirectPOS, sold their customer lists to One Step Retail solutions and Cowans Restaurant Solutions. I'll create a separate post about Cowans but I have received some feedback from former DirectPOS customers contacting One Step Retail Solutions for assistance.

The response has been very negative overall in relation to One Step Retail Solutions. Here is what former DirectPOS customers have told via the phone or email:

• Never received any contact from them
• One Step didn't even know who I was
• No local presence in Idaho, Utah, Montana, or Washington State
• Wanted me to pay $500 for a service that only takes 20-30 minutes to complete
• Constantly contacting me via phone and email
• Showed no interest in helping me 
• Inconsistant

Obviously I do not recommend One Step Retail Solutions.  They appear to have a "turn and burn" mentality versus establishing long term relationships with specialty retail stores of all sizes.

The good news is that there are other options besides One Step Retail Solutions.

Visit my contact page for information on how to reach me. 

Another Update for former DirectPOS Customers

Since it has been just over four months since DirectPOS in Boise, ID, Spokane, WA and Salt Lake City, UT closed their doors - a few updates to pass along.

• Cash register sales, service, & supplies are still being handled by Ada Cash register in Boise: 208-407-2202.
• No company with a local office presence is taking care of NextPOS/Aldelo customers or  retail point of sale customers. I am still in conversations with two companies that might be interested in establishing a local office presence in the areas formally served by DirectPOS but it might not be until April 2014 before any final decisions are made.
• Hopes are fading as well for Micro's customers based on the phone conversations that I have had with former DirectPOS customers (best bet would be to contact Micro's directly to see if there is a Micro's dealer in Portland or Seattle that can assist you).
• I am reaching out to some local restaurant point of sale companies to see if they can assist existing, new or upgrading restaurant point of sale users in the states of Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Montana,  Wyoming, and Utah.

Former customers of DirectPOS, as well as anyone with point of sale related questions, are welcomed to contact me via email at kevinantosh@gmail.com or via cell at 208-340-5632 (business hours - mountain time). I do not represent any point of sale companies so you know that I can provide some impartial and honest advice.

Free Mini Analysis

Since I have had the opportunity to speak with multiple point of sale companies since the closure of DirectPOS, I have gleaned quite a bit of information related to which company is offering what solutions and what type of end of year promotions.

I realize that this is a tough time of the year to being thinking about technology equipment for your retail store or museum but we do have some pressing timelines related to the MasterCard Unique Terminal ID Requirement, the future of Microsoft RMS/HQ, and EMV Requirements.  This means that everyone needs to start thinking now about where they want to go over the next year with their point of sale system.

I am currently offering a free basic phone or email consultation to help you determine whether you need to upgrade (if you already have a point of sale system) or which point of sale systems might be best for you (if you currently do not have a point of sale system).  This is a strictly non-sales consultation since I do not currently represent any point of sale companies or software manufactures.

You can reach me via cell at 208-340-5632 or email at kevinantosh (at) gmail (dot) com. I am in Mountain Time and a typical phone consultation takes less than 15 minutes.  You will receive professional advice and related options to help chart your point of sale technology plan.

Incentive for Former DirectPOS Customers and NCR CounterPoint/Microsoft RMS Customers

With Microsoft being fairly quiet on what their plans are for their point of sale software packages (RMS Store Operations, HQ, and POS 2009), I've been receiving calls from retail stores who need to upgrade sooner than later.

If you are a current NCR CounterPoint or Microsoft RMS user, the folks at Big Hairy Dog (BHD) are offering some nice discounts if you switch to Retail Pro through Big Hairy Dog.  There are some details that need to be discussed so be sure to call me at 208.340.5632 or email me at kevinantosh (at) gmail (dot) com.

As a reminder - it appears that we will not be hearing much from Microsoft until April 2014 so it wouldn't hurt to start exploring other options sooner than later - especially since the MasterCard unique terminal ID requirement and EMV standards are coming up in 2014 and 2015.

Are you in the US and in need of no cost retail point of sale advice? I'm happy to help and can be reached on my cell at 208-340-5632 (mountain time) or via email at kevinantosh@gmail.com.

Updates on Microsoft RMS Store Operations, One Step Retail Solutions, NCR Silver, Big Hairy Dog, and Spark Systems Solutions

A quick reminder that sales of Microsoft Dynamics RMS and HQ to new users as well as mainstream support ends next year (2016) so please keep that in mind if you are thinking of purchasing RMS or HQ as point of sale software for your business or organization.

A few updates for previous DirectPOS customers as well as all users of Microsoft RMS Store Operations and Store Operations HQ.

It appears that Spark Systems Solutions has delayed establishing an office presence in the Boise, ID and Spokane, WA area. They do have technicians working from home in each city so there is still full local support for current and future Micro's users (but no showroom to see the different types of systems).  I will pass along address information once I hear that they have established an office presence in Boise and Spokane. In the meantime, you can reach them via phone at (801) 486-2151 (also known as Cowans Restaurant Solutions - Salt Lake City, UT).

Ada Cash Register continues to provide sales, service, and programming for Samsung cash registers as well as supplies for cash registers and computer based point of sale systems. You can reach Ada Cash Register at 208-407-2202.

RITE has started their expansion westward and will be offering multiple retail point of sale systems in the states of ID, OR, WA, UT, MT, NV, and WY with a special focus on the Boise, ID, Spokane, WA and Salt Lake City, UT markets.

I've had a few calls and email about NCR Silver - especially since I was previously able to offer significantly discounted pricing for NCR Silver. As I am no longer able to offer the discounted pricing, you can contact NCR Silver directly at 877-630-9711 or visit http://ncrsilver.com/ for more information.

It appears that One Step Retail Solutions out of Phoenix, AZ is only interested in supporting NCR CounterPoint customers (based on calls and emails received). They will support RMS and RMS HQ customers - but for a fee.  Present Microsoft RMS, RMS HQ, and Microsoft POS 2007/2009 customers can contact Microsoft directly at 888-477-7877 for support (free, if you are current on your software maintenance) or to be referred to a different Microsoft RMS/POS/HQ partner.

Finally, things have been very quiet at Microsoft regarding the future plans for RMS/HQ/POS 2007/2009.  There are rumors that the software is being "abandoned" but no official word has been communicated (one way or the other) from Microsoft.  If you currently use any of the Microsoft point of sale products, then you may want to just start thinking about looking at a different solution like Retail Pro.  I know several single and multi-location retail stores that use Retail Pro. A good source for Retail Pro is Big Hairy Dog.

I've known Big Hairy Dog for 10+ years and they are committed to providing affordable point of sale solutions along with great customer service.  They are located in Sacramento, CA and can be reached at 800-377-7776. You can also go to their website at http://www.bighairydog.com/ (there is a history behind the funny name but they are a true 'survivor' as a retail point of sale solution provider).

Long post - I'll wrap things up by saying that I wish that One Step Retail Solutions and Spark System Solutions/Cowans Restaurant Solutions would have been more honest about their plans which would have made it easier to communicate to my former customer base.

Are you in the US and in need of no cost retail point of sale advice? I'm happy to help and can be reached on my cell at 208-340-5632 (mountain time) or via email at kevinantosh@gmail.com.

Important Information for Present and Future DirectPOS Customers - Updated 14.June.2015

Update June 2016: RITE out of St Cloud, MN has started their westward expansion to offer a variety of retail point of sale systems in the states if ID, NV, OR, WA, MT, WY and UT with a special focus on the Boise, ID, Spokane, WA and Salt Lake City, UT markets.


Very important information to pass along related to DirectPOS in Boise, ID and Spokane, WA. I will hit the highlights and you can always contact me via email at kevinantosh (at) gmail (dot) com or 208-340-5632.

• As of Today, Monday September 16^th, 2013, DirectPOS has merged with Cowans Restaurant Solutions out of Salt Lake City, Utah. The new combined company will be called Spark Systems and will have a physical office presence in Salt Lake City, UT, Boise, ID and Spokane,. WA.
  12/2/2013 Update: Correct new business name is Spark Solutions Group - they currently only have an office in Salt Lake City, UT and will only be supporting Micro's brand equipment.
  
  
• Because of this change, Spark Systems will only sell, service and support the Micro's and Aldelo point of sale solutions for restaurants and bars in Utah, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington State. 
  12/02/2013 Update: No sales or support for Aldelo.
  
  
• For those of you with cash registers (supplies, repairs, programming, purchasing), you can reach Rick Bier at Ada Cash Register (208-407-2202). Rick has extensive experience with cash registers.
• If you are in need of paper or ribbons for cash registers or kitchen/bar/receipt printers, you can also contact Rick Bier at 208-407-2202 as he will be your source moving forward for paper and ribbon supplies (and barcode labels as well I believe).
• If you are a NCR CounterPoint user, your information has been acquired by One Step Retail Solutions in Phoenix, AZ who will be providing support for your system. Note that One Step Retail Solutions will not have a local office presence in Idaho, Utah, Oregon, Montana, or Washington State but does plan to keep a technician on staff in the Boise, ID area.
• If you are using one of the Microsoft Point of Sale solutions (RMS Store Operations, HQ, POS 2007, or POS 2009), your information has also been acquired by One Step Retail Solutions in Phoenix, AZ but they have not communicated to me what level of service and support they will be able to provide.
  12/02/2013 Update: Feedback indicates that One Step is not interested in supporting customers using the various Microsoft point of sale solutions (RMS, HQ and POS 2007/2009).

I'm am hopeful that a computer tech company or even a point of sale company in Idaho, Utah, Washington, Oregon, or Montana will see this as an opportunity to grow/establish a physical office presence in Boise, ID and/or Spokane, WA as retail stores, museums and government agencies in these states have become accustomed to working with a local company for all of their point of sale hardware, software, training, installation, and on-going support needs (as of the end of August, I had over 300 customers/clients using various point of sale systems designed for retail stores, museums, and government agencies).


2/7/2014 Update: the former DirectPOS Micros technicians based in Boise are no longer employed with Cowans or Sparks.  I am available to field retail, restaurant/bar and museum point of sale questions and can put you in touch with the correct resource as needed.

Are you in the US and in need of no cost retail point of sale advice? I'm happy to help and can be reached on my cell at 208-340-5632 (mountain time) or via email at kevinantosh@gmail.com.

Tuesday Tip: Discounts in Microsoft RMS and NCR CounterPoint

Both NCR CounterPoint SQL, and Microsoft RMS Store Operations have great flexibility when it comes to offering percentage or flat dollar amount discounts.  Very helpful if you are running a promotion or have a need to extend a discount (like for the sale of a display/demo item).

Generally, your NCR CounterPoint partner will program the point of sale screen to include the various buttons needed according to how you want to discount.  It is helpful to have a discount ‘menu’ with one main discount key and then the various other discount options and choices in a ‘menu’. That way, the point of sale screen doesn’t become too cluttered with too many buttons.

Here I have setup some various discount buttons to appear once a main discount button is pressed from the point of sale screen:

“Shift” + “F3” is the discount key in Microsoft RMS Store Operations. The trick is that when the cursor is over a specific item on the transaction then the discount is just applied to the specific item. If the cursor is not over a specific item, then “Shift” + “F3” will allow for a whole transaction discount.

Are you in the US and in need of no cost retail point of sale advice? I'm happy to help and can be reached on my cell at 208-340-5632 (mountain time) or via email at kevinantosh@gmail.com.