When you’re evaluating new point of sale (POS) systems for your business, you look for the features and functions you need — and rightly so. But are you also making sure you’re investing in a system that will last and perform reliably? A durable POS system can save hundreds (or even thousands) of dollars in repair or replacement costs over the system’s lifetime, not to mention headaches and lost business due to downtime.
Durable POS System Features
It’s easy to be influenced by a POS system’s sleek style or a lot of bells and whistles. But it’s smarter to invest in a POS system, especially if you operate a café, grocery store, convenience store, liquor store. In retail or service businesses where spills, impacts or vibrations, exposure to dust and dirt are always a possibility, you need a POS system that’s:
- Water resistant: Accidents happen. Customers lose their grip on a cup, bottles break, and ice melts. A durable POS system designed for use in your business environment makes sure if a spill occurs, the internal components of your POS system are protected, and it can keep working.
- Fanless: Durable POS systems are designed with solid-state drives, so they don’t need a fan to cool internal parts — and no fan means the system isn’t pulling in dust and dirt that can damage the POS system over time. A fanless system also has no moving parts, which means there’s less likelihood of damage if a clumsy cashier or carton of stock bumps or jars the POS system.
Look at the Total Cost of Ownership, Not the Sticker Price
A durable POS system is probably going to have a higher initial cost than other systems — especially those that use a consumer tablet and an app. But you need to take more into account than just the sticker price when you invest in a system that your business will use for the next five years or more. For a realistic picture of what a POS system will cost your business, you need to factor in:
- Repairs not covered by warranty
- Ongoing service charges
- Ongoing software maintenance and upgrades
- Payment processing fees, which may differ if you are locked into using a specific company
- Installation and training
- Costs to scale the system if your business grows
A durable POS system that gives you options for payment processing and that’s backed by excellent service and support can easily be more of a bargain after a few years than a tablet system.
Our headquarters is in Manchester, Missouri, the Show-Me State, so we’re used to our clients wanting to see proof. Our basic POS system, featuring a durable design, is priced at $1,995. A new consumer tablet can run between $750 and $1,000. Drop and break the tablet once, and the price is about equal. Attempt to get on-site POS installation, training, and service, and the “cheaper” tablet system is more expensive. The POS system you thought was a bargain may end up costing you more in the long run.
Make a Smart POS Investment
Don’t focus on choosing a POS system that looks “futuristic.” Choose a POS system that will reliably serve your business well into the future — even if it has to withstand the unexpected in your sometimes-harsh business environment.
Part of the equation also needs to be backing by a company that stands behind its products and that works to make sure you get the most from your investment. PlazSales provides total POS solutions that include durable hardware and software that allows your business to grow. Contact us for a demo.
To help pizzeria owners, pizza point of sale (pizza pos) is more than just a cash register or adding machine — it’s a hub where you can manage your entire business.
Pizza shops have long managed their business in the traditional, manual manner. Much like pizza itself, why stray too far from what has worked? This may mean using pen and paper to order ingredients, taking down orders over the phone. You may be using a non-integrated payment system to swipe credit cards. But that means workflows that take extra time through a shift and at the end of the day. Modern customers want the convenience of online ordering and payment. And like customers always have, they still expect prompt service and their food served warm and tasty as ever.
With Pizza POS, you can streamline your operations to reduce waste. It’s a win for everyone: The more efficiency you can build into your business, the more successful you will be at keeping your customers and employees happier.
Pizza POS Features
Point of sale systems for pizzerias are unique among those for other restaurants and businesses because pizzerias are a different kind of operation. Pizzas are almost endlessly customizable in a way that other restaurants are not expected to deal with. How big of a pie does a customer want? Which certain toppings only go on which certain halves? It’s easy for a mix-up or misunderstanding to occur when relaying these orders verbally and recording them manually. Better to have a system that is designed and optimized for these specific kinds of orders.
Pizza POS systems need to give your business these capabilities:
- Modify options for size and toppings on pizzas. When the menu changes, the system can easily adapt as well.
- Inventory management that lets you know exactly what you have, how much you use, so you never run out of ingredients while reducing food waste.
- Online ordering to suit busy customers’ schedules and for added convenience.
- Delivery management to provide your delivery drivers with directions and constant traffic updates to get them where they need to be on time. You can also let your customers know when their delivery is dispatched so they aren’t left guessing.
- Loyalty program features to keep your customers coming back by rewarding them for doing so. The right pizza POS system will allow you to digitally manage your customer accounts and rewards with ease.
- Customer relationship management (CRM) that allows you to optimize your sales and marketing campaigns, forecast future sales, and automate simple digital features to leave your staff more time for complex tasks.
- Integrated payments — no longer take that extra time at the end of the day to do your payment reports.
- Offline mode for business continuity, even if your network connection is interrupted
- Reporting that provides you with visibility into what your customers are ordering, their preferred methods of payment, the times the rush comes in, and track labor hours and employee performance.
Just What You Ordered
In this day and age, pizzerias face steep competition and small profit margins. To keep operating while making a profit, you need the ability to operate efficiently and build a base of loyal customers. When it comes to optimizing your business, in all specifics unique to pizzerias, pizza POS can help.
To learn more about point of sale systems that help pizzerias run efficiently and profitably, contact PlazSales.
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