When a manufacturer presents me with a new POS system, I thankfully immediately and intuitively know, after 20 years of experience, how many returns during the warranty period I can expect. If I have seen the factory in China, Taiwan or anywhere else in Asia, then I know that my guess is accurate. The brand name of the manufacturer does not impress me much. There are also well-known global brands who produce POS systems, of which 30% per year get returned. The record holder is a Far East manufacturer with a rate of 230%, meaning that in the first three years every system was returned more than twice.

That of course is a catastrophe. If we are talking about an end customer with only one POS system, then the retailer can quickly explain that he was simply unlucky, since the devices, and particularly this model, normally are "top". But once the purchaser is part of a chain, then you can forget it.

This is why we are very particular with our POS system selection. Whether it is from HP, NCR or Glancetron: if our product management is not impressed, then we do not buy that product. But Country Managers still come to me: "In country X we need a system for less than Y euros, with Z years of warranty, otherwise we will not sell anything." Of course I can buy a POS system somewhere in the world for 300 euros, with super performance data and a cool design. But then I should also write in the catalog: "This device, which looks great on the outside, comes with only one year's warranty when purchased from us. Because of the servicing which is to be expected, we do not repair the device ourselves, but rather, send it to the manufacturer in the Far East. Please take into account a waiting time of four months. As an alternative we offer our customers a pre-exchange service with a warranty extension, for a mere 300% surcharge."?

It is also interesting that most cases come from central Europe. Thermal overload. In southern Europe every restaurant and every shop is air-conditioned - in Germany or Holland there are only two or three days a year anyway which are hotter than 90 degrees - and that is when the cheap POS systems drop like flies.

I understand the desire to have a more inexpensive market-entry system. But as was the case with the topic of energy consumption (see my blog from 14.2.2012), there must be a little respect for the follow-up costs.