Paladin POS Case Study

A Simple Solution Enters the Picture

Heath chose Paladin mainly due to its low cost and ease of use. Among the features that made Paladin an easy choice were the ability to email invoices and statements, the rewards and gift card programs, and the ability to import new inventory in just a few simple steps. Having older employees that struggled with computers, the option to use the system with or without a touch screen was a huge selling point.

Great customer service is vitally important. Schultz values being able to speak with just one person when he needs to call Paladin support. He doesn’t have to be routed through a labyrinth of technicians.

The benefits Circle S Hardware has enjoyed since switching to Paladin include:

Paladin is Worth it

Circle S Hardware has benefited in a number of ways since making the switch to Paladin. The most measurable is the $600 per month in support fees that no longer has to pay. The time and money saved in operating and maintaining the system has resulted in just as much return on investment, if not more. Moving from a complicated system where processes were lengthy and convoluted to Paladin’s simple, straightforward operation has translated to time and money savings and much less frustration.

Out with the Old, In with the New

Circle S Hardware used another POS system for six years before switching to Paladin in Fall of 2012. Schultz was prompted to make a change after spending an untold amount of money on his old system, plus paying support fees in excess of $900/month. While each new software release would offer new features, they would incur additional support fees if implemented. On top of that, the system became too complex and time-consuming to operate.

While transactions with the old system were fairly simple, everything else about the old system was “a nightmare.” Loading inventory was very difficult, requiring multiple steps and several support calls. Most of the time, calls had to be transferred to a more skilled technician, resulting in very long phone calls.

Switching to Paladin Point of Sale saved Circle S Hardware from these difficulties and provided a system that was simple to use.

About Circle S Hardware

Circle S Hardware has been independently owned and operated by the Schultz family since 1992, when Marvin Schultz saw a need for a community hardware store in Magnolia, TX, a small town about 45 miles northwest of Houston. In 2002, Marvin sold the business to his son Heath, whose extensive retail experience has helped foster the customer-friendly atmosphere that keeps people coming back. What began as a one-building, half-acre operation eventually expanded to four buildings on over two acres, offering a wealth of products and services for their community.

The store is advertised as “way more than a hardware store,” and the products and services offered certainly live up to that claim. Schultz believes in the value of face-to-face interactions with customers and extended hours. Circle S Hardware is open seven days a week, and when Schultz is not out making deliveries, he’s in the store working with customers. The store’s mantra is: “If we don’t have it, we will get it. If we can’t get it, they don’t make it.”

Circle S Hardware’s products and services include lawn and garden, plumbing, electrical and home improvement products, culverts and septic supplies, U-Haul rentals, fishing and hunting supplies, and sharpening services.