When a retailer decides to take the plunge and purchase a point-of-sale system, or change systems, they’re not just investing in new software and hardware, they’re committing to a partnership with that technology provider. A point-of-sale and retail management system is only as good as its support.

For over 40 years, independent retail store owners have trusted Paladin Point of Sale to help their businesses run better. However, as good as Paladin works, it is the company’s focus on customer support that sets it apart.

“If there’s a secret to Paladin’s ongoing success it would have to be the loyalty of our customers. Many who were with us in those early years are still with us today,” Dan Nesmith says of his 40-year-old company.

Support From the Start

Shane Wells uses Paladin Point of Sale to run his two stores in northeastern Mississippi.

One of the first measures of good support is how thoroughly a provider sets up a store with their system.  A company that partners in their customers’ success will thoroughly study a store and find its resources, capabilities and needs and address them all. It will then fit its products and services to the store.

Shane Wells owned Nettleton Hardware in Nettleton, Mississippi, before he had the opportunity to expand his business to the neighboring town of Amory. He decided he needed to upgrade his store’s retail system before building a new one in Amory. After looking at several POS systems, he chose Paladin Point of Sale.

“Paladin did a really good job getting us going. We practically didn’t have to do anything. It was really seamless when we started up,” he says.

Nettleton has a 5,000-square-foot hardware store with an 8,000-square-foot lumberyard.  Shane had a new 6,000-square-foot showroom and a 30,000-square-foot indoor lumberyard built in Amory, which also serves as headquarters for both stores. He runs both stores on the same Paladin system.

“We use Paladin for everything. It makes everything a lot easier. Communicating with our vendors is simple. I like the report system. We use sales reports a lot. It’s all easy to track,” Shane says.

Simplicity and Support with a Human Touch

Coos Curry Supply owner Lance Cox appreciates Paladin’s simplicity and support.

Lance Cox, owner of Coos Curry Supply in Port Orford, Oregon, is an honest, no-nonsense guy who likes to do things as simply as possible. That’s why, in 2008, when he had to find a new point-of-sale system for his store, after quite a bit of research, he chose Paladin Point of Sale.

“Simplicity was the attraction to me,” he says, explaining his decision to put his trust in Paladin. “The visuality, the graphs, the fact that I can easily look up an item and find out that I’ve sold X amount of these this year. On Paladin, I see it right there. I don’t have to do a bunch of lengthy number chasing. That’s a real convenience for me.”

Lance also appreciates Paladin’s 100% US-based support.

“It’s good to do business with people you know care about you. Paladin’s support is there to do a job, but there is a manifested interest to make my store successful. Knowing that I can call someone and get an answer from a human being in a responsive way, that’s tremendously comforting to me,” Lance says.

Unwavering Support 

While all POS companies provide support, sometimes getting it can be difficult or costly.

Ross and Deb Martin own Caledonia Village Ace Hardware in Caledonia Village Township, Michigan. It was always Ross’s dream to own a small-town hardware store. He entrusted that dream to Paladin Data Corporation, and he says it has paid off.

Ross uses Paladin’s Suggest Ordering feature which uses sales transaction data to eliminate hours of price shopping and automatically generates inventory orders to maintain the ideal amount of stock on hand. It has allowed an in-stock percentage of 97% to 98%, which Ross says helped him earn Ace Pinnacle status as a top performing store.

He also says Paladin Support, which is available for emergencies 24/7, helps his store keep running smoothly.

That responsiveness was tested when the store’s computer crashed, which threatened to lose five years of sales transactions and financial records. Paladin Managed Services restored the files and saved the store countless accounting headaches.

“I was panic-stricken. Gone were all my Excel documents, created forms, accounting data, employee handbook, et cetera,” Deb explains. “I’m eternally grateful (Paladin) developed a backup that looks out for the back room, too.”

Support that Works with You 

Mark Jackson and Ann Carder operate Hardware Hank, Hallmark Gold Crown and Ashley Furniture in Red Oak, Iowa.

Mark Jackson owns and operates Red Oak Hardware Hank in Red Oak, Iowa, a small town southeast of Omaha, Nebraska. Over the years, Mark expanded the store seven times and added a Hallmark Gold Crown store and Ashley Furniture store.

During this evolution, he transitioned from hand-written receipts and bookkeeping to a modern point-of-sale system. In 2017, he chose Paladin to help him run his multi-faceted business. Paladin worked with Mark to help him connect all his stores, which are located around Red Oak’s Fountain Square Park, under one system.

“The service that we get from Paladin is so great. If we have a question or there’s something we want to accomplish,” like setting up a new store on the same system, Mark explains, “we call and work out a solution. Those are the kinds of things Paladin does for us.”

Upshot

Mike Williamson, CEO of Paladin Data Corporation, jokingly says his company doesn’t sell products, it provides solutions for individual businesses. Paladin setup and support is a thorough process through which the company gets to know exactly what each business needs and then provides a solution to fit its individual needs.

“The underlying message is we’re a company that listens to our customer and responds. We understand their pain points. We understand their needs. Our product is organic. We’re constantly engineering it and that will never stop,” he explains.