EPoS systems

08 August 2001 by
EPoS systems

An EPoS system is used for taking and recording payments in a shop, restaurant, hotel, or any other business that serves custtomers.

EPoS stands for Electronic Point Of Sale and, given the description above, it might be easy to think of it as nothing more than a fancy till.

However, it is a lot more than that. Yes, an EPoS system's main function is as somewhere to put the money, but it can also link to other systems in the business and make the whole thing run more smoothly.

For example, it can link to stock-control systems so that every time an item is sold it can tell the stock-control system to replace it.

When it comes to buying the right system for you, the question to ask is not "Do I need it?" but "What do I need it to do?"

Will a new EPoS system help your customers feel they're getting a better service? Are you sacrificing human contact with customers for efficiency? These are all considerations.

What do I need?

There is a huge range of EPoS systems available but for a restaurant or hotel the ideal type is an EFTPoS, or electronic funds transfer point of sale. These are the systems that allow for payment using a credit card, essential in any hospitality establishment in this day and age.

Where to begin?

The best place to start is in other businesses similar to your own. The beauty of the hospitality industry is that you can be a customer in your rivals' restaurant or hotel and see what they do and what systems they use.

You'll find there are very rarely any new ideas and many businesses will have systems that do the same things you want.

Go to exhibitions and events to talk informally to vendors and look at the possible options, work out what's available and how this matches your expectations.

Get on the Internet and find all the different suppliers and details of what they offer. Also look for useful user guides, preferably independent ones.

And for those with a bigger budget, there are consultants who will help you through the whole purchase process.

Then what?

Sit down and make a list of all the functions you want your EPoS system to have, for example:

  • allow credit card payments
  • give a daily list of sales, ranked by product type
  • print out a neat receipt with a personalised message
  • print quickly
  • expand to allow add-on modules and function in case you want them in the future

Now score each requirement on your list out of five, with five being the most important. For example, you would give the ability to accept credit card payments a score of five, but the print speed might get a two.

You're now looking for a system that gets the highest score when measured against your list. In other words, you want the lowest level of compromise.

It's important to bear in mind at this point that you needn't worry about the technology of these systems. What happens under the lid isn't important. What the system actually does for you is.

What extras should I be looking for?

What happens when you press the buttons is very important, but there are plenty of other questions you should be asking your salesman. For example:

  • What are the details of the warranty?
  • Is there a helpdesk? What hours is it open?
  • What happens if I have a problem at 9.00pm on a Saturday night with a restaurant full of customers?
  • What happens with systems upgrades?
  • Do I pay an annual maintenance fee?

Tell the vendors in writing what you want. Get them to tell you whether their systems can do it. If they offer you something similar, ask them why it isn't exact?

If they say they're going to customise their system for you, or add on any extras, make sure they put it in writing. If the system doesn't include it when it arrives, you have proof that they said it would.

Get suppliers to tell you of similar establishments to yours that use their system. Go and see them and ask for a demonstration.

What about the cost?

Unfortunately, it's difficult to give an idea of cost here. It all depends on the size of your business and what exactly you want to do. The cheapest systems will run on a normal PC, which are comparatively cheap to buy, but another might need dedicated hardware which could cost £8,000 or more for one unit.

Conclusion

An EPoS system is an important part of any business that takes payments from customers. The trick when buying one is not to get blinded by the science and technology of it and just consider the practicalities.

Above all, keep asking questions, as much to yourself as to the salesman. Is this right for me? Does it fit all of my needs? And will it improve the service to my customer?

by Andrew Davies

Produced by caterer.com and Genesys - the travel technology consultants.

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