A system to help you deal with the peak shopping season

The seasonal holiday shoppers can be compared to an open flood gate, they come in numbers, all shapes and sizes armed with shopping lists that is enough to give any hardworking husband a headache.

Shops are equally enthusiastic to cater to fickle minded shoppers, as they know that shoppers will not compromise on anything, especially the price when it comes to buying gifts for their loved ones and friends. Shops are usually equipped to deal with throngs of crowds going through items in the shop and dealing with flustered customers, especially when it comes to the checkout counter.

Shoppers on the other hand have too much to do with so little time on their hands, that they get agitated with long check-out lines and the last thing you need as a shop owner it to be led down by your pos software solution. As a shop owner the best you can do is to make sure that the shopper has a good shopping experience in your shop despite the crowd.

As a shop owner you have the responsibility to make sure that you are ready to face a lot of shoppers especially during the holiday season. Make sure you do a test run of your pos system, before the shop opens for seasonal sales, make sure the pos system can handle the extra work load you will have it perform, make sure that the pos software is up-to-date and has all the best features.

Shop owners should make sure that the necessary discounts are added in well ahead of time and avoid try to run any updates or stock checks during peak shopping periods so that customers don’t get frazzled with unnecessary details.

Make sure your hardware works fine and has no software compatibility issues.

Upgrade to the latest pos software as it very user friendly and staff find it very easy to use with minimum errors, however, make sure you have good staff members, who are able to handle the pos system at hand at all times, as there is nothing more stressful than having to deal with being short staffed with a shop full of customers.

Run a successful restaurant business with the help of a pos system

Point Of Sale (pos) systems are a huge investment but it may seem like the price is going through the roof, especially if you have just invested in a new restaurant business or bought an old existing business without the latest facilities and features. Investing in a restaurant business is one thing but making sure that it runs smoothly is a very tedious task. Therefore, in order to make your task easier the best solution would be to invest in the hotel pos, which can take a load off your shoulders, especially if you are finding it difficult to employ reliable and efficient staff, the pos system will give you a great start and take your business to places you only dreamed of. The success behind your restaurant business will depend on how happy your customers are and how satisfied they are with your restaurant; this is not an easy task to accomplish. A well-organized restaurant point of sale system can help your business to run smoothly, keep your guests happy and coming back for more, your staff efficient and also grow your business presence by opening many outlets in different areas. A restaurant business can easily manage staff, which is sometimes a very tedious process; especially monitoring when they sign in and sign off for the day. Using the pos system staff would need to clock in and out using a magnetic card or a finger print reader. This is also a good opportunity to recognize staff dedication and their performance as opposed to less dedicated staff that perform poorly and does not give any thought to the expansion and the betterment of the business. Apart from monitoring staff movements the pos system is also able to keep track of your sales, inventory, stock control, menu maintenances, special discounts, make sure that the orders and sent to the kitchen, organise seating arrangements and give an update to staff of repeat customer etc., the features are endless in a pos system. There are various types of pos systems, such as the traditional pos system used on a computer, the handheld pos systems which run on an ipad or android phone which works purely on the touch system.

Challenges faced by the hospitality industry with the pos software system

Working in the hospitality industry is very rewarding, exciting with many opportunities for career growth especially if this is a job you like doing. However, there are challenges that are faced by many restaurant owners around the world, especially during peak times when the restaurant is packs to its seams and your staff many not seem to be enough to keep the guests happy.

This is a challenge if you are one of those service staff members in the restaurant, where you have to manage a big table of very pick guests who want to pay for their own food. Service staff is faced with problems and delays entering and processing orders to the kitchen and printing receipts at the same time using the pos software. Delays in a restaurant can cause the business to loose valued customers and a loss of profits and revenue.

Most hotels preferred the pos hotel system in the past but are finding it less lucrative to the business, as there would have been many at times that the staff or the management would have had to apologize to dissatisfied customers on delays and prices differences in the billing system.

Software developers have seen the flaws in the pos software systems are constantly ‘on the ball’ to make the required changes so that the pos system can run with minimum problems, troubleshooting and errors.

This is indeed good news to those in the hospitality industry, especially those in the restaurant business as this would mean they would not incur as much losses as they normally would. There are pos software’s that are designed specifically for restaurants and focusing on the needs of the restaurant rather than focusing on the general requirement of the industry.

The handheld unit makes it easier for service staff to proceed with the orders and reservation of tables etc., on the spot and there is no need to queue up to use the pos system. Also, with the new features in the pos system it is possible to setup multiple terminals in order to minimize on the delays. Further, there are many features that can be used as add-ons to existing pos software, giving value addition to the frustrated restaurateur to run a smooth and profitable restaurant.

point of sale solution

Frequently asked questions of a point of sale (POS)

Q: What is a pos?

A: The point f sale is a system that is used to replace the traditional cash register systems in a retail store or the hospitality industry. The POS system is a computer based software used to take orders, process credit card payments and basically run the functions of a retails or hotel based business. The POS software is segregated as follows, point of sale hardware, keypad software and reporting software.

Q: What are the functions of the a point of sale system

A: The pos system is very efficient and offers customers in the retail and hotel industry a very versatile and easy to use point of sale solution. The functions of the system vary depending on the system you invest in. Some of the functions include processing credit card payments, generating reports, keeping track of inventory and stock are just some of the basic functions of the pos system.

Q: How would I choose the best pos solution for me ?

A: Based on your requirement you should select the pos system you require. If you are in the retail or hospitality business, you could ask potential users how they find their system and how versatile it is and what features they use the most. This will help you make a decision and choose the best pos system in the market at a price to fit your budget. There are also different pos software players in the market, each one offers a good solution.

Q: How much would a pos system cost?

A: The cost will range from a couple of thousand dollars to ten thousand dollars. The price will depend on the system you invest in, the features you would want and the hardware you would use. For instance a pos system with a few terminals will cost very little and so will a system that uses the computer but touch screen units with multiple terminals will cost more, however even though the initial invest is high the system is very reliable and new features can be added on.

Q: If I decide to buy the basic pos system, what do I get?

A: The very basic system will include the pos terminal, a cash drawer, scanner, credit card swiper, electronic menu boards, inventory option, printer and an option to generate reports.

POS Hotel Systems

Hotels have a lot to gain by adopting a POS system. The technology has evolved into web-based programs that can be accessed by anyone anywhere through a computer and an Internet connection, which is very useful for chain hotels. A POS hotel system has the ability to greatly improve the operations of hotels resulting to an increase bottom-line and the chance for expansion.

This is the reason why most hotels these days have made significant investments in this direction. The time, money, and effort spent on upgrading to a POS system has allowed them to reap benefits in a more significant and lasting manner. Hotels who have held on to their old ways have found themselves having to play catch up to their enlightened competitors.

A hotel POS system can unify all the aspects of running the business through a single interface. Anything from employees logging on for their shift, to processing transactions, tracking inventory, offering discounts to patrons, and more can be accomplished through the POS system. Companies have maximised the use of their POS and greatly improved their situations.

Adopting a POS system is also a very easy process. Training staff is a breeze as they only need to learn one interface instead of learning several. Upgrading is also a simple process as the systems today are all designed to be able to handle system upgrades. A streamlined interface provides business owners and their entire staff with a user friendly interface which can support all the hotel’s transactions. An efficient system enhances customer satisfaction and attracts new business. Long wait in lines to conclude transactions is now a thing of the past. Processing credit card transactions are quicker as the system does away with the 30-second wait for approvals from credit card companies.

POS systems have now evolved into programs that can interface with vertical applications and software programs. Hoteliers can now concentrate their training efforts on just one core application used by all of the departments. A POS system can also be designed to become a very effective sales and marketing tool as it can store more information about patrons. Hotels are better able to provide customer service, particularly to their regular clients. Promotional activities as well as discounts and loyalty programs can be designed and implemented in a more efficient manner and their success is quantifiable.

Increasing the Bottom-Line with a Hotel POS

Hotels have received quite a leg-up from point of sale systems. The name point of sale or POS is in reference to the place where a sale transaction takes place, like the counter or the checkout, but it really is much more than that. A hotel POS is a set of computer software and hardware that can manage not only sale transactions but every aspect of the operations. It has many advantages over the cash register due to its ability to store more information in a manner that can be customised to fit hotel operations.

A POS can save time as it increases efficiency, productivity and the accuracy of data. Some of the information it can store has to do with sales, inventory, procurement, human resource, and customer service. POS systems can be evaluated based on functionality, cost, speed, and ease of use. These qualities are what hotels will be looking for when the time comes to upgrade their system. Reliability is also a major quality that a good POS system should have as the entire operations of a hotel will rely heavily on it.

Through the years POS technology has gone through a number of improvements to benefit hotels by boosting their bottom-line. The POS system started with the traditional computer that has been loaded with POS software. It came with peripherals like receipt printers and bar code scanners. This computer can be linked up with other computers throughout the hotel and the information it carries can be synced with all the others in order to simplify the tracking of inventory and sales. This system makes use of many different software programs that need to be compatible with each other.

Perhaps the most significant development in POS technology is the emergence of Internet-based POS applications. This POS system can be via the Internet from any terminal or even hand-held device that has an Internet connection plus a web browser. This type of POS program need not be installed into the computer as they are hosted on servers that are secure and that are able to update and backup real time.

One great feature of web-based POS is that it is not reliant on any one operating system so your staff could be using different types of operating systems and still be able to update the POS. The ability to access the POS makes it possible for anyone to log on anytime and anywhere to generate reports or monitor operations. You as the owner can be on your holiday and still be up-to-date on what is happening in your hotel miles and miles away.

The Benefits of Hotel Point of Sale

The hotel industry has realised huge benefits from using point of sale or POS systems. Before hotel point of sale, companies used dedicated computer terminals consist of an LED display, a magnetic strip reader, and a modem. When running credit cards, these dedicated terminals transmit the number of the credit card as well as the purchase cost to a large clearinghouse, which will verify the availability of credit and return an approved or declined message back to the point of origin. The system worked efficiently but it is a stand-alone process that had little to do with the other operational aspects of a hotel.

POS systems have changed all that by providing a fully integrated system that processes payment transactions, stores the information for future use along with an array of data relating to other hotel operations such as inventory, logistics, customer service, and more. This integration of information across all departments enables hotels to operate more efficiently. They can generate specialised reports, impart deeper insight into suppliers and clientele, streamline inventory, and perform many more actions that has never been possible before.

Training staff on POS has also been so much easier as they will have to learn a single program and interface as opposed to learning different interfaces. Companies have a lot of room to provide better customer service. Wait time in payment lines are cut short and the cashier need not ring up a credit card for verification and wait for a minute or two. Hotels can also learn more about the habits and preferences of their valued patrons by keeping a record of their requests and orders during their stay. This information enables them to provide a more personalised service that clients will greatly appreciate. They can also use this information for coming up with promotions and loyalty programs to increase their customer base.

The POS can integrate the payment process with all the other applications used by the hotel. This allows the business owner to concentrate their training efforts on a core system for managing the entire operations. Payment becomes just another efficient part of the entire operations. This capability enables the owner to dedicate more time to improving other aspects of the business like marketing and customer service.