Retail Pro Support And Maintenance: What Retailers Should Expect

When your point-of-sale system goes down, it doesn’t matter whether the problem is software, a scanner, a receipt printer, or a payment terminal. You just need it fixed.

For retailers using Retail Pro, dependable support is an important part of keeping the business running. Your POS touches nearly every part of your operation—from ringing up customers and processing returns to managing inventory, receiving merchandise, and running end-of-day reports.

When something isn’t working correctly, you need a support team that understands both Retail Pro and retail.

That’s where Big Hairy Dog comes in.

For more than 30 years, Big Hairy Dog has helped retailers with Retail Pro software, support, hardware, installation, upgrades, and everyday troubleshooting.

Retail Pro Support Should Be About Keeping Your Store Running

Good Retail Pro support shouldn’t require a store manager to figure out exactly what’s causing a problem before asking for help.

Imagine it’s Saturday afternoon and suddenly two registers aren’t processing payments.

Is it Retail Pro? The payment terminals? Your internet connection? A network issue?

Your store manager shouldn’t have to become an IT expert to figure it out.

A good support team helps diagnose the problem, determines what needs to be fixed, and gets your store operating again as quickly as possible.

Big Hairy Dog’s Retail Pro support team can help with:

• Retail Pro software issues

• POS registers and workstations

• Barcode scanners

• Receipt and label printers

• Payment terminals

• Inventory and receiving problems

• Reporting

• System configuration

• Software upgrades

• Retail hardware replacement

• Staff questions and training

The goal is simple: keep your stores selling.

Fast Help Matters in Retail

Retail doesn’t operate Monday through Friday from 9 to 5.

Your busiest hours may be evenings, weekends, holidays, or during a major promotion. Unfortunately, those are also some of the worst possible times to experience a POS problem.

When customers are standing in line and registers aren’t working, waiting until the next business day isn’t much of a solution.

Big Hairy Dog offers 24/7 support availability for retailers who need help outside normal business hours.

Having an experienced Retail Pro technician available can mean the difference between a minor interruption and hours of lost sales.

Don’t Wait Until Something Breaks

The best support isn’t always about fixing something that’s broken.

It’s also about preventing problems in the first place.

Older hardware, outdated software, unreliable printers, aging payment terminals, and poorly maintained systems can eventually cause interruptions.

Regular maintenance and planning can help identify these issues before they become emergencies.

Big Hairy Dog can help evaluate your current Retail Pro environment and recommend when it makes sense to upgrade software or replace aging equipment.

Retail Pro Software Updates and Upgrades

Retail technology changes constantly.

Payment requirements change. Operating systems are updated. New Retail Pro features become available. Older hardware eventually reaches the end of its useful life.

But upgrading a retail system isn’t something you want to do blindly.

Before making significant changes, it’s important to make sure Retail Pro, your payment system, hardware, reporting, and other connected systems will continue working together.

Big Hairy Dog can help plan and manage Retail Pro upgrades so changes are tested and implemented with minimal disruption to your stores.

Hardware Is Part of the Equation

Retail Pro is only as useful as the equipment running it.

A typical retail environment may include:

• POS terminals

• Barcode scanners

• Receipt printers

• Cash drawers

• Customer displays

• Payment terminals

• Label printers

• Mobile devices

• Servers and networking equipment

When one piece fails, it can affect the entire checkout process.

Because Big Hairy Dog provides both Retail Pro support and retail hardware, you don’t have to call one company about the software and another company about the equipment. Our team can help identify the problem, recommend compatible replacement equipment, configure it correctly, and get your store back up and running.

Having Backup Equipment Can Save the Day

If your store depends on two registers and one fails during your busiest weekend of the year, having a properly configured spare can be extremely valuable.

The same applies to scanners, printers, and payment equipment.

Big Hairy Dog can help retailers develop a practical backup plan based on their number of stores, registers, transaction volume, and operating hours.

You don’t necessarily need a storeroom full of spare equipment. You just need a sensible plan for the devices that could seriously impact your business if they fail.

Support from People Who Understand Retail

There’s an important difference between general computer support and retail technology support.

Retail Pro technicians need to understand what happens inside an actual store.

They need to understand sales, returns, promotions, inventory transfers, purchase orders, receiving, payment processing, end-of-day reconciliation, and reporting.

When a store manager calls because yesterday’s numbers don’t match, simply confirming that the computer is working isn’t enough.

You need someone who understands what the store is trying to accomplish.

That’s one of the advantages of working with Big Hairy Dog. We’ve been supporting retailers for more than 30 years.

Training Your Team

Sometimes the problem isn’t the system at all.

Employees change, new managers come aboard, and people forget how to perform tasks they don’t use every day.

Proper Retail Pro training can reduce support calls and help employees work more confidently.

Big Hairy Dog can assist with training for:

• Sales and returns

• Inventory management

• Receiving and transfers

• Promotions

• Reporting

• End-of-day procedures

• Manager functions

A little additional training can often eliminate recurring problems and help your team get more value from Retail Pro.

When Is It Time to Review Your Retail Pro Support?

You may want to take a closer look at your current support arrangement if:

• You’re waiting too long for support calls to be answered.

• Problems frequently get passed between different vendors.

• Your current provider doesn’t support your hardware.

• You’re unsure whether your Retail Pro software is current.

• Your stores don’t have a plan for equipment failures.

• Employees aren’t sure who to call when something goes wrong.

• You’re opening new locations or replacing older equipment.

You shouldn’t have to think about your support provider very often.

But when you need them, they should be there.

Big Hairy Dog Retail Pro Sales & Support

Big Hairy Dog has provided retail technology solutions for more than 30 years.

Whether you need help with an existing Retail Pro installation, are planning an upgrade, need replacement POS equipment, or are considering Retail Pro for a new store, our team can help.

We provide:

• Retail Pro software sales and support

• 24/7 support availability

• POS hardware and peripherals

• Retail Pro upgrades and configuration

• Installation and deployment

• Staff training

• Multi-location retail support

Instead of dealing with separate companies for your software, hardware, and support, Big Hairy Dog can provide a single point of contact for your retail technology needs.

Need Help with Retail Pro?

Don’t wait until a busy Saturday afternoon to discover that your current support isn’t there when you need it.

Whether you have an immediate Retail Pro issue or simply want to review your current system, talk with the Big Hairy Dog team.

Contact Big Hairy Dog today at 800.377.7776 for Retail Pro Sales & Support.

Our team can review your current Retail Pro setup, discuss any problems you’re experiencing, and help determine the best way to keep your stores running smoothly.