If you’re a restaurant owner, chances are you constantly engage in a delicate balancing act, devoting endless hours to direct customer service while simultaneously striving to grow your business and provide a safe and happy work environment for your employees. Fortunately, you don’t need to do all of the hard work alone. Today’s payment processing systems for restaurants have built-in capabilities that can remove much of the burden.
1. Smart payment devices.
The days of only using your countertop terminal to accept payments from customers are over. Modern systems come with a robust suite of features that begin with the easy-to-use touchscreen and are bolstered by the “smart” software within. While the included card readers can process transactions when standard debit or credit cards are used, that’s just the beginning of their capabilities.
Today’s smart POS solutions also allow customers to pay you in other ways. You can take advantage of the contactless payments trend that allows checks to be settled with a simple wave of a cell phone or tap of a smart credit card near your NFC-equipped card reader. In today’s safety-conscious world, this capability is especially important as it can go a long way toward reassuring your customers about patronizing your eating establishment.
2. Back-office reporting.
When you are occupied with the innumerable elements of owning and managing a restaurant, you may push those pesky and time-consuming administrative tasks to the back burner. While this is understandable, it can result in poorly kept records, employees who aren’t always sure of their schedules, and a particularly anxious few days when tax time rolls around.
Fortunately, modern payment processing systems possess so-called back-office features that will take the angst out of many of your administrative tasks. This includes the ability to generate reports in just a few clicks. These completely customizable reports can portray your sales transactions over whatever period of time you choose to set. As a result, you can get a grasp on your inventory in real time. That way, you’ll know what to order and when so you never run out of essential ingredients. Furthermore, you can refine your sales reports to show which food items were most popular, and even how the time of the year affected what entrees or desserts people favored.
3. Employee management.
In the food services industry, hiring and holding onto reliable employees who will promote your brand through their efficiency, passion for your dishes, and ability to establish rapport with customers is a constant challenge. That’s why it’s important to keep morale high and turnover rates low. Turnover rates are high in the hospitality industry. Luckily, your payment processing system can help keep morale high as well, in part by automating the scheduling process.
Instead of writing employee work schedules on a board or opting for verbal communication, your POS system can notify your staff when their upcoming shifts will be via email. When they clock in or out, exact times will be recorded in your system, and overtime pay can be calculated with ease.
4. Customer loyalty features.
Whenever someone uses a debit or credit card to pay for their food items, you are given a precious opportunity to add that person’s information to your database. Just ask customers if they want to opt in by providing their physical or email address. You will find that people are more than willing to comply, particularly if doing so will qualify them for rewards like freebies or discounts.
Your growing database can be your link to your best customers, as well as to the unknown friends and family they may refer. Make it a point to keep in touch with these patrons regularly with a friendly newsletter that highlights promotions or menu additions, notifications about changing hours, etc. You can also email time-sensitive discount coupons to entice diners to come in or have lunch or have dinner delivered to their doors. Whichever payment processing system you choose, it should make communicating both easy and customizable.
5. Mobile capabilities.
When you own a restaurant, your constant goal is to spread the word about your delicious food. Taking it on the road can be a creative and fun way to generate community buzz about your brand, and your processing system can help.
When you invest in a mobile POS, you can take your card readers to the farmer’s market, the party, or on your new food truck. People who don’t have cash or prefer not to use it will now have an easy and secure way to pay. You can even take orders and payments right at the table, streamlining the entire dining process.
Owning a restaurant comes with numerous joys and challenges. The right payment solution can maximize the former and minimize the latter. Take advantage of the many capabilities for more effective customer, employee, and inventory management today’s smart POS systems can provide your restaurant business!
