How should I review the point-of-sale system at a dry cleaner?

Spend time at the counter. Take in a test order, price it, take payment, then retrieve it. Watch how the screen handles rush orders, discounts, accounts on credit and prepaid customers. Ask staff what annoys them about it. Their complaints often point to workarounds that distort the numbers.

Next, check the reports. Ask for daily totals, sales by service type and a list of unclaimed items, and compare them with the bank deposits and the books. Differences may be innocent, but they need explanations. Look for voided tickets and manual adjustments, and ask who may make them.

Then handle ownership. Is the software licensed to the business or to the owner? Is the customer list yours to keep after the sale? Who holds the administrator login, and can it be handed over cleanly? Ask what support and hardware cost, how backups work, and how old the terminals are. If a change of system is likely, ask what would be lost, including past customer history and prepaid balances. Think about the break-even point of the plant, too. Ask which sales the system tracks by service and which it lumps together, because clear reports help you see which work supports the business and which merely keeps staff busy.

Key takeaways

• Run a test order and compare reports with bank deposits.
• Check who may void tickets or make manual changes.
• Confirm licence, customer data and administrator access transfer to you.