Restaurant POS Buyers Guide Questionnaire

Few investments are as critical to smooth restaurant operations as the point of sale (POS).

The POS is like the central nervous system: it captures orders and routes them to the right stations; it allows for easy handoff of a customer from the bar to the table; it secures payments and delivers rich operational data to reporting systems.

But restaurateurs are not naturally inclined to spend a lot of time researching technologies. Decor, kitchen equipment, hiring, and even location are consuming concerns; it’s hard to place attention on the potential restaurant POS system when your time is already spread so thin.

It’s not neglect. It’s probably more likely a result of restaurateurs spending their time focused on delivering remarkable hospitality, instead of learning the ins and outs of technology. The result is that restaurant owners and operators may end up with a restaurant POS that may not match their needs.

We’ll pose quick questions and use your answers to generate a customized POS Buyer’s Blueprint that we’ll send directly to your inbox.

Let’s get started!

How important is order accuracy to your restaurant?*

It’s critical to our service
It’s something we struggle with
It hasn’t been an issue
Not sure

How soon do you plan to select a POS?*

Next week
In the next couple of months
Sometime this year
Not sure how soon

Will you need to access your settings and data (i.e. staff clock-ins, menu updates, reporting, live sales, etc.) remotely?*

Yes. We expect nothing less
Never had that capability but really need it
It’s a good thing to have, but not essential
Not sure

Is staff training an important consideration when selecting a point of sale?*

Yes, definitely
A consideration but not top priority
I don’t have staff to train
Not sure

Is your staff already familiar with consumer devices like smartphones and tablets?*

Yes, everyone has one of these
Most are but some aren’t
Some have them, but most don’t
Unsure

How many terminals do you estimate you’ll need in your restaurant?*

Which best describes your restaurant’s concept?*

Small, casual with sit down and takeout/delivery
Full-service restaurant primarily focused on sit down service
Quick service with lots of takeout/delivery
Bar or pub with a menu
None of these

How many locations are you purchasing for?*

Do you plan to have tableside service?*

Yes
No
Not sure

Are you interested in a digital display for orders inside the kitchen?*

Yes. It’s a must
Interested but not essential
We don’t need it
Not sure

Have you found a previous POS system to be bulky and cumbersome?*

Yes. They don’t fit the needs of our restaurant
Somewhat. They’re not great but we’ve gotten used to them
No
Not sure

How do you currently communicate with staff and collect feedback after shifts?*

It’s written down in notes or a notepad
We email or text each other
When we see each other we’ll discuss verbally
We don’t communicate after shifts regularly

How important is it to you to have flexible payment options like mobile payments, EMV, signature on screen and pre-authorizations?*

Really important
Somewhat important
Not that important
Not sure

How important is the speed of training and lack of disruption to service when training in your purchase decision?*

Very important. We can’t afford long training times or taking terminals out of service
Somewhat important. A shorter training cycle and having all terminals would be great
Not important. We don’t have staff to train
Not sure

Do you use a separate payments processor and POS provider today?*

Yes
No
Not sure

Are you interested in using capabilities such as menu analytics, server scorecards, guest profiles, and/or new versus repeat business metrics?*

Yes. I’d like those capabilities included with payments and POS
I’m interested and would like to see more
Not interested
Not sure

How much time do you spend per month going through spreadsheets or reconciling POS reports with settlement reports?*

How do you access shift performance and reporting today?*

I wait until the end of the shift, then look at employee and POS reports
I get calls, text or emails from staff during shifts
Unless I’m in the restaurant, I can’t tell what’s happening during a shift
Not sure

Do you use or plan to use a service outside of your POS for managing key functions?*

Yes. We use apps for services like inventory, gift cards, employee management, etc.
No. We don’t use any other apps today
Not sure

How many employees will need to access your POS?*

Is ease of use a consideration in your POS purchase?*

Yes. It’s critical
It’s one a many factors
I prefer easy, but not most important factor
Not sure

Do you believe the provider you choose should offer public performance metrics for support and network uptime?*

Yes. More transparency is better
Somewhat agree that transparency is valuable
Not a factor in my decision
Not sure

How often you have to train employees?*

How important is having 24/7 support available for payments and POS?*

Really important
Somewhat important
Not that important
Not sure

Would you prefer to pay for hardware upfront or as part of a monthly contract?*

I prefer to pay for hardware monthly
I prefer to pay for all the hardware upfront
I’d like to see both options

Are you interested in any of the following capabilities in a restaurant analytics package?*

Server performance scorecard
Loyalty program
Online reputation management
Menu intelligence reports
New vs repeat customer reports
Guest profiles
Mobile app
All of the above
Not sure

Full Name*

First Last

Email*

Restaurant Name*

Phone*

Comments

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