The restaurant industry has not always been on the cutting edge of technology. However, with the advancements in POS systems and credit card processing that has changed and now even the smallest of restaurants can enjoy the benefits. It can be a challenging and overwhelming process to decide which POS technology to implement in your restaurant and knowing which one would be most suitable.

Treat it Like an Investment

Installing a POS system or implementing new technology into your restaurant should be treated like an investment because, essentially, it is. So, the best way to approach deciding which system to select is to look for the system that will give you the best return for your money. This will not be the least expensive POS system, but the essential thing to remember is that the system can pay for itself, eventually.

Research and Narrow

The best way to choose which POS system you want to install in your restaurant is by researching what is available. While doing your research, it can be helpful to have your desired end goals in mind. Determine what role you want your system to fill. After researching potential systems, narrow down the candidates according to what you can feasibly afford and the systems that fit within your goals. Once you have narrowed it down, contact the vendor of three or four of your top choices. Most vendors will come into your restaurant and give you a face to face demonstration. If they do not contact you by the next business day, scratch them off your list. If they do not get a hold of you when you are willing to buy something, imagine how long it would take for them to get back with you when you need support or have questions after buying their system.

Be Prepared with Questions

Once you have vendors scheduled to demonstrate their systems in your restaurant, you should be prepared to ask a few questions that can help you further narrow your choices.

Consider asking:

• How many years the vendor has been servicing the restaurant industry
• Does the vendor have any local technicians or how fast technicians can get to your restaurant
• How does the vendor handle holidays, weekends and after hour support
• How many times has the vendor installed the POS systems you are interested in
• For references to four or five clients that have the potential POS system already installed
• The vendor to describe the installation process in detail, how long it will take and their Go Live process
• How they incorporate the newest technology into their POS system such as mobile money, wireless credit card processing or EMV acceptance

Know Your Priorities

In order for a vendor to understand your priorities, you have to know and understand your priorities yourself. When they arrive for the demonstration, ask them to show you exactly how their POS system will meet your needs whether you want a fully integrated system for ordering, payroll, labor, cost and profit analysis, wireless credit card processing or upgrading your current system. The most important thing to remember is to have the show you how the system will meet your needs, most vendors can talk a good game, but having the ability to show you exactly how it is done for your specific situation is a different story.

System Requirements

You will also have to ascertain what requirements you will need in order to make your POS system work for you. For example, if you have never accepted credit cards before, you will need to set up a merchant account. A merchant account is a specialized account serviced by a provider that enables you to accept credit cards. In order to choose the appropriate account provider, you will need to decide which types of payments you want to accept such as mobile money, smart cards, gift cards, restaurant gift certificates and debit cards. There are some merchant accounts that allow for handheld devices which would allow your wait staff to do wireless credit card processing from anywhere in the restaurant.

Installing the latest POS technology in your restaurant can allow you to integrate your entire restaurant, save time and money on labor costs, simplify your inventory and ordering system and bring your payment processing abilities up to date.