Nearly all of the registers we support are now touchscreens and our clients really seem to like them. However, like all things, they do sometimes act up. Most of the support calls we receive with the Touchscreens can be fixed with simple programming solutions we use. But we do sometimes receive calls about the hardware itself having an issue. These are usually caused by people mistreating the equipment and not caring for it properly. Here are a few suggestions to keep your Touchscreens in great condition for many years:

1. When pressing buttons on the screen, try to not use your fingernail. The screen still works with a fingernail, but over time, your hard, sharp nail will cause dents and scratches in the screen. Replacing a screen is pretty expensive, so try to only use the pad of your fingertip.
2. Be careful to press only one button at a time. Sometimes people will go a little crazy with the button pressing which can cause the screen to freeze. Doing something silly, like pressing the screen with your whole hand, will overload the system and cause it to stop working. Don't panic if you accidentally touch two at once, just don't mash the whole keyboard.
3. Make sure that all of the wires leading into the Touchscreen are not twisted or bent. Like with all wires, if they are bent too much for too long, they can lose functionality. Try using twist ties or other solutions to keep the wires neat and untangled. 
4. Clean the Card Swipe every few months. All of our Touchscreens have the credit card swipe attached right to the side of it. Sliding a swipe cleaner through them every once in a while will prevent dust and other junk from building up.  If the swipe becomes too dirty, it won't be able to read a card. You can find Card Swipe Cleaners online or we can send a few to you. Also, when sliding cards through it, an easy slide will get the job done. Excessive force not required.

As with all of our equipment, we stand behind our Touchscreens knowing that they are excellent hardware. We have units in the field that have been working great for years and show no sign of slowing. Just taking a little bit of care will go a long way towards maintaining your Touchscreen for a very long time.

Every register is equipped with a cash drawer because about half of all sales at National Parks are still made with cash. These rugged pieces of equipment are actually very simple mechanically, but we still receive a few support calls about drawers acting up. We want to give you some tips on how to handle and maintain the drawer so that it works correctly every time. 

1. These units are strong and durable, but much less so when the drawer is open. Be careful to not lean on or put anything heavy on the open drawers because the track mechanism, which allows it to slide open, can be damaged.
2. We have heard a few times that the drawer will not want to close easily. If it takes more effort to close the drawer than what you can exert with one finger, do not force it shut, then give us a call. Something may have slipped in the back and is not allowing the drawer to close properly. Forcing the drawer shut could bend the fragile components at the back of the unit.
3. Make sure that there aren't any kinks in the wire that runs from underneath the drawer to the register. While it looks like a phone cord, it does have a small electric current running through it which allows you to pop the drawer open from the register interface. Twisting and bending the wire too forcefully can cause a short.
4. Be careful when turning the drawer key. They are designed to twist very easily so if you encounter resistance, do not force it. It is possible that something is caught in the locking mechanism. 
5. These drawers last a very long time and after many years the track can lose its ability to open smoothly. Don't be afraid to apply a very small amount of WD-40 on the tracks to help it glide.

Your cash drawer has the fewest moving parts of any of the Point of Sale equipment we provide and therefore has the smallest chance of failing on you. We have tested several options and found that the drawers we distribute are an excellent quality product. As long as you take care of the equipment, it will be around for a very long time.

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Whether you're running a cash transaction or issuing a free pass, a receipt will be printed. With how many transactions get processed throughout a normal fee day, you need to be able to rely on your receipt printer. The model we use is durable, fast and extremely reliable. However, no equipment is perfect and support issues do arise. Here are some suggestions to keep your printers in good condition and to avoid the more common issues they have.

1. Although the lids are tough and able to take a beating, it's not a bad idea to be careful when closing it each time.  It does make a satisfying sound when you fling it shut, but try to resist the temptation.
2. Somehow people manage to bend the cutting teeth out of shape and it makes it very difficult to tear the paper. We're not sure how they do it because the only thing that should be getting torn with the teeth is paper, but we have still seen a few with bent teeth. Just be careful that if something catches hard when you try to rip out the receipt, stop and open the lid to see why it is caught instead of pulling harder.
3. Just like with any other equipment with wires, keep them as untangled as you can and avoid having any kinks in them.
4. Just below the cutting teeth inside of the lid is a thin metal strip and below that is a black panel. This is the thermal part of the thermal printer and should never be messed with. If this piece is bent or broken, it will not print anything on the receipt. Just leave it alone and it should last pretty much forever.

We really like the printers we send to our clients. Considering how complex the machine is, we receive surprisingly few support calls about issues with them. The units are excellent and we have some in the field that have been out for ten or more years. As always, please give us a call with any issues that your equipment is having.

In this post, we will be displaying some of our favorite pictures we have taken while working with some amazing National Parks.