Point of Sale systems have come a long, long, way since the old days of shouting egg orders through a diner kitchen window. The dive bar around the corner from my house still uses an old fashioned mechanical cash register, which works for their "cash only" system, but isn't necessarily helping them keep clean records or inventory. Some restaurants still rely on good ol' sturdy pen and paper systems, mostly out of habit, but also because with so many choices, it's really hard to choose the right system for your business. Here are a few helpful ways you can pick the right one and not have you calling your POS a piece of s%#!
Know your business
Are you a restaurant that does a lot of take-out or do you do mostly dine in sales? Do people order at a counter or are they served by a front of house team? Do you have a lot of retail items on top of your a la carte offerings? Do you need payroll integration, inventory control, scheduling and ordering? All of these conditions are important to keep in mind when choosing the right POS.
Do your research
Talk to other restaurant owners in your community that have a similar business model and ask them which system they use. Maybe a system looks really good on paper, but ends up being a nightmare to install. It's always good to hear a first hand account of the pros and cons from real users.
Negotiate
A smart restauranteur knows how to shop around to get the best deal. Get quotes from several systems so you can choose the one that best fits your needs and budget. Many of these systems are competitive enough that they'll be willing to give you deep discounts for you to sign on. Let them fight over you!
Hire a consultant
If all of this is sounding like way too much work and you're ready to just go back to your pen and paper, don't worry, I'm here to help! I can meet with you, see your current system, offer suggestions on my trusted POS systems (I've used them all!), negotiate a great deal, and facilitate the entire switch from start to finish. Reach out if you are ready to make the switch.