It’s easy to adopt old habits and stick with them – especially when they’re a part of a grand process such as checking out customers in a retail setting. For decades, that process consisted of a standalone computer next to a printer, as customers filed through the – sometimes long – lines to checkout. But this is 2014, and customers expect a better experience from their retailers. For this reason, there’s been a shift to mobile platforms to enhance the customer experience – and this shift has begun to date the standalone computer and printer checkout process.
Last week, I introduced the idea of cutting down checkout lines with mobile computing solutions, ultimately enhancing the customer experience. The transition to mobile computers empowers a store’s employees and allows them to assist the customers on the floor – including on-the-spot checkouts.
I know what you’re thinking: Sure, you can checkout customers on the floor, but don’t you have to walk over to the printer to give them their receipt anyway? Not necessarily. Like Batman and Robin, a mobile computer has a reliable sidekick – the mobile printer. By having a mobile computer and mobile printer at their side, employees can do everything a standalone checkout system can do.
Let’s take a look at why mobile printers make a good match for mobile point of sale solutions:
- Thermal Printing: Thermal printers use heat transfer as a means of printing rather than ink. Thermal printing saves money on ink and these printers have no moving parts, which means printing is silent and there’s less downtime due to broken parts.
- Connectivity: Mobile printers have to be cordless (because if they had cords, they wouldn’t be very mobile, would they?). As cordless devices, mobile printers can connect to mobile computers with Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connection – an easy and fast way to pair up mobile computers and printers.
- Hands-Free: There’s no need to hold a mobile printer. Many mobile printers use belt clips or other attachments to conveniently latch onto employees’ hips.
- Ease of Use: Connecting to a mobile computer, all an employee needs to do with a mobile printer is turn it on, tear receipts, and change paper. Changing the paper is as easy as opening the printer and dropping in the new roll. That’s it.
- Long Battery Life: Mobile printers are able to last as long as the mobile computer they’re paired up with.
- Size & Weight: Attached at the hip, mobile printers are lightweight and small. They stay out of the way and are easy to carry around all day.
While mobile computers empower workers to engage customers and provide a better retail experience, mobile printers assist in optimizing that experience. Intermec’s PR3 Mobile Printer, for example, offers all of the above features and more, coming in both 2-inch and 3-inch-wide models. In a day and age where top-notch customer experience can drive a retail business, the combination of a reliable mobile computer and efficient mobile printer undoubtedly offers that elevated experience.
About the author:
Jason Shanley is a member of L-Tron’s content creation team. His background in communication and technology provides him the deep knowledge base required for the articles he authors. Jason can be reached at Info@L-Tron.com or (800) 830-9523.