If you run a store, café, or any business that sells directly to customers, your POS system is your lifeline. But here’s the reality: a fancy system is useless if support isn’t there when things go wrong.
Downtime, confusing billing, and outsourced “help” are silent killers for small businesses. This post breaks down why real, 24/7 POS customer service is critical, what real merchants experience, and how to pick a provider that truly has your back.
Common POS System Problems Small Businesses Face
POS systems can do amazing things—track inventory, manage employees, integrate online orders—but even the best tech isn’t flawless.
Here are the most common issues merchants report:
- System crashes and glitches during peak hours
- Slow processing that creates long checkout lines
- Connectivity issues affecting payments and online integrations
- User errors that multiply without guidance
One Reddit user shared their experience with a popular POS:
“Every other week, something would crash mid-shift. It’s not just frustrating—it costs us customers.” (Reddit)
POS System Downtime: How Much Revenue Are You Losing?
Imagine it’s Saturday, your store is packed, and the POS crashes. Customers sigh, staff scramble, and sales grind to a halt.
Sure, downtime is frustrating for everybody involved—but it’s also expensive:
- Small businesses making $5M/year can lose $3,362 per hour (E-N Computers).
- Even small operations, like a single store, will average a loss of $855 per hour when offline (Retail Touchpoints).
And the worst part? Depending on your POS provider, waiting for support can take hours, turning what is likely a minor problem into a major disruption.
The Emotional Toll of Poor POS Support
If you’ve had a system outage during a Saturday rush, you know this: downtime is stressful. Staff feel pressure to keep lines moving. Managers field complaints while trying to fix the system and keep their team calm. Customers get impatient, sometimes walking out entirely.
One restaurant owner explained on Reddit:
“During lunch rush, our POS went down. Staff were panicking, orders were delayed, and customers were yelling. The support line put us on hold for 45 minutes.” (Reddit)
Outsourced POS Support: When Help Feels Helpless
Many POS providers outsource Level 1 support to third-party call centers. On paper, this looks great—you get “24/7 support.” But in reality, it can be frustrating.
Staff reading from scripts, unfamiliar with your setup, can be slow to escalate problems, which often makes downtime worse.
Here’s what one Redditor said about their POS system’s Level 1 support experience:
“They fail miserably at providing support. Keep paying them a lot and then have to hire an outside company to try to fix their problems.” (Reddit)
POS Hidden Fees and Billing Nightmares
Unexpected charges are another major headache.
One merchant on reddit experienced a major billing error:
“They screwed up our billing and took out like $2800 in one day. They finally offered a refund and still screw up our billing.” (Reddit)
These hidden fees hurt cash flow. Look for transparent pricing and providers that don’t charge extra for support tickets, software upgrades, or hardware swaps.
24/7 POS Customer Support: Reduce Downtime and Boost Sales
POS issues don’t wait for business hours—they happen during lunch rush, Friday night, or your busiest day.
Retailers report waiting up to four hours for support, and systems can take five or more hours to fully restart (Retail Touchpoints). Every minute of downtime is lost revenue and unhappy customers.
Having in-house, 24/7 support keeps someone available to troubleshoot, fix errors, and guide your staff, so lines keep moving and customers stay happy.
Have trouble getting your POS customer service on the phone?
KORONA POS offers 24/7 phone, chat, and email support. Call us at 833.200.0213 to see how reliable we are.
How POS Support Improves Employee Productivity and Customer Experience
Fast, knowledgeable support reduces downtime and makes your team more effective. Staff spend less time troubleshooting and more time serving customers.
Merchants who switched to high-quality support report:
- Faster onboarding for new employees
- Fewer mistakes at checkout
- Happier customers and fewer complaints
Real-World POS Support Success Stories
Duplin Winery (Rose Hill, NC)
Duplin Winery, a popular destination for wine tastings and retail sales in North Carolina, faced constant headaches with their old POS system. During peak tourist weekends, the system often froze, slowing checkout and frustrating staff and guests. “On busy Saturdays, our lines were out the door, and every crash made the wait even longer,” says tasting room manager Sarah Whitaker. “It took away from the experience we wanted to give our visitors.”
After switching to KORONA POS with dedicated 24/7 in-house support, operations ran more smoothly:
- Downtime decreased 30% — any issues were resolved quickly, with minimal disruption to sales.
- Guest satisfaction increased 15%, according to post-visit surveys, thanks to faster and more reliable checkout.
Sarah adds, “It’s been a complete turnaround. Guests are happier, staff can focus on hospitality, and we feel supported every step of the way.”
The Bakeréé (Seattle, WA)
The Bakeréé, a cannabis dispensary in Seattle, struggled with compliance reporting and inventory management using their old POS. Data mismatches meant staff often had to manually reconcile reports, taking hours of extra work each week. “We couldn’t afford mistakes in compliance, but our system wasn’t reliable,” says owner Jamal Brooks. “It was stressful and risky.”
With KORONA POS’s dedicated support team, the transition made a big difference:
- Inventory errors dropped 25%, reducing wasted time and compliance worries.
- Staff efficiency improved, with automated reporting and streamlined workflows saving several hours per week.
Jamal notes, “The support team didn’t just solve issues—they showed us how to optimize. Our reporting is stress-free, and we can focus on growth instead of firefighting.”
Speak with a product specialist and learn how KORONA POS can power your business.
Tips to Test a POS Provider’s Customer Service Before Buying
Before signing a contract, test the support like a real customer:
- Call support with a mock issue—note response time and knowledge
- Ask about system integrations and customizations
- Check if fees are transparent
- Look for Reddit threads, Trustpilot, and Google reviews
These steps save time, money, and stress down the line.
The Future of POS Systems: AI Meets Human Support
AI and machine learning are transforming POS systems. They can predict potential issues before they happen, suggest fixes, and even automate ticketing to speed up responses. But technology alone can’t replace the human touch.
Merchants still need real people who understand context, exercise judgment, and show empathy when problems arise. Proactive human support prevents mistakes and saves time and money by guiding staff through complex issues and optimizing workflows.
PRO TIP!
The ideal setup combines AI’s predictive power with human expertise, creating a smarter, faster, and far more reliable system than either could be alone.
How to Pick the Right POS System
There’s an art to picking the right POS system. When evaluating your options, focus on:
- Support availability: Is it 24/7? Does the POS solution charge extra support fees? Is the support team based in-house or offshore?
- Expertise: Can they resolve complex problems quickly?
- Customization: Do they understand your unique business needs?
- Scalability: Will the system grow with your business?
- Security: Are payments and customer data fully protected?
KORONA POS: Experience our Award-Winning Customer Support
KORONA POS offers 24/7 in-house support and transparent pricing, with a team that knows your business. Unlike “big box” solutions, we provide:
Get started with KORONA POS today!
Explore all the features that KORONA POS has to offer with an unlimited trial. There’s no commitment or credit card required.
- Free trials with personalized demos
- Unlimited training sessions
- Specialized features tailored to your store
- Extensive video tutorials and product demos
- Regular product updates
With KORONA, your system stays reliable, your staff is confident, and your customers are satisfied. Compared to Clover, Square, and other 800-number solutions, our focus is on your business—not just your transaction.
