You’ve been running your restaurant for years, and you’ve got it all figured out. You have perfected a menu that regulars adore, hired and trained a group of awesome staff that feel like family, and your point of sale isn’t half bad. But before you put your restaurant on cruise control, consider this. There are signs you may be missing that the system you use to manage your restaurant – you know, that old POS system or cash register in the corner – just isn’t cutting it anymore.
If you spot any of these signs in your restaurant, it’s time to consider an iPad POS solution.
1. Your Server Station is Constantly Packed
If servers are queuing up behind each other to punch in orders, that creates a ripple effect throughout your restaurant. The customer, kitchen, and your bottom line are affected because food takes longer to get to the table. Empowering servers with a fast, efficient, and handheld iPad POS that they can take directly to the table means the order gets to the kitchen seconds after the customer finishes giving their order to the server.
2. Your POS Hasn’t had a Software Update in Over a Year
Is your legacy system still running the same software it had when you got it? That’s bad news for your business because it means your restaurant is running on outdated software that is slower and less efficient than the powerful POS software that is available today. Modern iPad POS software is constantly evolving and adapting to the trends and changes in the restaurant industry, and new features are being added all the time. With an iPad POS your software will be updated automatically every couple weeks at no charge, instead of every few years.
3. Your Servers Aren’t Upselling
Depending on your Restaurant POS hardware, your business can increase revenue by reminding servers to upsell through the use of required modifiers.
Add-ons and upsells are easy ways to increase average customer spend, but if servers are skipping this step it means they are leaving money on the table. An iPad POS can increase revenue by reminding servers to upsell through the use of required modifiers. For example, when a customer orders a meal with fries, the iPad POS can prompt servers with a pop-up to ask if they would like to add gravy to their fries. With an iPad POS you can entice customers to order dessert or a specialty cocktail by showing customers images of menu items directly on the iPad.
4. Your Kitchen is Missing Modifications
Is that sandwich being sent back because it’s missing the bacon that was supposed to be added? Does your kitchen have to remake salads because the cheese wasn’t left off as requested? Missed modifiers like these are costing you time, money and customers. By taking orders at the table, as soon as a customer requests a modification to their meal, the server records it directly into the POS. With an iPad POS, there is significantly less room for error, since servers don’t have to remember details or make out their scribbles on a crowded notepad.
5. Splitting Checks is Frustrating
“We’d like separate checks”, shouldn’t elicit an eye-roll behind customers’ backs, or make the customer feel like they are being difficult. But with most traditional POS systems dividing checks by food items is time-consuming and tedious. With an iPad POS, your service staff can separate checks by seat, evenly by guest number, or however the table requests within seconds with absolutely no fuss.
Don’t ignore the signs. If your restaurant is dealing with any of these five issues, it might be time to consider a new mobile POS. Today’s restaurant technology is designed by its very nature to improve efficiency and help you deliver a killer customer experience.
Are you ready for an iPad POS?
TouchBistro can help make your restaurant a better place to dine, work, and manage.
Andrea was a Content Marketing Specialist and Editor at TouchBistro where she wrote about restaurant and dining trends, restaurant management, and food culture. A self-affirmed food geek, Andrea devours cookbooks and food blogs. She also knows how to make a killer kale salad.
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