When it comes to the POS machines for a small business, thermal paper is thermal paper. As long as it fits the machine, what difference does it make? As long as the paper you buy wasn’t involved in the recent dumping scandal by several Far East countries that the US Government had to crack down on, most any manufacturer will do. That’s why when it comes to basic office supplies like thermal paper rolls, you should be shopping for vendors not for paper manufacturers or brand names.
A good thermal paper vendor will have a wide selection of sizes and will be able to supply all your thermal paper needs rather than forcing you to shop around somewhere else for some your machines. They will also keep inventory in stock so that when you place an order, your materials are shipped out to you as soon as possible rather than waiting for an order to be relayed to a factory or another intermediary distributor. You should also be getting the best pricing available, a thermal paper specialist is going to know the market well enough to be able to offer the most attractive pricing available.
First and foremost, however, you should be looking for a vendor who offers you the very best customer service. When it comes right down to it, thermal paper is a pretty small, albeit necessary, part of your business. You don’t want a vendor who is going to make you waste time on little issues on a regular basis. Backorders, minimum order sizes, complicated order procedures, frequent sales calls can all eat up your time and take your attention away from the day to day operation of your business.
A good vendor will know you and your company and offer you personalized service. They’ll know your ordering habits and may even be able to catch an error if you use a wrong part number and order a paper type that you never used before. A company that treats you like a faceless number is going to be able to match this level of service.
Another benefit of a company that warehouses their own products instead of relying on dropshippers is that backorders will be substantially reduced or non-existent in most circumstances. Back-ordered thermal paper rolls for your POS machines means either taking them down until the new paper arrives, or wasting time by making a special trip to one of the local office supplies stores, where you’ll be overcharged for the convenience.
Thermal paper is thermal paper, but a good thermal paper vendor is hard to find. Spending a little time finding one up front can save you time and money down the road.