Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Interview with POS Expert Jerry Cibley
Known as "The POS Man," Jerry Cibley has more than 25 years’ experience in the point of sale industry. Working in both POS sales and support, Jerry has become an expert at virtually every POS software and equipment type on the market. He has worked as both an integral part of larger POS companies and the head of his own company.
What types of benefits does a POS system offer a restaurant?
POS systems provide a number of benefits to restaurants. First, the forced accuracy of the POS software ensures that all items will appear on the check and there will be no more math errors, saving restaurant owners money. Additionally, POS systems provide significant control over labor costs and the reporting capabilities can save money on accounting/bookkeeping. A streamlined order process adds to server efficiency, thus increasing their time on the floor and the number of table turns in a given shift.
Overall, POS systems provide restaurants with smoother operation and as much as an 8% increase to the bottom line thanks to these added efficiencies.
What are the most popular features?
The typical POS system offers countless useful features. Some of these are especially handy such as the ability to split checks, share items or quickly add special requests.
The ability to split checks is a real time saver. For instance, if a party of six comes into the restaurant and, after the meal is finished, asks for separate checks, the server can split the check with a few simple button pushes on the Harbortouch POS system. Servers no longer have to manually calculate the bills.
The “special request” keyboard is another popular feature because anytime a server feels the need to add more information to an order, they can choose the “special request” option in the Harbortouch POS software and a full size Qwerty keyboard pops up on the screen. The server can then add that special instruction or choice modifier that is not on the system. “Put gravy on top of the salad” – crazy yes, but easy to order with Harbortouch.
Other top features include an integrated time clock, forced choice sets (e.g., “Prime Rib” leads to “Temp choice” followed by “Veggie choice”), and the ability to combine or transfer tables.
What important factors should business owners consider when thinking about purchasing a POS system?
These are the top four things I would look for when shopping for a POS system:
1. The reliability of the company supporting the system and how accessible they are. There is nothing worse than having a question on a Friday night and being told that it will cost you $250.00 to get it answered or waiting 4 hours for a response.
2. Is the database robust and based upon the industry standard SQL Server?
3. Will the POS software be able to accommodate the complex menu needs of my restaurant?
4. What is the Warranty? Harbortouch offers a lifetime Hardware/Software warranty on all components. If it is down, we replace it – no hassles!
Which types of businesses benefit most from the POS system?
I believe that a POS system will enhance even the smallest retail or hospitality business. The challenge has been for the smaller venue (under $350,000 in yearly revenue) to see a fast ROI against the purchase. It has traditionally taken too many years to justify the cost of such a system until Harbortouch announced their free POS program. Now even the smallest operation can benefit and easily justify the POS system.
