When legacy point of sale (POS) systems first burst forth onto the market, they revolutionized the way restaurant operations were handled. Adoption of these systems was quick and widespread. Unfortunately, the developers of these legacy systems couldn’t predict how the needs of the industry would evolve over time. With mobility becoming the focal point of restaurant technology, these bulky, traditional POS systems limit a restaurant owner’s capability to scale and grow their business, and aren’t able to compete with cutting-edge solutions like the iPad POS system for restaurants.
Here are five signs it’s time to make the switch:
1. New employee training is a nightmare
High restaurant turnover is an unfortunate reality, and is part of the cost of doing business in this industry. This inevitably means that you will have to hire employees often, and training them can be time-consuming. If you switched over to an iPad POS system for restaurants, you could cut down your training time and get servers on the floor faster.
Because the intuitive and familiar interface of an iOS-based system is so inherent, it has become second nature to operate. POS systems built on iOS equip restaurant owners to skip a step in the training processes by providing a system that employees will already be familiar navigating.
2. The Legacy POS you currently use looks like it’s from the ‘90s
When legacy POS systems were first introduced, the hardware was built to last, but the software wasn’t. Ditch the bulky legacy hardware in favor of a sleek and lightweight option that looks good on any counter. The iPad POS system for restaurants has a smaller footprint and adds a contemporary feel to your restaurant’s aesthetic. As a bonus, you won’t have to deal with constant IT support calls and systems that are no longer supported or compatible with modern software systems.
3. Customers complain about wait times
Speed of service can make or break a customer’s dining experience. Legacy POS systems are slower to operate. In order to stay competitive, tables need to be turnin’ and burnin’.
Speed up the process by giving your wait staff more mobility. With an iPad POS, they can enter orders right into the POS and send them straight to the kitchen. This speeds up the process by allowing kitchen staff to begin prep work immediately. Table turns are further increased by pay-at-the-table capabilities.
4. Employee retention is an issue
The competition in the restaurant industry is fierce and unyielding. Restaurants have to constantly compete for the best employees, often resorting to employee poaching. This means you have to work harder to keep good people on your team.
An iPad POS system for restaurants can help with this, by automating simple routine tasks and equipping your staff to work more efficiently and productively. This frees up their hands to devote to customers, improving the customer experience and encouraging higher tips. Tips can be further increased with pay-at-the-table, because customers can view tip suggestions when closing out their check.
5. You are over downtime
Downtime is the bane of many restaurant owners. In some cases, it is unavoidable, but in others, you may be suffering unnecessarily. Not every system has this capability, but a good iPad POS system for restaurants will continue to function even after you lose your network connection, storing data locally, and then pushing it back up to the cloud once the network is restored. This allows you to keep feeding your patrons and operating normally even in the event of an outage.
iPad POS System for Restaurants are the New Norm
Even though your legacy POS system may have been enough at one time, the time is quickly approaching when it will be obsolete, if it isn’t already. In order to stay competitive and relevant, you must invest into your business and give it the tools it needs to achieve more productivity, revenue, and growth. An iPad POS system for restaurants will provide those tools.