3 things to avoid when you're looking for a new restaurant POS system
As many restauranteurs near and far can see, the road to a new IT system can come with many challenges. New POS systems are popping up with lots of integrated, cloud-based technologies and features, but are they right for your business?
Here are 3 things to be on the lookout for when selecting your next system:
Internet Uptime = More Downtime
If your new POS system requires an on-premise file server, you’re likely going to have a costly, complicated system on your hands, which will lead to a lot of server downtime.
If a file server happens to crash, many POS systems will crash right along with it - leaving you without a way to operate your business. Orders that are placed by your serving staff can fail to go to the kitchen display stations. Staff checkout reconciliation can become a nightmare and doing it by hand can cause accounting errors. Plus, it can become a huge financial strain to maintain a backup recovery for your entire restaurant.
Pro-tip: Be on the lookout for systems that only work with internet connectivity. If your internet goes down, so does your ability to properly run your restaurant.
Always look for a free open API
A free open API gives you all the tools you need to operate your business, many of which can be synced with your POS system. Some of these tools include accounting, restaurant inventory, staff scheduling, delivery services inventory and scheduling, email marketing, and more.
If your POS system doesn’t provide a free open API, there will be significant costs involved in getting the integrations you need to run your business efficiently and smoothly.
Avoid systems with many locked capabilities
Locked settings mean less control you have over your own restaurant. If your system is only open to one specific credit card processor, you won’t be able to freely shop various card processor rates. Once you’ve realized this, it can be very expensive to cancel a contract and/or implement another new system.
Modern-day POS systems should use modern-day technology, such as using a token to transit credit card processing instead of a system that uses cardholder data (CD). Older model POS systems would use CD to gain approval/denials during the transaction, but with sophisticated theft technology, this opens your restaurant and customers up to scams.
