Android POS Systems: 12 Unique Benefits for Restaurant Success

1. Android POS Systems: 12 Unique Benefits for Restaurant Success limetray.com/blog/android-pos-restuarant April 26, 2019 Having an Android POS system for your restaurant is as important as having a well- equipped kitchen. Tablet POS is a mobile Point of Sale system, that could be an Android Tablet or an iPad, that takes care of table reservations, taking orders, printing KOTs, etc. Imagine it’s a weekend and you’re at your favorite Chinese restaurant. The waiter brings a tablet (instead of going old school with a notepad), directs you to your table, punches in your order, adds your choice of sides and also records your other preferences. The chefs in the kitchen are notified of the order immediately. And in no time your food is at your table exactly the way you like it. You’ve conveniently paid the cheque at your table and life has never been better. That’s precisely how your customers should feel when they visit your restaurant. Waiters manage tables through Android POS tablet 1/7

2. Android POS system makes the functioning of the entire restaurant fluid. As a restaurant owner, you need to make sure that the flow of functions is organized and smooth. Having a restaurant POS system is going to help you achieve a better sense of management at your restaurant. Traditional methods Traditional methods called for a rather uneven flow of orders. The waiter would note down your orders, take it to the counter where they would punch it in the main POS system that’s stationery. After having done that, they would head to the kitchen to vocally shout out the orders to the chef and place KOTs. The chefs would then have to communicate back to the waiters for taking the dish from the kitchen to the customer’s table. While all of this is happening your customer is patiently (or impatiently) waiting at the table. And let’s face it, nobody likes to wait especially for food. This was an everyday scene in traditional restaurants with their huge traditional POS systems. We’ve surely come a long way since then. Modern mPOS devices With the coming of mobile POS systems at restaurants, the scene has taken a 360° turn. According to LimeTray’s report on Restaurant Technology, 82% of restaurant operators want to update their restaurant POS system every 3-6 months. And it only makes sense. The modern mPOS hardware is essentially constituted by:- Handheld Tablets(Androids or iPads) Terminals Card machines Printers (KOTs, bill, etc.) Kitchen Display Systems Routers Handheld Android POS takes care of the customers since the moment they step into your restaurant. Everything from taking orders to splitting the cheque if required is done by this compact device. Now, you wouldn’t want your system to crash in the middle of your busiest weekend! Would you? You need an Android POS system that works properly at all times and is capable of handling any amount of operations. Given the size of the market today, there are numerous tablet POS systems available. After doing a thorough research and analysis of different features 2/7

3. that Android and iOS offer, you can choose the mobile POS system that your restaurant would work best with. Pro-tip – Our POS software is compatible with both Android and iOS. Which should you choose – Android or iOS? To help you make that choice, let’s quickly look at some of the features offered by Android tablets and iPads. Features Android POS system iPad POS system Hardware Cost There are tons of Android POS tablets in the market with varied prices. They start from Rs. 10,000/- and can go up to Rs. 80,000/- iPads are slightly heavy on the pockets with prices ranging from Rs. 28,000/- to almost a lakh. Battery life and Warranty On a single charge, tablets work for 10 hours or more. Warranty period differs with the company. Typically Android tablets have a warranty of 1 year. Work for almost 10 hours, however, after a few years may require constant charging. iPads generally have a 1-year warranty. External Support Can be easily mounted as there are plenty of mounts available in different sizes. iPads come with sleeves. Mounts are not easily available. Training Tablets are user-friendly. Training wouldn’t require a lot of time. iPads have simple features that can be easily understood. Security Being an open system, Android tablets are prone to duplication and malware infections. Extremely low chances of getting corrupted. iPads are highly secure. Device theft Lower chances of getting stolen since it’s not as expensive. Having a shiny great built makes it vulnerable to possible thefts. Flexibility Android POS tablets can be connected to various peripherals like printers, card machines and more. iPads are not very flexible when it comes to compatibility with other external hardware devices. Software Frequent software updates that don’t disturb the everyday work. Software updates are regular but each new update requires access, affecting the regular work. Durability Android tablets have an average life span of about 4-5 years. They are highly durable and easy to maintain. iPads live for about 4 years and require extreme care because of the slender built. 3/7

4. Customer appeal Even though tablets are highly durable and flexible, it doesn’t have a mass appeal. iPads have a ‘wow-factor’ because of their shiny sleek body and lightweight. Android POS tablet benefits Honestly speaking, no one likes to work on a complicated old system that’s completely worn out. With an Android POS tablet, you have the liberty of moving around the restaurant as and when required. Graduating from traditional POS systems to a tablet POS system has its own benefits. 1. No restriction on movement One of the major and obvious reasons why your restaurant should be well equipped with an Android POS tablet is the freedom of moving around the restaurant with a handheld device. Systems are not fixed and you’re not bound to any system for everything, like in olden days. Restrictions can get monotonous. Android POS tablets are lightweight and easy to carry. 2. Automated menu suggestions that help servers upsell A unique and handy feature of a handheld POS system is the automated menu recommendation feature. Servers can make better food and wine pairing suggestions to customers based on top-selling dishes and the food pairings that work. 3. Easy Integration If you already have tablets or iPads at your restaurants, fret not. POS software can be easily integrated into these existing devices at your restaurant. 4. Time is money With an Android POS tablet, a server wouldn’t have to run back and forth to the kitchen and counter. She/he can simply carry their tablets with them. The orders would reach the kitchen immediately. Bill generation and payment process is now only a matter of a few seconds. This not only saves your customer’s time but servers too are released of the trouble. 5. Less wait time equals speedy sales Now that the pace is faster, more tables can be served. The server can conveniently take orders and generate bills at the table. The concept of ‘waiting’ will no longer exist and it will potentially increase the scope of repeat customers at your restaurant. More customers would equate to higher sales. And your sales would significantly increase. 6. Minimum wastage and smooth tracking Since the orders can now be directly sent to the kitchen display systems with the preferred amount of sides and add-ons, there will be less wastage in terms of food and it can be picked up by different chefs accordingly. Sales get tracked by the Android POS tablet therefore, with subsequent orders, you will have a better insight into the inventory of raw materials you need to buy for your restaurant. Keeping a track of your restaurant’s inventory would eventually lead to lower food cost. This 4/7

5. digital boon will also help reduce paper usage at your restaurant as there will be digital receipts and KOTs. Bills can be sent across via emails and text messages. 7. Accurate data and reports Your Android POS tablet has insights on everything, customers, staff, inventory and more. The common reports and data that your restaurant tablet POS provides are:- Sales report Inventory report Employee report Accounts data Customer data Looking at your performance reports regularly will help you define your goals better. For example, depending on the sales reports you can revise old or implement new strategies for better management of your restaurant. 8. No room for mindless/careless errors No room for mindless/careless errors Android POS tablet is easy to access. They would only require a few hours of Android POS tablet is easy to access. They would only require a few hours of training or none at all. There are fewer chances of errors because of the training or none at all. There are fewer chances of errors because of the ‘mobile menu’. This is crucial since a tiny error while taking down the orders, ‘mobile menu’. This is crucial since a tiny error while taking down the orders, can literally make it or break it for your restaurant. The orders can be fed in can literally make it or break it for your restaurant. The orders can be fed in the Tablets directly leaving zero scopes for mistakes. the Tablets directly leaving zero scopes for mistakes. No more lousy errors while taking orders. 9. Building fresh customers and retaining existing ones 5/7

6. Built-in Loyalty Programs and Customer Relationship Management solutions assist in reaching out to customers in exciting and engaging ways. Sending offers and discounts to various customers is no longer daunting. Tailored emails and text messages to the desired customers is a great way to take your CRM to a new level. Android POS tablets provide a distinct guest experience for your customers as well. They can simply type in their feedback on the tablets at the time of payment. 10. Customize your restaurant POS and increase efficiency Whether you’re a classy wine and dine, super cool nightclub or quaint little cafe, you can customize your Android POS accordingly. Each restaurant has different requirements and priorities. And setting your POS keeping these operations in mind will naturally increase the efficiency of your restaurant. Since it’s cloud-based, you can keep updating these functions on your tablet POS systems from anywhere, even if you’re on the go. 11. Save money on commissions Having your brand’s own online ordering system will help in saving money that you would’ve otherwise spent as commissions to the third party food aggregators. You can directly manage any online orders that are received on your Android POS tablets. Here’s how your restaurant POS system will help you save money. 12. Streamlined work means happy staff and pleased customers Customers should be your restaurant’s priority followed by staff members. Android POS tablets have simplified the work of your staff. The wait-staff is no more running around the restaurant with tiny sheets of papers. They can give a sufficient amount of time for different functions on their tablet POS without any confusion. It’s only then that they can focus more on the ‘guest experience’ for the customers who will, in turn, leave your restaurant feeling satiated. Customers also feel a sense of security while sharing their card details as all the payments are done at their tables. 6/7

7. Ease of work for restaurant staff as well Android POS system – A long term investment for your restaurant Buying a suitable Android POS system for your restaurant is a very crucial step. It involves extensive research. And why shouldn’t it when you’re investing your money in it. You would want to make sure your tablet Point of Sale takes care of not just the basic functions but also provides other features that are specific to your restaurant. Android POS system is going to prevent any complications from the very first step. Customers never forget a bad experience and they most definitely don’t forget an awesome one. Provide them with one and they will be back at your restaurant door soon enough. Until next time! 7/7