A restaurant owner or manager is responsible for the success of their business. This often means spending hours arguing with suppliers, ensuring staff are trained and motivated, and satisfying customers.
There is no doubt that all this effort is necessary to ensure your restaurant has a busy atmosphere, happy customers and fresh food. However, even the best restaurateur cannot cure the common restaurant pests of poor service, ugly decor or bad food. Luckily there are a number of mobile point of sale systems available to take the hard work out of running your business.
The following guide highlights key points you should consider when selecting, setting up and using a mobile POS system for your restaurant.
What is a Mobile POS Restaurant System?
A mobile point of sale system is exactly what it sounds like. A business owner or manager can carry around portable hand-held tablet devices, which are used to process transactions on the go.
If your restaurant relies on its busy atmosphere to attract customers, you need a way to make things more convenient for your busy staff. One way to achieve this is by using a portable point of sale system that allows them to process credit cards anywhere in the restaurant.
Mobile POS systems can be integrated into your restaurant’s existing business management software, such as Sage or Quickbooks. The benefits of this range from increased sales data and general reporting capabilities. Many systems even have the ability to accept taxes, print off daily reports at the touch of a button, and can offer these reports in real-time.
For example, you could use the information gathered from your POS system to work out how many customers walked into your restaurant compared to how many actually bought food or drinks.
How Does a Mobile POS Restaurant System Work?
A mPOS system is typically made up of three components: an app that runs on the mobile device, a processor or gateway that relays information between the user and the payment form, and software/hardware for credit card processing. Working together, these components enable the user to take payments anywhere.
The Major Components in a Mobile Point of Sale System
The three major components in a mPOS system are the software/hardware for credit card processing, mobile devices and POS software that connects everything together.
When using an Android device, you must use compatible hardware with the software to ensure the device does not go offline mid-transaction.
For example, if using an Android tablet with an external credit card reader, you must use POS software that is compatible with USB connections.
What Are The Advantages Of A Mobile Point Of Sale System?
The main advantage of a mobile point of sale system is that customers do not have to wait in line. With a mPOS system, transactions can be completed quickly and more accurately so that you spend less time dealing with money and more time catering to your customers.
In addition, mPOS systems allow for all of the activities involved in running a business from anywhere. This means no more wasted time commuting between the office and the store. With a mobile point of sale system, you can do everything from your computer or tablet.
Who Can Benefit From A Mobile Point-Of-Sale System?
Many businesses in a wide range of industries can benefit from a mobile point of sale system.
For example, construction companies that have multiple job sites with different needs can benefit from a mobile point of sale system as it can help them keep track of inventory and sales. E-commerce retailers can also benefit by using a mPOS system.
What Should I Look for in a POS System?
A restaurant POS system is not something that should be undertaken lightly, as it involves the transfer of confidential information through various channels. For this reason, restaurateurs need to carefully think about what they want their business’s POS system to do before they go shopping for a system.
Most importantly, restaurateurs should look at the different types of POS systems on the market to determine which type is best suited to their needs. For example, some systems are integrated with other management software while others are hosted in the cloud. Restaurateurs should also consider how many employees will be using the POS system and if they will need to sell items online.
If a restaurateur has made the decision that an on-the-go POS is the right choice, then the next step is determining what elements of a POS would be most beneficial to them and their business. A business owner should look for features such as inventory control, time management and the ability to offer customers loyalty rewards.
What Do I Need to Get Started?
A mobile POS system can be a huge help for restaurateurs, but many systems require some sort of hardware and software installation before they can be used properly. For example, some systems rely on Bluetooth enabled printers that allow users to print out receipts as they make transactions.
Another important consideration is training. Most POS systems require users to go through an extensive learning curve before they are comfortable with the system’s functions, so restaurateurs should prioritize finding a user-friendly system that will require minimal training.
