10.3 and 3.1 Topaz Signature Pads Time-out while Customers are Paging Down to Read the Waiver
Problem
We have a Topaz Signature unit that stops working intermittently. Sometimes it seems to time-out too quickly when customers are clicking the 'Page Down' button and they don't get a chance to sign the waiver. Is there anything that can be done about this?
Solution
Yes. Review the length of your waiver and shorten it from a few pages down to a few sentences. Topaz Signature Pads are really made to capture signatures only; adding waiver text from RecTrac is an added benefit. However, too much text can turn that benefit into a hindrance. Customers who have lengthy waivers which require their patrons to 'page-down' a number of times in order to get to the signature line typically experience significant trouble with their Topaz units. Our in-house testing here at VSI has born this out as well, so the key is to simplify and shorten your waiver.
If you are experiencing repeated difficulty with your Topaz Signature Pads, then VSI recommends shortening your waiver to a few sentences and testing whether you achieve more consistent and more reliable results.
VSI believes that having a shorter waiver improves the Topaz unit's functionality. Shorter waivers take less time to load and diminish the chances of the unit timing-out while the customer reads and pages down. If you require a longer waiver, then VSI recommends having the full copy available at your desk, which patrons can read at their own pace. In this event, the waiver text from RecTrac could be as concise as something like, 'I have read and agree to the XYZ Parks Department Waiver.' A shorter waiver will likely better ensure that your customers read it fully, and it also means transactions can be processed more expediently.
Note: You can set the default Waiver Time Out value on your Daily Processing profile Miscellaneous Information group Waiver Time Out (Second) field. Use the 'i' or '?' icons for field definitions as needed.