If you are here, it is for sure, you have decided to buy a new POS software or are planning to do so for your restaurant. Good POS software is the heart of every restaurant that serves as a central place where one can handle operations, customer service, and transactions. Opting for the correct POS software is one of the major decisions you have to take for your business as it affects all of your operations and services for the upcoming years. But with numerous options in the market, how will you choose one for yourself? In this article, we have 7 key questions you must ask to opt for the correct Restaurant POS software and back-office system for your restaurant.
Which features are required?
The POS has changed a lot from just being the cash register that processed the transactions and recorded the payments. Today, the POS has become an important tool to speed up operations, increase loyalty, streamline labor, manage inventory, and even define the customer experience. Surprisingly, an average POS software offers various features but you have to select the ones that you need. Fingerprint login, employee time clock, mobile POS, online ordering, customer database, management of recipes and ingredients, and many more sounds to be good features. But yet they are not all as useful to every business.
Is the POS designed for restaurants?
The POS software is not one size fits all. Even though some features are common in retail that can be adapted by the restaurant industry, the stores and food service places generally have different needs. Hence, make sure you opt for the POS software that is specifically developed for usage in your industry.
Is the POS quick and reliable?
The restaurant industry is all about speed and quality. One thing that you must avoid is the rush during Saturday nights that makes the POS software slow and unresponsive delaying the services and resulting in a queue of grumpy customers. A few of the must-ask questions here are:
- Is the software intuitive and can it be customized for different uses?
- Can it accept different types of payments, bills moved from the bar table, split bills, etc.?
- Can I help to speed up the service?
- How much average time does it take per transaction?
- What happens if I face some network issue? Will the software still allow me to take orders and process the sales or I will have to go for offline paperwork?
How much do I have to invest?
A new POS software is a big commitment but it also pays off in near future. Before opting for the Restaurant software with the lowest investment, make sure to have proper internet research on the ROI that you can achieve. While you analyze the impact of the technology, remember to consider multiple factors such as:
- Time spent in staff training
The restaurant industry faces a high staff turnover, and adopting POS software makes the training of new staff quick and easy which can bring great savings.
- Reduced waste
The POS software must include inventory management software. One can save a lot of money by ordering the correct amount of food and using the one that is stored efficiently.
- Loyalty
A POS software supporting the implementation of loyalty programs and enabling to send of targeted offers to the registered customers and even the campaigns that help to repeat customer visits.
- Time wasted in aligning data
If you are using different systems for different tasks such as one to manage sales, another for inventory, the third one for staff rosters, the fourth one for vendors, and so on, you might end up spending a lot of time comparing their outputs and trying to make sense of numbers. A system integrating all such functions in a single end-to-end platform and a single data source enables the user to get more insight into the data as well as simplifies the accounting and saves a lot of hours.
Is the selling vendor trustworthy?
Not all technology companies are the same. While opting for a new POS software one must consider the provider’s reputation. You will never wish to select a random online POS that is cheap and then find out about problems in the system or find that a few months later the vendor offers absolutely no support. Such systems never get updated.
What if the business grows?
It is every restaurant owner’s dream to grow the business, increase the number of customers, add a patio, start work at multiple locations, building a chain – perhaps an international one. While opting for the new system, you must ensure that you can easily add new terminals and open up new locations with limited effort. A correct system enables you to grow easily by integrating with other software solutions.
Is it possible to communicate with one of the current customers?
While reading the marketing brochure, one thinks that all the POS software can do everything. They are agile, flexible, feature-rich, and easy to use. Never believe only the vendor’s words. It is always a good idea to ask for references during the selection process. The best providers will be able to hand you the list of current customers. Reach out to the providers, get their opinions, ask your doubts, and firstly check how the POS software works. Even make sure whether the POS software will fit your bill or not.
Conclusion
These were seven must-ask questions while opting for a restaurant POS software for your restaurant.
