The 10 Costliest POS Restaurant System Buying Mistakes Business Owners Make

If you are thinking about implementing a new POS Restaurant System for your business there are some very crucial mistakes you will want to avoid.

When purchasing a POS System you will find that the initial cost of software, hardware, setup, and training have less to do with the overall cost of the system than you think. If you are considering a POS System than you are looking for a solution that saves you time, and automates your business, if it does a poor job of that it is costing you countless dollars in payroll, theft, mismanagement, and your time. We have compiled the list below from knowledge obtained from our many restaurant clients that have made these mistakes in the past before utilizing BNG's expertise to streamline their Point Of Sale Systems.

1. Ignoring the quality of the company that built the software. That is like buying a car without knowing the brand of the vehicle, the reputation of the dealer, the history, or anything else that goes along that signals you’re not buying a lemon. It is perhaps even more critical when buying a point-of-sale solution, which requires regular software updates, specialized training, technical support in a hurry when something goes down, and perhaps even hardware that requires fixing. Do you really want to buy a product, only to be mired in headaches because the company never makes you a priority, or worse, goes out of business? When buying a POS Solution, that is really the beginning of your relationship with the company. Do not mistake it as a short, inconsequential aspect of buying the product.
2. Buying hardware first. Purchase the POS restaurant system software first, and allow the software to then dictate your equipment and even computer operating system. Often software has very specific hardware requirements. You are bound to buy at least a few items that will not work with your system. Point-of-sale systems may all seem similar, but buying the wrong one can hamper every single sale in your business for as long as you own it.
3. Buying strictly on price. While obviously price is a key factor, often the cheapest point-of-sale system ends up being far more expensive than the sticker price, because of hidden costs like missing features that would have saved time or money, technical support fees, or supplemental services you did not realize you would need.
4. Purchasing the wrong software. It’s important to fully understand what kind of POS restaurant systems software meets all the needs of your business, not just some of them. Do not buy something that only partly automates your sales operation. If you have no POS system today or it’s outdated, anything new will feel like a dramatic improvement. But ideally the software you buy should automate every aspect of the transaction. Your provider should demonstrate the full automation of every aspect of your business, or at least advise you on how other businesses like yours have automated.
5. Do not assume choosing a POS solution is something you can hand off to anyone. The person making the decision needs to have significant experience working in your business. They cannot be a hot shot at fixing your computers. Every wrong decision could play out in each transaction for years to come. If a decision that touches on every aspect of your business is not critical-enough to have a personal hand in, then what is?
6. Picking a POS restaurant system that does not include features that could really help your business. There are hundreds of different POS system providers, and unless you are a POS expert you’re almost bound to choose software that doesn’t fully deliver for your business. To avoid that trap, analyze the needs of your business, creating a list of important features that will save you time and money.
7. While you do want to find a solution that maximizes automation, do not get caught in a paralysis of analysis, searching for the perfect platform that provides every single feature you might one day benefit from. Just choose the top 10 most important things to you and make sure the system is easy to use. If employees struggle to make it work, they will simply quit trying.
8. Not accurately considering your long-term cost of operation for the POS system. Some systems that are cheap upfront end up ultimately costing more. They charge more expensive per-transaction fees or warranties that expire faster than more expensive models. Some companies also provide the software and hardware on the condition you buy into a hefty long-term contract that increases significantly in price over time. So be sure to compare overall prices when choosing a solution and company.
9. Not purchasing a service contract as part of the POS system. You will eventually need service at some point. So unless you want to pay dearly for someone to come out, charge you for hourly work, and you do not mind your system being down for an extended period of time, a service contract will provide you with significant peace of mind and potentially money, if a really terrible breakdown occurs. After you purchase the software you will rely on the software company to supply updates, training, technical support, and possibly hardware.
10. Paying for disaster recovery and data loss support. Being prepared for a fire, flood, theft, or computer crash that "probably will not happen", is naturally something a lot of people feel they can skip. However, back-up systems for 2012 POS solution technologies are far cheaper and easier than in the past. Backups are routinely performed with the use of portable hard drives or Internet-based online backup services. Do not take a chance on feeling awful by risking not having a backup system in place.

BNG is the resource you need to make the right decision on POS Restaurant Systems.

There is obviously a lot more to consider when choosing a POS restaurant system for your business, so contact BNG Technologies to begin the process. The team will make sure you do not become a victim of one of these mistakes. Click here to contact BNG now.

Written By: Ryan Theis