Why Point of Sale (POS)?

For the first time user (and perhaps a refresher for experienced business owners), Point of Sale (POS) is the equipment and computer programs that allow the servers in your restaurant to enter food and drink orders as soon as the customer gives the order to the server. By forcing the server to order through the POS system you eliminate the possibility of food going out of the kitchen without being charged for. The same premise would be true for your bar. POS will allow you to take control of all types of transactions in your restaurant, making it more profitable and virtually impossible to steal from!

What can POS Do for You?

Every item ordered starts with your wait staff. Once the item is entered, any modifiers to that item, such as toppings or wellness can be attached to that item. The completed item is sent through a cable to a printer or printers located throughout the restaurant such as the kitchen, bar, appetizer, or prep area. Once there, the food is prepared just the way it was ordered. POS software insures that all items on an order are printed before they are prepared, giving you control over the order and distribution process. Adding manager control over voids then assures the restaurant owner that food or beverage will not be prepared unless it is on a guest check.

Menu items can be added to the check, and checks can be transferred between bartenders and servers, at any time. Different menus for different time periods can be automatically activated by the time of day, and day of the week. POS software makes splitting checks between customers easy and efficient. Even single menu items such as a bottle of wine or a pizza can be split between customers with little effort.

When the server has completed the ordering for the table, a guest check is printed and presented to the customer. You can customize your guest check to include messages advertising specials or upcoming events. Discounts, promotions, and/or comps are then able to be taken as needed. A good POS system will also insure that questionable discounts require manager's approval before they can be taken.

Once the customer pays for the meal, the server, or cashier will process the payment at the terminal. Credit cards, cash and checks can be processed separately and reports generated by payment type.

Why Should You Choose POS?

Every restaurant has many things that need to be accomplished during any particular day of business. With a POS system, your staff will have the time and information they need to insure that restaurant operations remain smooth and streamlined. A proper POS system can help to correct many common errors that take place in a restaurant, saving you time and money. Consider the following:

• Wrong addition on guest checks
• Incorrect items being ordered
• Confusion in the kitchen
• Possible theft of money, food or liquor
• Employee time keeping and payroll errors
• Ordering food or liquor without putting it on a guest check
• Not knowing your sales breakdown by individual item
• Pricing errors, change errors
• High credit card processing charges
• Walking to kitchen and bar to place orders
• Items lost from not being put on check
• Shrinkage/Theft

These are just some of the problems the proper Point of Sale system can alleviate. If some of the problems relate to your restaurant, then read on.

Is POS for You?

Investing in a professionally installed and maintained POS system will save time and help your bottom line increase. Using a POS system to control a restaurants current revenue base will allow it to capitalize on current revenue and make room for increased sales and customers.

POS Geatly Improves:

• Speed of service
• Accuracy of orders
• Security of cash handling
• Control over discounts and promotions
• Ease of training new employees
• Theft reduction
• Control over servers
• Increased sales
• Sales reporting
• Custom reports
• Tracking server sales & performance
• Tracking menu item performance
• Tracking food & beverage usage
• Cash back on credit card purchases

Find out how POS systems can help you control all of these concerns, automatically!

As always - the team at HAMCO Atlanta is here to talk about how a customized POS System will help take YOUR business to the next level.