How a Mobile POS Solution Can Impact Your Table Service Restaurant
A mobile point of sale (POS) solution can greatly impact your restaurant’s operations.
With the right technology, your staff can perform at top level and improve customer experiences. Also, remember you aren’t the only restaurant in your market that’s looking for ways to improve operations with mobile POS technology. Hospitality Technology reported last year that 35% of restaurants planned to implement mobile POS solutions. Your mobile POS strategy can help you keep up with the competition and, if you do it right, build loyalty by providing the best customer experiences. Consider how you can transform your restaurant operations in these ways with mobile POS solutions.
Reducing Wait Times
One of the most common pain points for diners in table service restaurants is wait times. Whether they are placing their order or settling the bill, any time a customer has to wait for the server to complete a task will decrease their satisfaction.
A mobile POS solution eliminates delays by allowing servers to take orders and process payments right at the table. Servers can input orders while the customer is giving them, which essentially eliminates the time between a customer’s decision and the kitchen receiving the request. This increases your table turn and minimizes errors in communicating orders.
After their meal, customers no longer need to wait for the server to bring the check or for their card to be processed at a central point. Mobile POS devices empower servers to handle payments tableside, providing patrons a swift and seamless experience.
Connecting Front and Back of House
Efficiency is the holy grail of restaurant operations. A mobile POS solution combined with a Kitchen Display System (KDS) will create a seamless connection between your servers tableside and your kitchen staff preparing the food.
Orders placed through the mobile POS are instantly relayed to the kitchen. This reduces the likelihood of miscommunications and eliminates delays that happen when servers are called to other tasks before they can enter the orders. Instead, real-time communication ensures that chefs can start preparing meals promptly and your staff serves customers faster.
Perhaps the most noteworthy benefit of integrating a mobile POS with KDS is that it allows for centralized order tracking and management. This means that both the front-of-house staff and kitchen staff have a clear overview of the status of each order.
Servers can communicate meaningfully with diners about the status of their orders. Kitchen staff and front of house staff can avoid confusion and minimize errors because they all have access to the same information.
Engaging with Customers Tableside
Servers attempting to memorize orders or rapidly write them down rarely have the time to connect with diners and personalize their service. Mobile POS software with order flows set up the way patrons typically order can help servers make orders more conversational. First the server asks about appetizers and drinks, placing orders with just a few taps, and then moving on salads, soups, entrees, noting customers’ preferences so the order is exactly right.
Mobile POS can also help servers answer questions about ingredients and preparation by keeping this information at servers’ fingertips. With no need to rush away from the table to get the order to the kitchen, the server can modify the order or add items if customers change their minds. The result is customers who leave your table service restaurant feeling like they have been treated with great care and respect.
That kind of emotional satisfaction is not only fulfilling for you and your staff but can also mean word-of-mouth advertising when your satisfied customers start telling all their friends how happy they are with your restaurant.
Elevate Dining Experiences with Mobile POS
The adoption of a mobile POS solution in a table service restaurant is a strategic move toward improving operational efficiency and customer satisfaction. Your customers will be happier when they don’t have to wait for simple things like settling the check.
Front-of-house and kitchen staff will work better together when technology enables them to see the status of all orders in real time. And your servers will be able to keep your diners happy by quickly and accurately accommodating all of those special requests.
Given all of the benefits your restaurant can reap from this technology, it’s smart to consider investing in a mobile POS solution today. Reach out to us and together we can discover just how big of an impact it will make on your service restaurant’s success.
