Restaurant POS systems are a great management tool for controlling costs, maximizing productivity and enhancing the experience of customers.

But like all technological innovations, they have their share of potential problems, and the more complex the tasks they are entrusted with, the more that is likely to go wrong.

With the wafer-thin profit margins that most restaurants operate on, there is little room for error in management decisions and the selection and proper implementation of the right POS systems is therefore of critical importance.

Here are five of the most common ways in which restaurant POS failures can sink your business.     

1. Security Failures

With an apparently never-ending stream of high profile corporate data breaches making the news, businesses of all types and sizes are under increasing regulatory pressure to ensure the security of their customers’ sensitive and confidential data.

But from a purely commercial point of view, the financial and reputational consequences of a breach can be devastating. So you need as a minimum to ensure that your restaurant POS system embodies the best possible anti-hacking technology.

It should also, of course, meet all relevant requirements for preventing payment card fraud. The CBS NorthStar POS, for example, is fully compliant with the EMV (Europay Mastercard Visa) standard for accepting high-security chip cards.   

2. Poor Quality of Data and Analytics

Restaurants are typically businesses which run on profit margins which are tight to the point of near invisibility. Small errors in inventory management, staffing levels or pricing can be enough to eliminate them entirely.

So it’s crucial that management has at its disposal the most accurate and timely data possible; as well as the necessary analytical power to assist with robust decision making.

To get a step ahead of the competition look for a modern POS system, like CBS NorthStar, which offers a full suite of real-time reports including, for example –

• Inventory used, delivered and ordered;
• staff attendance and productivity by table;
• guest numbers, future reservations and wait times; and
• the popularity and profitability of individual menu items

3. Inaccessibility

Your business doesn’t, or shouldn’t, shut down when you’re not there. So particularly if you’re involved in the management of more than one outlet you need a POS system which you can access from anywhere, 24/7, and which allows you to make any necessary adjustments to staff rosters, inventory, ordering or menus, right there and then.

The NorthStar POS, for instance, is an example of a cloud-based system which will let you access and work on your key business data, in complete security, from any device with an internet connection.   

4. Lack of Marketing and Customer Relations Functions

In these days of intense competition in the industry, cost-effective marketing and customer retention is vital for restaurants’ success.

While many older POS systems were constructed primarily as ordering, check out and management tools, modern systems such as NorthStar now include powerful aids to communications with customers.

You can use e-mail or social media integrations to send promotional messages and the system also makes it easy to create your own bespoke gift card and loyalty programs.

5. Complexity and Lack of Tech Support

One of the major drawbacks of older POS systems is their unreliability and the difficulty of use which they present to staff.

While this might seem like a relatively minor problem, in reality, the delays in ordering, service, and check out which unduly complex or misfiring systems can cause are a major source of customer dissatisfaction and complaints. They are also, of course, a serious blow to your hopes of attracting the repeat business on which most restaurants depend.

The NorthStar POS system, by contrast, offers a highly intuitive interface for staff and management, facilitating the delivery of the best possible customer experience.

And in the event of any technical problems, restaurants using NorthStar also benefit from the kind of expert round the clock support which is seldom available for older systems.

Find Out More   

At CBS NorthStar, we’ve been developing innovative restaurant technology since 1994 and our cloud-based, iPad POS systems are now the recognized market leaders.

Call us at 800-551-7674 to request more information, or visit us online here to schedule a live demo.