Blog PostsRestaurants
To be a successful restaurant operator, it’s important to realize that squeezing out a one or two percent profit margin relies mainly on the level of customer service. Many restaurant operators believe that to achieve this level of customer service, more steps need to be taken by their servers. However, the goal of a restaurant operator should be to minimize service steps, such as removing running sidework or updating seating charts to strengthen server stations. A current service enhancement innovation involves upgrading restaurant point of sale systems to include mobile technology. Mobile POS trends in the restaurant industry not only create a more efficient way of processing payments, but also allow customers to find and review restaurants right from their phones.
The Problem is in Wait Times
Customers truly dislike having to wait for their meals – they are hungry and want their food immediately. Servers often leave the bill at the table and fail to return for quite some time to pick up the payment. To add onto the wait, servers then take several minutes to process the payment. Servers drop off the bills in stylish checkbooks and do not return for several minutes to pick up the payment. This is mainly due to POS stations being strategically placed throughout the restaurant, causing slow payment processing times.
The Solution: Paying at the Table
A busy Saturday night ultimately leads to customers waiting to place orders and then waiting for their payments to be processed. Mobile POS systems give servers the ability to accept, process, and present payments to customers at each table in the restaurant. This saves time by skipping stops at the POS terminal and less time walking around the restaurant. Mobile POS systems provide servers with handheld devices that include a magnetic strip reader to process credit cards. This also ensures customers that their credit cards never leave the table. Restaurants that operate using the mobile POS systems show that their servers spend more time providing timely service and selling more items.
Benefits for Management
Giving servers more time to interact with their customers means your restaurant can experience growth in sales. Also, mobile POS system software often includes the latest data that tracks hourly sales, daily and monthly inventory, and shift labor costs. You can even receive more accurate real-time data by using mobile POS systems.
How Mobile Customers Find You
Many customers search local online business directories to locate restaurants that they would like to visit. Once you have been found on the mobile devices, the customers expect full access to your restaurant website, and the ability to navigate quickly through the pages and download apps that include current menu promotions. Your mobile website should include less content, more white space, and little animation. Since most restaurant customers on the go are most curious about what your menu offers, this should be the focal point of your mobile website.
Mobile devices also allow customers to post restaurant reviews instantly. By installing a mobile POS system in your restaurant, you are ensuring that your business is receiving excellent reviews on customer service and timeliness. About 134 million Americans own a smartphone, which means a large amount of potential customers are able to find your business by visiting your website via their mobile devices. Have you begun to utilize mobile devices in your restaurant?
