What to Expect After You Place Your Order
First, we would like to thank you for choosing Harbortouch as your POS service provider. We value your business and we're confident that you will be pleased with our product, service and customer care. Below we have laid out the steps we are going to take to ensure that your POS system is properly set up and delivered in a timely manner. We want to make sure that you are familiar with this process and timeline so that your expectations are set accordingly.
STAGE 1 - ONBOARDING
During this stage, your paperwork will be sent to our underwriting team for approval. Most approvals take between 24 – 72 business hours, although large POS orders requiring more than four terminals could take slightly longer or require additional information. You can help expedite this step by filling out all of your paperwork completely and accurately. Also make sure to include all required documentation such as voided check, business license and previous merchant processing statements (if previously processing). Once your order has been approved, you will receive a “welcome email” that will provide you with valuable information and tools to assist you in completing your order. This email will also include links to participate in online training webinars which are provided as a supplement to our individual training. During this stage, you will be assigned a dedicated representative that will work with you early in the setup process. This representative will contact you to verify some important information regarding your order such as contract terms, fees, number of systems needed, software and accessories. This step is to ensure that we understand your business and your needs. It is important that you have a working email address because we’ll be sending you various emails to ensure you stay informed and up-to-date on the status of your order. Once your order is confirmed, we will schedule an appointment with one of our software programmers to review your menu (hospitality) or inventory list (retail).
STAGE 2 - SOFTWARE PROGRAMMING
This is when our factory actually programs and builds your system. The typical turnaround time on a POS system varies between 2 - 4 weeks, depending on the depth and complexity of your business as well as your availability to answer any questions that we may have during the process. Please note that it is normal to make minor adjustments to your database once your system is installed. Our trainers are available to assist you in fine-tuning the software as much as necessary once you receive the system. Finally, we do an internal quality assurance check to ensure that the system has been set up correctly.
STAGE 3 - INSTALLATION & TRAINING
We will contact you to arrange an installation date and time. When considering a date for install, we recommend a slower business day so that we do not disrupt your normal business operations. At the designated time, one of our Certified Harbortouch Installers will arrive to install your equipment and provide an onsite overview of your Harbortouch POS system. Please allow at least 2 hours for complete installation. If you have several systems, installation may take longer. After your POS system is installed, do not forget to schedule your advanced remote software training. We recommend that you participate in this training session prior to your launch date. If at any point after the installation you feel that you need additional training, you are welcome to attend our weekly training sessions as many times are you like. These trainings cover best practices, software features and other useful tips. Information regarding these training sessions will be emailed to you during the order process. You can also contact us for the latest training dates and times.
Additionally, you can view our training videos online here:
STAGE 4 - GO LIVE!
Now that you have your POS system installed, we strongly recommend that you develop a launch strategy and do not go live immediately after installation. To ensure the smoothest experience with your new POS system, you should allow yourself 1-3 weeks after installation to follow our simple checklist before going live:
- Review your system for any inventory items (retail) or menu items and modifiers (hospitality) that may need to be added, removed or revised.
- Check spelling, prices, tax information, etc. for all inventory items/menu items to make sure that everything has been entered accurately.
- Train all of your staff and managers and allow them to practice on the system.
Order Timeline
The amount of time it takes a system to go from approval to installation can vary greatly. The major influencing factors are (1) how quickly you respond to our team during each stage of the process and (2) how readily available you are for communication with our team. To ensure a smooth order process and quick deployment, it is critical that you make yourself available to our factory team. If all messages are responded to quickly, and we are not waiting more than 12 hours on your response during any stage of the process, your system can be shipped as quickly as two weeks from the time an order administrator is assigned.
Items that can delay your order:
- Hospitality - Make sure to submit complete menu/price list including any drink menus, dessert menus, etc.
- Retail - Make sure to submit list of inventory items including description, vendor, department, SKU number and price.
- Network - Ensure that your network wiring is complete and Internet service is active prior to installation.
- Internet - Must have high speed Internet access (DSL or cable). High speed Internet access (DSL or cable) is required. Analog phone line connections are not supported.
- Merchant Availability - To ensure a smooth order, delivery and installation, it is important that you are available for any communication with the Harbortouch team throughout the entire order process.
