Have mobile devices replaced dogs as our best friends? Look around you. Glued to our smartphones all day, we’ve put these devices at the centre of almost everything we do: connect with friends, order food, a ride, buy clothes, read the news… Come to think about it, mobile devices taking over the world is only logical: pocket-size technology is just very convenient.
Personalised remotes of our day to day, mobile devices have set a new standard of efficiency. But how does this relate to your restaurant? Well, we are now so used to the efficiency of these all-in-one devices that we expect the same ease in every aspect of our lives¦ including when we go to your restaurant. Your diners have new expectations when it comes to your service, and with the numbers of restaurants dropping in the UK for the first time in eight years, they better be satisfied. There are some positives: the rise of mobile technology actually comes with new tools for you. Tools that won’t only please your customers, but also save you money and time. Here’s what a mPOS will get you:
Slow service is a deal breaker when it comes to a restaurant experience. If the pen and paper method does work, it definitely has some flaws. Writing down every item, every item modification, walking to the kitchen, ensuring the chef understands what the writer wrote¦ this process is not your best or your only option. With a mobile point of sale, taking orders literally consists of tapping the screen. Orders are sent to the kitchen in real time and servers can focus on customers. Whenever you can remove steps and do your work faster,
A mobile point of sale allows you to share clear guidelines with your entire staff when it comes to your menu and leaves no room for error. If it’s not an option on the mPOS, it’s not an option. This clarity will even help your staff’s relationship with diners when you refuse a special request. Managing expectations is key to create a great experience. When a server has to go to the kitchen to ask about a modification and comes back with a negative answer, it sends a message to diners that the refusal is not based on rules but someone’s subjective opinion. It hurts the relationship right away.
On the kitchen side, being interrupted by servers every five minutes and being asked if tomatoes can be removed from the tomato salad is just annoying. And it slows down everyone. Servers who have all the intel they need at hand will be more confident and have more authority as they give diners a clear breakdown of what can be done right away.
Food may be a restaurant’s owner passion, but not the same can be said about their entire staff. And that’s OK¦. as long as they can answer questions correctly. As diners ask about the food and the drinks, make sure that even your last addition to the team is credible when they suggest a wine. With a mobile point of sale, you can add an item photo and a description to help them, and even add notes with suggested items it can be paired with. Success is in the details, and an ePOS is a direct access to all the details that make your restaurant experience a great one. Did you know? Diners think that the staff at independent restaurants offers better service. It’s good news, but it’s also a lot of pressure. Lift off your shoulders with the right ePOS.
Can you imagine a world where your ePOS system could be installed just like your social media apps on your phone? You don’t need to, it’s a reality. The best mPOS are both cloud and web-based, which means that you can access your account from anywhere. Got a tablet? Download the app. Got a PC? Open your Internet browser to access your manager. You’re always ready to work in seconds. Such a simple setup also means you’ll save big on installation fees.
Security wise, a mobile point of sale is also a huge improvement. Modern encryption systems will ensure that your data stored online is only accessible by you and your staff. And if you worry that your whole business will rely on your internet connexion, don’t. The best mobile point of sales has an offline mode. When your Wi-Fi is down, everything is saved and gets synchronised when your connection comes back. You won’t see a difference.