Restaurant POS Systems – Making An Educated Choice

Let’s face it, no one has decent penmanship anymore – most of your wait staff has either been typing with their fingers or thumbs from the word go - and, just as pen and paper continue to become more and more obsolete, so too are the order slips most restaurateurs were weaned on. Add to that the fact that modern technology also has the ability to make taking and making orders more manageable, restaurant POS systems can turn all of the information it receives into a veritable crystal ball for your business. It’ll also provide you with a whole new sense of control over your business ops – boosting everything from revenues and efficiency to keeping track of worker productivity (or the lack thereof).

What’s more, a POS system can cut down on how much time staff spends in the kitchen and how long it takes to get an order to the table. Imagine just how much money having one extra party per table per night could bring into your restaurant. The restaurant POS system practically pays for itself when you think about it. A POS system also cuts down on stealing and complimentary anything. That’s a big cost saver too. And those are just the direct costs – indirect cost savings that come from more detailed report-outs and the more informed decisions they create can hardly be quantified. It’s even possible to use a restaurant POS system to analyze the restaurant’s menu and get rid of underperforming dishes for ones that really sell. The possibilities are endless.

Once you get over the fear of change and come to realize all that a restaurant POS system can offer – investing in one for your restaurant is even more of a no-brainer. Still, it’s not an easy switch to make – and it’ll be an even rougher road if you don’t take into account some of the tips below.

Tips For Buying A Restaurant POS System

Keep it clean. Restaurants are dirty, dusty and greasy. Computers don’t like any of that, so vacuum the POS area and its case and clean out the printers at least once a week. All you need is a can of compressed air and a clean, damp cloth to do the job.

Consider the temperature. If the POS system has to be close to the kitchen, consider a printer that isn’t super sensitive to heat and paper that won’t burst into flames. Dot matrix machines are a robust choice. Better yet, put the thing as far away from ovens, fryers and burners as you possibly can.

Have a back up plan. It’s a computer and it is going to crash. Get an IT guy into your shop and make sure automatic backups are scheduled so you don’t lose every last bit of your info. It’s not a bad idea to also teach some of your staff how to use calculators and order slips, you know, just in case.

Don’t deal with a vendor because you like him. Deal with him because he knows your system. Liking the dealer is a perk but it shouldn’t be at the expense of having someone who actually knows how to deal with all of the little nuances and quirks of the restaurant POS system he sells you.

Article source: Contributed by RestaurantNewsResource.com, a global restaurant news distribution service.


Logos, product and company names mentioned are the property of their respective owners.

Reader Comments:

Be the first to leave a comment for this article

Tweet