13 Reasons Why It’s Time for a New Restaurant POS System
2 Min Read By AJ Beltis
Purchasing a new restaurant POS system requires an investment of time, effort, research, and (of course) money.
When all of this adds up, it can seem easy to throw in the towel and sit complacently with your dated cash register or back-office computer system. Sure, you won’t have to make the investment at the moment, but you’ll consider to pay an opportunity cost for years to come.
That’s why it’s imperative to make a modern POS purchase, and make a wise one.
One of the best benefits of modern restaurant technology is the proven ROI.
Running on paper-thin margins, most restaurants don’t have the willingness or ability to invest their hard-earned capital into something that doesn’t prove its worth. But a new POS terminal is not one of those bad investments.
If you’re still on the fence about embracing the many benefits of restaurant tech, read on for 13 reasons why a POS terminal purchase is well worth it.
For more accurate metrics for your restaurant, follow along with a free download of the Restaurant Point of Sale ROI Guide!
1. Speed Up Sales With an Intuitive Interface
Having worked in a pizzeria for several years, I know the frustration of waving my finger around the POS terminal’s screen like a metal detector looking for the right sub or modifier button to press.
Dated restaurant technology seems to make it difficult to find the right button at the right time. Plus, adding modifiers and typing in special instructions is another beast altogether.
Modern POS systems with intuitive menus that you build with industry experts ease the process of typing in an order and can save around 10 seconds per order input – and during a Friday night rush, those 10 seconds can seem like a lifetime when they’re spent holding up the phone line or keeping a guest waiting for their check.
Orders are fired faster, guests finish their orders quicker, and your staff stresses less – all of which save you capital in the long run.
2. Reduce Errors With an Easy-to-Use Setup
Along with saving time and money on inputting orders, this easily navigable menu makes it more difficult for servers and cashiers to input an order incorrectly. Even if this happens one percent of the time, think about how much money this will save on food over the course of one year, or even five years.
Additionally, I made my fair share of mistakes in the pizza business, and customers weren’t happy. If a mistake upsets a customer, they may choose not to return to your restaurant. Seeing as return customers drive the bulk of your business, it’s crucial not to lose someone over something as simple as the wrong press of a button.
3. Cut Back on Food Costs
When an order is input into the POS terminal, modern software records the sale in the back-end of the system. This means that if someone orders extra cheese, the upcharge is automatically applied, and you can make note of how much cheese to get in your subsequent supply purchase. The National Restaurant Association has found that this accuracy in pricing and ordering results in retaining 2 percent of annual sales that would be otherwise lost.
While two percent seems like an insignificant number, this is $20,000 for a $1,000,000 business that could be going into new furnishings, an updated menu board, or even your pocket.
