As we know by now, not all Point of Sale systems are created equal. While vendor and operators definitions may vary on this topic, one thing is certain you don’t have the “best restaurant Point of Sale system” without the below seven features.
Ease of use
The best restaurant pos system is one that is easy to use. The system should be instinctive and user-friendly, with screens that lead operators through any task (e.g., taking orders, totaling up sales, processing credit and debit card payments, and more) in a logical manner. Ease of use in a
best pos system for restaurant also means it’s designed to allow these tasks to be handled quickly. Adding or subtracting even a few seconds to any process can make a significant positive or negative impact on a customer’s experience, in turn impacting the bottom line.
Extensive inventory management capabilities
Restaurants’ factor margins are typically quite thin, requiring that over-ordering, over-usage, waste, and shrinkage be kept to a minimum. The best restaurant POS system has an inventory management module that allows operators to track ingredient usage, identifying patterns and generating automatic re-orders only when individual SKU quantities reach a certain level. In addition to ensuring that restaurant operators have the right quantities of ingredients on hand at the right time, the best restaurant POS, through its inventory management component, lets operators track how much of an individual ingredient is used, for what purpose and possibly, by whom. Any anomalies can then be
addressed proactively.
Customer management and marketing
According to the National Restaurant Association, 57 percent of grown consumers are more likely to patronize food service operations with loyalty programs. That’s why the best restaurant POS in your corner features a loyalty program that helps set your operation apart from the pack. With a loyalty program in place, customer information maintained in your best pos systems for restaurants can be used to identify customers to whom you can send targeted offers via email or by pushing notifications to their mobile devices. You can also get all initiatives that will help to attract more customers during slow times.
Reporting capabilities
Access to actionable skills and key performance indicators is imperative in order for restaurants to maintain their competitive edge, identify and rectify small problems before they become large ones, and maintain a healthy bottom line. The
best restaurant POS systems can generate reports that afford detailed insight into such KPIs as sales, food costs, labor costs, store traffic, and new customers, to name a few.
Support
Restaurant operators cannot afford to allow problems with the Point Of Sale system to interfere with their business for an extended period. The best restaurant Point Of Sale system is backed by good vendor support, meaning that its manufacturer or integrator responds promptly when contacted about service-related issues. Some problems can be handled remotely, so access to experts who can improve via telephone or online is compulsory.
When considering a POS system for restaurant POS, there’s really no “one size fits all” approach, but there are core functionalities that you cannot do without. The best restaurant POS software will be easy to use, have inventory management, Sales Tracking, system security & software management, multiple payment types, user management, customer management, Purchase, Inventory Management & Consumption Tracking, Invoices, Credit Card Payment Processing & Cash Management.
