For a hospitality or retail business, the necessity of having customers queue up to pay their bill has traditionally fallen into the category of a “necessary evil.” But today’s tablet technology, which brings the point of sale (POS) to the customer, does much more than speed up service and create convenience. Using a tablet POS offers businesses benefits in the form of higher potential sales, lower costs, and new opportunities for customer engagement.
In a restaurant or other hospitality environment, providing servers (or other associates) with tablet POS technology streamlines multiple elements of service. Tablets increase service speed by:
- Avoiding delays that staff experience when waiting to enter orders at a stationary POS terminal by allowing them to take and enter orders tableside.
- Streamlining food preparation by sending orders directly from the tablet to the kitchen.
- In QSR establishments, reducing customer wait times with line-busting functionality.
However, this technology is far more than just a connected digital notepad. Deploying a tablet POS solution can reshape a business in numerous ways. For example, restaurants and retailers can generate new revenue streams by adding outdoor seating or conducting remote sales events. Staff can be empowered to engage customers at their point of decision, and then to complete the sale right on the floor or at tableside.
Tablet POS systems put valuable data in the hands of those on the front lines of customer service. By delivering pricing, inventory, and ingredient information, associates or servers can be empowered to answer customers’ questions and to handle more complex consultative sales. Servers can also be prompted to offer cross-sell and upsell suggestions, boosting top-line sales while improving the customer experience and improving the customer experience is key to increasing sales and ensuring that your customers’ return.
In addition to the sales-boosting and customer service-enhancing benefits of a tablet POS, these systems offer a number of operational advantages. They can be deployed with a lower initial investment than traditional POS systems, both in terms of hardware costs and software license fees. Thus, reducing your overhead cost and improving your ROI.
With tablet POS systems that store their data in the cloud (not all do), troubleshooting and fixing problems is made easier because technicians and help desks can access these systems remotely. In addition, managers can monitor business data and reports from virtually any location with Internet connectivity, keeping them in touch with what’s going on even when they’re not on site. This is a big benefit to those responsible for multiple restaurants or stores within a chain, or for managers who are frequently on the road.
Whether you are a new company or a long-established operation, tablet POS solutions offer numerous benefits. They can speed up service, increase sales, and create multiple opportunities for engagement both during the meal and after customers have gone home. They offer lower initial and ongoing costs than traditional POS systems, and can be integral elements in today’s cutting-edge marketing and management capabilities.
