7 Must-Haves When Searching for a Point of Sale System

Are you getting everything you need out of your point of sale system? Are your guests receiving the top-notch experience they want…or need? Does your system allow you to adjust service at a moment’s notice with all the data to back-up your decisions?

If not, or even if you’re unsure, we put together this handy list of point of sale system must-have features based on feedback from our hundreds of craft customers across the US.

1. Free and Fast Support Services

How quickly can you reach a real human for support?

Your point of sale system is central to your business; when you’re hustling with the summer rush and you need help, you need help quickly and from a friendly and knowledgeable partner who knows what you’re dealing with. Fast and reliable support services are essential for keeping your business (and brews) flowing without interruption. Reaching support should never be a hassle and should never incur added cost. 

2. No Extra Charges for Additional Features

Are you holding your business back because adding premium features requires a premium price tag?

Tools that are critical to running a successful business and delivering an excellent guest experience shouldn’t be “pay to play”. Evaluate your added costs for online ordering, contactless payments, gift cards, time tracking, employee logins, per POS device and a customer loyalty program. Choose a point of sale system that puts your business first so you can put your guests first. 

3. Real Time Inventory Changes

How many places do you have to update inventory when an item kicks?

Your time is important and centralizing your inventory in one system is an essential time saver. Streamline your operations and build inventory counts into every item on the menu to guarantee your lunch special never gets oversold again. Kicked items will disappear from your menus—online and on-premise—in real time! The right point of sale system means you never have to log in to multiple platforms to manage your inventory.

4. Online Ordering

Are you managing a separate system for your online orders? 

This last year has trained your customers to expect to get all their favorite food and beverages to-go, and that expectation won’t be going away when you’re full-throttle on-premise. Make balancing online and on-premise sales seamless by consolidating into one system. With an integrated system all your inventory syncs from the same place (see #3); all orders, online or on-premise, print to a centralized printer, so staff can monitor orders in one place; all sales reports aggregate on the same dashboard, providing a comprehensive view of your business.

5. Card on File

Do you keep a rolodex of credit cards behind your bar? Or run a card for every order? 

No customer likes the feeling of reaching for their wallet and realizing they left their credit card (and their open tab) with you; no business wants the liability of hanging onto their guests’ credit cards. If you don’t keep open tabs and run a card for every order, you’re incurring payment processing fees unnecessarily. Up your game and keep a cards on running open tabs. 

6. Contactless Payments & Ordering

Are you setup to offer guests contactless options?

Look for options that allow your guests to pay and order in a way that most highlights the experience you want to provide. You can enhance your excellent service by giving your guest the power to start a tab, order, and pay from their own device—either on a mobile app or via QR code in a web browser. Embrace reader technology that allows guests to tap and pay with their credit card and Apple, Google or Samsung pay.

7. Extensive Reporting Capabilities

Do you know which items are selling best when, at what quantity, and by which staff member?

Access to rich data catered to your business is critical for maximizing operational efficiency and your guests’ experience. A cloud-based system gives decision-makers access to data on the fly, providing immediate insight to sales numbers and labor costs. Long-term trends and insights will help you make the smartest staffing, service, and event decisions to optimize efficiency, revenue, and guest experience—whether it’s a slow, snowy Monday or a hopping, blistering Saturday.

Let’s talk.

If you’re looking for more from a point of sale system, let’s talk.  Arryved Point of Sale is built to help you thrive.

Arryved all the way: it’s a system built by people who worked in the industry and they regularly check in with their clients for not only support, but ways they can potentially grow or help you pivot. I’ve worked with all the major systems out there and I would never pick another service.

Katie Nierling, Ska