Introduction
Finding and evaluating an innovative restaurant POS solution can be difficult. Several point-of-sale systems are available, so you may be unable to decide where to start.
One thing is sure you do not want to delay for the final minute before you buy the latest POS system.
It is essential to allow yourself ample time to look into and evaluate the features and functions of the various systems you’re looking at purchasing. Additionally, it may require some time to set up your system and for you to become familiar with the POS program; therefore, anticipate the procedure to take at most three to four weeks overall.
Questions to Ask Before Buying a New Restaurant POS-
Hardware
Hardware is an essential factor when choosing a new restaurant POS. After all, it’s what houses the software for your POS. It would help if you were sure to answer a few things regarding the hardware you’re considering when looking for a new POS.
What hardware is needed to operate the system?
Do you know that feeling when you purchase a fantastic gadget and are excited to take it home and discover that the batteries were not included? Perhaps a portion of it came as a separate item? Frustrating, right?
You don’t want to select an eatery POS only to discover you didn’t consider all the equipment required. Make sure you know in advance what’s needed; there’s probably more than just one tablet or iPad. The hardware requirements you’ll need to be sure to inquire about are:
- The number of tablets or iPads for the size of your restaurant
- Printers
- Wiring
- Internet router
- Payment devices
- Integrations
Many restaurants’ restaurant billing software can do more than keep track of sales and process transactions with the help of some impressive integrations. These integrations expand your system’s functionality while adding valuable time to your hectic schedule.
Here are some integrations that you’ll need to inquire about.
Which are your top or most popular integrations?
You can consider this a free suggestion from restaurant owners that are using the POS software you’re looking into. This can give you information about what others working in the field are finding important, as well as provide you with new integrations that you didn’t realize existed, and give you an idea of what’s on the table to meet your needs now and also what you’ll be able to gain access to when your business expands.
What can be done to help you manage inventory?
Inventory management is among the most crucial aspects of running an establishment; in the end, 60% of owners of restaurants struggle to manage their food expenses.
System Capabilities-
There’s a reason that restaurants are moving away from managing their business using paper and pen. Inventory management software India can do a lot for the venue you run. While many systems provide the same fundamental capabilities – like processing sales and transferring orders to kitchens – it is essential to inquire about the specific qualifications of each.
Here are the most crucial areas to be covered by the system capabilities.
What are the essential capabilities?
This might seem like a typical question, but it’s an excellent start to familiarise yourself with the system and perhaps solve some issues early. This is when different POS companies can inform you about general features like altering your menus or transferring orders to kitchens.
Does my POS assist with the cost of labour?
The answer should be yes! The restaurant’s POS can assist with labour and scheduling information like the top-performing employees and hours of labour.
Take this as an example you’re trying to organize your staff for the holidays. You don’t want to overload your schedule. However, you do not wish to book just enough individuals. As the holiday season approaches typically, you’re not enough staff or have extra servers in the queue. Whatever the case, it’s not ideal.
Do I have access to real-time data and insights?
The restaurant’s POS is packed with essential information; your reports will organize that data for you. The data you collect from these reports can give you valuable insight into managing your restaurant and making well-informed decisions. It will also provide you with information that is updated in real-time.
As reports can be an effective tool and can be highly effective, it is essential to inquire what reports your system provides. The information you can get in your reports include:
Discounts and voids: What do you spend your money on? Which staff members have the most videos?
Menu information Sort your menu by category, the number of sales and the percentage of daily deals for each item on your menu or any other.
Details of payment – What forms of payment are being used? When were transactions conducted?
If you’re also looking into the reports you can access, you should inquire about how you handle the reports. Do you need to go to the building each time you access reports?
Find out about mobile reporting capabilities. With this remote access report, you can pull and edit messages from any location, between off-site meetings or even from the comfort of your bed for a (well-deserved) night of sleep. Your reports do not have to be restricted to the physical space of your restaurant.
What options do you have for payment processing?
When you run your restaurant, which serves excellent food and keeps people satisfied while trying to earn money. How do you process the payments for your restaurant?
The process of processing payments isn’t something you can skip in the restaurant, except if you opt to be wholly card-free and only accept cash. If you’re searching for integrated payment processors or standalone systems, most restaurants’ POS systems will offer various payment options. Avoid POS that only provides one payment option, and without the flexibility to pick, you’ll never be able to choose the right one that suits your business’s needs, nor can you change whenever the needs of your business shift.
Contracts and Costs
The best of the best is saved for last, the price. You’ll need to ask many more questions regarding this subject over and above the sum amount.
Here are the most popular questions you can ask.
What’s the price for the POS?
It’s likely to be among your initial questions, but make sure to ask before taking action! This will include equipment and software (which could be an annual or one-time cost).
It is also essential to consider that specific integration costs extra over the sale. We’ve previously discussed the various integrations you could request – from accounting to inventory – however, you must figure out how much they’ll cost you in addition to the hardware and software costs.
Conclusion
Inviting a new client into your restaurant isn’t a simple procedure. You’ll need to go through screenings and lots of questions, and some back and forth until you’ve found someone who you feel is someone you’re able to collaborate with.
Consider a new foodservice POS system as an opportunity to find an additional business partner. Spend the time to ask these questions and more when they pop up! You’re looking for someone you count on, not someone you’ll regret.