The basic POS systems you may see on a typical retail establishment consists of a cash register with or without a built in cash drawer, monitor, receipt printers, and an input device. It can also be a touch screen monitors, programmable keyboards, or scanners and handheld devices for inputting data into the POS system.
Touch screen technology: Many restaruant owners find touch screen monitors as more intuitive to use than keyboards, as it can reduce mistypes and can easily cancel orders in milliseconds, and because it provides flexible user interfaces and programming. Aside from that, touch screens are easier to position in any counter and even uses less electricity, although, they can be more prone to breakdowns.
Handheld devices: Restaurant harware devices like PDAs, which are commonly wireless devices that transmits data back to its base station and into the POS system. You can use the newer version, which is the write-on handhelds that allows you to write information such as the orders and directly sends the oder to the kitchen! This type of device perfectly fit when up-selling customers of desserts or drinks. Your employee can either roam their tables or take orders from customers waiting in line.
POS keyboards: Most grocery and convenient stores prefer to use this type of POS hardware because it allows them to program individual keys for specific item codes and prices. The standard POS keyboard is a 101-key, which you will find with any computer. Other have built-in magnetic stripe readers for processing credit cards, others are small and flat, like what we usually see in fast food chains.
Scanners: This restaurant hardware reads bar codes and converts it before inputting it’s details to a POS system computer. Generally, it fastens a sales transaction and accurately inputs product or service payment of a customer. POS scanners are connected through Y-connectors (or wedges) that make them function as an extension of the keyboard.
Customers’ volume: When it comes to serving different volumes of customers, using this POS scanners could be very useful. If your counter line holds several customers, your staff can easily use a CCD scanner or entry-level laser scanner. But if your counter line is full of customers, then you’ll be needing the help of autosensing laser scanners. It’s a type of scanner that automatically turns on when an item is placed in front of it, scans its code, and then turn off again. But if the counter line is overflowing with customers, then you’re staff could really use some help of an omnidirectional scanner, where it can scan a bar code from any angle with its 15 or 20 lasers simultaneously!
Additional Restaurant hardware to consider
Cash drawers: Where you store cash, checks, gift certificates, and other imporatant things. When looking to buy for a POS cash register, look for sturdy construction of at least 18-gauge steel. And since the usable life of a cash drawer is measured, make sure you can replace rollers, bearings, and other parts, because most cash drawers opens when a signal is released from the receipt printer.
POS printers: An addition to your restaurant POS system is a printer, every retail business needs one to complete a sales transaction. A POS printer is needed in order to print a receipt and creating credit card slips. The dot matrix printers, also known as impact printers, are inexpensive and uses ink ribbon to print on regular paper. While thermal printers use heat and special heat-sensitive paper to generate receipts. It is slightly expensive than a dot matrix printer because it prints receipts faster and more quieter. They are also more reliable because they have less moving parts.
Customer displays: A customer display or pole display lets your customers know the price of the item they’re purchasing and some support advertising. You also have to make sure that your customer display has the right height and width to perfectly fit in to your counter table, as well as it’s compatibility with your POS software.
Check readers: If you don’t have one, I suggest getting one now. This device helps you be preventing check fraud by verifying essential account information, saving you tons of profit.
Magnetic stripe readers (also known as magstripe reader): This piece of restaurant hardware is used to read credit cards. Some keyboards and touch screens has a built-in magnetic strip readers for convenience.
Fingerprint ID readers: Mostly this type of hardware is used for employee login. But it is very helpful to limit which staff can access a POS terminal and prevent other staff from logging in for somebody as a favor.
Always rememeber when purchasing a restaurant POS system, hardawre or software, you have to make sure that you review their details first. No matter how expensive or cheap a POS equipment is, keep in mind the environment where you’re going to use it. Regular cleaning keeps your keyboards and touch screens in top shape, to extend the useable life of your receipt printer, vacuuming and lubing would be the way and maintaining an over all clean workstation can help protect your POS terminal from annoying dust and spills. You can always request for a FREE POS system quote online where local vendors will provide you competitive price lists on any type of POS terminal your business needs.
For more information on restaurant POS systems or to have a local POS professional serving the restaurant industry in your location see more information at POS-For-Restaurants.com.