Value-added resellers (VARs) in the food and beverage sector know that, while restaurants vary drastically in their menu offerings and ambience, they all share one goal: the pursuit of total efficiency. That pursuit must be managed carefully, because an overt focus on efficiency can detract from the leisurely experience that restaurant goers frequently expect.
mPOS (mobile point of sale) solutions allow restaurants to integrate technology that boosts speed of service and customer satisfaction. The result? An attractive return on investment for any restaurateur, and maybe some glowing Yelp reviews.
Faster Table Turnover without Rushing Customers
One of the trickiest aspects of running a restaurant ” and one of the ways in which VARs can most help their customers ” is table turnover. Turn a table over too fast, and customers feel unwanted. Turn it over too slowly, and you can watch those margins atrophy (in real time, if you’re checking reports on an mPOS).
Taking orders and charging cards at the table is a customer-friendly way to speed table turnover. Using a mobile device to take orders enables a server to move from table to table ” not from table to kitchen to table and back. This process also streamlines order changes: If someone orders a quinoa burger but then wants a cheeseburger instead, the server can update the order on the floor and the kitchen staff will see the change immediately.
Without mPOS, 15 minutes can pass between the time the server drops the check and the time the cards are charged and receipts signed. Diners might be deep in conversation, or the server could be distracted by requests from other guests.
mPOS Can Improve Efficiency and Create a Better Customer Experience
mPOS systems give servers control of the time at the end of the meal. Receipts are offered by email, and tip amounts can be suggested, saving customers from having to do the math. Those customers will be on their way faster and happier, with new ones seated at that table, perusing the menu.
No matter how upscale or casual a restaurant, its patrons will admire an establishment that offers not just excellent food but also attentive service and sleek, modern technology.
The increased efficiency and customer satisfaction that mPOS creates is easy to demonstrate: Labor reports can indicate exactly how much individual servers are selling during specific time frames, gift and loyalty programs encourage new and repeat patronage and mPOS shift management cuts back on the amount of time and effort a restaurateur has to put into determining staff schedules. In a challenging and competitive restaurant landscape, a better POS solution enables restaurants to operate more efficiently (and profitably) while improving customer service.
Grace Parazzoli is a Content Marketing Manager for Lavu
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