Foodservice Equipment Gone Wrong: When the POS Crashes
November 1, 2018The point of sale (POS) system that you have helps you keep your restaurant running smoothly. It helps you track inventory, sales, and revenue. It allows your staff to create checks, swipe cards, and keep tables turning.
Here are some tips to keep your restaurant running when the POS won’t.
Make a Transition to Offline Service
A good point of sale system will have a way to operate even if there isn’t internet access. This should allow you to process payments. The data is saved in a queue until the power comes back on.
At the same time, you should have your employees trained not only to use the POS, but to process paper order forms and checks. Keep a manual credit card machine on hand for emergencies.
Yes, it will certainly be less efficient, but it will help your restaurant not come to a complete stop when there’s an outage that impacts foodservice equipment.
Let Guests Know What’s Going On
Most customers are very understanding when something goes wrong with your foodservice equipment. However, they can only be kind about it if you have good communication!
Leaving customers in the dark will cause ill will and frustration. Don’t make up a lie – it won’t help you save face. Simply tell customers there’s a problem with the point of sale system but that you have other options.
Prior planning is essential – if you don’t have a backup system for payments and orders, you will be scrambling and customers will lose confidence in your restaurant.
Contact Customer Support Immediately
You don’t have to simply accept a POS outage as “the way it is.” The sooner you contact customer support, the sooner you can get a fix that gets you back online.
When the POS company is aware of the outage, they can look for underlying issues. Fixing these issues can prevent the problem from happening again. Of course, if it’s an internet issue, you may also have to contact your internet provider.
You never know when power will go out or foodservice equipment will malfunction. Have the customer service numbers in an easy-to-find place and contact them right away!
Have a Plan for If Foodservice Equipment Fails
Despite the high-tech world we live in, there is still a significant need for low-tech backup options. Power can go out due to an electrical storm, internet providers can have problems, and electrical equipment can simply glitch.
Don’t be caught off guard. Be sure you have a plan in place for foodservice equipment failure. Don’t just think about your POS, think about your cooking equipment, fryer, refrigerators, ice machine, and more!
Having a plan in place can give you peace of mind until you can replace the equipment. Are you in the market for new restaurant equipment? We’d love to help.
We’ve been serving Little Rock restaurants for years. Contact us for a quote today!
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