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Using a handheld point-of-sale system can be a great decision for your restaurant business. This will result in a simplified and streamlined point-of-sale experience. Because they have larger screens, you may prefer them, and now that the iPad Pro has a card reader for many tablet applications, it may well become the most popular mobile hardware device.
However, mobile wireless terminals are more accurately termed mPOS, or mobile point of sale. The use of tablet devices, such as the Apple iPad or Android devices, has resulted in a decline in the popularity of traditional tablet systems.
The mobility of these devices makes restaurant staff more efficient and helps improve interactions with customers. You and your restaurant managers, meanwhile, can access sales and reports using any wireless-enabled device.
Read along to learn more about this device setup, and what are the features that are valuable for your restaurant business.
What is a Handheld Point of Sale System?
This type of device set-up was coined in other terms, but it’s popularly known as mPOS. It is a device that facilitates electronic payments within your restaurant’s premises. Hardware and software are combined in mPOS systems to perform transactions.
The mPOS software connects to a smartphone or tablet to work as a portable register, allowing merchants and restaurant owners to accept payments anywhere.
A customer’s credit or debit card number is read by the unit, funds are checked for availability, money is transferred from the buyer’s account to the seller’s account, the transaction is recorded, and a receipt is printed.
In contrast to an installed POS system, an mPOS has the advantage of being portable. A POS system typically has a terminal, cash drawer, receipt printer, each installed in a specific location within the store or restaurant.
It is portable, so you can use it at different locations. Restaurant businesses of all sizes value the portability and affordability of handheld POS devices. Software for both the mPOS system and POS system provides the ability to process payments, track inventory, and run reports.
With sixty-eight percent of small to mid-market businesses using a minimum of four applications to run their operations. By leveraging mPOS, these applications can easily be consolidated for ease of use.
mPOS are an ideal solution for businesses that need to conduct transactions on the go, such as landscaping companies, food delivery services, and retailers looking to move customers through the checkout process faster.
How does mPOS work?
You simply start by selecting the mPOS system provider that’s well suited for your operational procedures and budget. After that, you’ll be required to download their app and connect your restaurant’s card reader to your tablet or mobile device.
Once done, you can now start entertaining and accepting payments. Keep in mind that most of the mPOS devices and systems depend heavily on Wi-Fi. If you can’t support that set-up with your location, make sure to get one that has offline features.
This way, your operations won’t be disrupted just because of the instability of your internet connection. And like most POS system software, mPOS is also easy to use and has a user-friendly interface for the rest of your staff.
Top Features of Portable Point of Sales to Consider
A restaurant is a hectic business with a lot of moving parts. These features are essential for a POS system. The features listed here cover the capabilities typically needed to complete most of the transactions for your operations.
Customer-facing display
Although others may not consider this feature a top one, you should know that it is vital to your operations. Your restaurant benefits from this type of setup when your customers check out or complete their orders.
It permits your customers to watch the transaction happen through the screen you provide. This gives customers full visibility into the transaction and enables them to identify mistakes before they are placed.
Adding a touch-screen monitor for your customers makes the payment process even more efficient since data input can take place right away. This improves the customer experience just as much. If you want to invest more, you can deploy a touchscreen monitor so your customers can interact with it.
Using an mPOS system can also speed up the checkout. The last thing you want is a frustrated customer, and long lines can create that. By using an mPOS system, your customers will receive a faster checkout process.
The quicker you get customers through the purchasing process, the better off your business will be
User accounts management
You should get a system that lets you create a unique user for each of your employees so that you can track their sales, as well as password, protect each one. You should also decide whether you want to require each employee to log in each time they make a sale.
Chances are you’ll have more than one person handling your registers unless you’re a one-man show. Using this feature, you can set sales targets or determine whether an employee is dishonest.
Business reports production
mPOS systems are equipped with analytical tools to help you produce ready-made reports about sales, customers, and even reports about your staff. It also gives you an option if you want to present the ready-made report or if you want to create a combination of reports.
Ensure that you’ll have it easy as the owner, and deploy an mPOS system that will allow you to do flexible reporting. Below are the other reports that you may create using the database your mPOS system provides for you.
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- Customer reports – Reports on your best customers can help determine what you can do to engage them, so make sure to have this feature when shopping around for an mPOS system.
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- Inventory reports – To make better merchandising, purchasing, and pricing decisions in the future, your system should be able to efficiently report on all your inventory data for you. These reports should include information on best- and worst-selling items, so you can make informed decisions going forward.
A mobile POS can be used to manage inventory, notify store staff when stock is low, and even automate reordering. Your staff can check if a particular item is in stock and order it to be shipped to customers, all within seconds, with a mobile POS.
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- Staff reports – If you have the right employee reporting tools, finding out which employees are performing best, who needs improvement, and what sales targets to set is a walk in the park.
Customer database creation
Most restaurant management systems have a slimmed-down CRM, or customer manager, as part of their solution so that you can manage all the information about your customers. It is part of your goal, as a restaurant owner, to want an updated customer database.
If you keep track of each client’s purchase history, it’ll help your staff return items when the receipt has been lost or you can see what products a certain customer buys. You’ll also be able to make marketing and sales decisions from this information.
This feature also allows you to customize what else you want to extract from your customers. This includes birthdays, favorite dishes, preferred social media platforms for restaurants, and location. Your marketing initiatives, as well as your loyalty program, will benefit from this information.
Compatible with offline mode
A mobile POS with offline capability is crucial for your restaurant. This ensures that even if the internet is down, you’ll still be able to process payments and capture customer data. Everything will be processed and added once the system is back online, so you can go about your business as usual.
Flexible payment options
Consider an mPOS system that offers seamless payment options. While cash payments may still be the preferred method of payment, mobile and EMV payments are gaining popularity.
Having EMV (chip and PIN) payment capability for your restaurant has become an essential part of the business. This is why the majority of restaurateurs now accept EMV credit cards. The risk of credit card fraud is not just elevated when you do not accept EMV payments, but you also risk having your business held accountable for any money stolen from credit cards.
In addition to making the checkout process faster, offering mobile payment options provides customers with an alternative payment option in case they prefer to do a contactless transaction.
Additional biometric authentication features such as fingerprint scans and facial recognition are also available with digital wallets, helping businesses to prevent fraudulent payments. During mobile payments, tokens often appear, so the transactions are often anonymized.
By replacing sensitive account information with tokens, fraudsters cannot use them if intercepted during a payment transaction, increasing the security of customers and businesses.
Digital Receipts
There is a rise in digital receipts in many restaurants and food businesses, yet most stores still offer paper receipts. Paper receipts are often crumbled up and thrown away or left in the shopping bag for the next customer to look at. Instead, begin providing your customers with digital receipts.
Digital receipts are less likely to “disappear” and having your store name appear in the inbox or on a phone helps get your name in front of more than just the customer. It’s a win-win for everyone.
Reward Programs
Your choice of point of sale system should enable easy discounts and coupons. mPOS systems with discount capabilities and scannable coupons make check-out easy for both your employees and customers.
The last thing you want to do is spend time validating your discount or waiting for someone to calculate the promotion item when you have a long line of customers waiting to be served.
It is also essential that your point of sale system can distribute and process gift cards easily. Gift cards are a great way to bring in additional sales that you might not have otherwise achieved.
A point of sale system with gift card functionality helps to ensure that gift cards are distributed, processed, and offered as store credit.
Sturdy and dependable battery
Providing handheld POS systems with long-lasting batteries ensures your staff is prepared to handle any service. Choosing from multiple charging options allows your staff to focus on guests instead of technical issues.
Additionally, the battery should be extended, carrying pouches should be available, bay tablet gang charging docks should be available, as well as an extended battery charging dock.
Whether you bump, spill, or drop your tablet, you should trust that the hardware will withstand the elements. The modern, portable tablet is designed to fit any decor while introducing convenience to your service.
Cost-effective
Its price is comparable to traditional POS systems. The tablet acts as the mPOS terminal, needing only a card reader for it to function. You can add additional hardware, such as a cash register and printer, at an additional cost.
Benefits of a Handheld POS System For Restaurants
From taking orders and entering them, to getting the check and processing the payment, mobile POS systems assist you in simplifying the entire point of the sale process. Here are a few of the top benefits you can expect from this technology.
Increases efficiency
The user interface of mobile point of sale systems is generally intuitive, which makes it convenient for staff members to learn how to use it. Therefore, transactions will be processed quicker, tables will be processed more quickly, and your system will run more efficiently.
There are mobile POS systems that are known as tableside solutions, meaning customers can pay directly on their table. This means your staff can focus on taking orders and your customers can receive their food much faster.
It can increase profits, whether by getting to tables faster and offering payment at the table or by getting out from behind the counter and cutting down lines during busy times.
Improves customer service
When it comes to cultivating customer relationships, technology can differentiate restaurants in a highly competitive market. If you have not yet done so, consider implementing an mPOS system into your workplace.
It doesn’t matter if the food is excellent, a long wait can detract from the overall dining experience and discourage customers from returning. Since handheld or mPOS systems can dramatically shorten wait times, you’ll have happier customers and better customer reviews.
With the software, you can align customer profiles, setting up rewards programs for repeat customers. You can also store valuable customer details to treat them based on their preferences whenever they visit your restaurant.
It is also beneficial to keep your software updated if you want to keep your customer’s information secure.
Also, loyalty programs are more effective when you provide a better service. With restaurant handhelds, it is seen that loyalty sign-ups increase as compared to traditional methods.
Easy to implement
You can install software or an app on your mobile device to create a mobile POS system that works without installing new hardware. For businesses with tight margins, such as restaurants, a mobile POS solution can be a good way to reduce overhead.
Furthermore, it may allow you more flexibility in the future. As it is compatible with all devices, you don’t have to purchase any additional equipment to integrate it into your business operations.
Establishes transparency
POS systems help employees identify sales patterns, so they can respond promptly to customer needs. This allows you to get better insights into the way your staff uses the technology and how to retain customers. By prioritizing reports, you can get a clear insight regarding your POS system, its reports, and general performance.
Ease in integrations
As mobile POS solutions take advantage of the latest technology, they are easy to update and can easily be integrated with your other business processes, such as accounting and order management software. By integrating mobile POS, you can create another data trail for your restaurant operations.
This type of device can streamline, automate and improve the sales and operations experience. Mobile POS devices might be the right place to start when it comes to emerging technologies.
This versatility allows managers to track a wide variety of operations and customize devices to adapt to changing needs.
The flexibility of these POS systems allows them to integrate with other critical mobile restaurant systems more easily than traditional systems, thus providing superior value overall.
Boost in revenue
Incorporate handheld POS devices to enhance your service. They can ensure better service, quicker table turns, more engagement in loyalty programs, and more satisfied customers.
It all adds up to increased revenue. As a restaurant owner, you have to think like a business expert. Despite sounding like a corporate concept, return on investment is also important to the restaurant industry.
The best back-office solution can help you save time, money, and get a significant return on investment by managing inventory, reducing managing labor, scheduling, and providing valuable insight through analytics and reporting.
Integrating back-of-house and front-of-house solutions gives you a holistic picture of your restaurant operations and enable you to make better decisions to keep your business in the future.
