Mobile POS systems are the future of restaurant payment systems. Tablet-based systems are being widely adopted in counter-service restaurant segments, and they’re now coming into the casual, sit-down restaurant segments as well. They work well in the counter-service setting, freeing up precious counter space and offering the ability to swivel the system around for the customer to input information. But it’s in the sit-down segments where these systems really shine.
Mobile POS systems enable greater customer experiences in casual, sit-down restaurants. We partnered with Software Advice, a place where buyers compare restaurant POS systems, to identify the following three examples of how mobile POS improves the customer experience.
1. Mobile, tablet POS systems streamline the restaurant ordering process.
With them, servers can input an order at the table while customers are ordering. This means as soon as a table is done ordering, the ticket is already being sent to the kitchen. This knocks precious minutes off of wait time, thus enabling a much greater dining experience.
2. Mobile POS systems also provide information on food and drink offerings that servers might not typically know.
I have a good personal example of this implementation. Just last night, my father took some clients to a nice dinner. When the server came to take their drink order, he handed them a tablet and let them scroll through the extensive beer, wine, and cocktail lists. Each option featured an informative profile, giving them everything they’d want to know about their drinks. This takes the responsibility of memorizing all the drink options and flavor profiles off the server, leaving them to focus more on and engage with the customers. This allows the relationship to start well and become stronger between the server and patron. Like in this scenario though, if customers will be handling the tablets, it would be wise to upgrade to ruggedized versions to ensure the longevity of the hardware.
These mobile POS systems also feature prompts that remind servers to tell customers about certain sides and add-ons that they may otherwise not regularly mention. This not only enables the server to order exactly what the diner wants, but it also increases the average amount of each bill. This makes restaurant operators happy as well as servers too, since higher bills innately mean higher tips.
3. Mobile POS systems enable at the table payments.
Again, this streamlines servers’ operational duties and increases customer experiences. With mobile POS systems, the payment process is done in one seamless interaction. This not only speeds up the process, but it allows the server to be with the table throughout the payment process. This is great for ensuring a quality experience and encouraging repeat business.
