Click here for a video that explains the risk of non-PCI compliance

PCI & Credit Card Security: Background

Ever since magnetic strip cards were developed, both restaurateur and their customers have been enjoying the convenience of accepting and using credit and debit cards. However, given the skyrocketing cost and frequency of credit fraud, major card brands (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover and JCB) have taken preventive measures to safeguard their stakeholders.

After IBM invented the mag stripe on credit cards in in 1968, it became the industry standard. Given that the track data on the mag stripe is easy to read and duplicate, the branded cards, with the set of standards that the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council has built, it clearly stated the first directive: ‘Don’t store track data.’

The PCI Standards

The three-pronged approach that the PCI Security Standards Council took to protect consumers, banks and merchants/restaurateurs:

• PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) ? embraces all entities that store, process, or transmit cardholder data: Merchants, restaurateurs, service providers, processors, etc.

Deadline for Compliance: Month of January 2007 (deadlines are long passed)

What it Means – All restaurateurs (in spite of size) must complete and submit a PCI Self-Assessment Questionnaire annually to their Acquiring Bank.

• PA?DSS (Payment Application Data Security Standard) ? including all applications used to store, process, or transmit cardholder data as part of authorization or settlement. (Point-of-Sale (POS) application developers)

Deadlines for Compliance:

Oct. 1, 2008 ? Only the software that is compliant with the new payment application security standards must be used by agents, merchants and payment processors.

Oct. 1, 2009 ? Terminate any noncompliant payment applications that merchants might still have in their environments will be required.

July 1, 2010 ? Mandatory use of only the payment applications that support the new standards.

What this Means – If, after the deadline, a merchant/restaurateur is not running a PA DSS-validated application, means that they automatically fail their PCI assessment and could possibly lose their ability to accept credit cards.

• Pin Entry Devices (PED) Standard – embraces all PEDs and it aims to ensure that the cardholder’s personal identification number (PIN), including any sensitive information such as resident keys, are protected consistently at a PIN acceptance device.

Deadline for Compliance:

Jan. 1, 2004 ? For newly purchased Point of Sale (POS) PIN Entry Devices should pass testing by a Visa recognized laboratory and approved by Visa.

July 1, 2010 ? Mandates that all deployed Point of Sale (POS) PEDs must have passed testing by a PCI recognized laboratory and been approved by the PCI SSC.

Which Means ? All Merchants/restaurant owners gets two years to replace their old and unapproved PEDs.

The Do’s With Payment Card Industry (PCI)

• Do routine vulnerability scans of your systems.

• Prepare a security awareness training for your employees.

• Audits for system access.

• You must your system activity logs.

• Access privileges must be removed for separated employees.

• Do install software patches.

• Be responsible when it comes to any threats, have an incident response plan.

Payment Card Industry (PCI) Don’ts

• Avoid storing or archiving whole credit card numbers.

• Transmitting credit card data unencrypted should not be practiced.

• PCI is not simply about proving you are compliant with the standards – it’s all about protecting your customers and your business.

PCI’s Effect on Restaurateurs

Given consumers’ expectation of universal acceptance of credit and debit cards, a restaurateur’s validation that they are protecting their customer’s personal information is good for business:

Reputation / Image

For a highly competitive business – no restaurateur would want to be referred to as the eatery where a customer’s card data was stolen.

Protects Your Credit / Debit Card Payments Acceptance Ability – by not complying with the rules and/or a breach can jeopardize a merchants’/restaurateur’s ability to accept credit/debit payments. There are several cases that 80% to 90% of transactions are through credit/debit payments. Losing the ability to accept credit/debit cards means reduced traffic/customers.

The Effects of State Privacy Laws

A breach that discloses personal credit card information in one of the 40+ States with privacy laws may have a double impact on a restaurateur. Being off-side with PCI may result in penalties and lawsuit costs. Being off-side with State Privacy Laws is a felony with potentially more serious consequences.

Compliance / Security Strategy

• Be sure you are using a PA?DSS or PABP validated POS system

• Make sure you’re using an approved PED

• Hold regular security awareness training for your employees, especially for supervisors

• Do background checks on any employee with administrative access to your system

• Have your staff sign a ‘Confidentiality Agreement’

• If you’re not sure how to complete the PCI Self Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ), you can always ask

• If gaps in PCI compliance are identified, develop a realistic plan to straighten it out

• Maintain mature controls to sustain compliance

• Accessing controls

• Dual factor for system and device management

• Strong passwords and secure password storage

• Keep monitoring system activities for potential attacks and record evidences

• Controlling your wireless access points

• Maintain a secure configuration

• Segment networks

• Maintain an Incident Response Plan and Test It

• Test and audit the cardholder environment like your business depended on it

It can be difficult task the first time but when everything else is in place, ongoing PCI compliance is not an expensive undertaking. Besides, it’s a good practice for businesses to protect the sensitive data that your customers entrust with you.

Any Questions?

For more information and advice on this topic you can quickly contact a Restaurant POS professional serving your area at www.POS-For-Restaurants.com

The author of this article writes for POS-For-Restaurants.com – a VP of Customer Relations with over 20 years experience in the industry of restaurant point of sale system.

1. Network cables. Most systems are computer-based, designed to run on Microsoft Windows technology. Which means your workstations and computer equipments most likely will communicate over standard Ethernet networking. Although wireless communications have been the talk of the town these days, I would still prefer to “hardwire” your computer stations. Some vendors include this service in their bid; others specify that cabling must be contracted through a third-party vendor.

Inspite of who will work on the cabling, it will need to be completed and tested before installation of the equipment. Each piece of equipment will be needing a cable drop. A drop is considered a cable that runs from a remote printer or computer back to the networking source such as a patch panel in the mechanical room or office.

For a restaurant POS system, the restaurant should be wired with CAT 5 or 6 network cabling that runs from every conceivable POS workstation, remote printer or KDS, office computer, hostess station, delivery order desks, cashier stations and network server to a “home run” area such as a central patch panel, preferably located in your telephone or electrical room or closet. Cabling routes need to ensure that cables are at least 24 inches from fluorescent fixtures, neon transformers and electrical motors, because these devices can sometimes cause communications interference.

2. Electrical. Install dedicated and isolated circuits that all of your POS, computers, network devices such as hubs and routers, and phone systems can share. No other electrical equipment should be in this circuitry. Preferably, your network, phone, and electrical service will be near one another. An isolated circuit means that its ground is separated from that of the main electrical service. This helps to prevent spikes and surges that may damage motherboards and hard drives. Note, however, that you’ll still want to use surge protectors at each workstation.

3. Designing workspace. When it comes to designing the workstation area, be sure to leave some extra space to comfortably fit your needed equipments. A flat roomy space for server stations should be large enough to hold a computer monitor, guest check printer, and possibly a credit card terminal if you plan to use separate credit card equipment. Make sure you have enough space underneath the tabletop to hold the computer, surge protector, power strip and your UPS.

If you want to place your workstations on mill-manufactured top such as granite or woodwork, you’ll want to have your contractor pre-drill holes if needed to run cables or power cords beneath the surface. A 2-inch hole should be enough space for cords and cables on most POS systems.

For cashier and bartender stations, the tabletop space should also be ample enough to fit a cash drawer and an order confirmation customer display. Most cash drawers have a footprint (space requirement) of 15- to 17-inch depth; 16- to 20-inch width; and 3.5-inch to 4-inch height. So better make sure you get the drawer specifications from your supplier in advance if you are building a custom countertop for your drawer to fit perfectly in.

4. Service plans, as part of your system. Your supplier may offer different types of service plans as part of your original purchase. The fact is, business grade systems are composed of materials that are not built to last forever especially in restaurants. POS printers will eventually break, fans will slowl fail, and hard drives will crash. How often they depend upon the conditions under which they operate. Dirt, dust, heat and moisture are not friendly allies to office and restaruant POS equipment.

There are those people who rarely experience problems wih their computers while others continue to suffer the same problems. The best thing a retail business owner can do is to invest in good equipment and then protect that investment by maintaining it. Many restaurant POS solutions provider will offer ongoing service plans that are basically extended warranties. The annual cost for these services usually ranges from 10% to 20% of the original purchase price.

Remember that computer systems represents as a sizable investment. But if you dedicate the time and planning required to properly put in place and maintain the system, you are more likely to be rewarded a return on your investment by getting the most from your system in cost reduction, labor savings, and ensuring that you can account for all cash.

The Author of this article is the Vice President of Customer Relations at POS-for-Restaurants.com — With over 20 years of restaurant experience helping businesses like yours to use your technology more efficient and make your business more profitable .

In our today’s economy, every cent counts and adding them to your bottom line is possible in the middle of economic crisis. Are are some steps that will increase your profits, by boosting your sales, reducing debit card fees and expenses, and most of all block theft.

In the food service industry, if you’re running a restaurant point of sale system then this simple tips can greatly help you grow your business!

Checks

Checks are still widely used, especially among older customers. So if you have not been accepting checks, start soon. There are POS equipments that can scan checks as fast as credit cards, measure them against a nationwide database of bad check writers, electronically deposit the money, and can guarantee that funds will be delivered to you within a couple of days. In addition, the cost is typically lower than for credit cards and could add 10-15 percent to sales—and possibly more if you have many senior customers.

Accepting Credit Cards

If you do accept credit cards, you’re probably accepting Visa and MasterCard already. But what about Discover and American Express? Particularly, the latter accompanies larger transactions in general. If you’ve hesitated because the fee is higher, reconsider—you may also think that it’s not worth it even a 1% difference, and because American Express transactions are often larger than those of other cards, you’ll make it up in gross profit. Furthermore, customers will coming back because they’ll know that your business accepts all forms of credit cards.

Researching

Most merchants think their fees are 1.69% plus an additional $.19 because that’s their qualified rate on a pricing program tier. Though fewer than 20 of 100 transactions receives low qualified rate and all the rest downgrade and cost one, two, or even three percent. By researching for alternate programs that offer different interchange rates that may end up saving more than what you’ve expected.

Insist of Understanding Rather Than Having a Conflict

Neither you nor your bookkeeper would have to scratch the back of your heads over a complex credit card statement that just doesn’t fit. A few companies have made extraordinary efforts to simplify these reports. You should be able to reconcile your statement and rates without exceeding 15 minutes.

Getting Your Reports Online

The post office is slow, don’t wait any longer for them to deliver you a letter of disputing a charge. Using the internet, you will know within 24 hours, which ables you to aggressively defend against chargebacks. With a quick response, it can increase your success rates and reduce your losses.

No need to scratch your head over complex credit card statements and for your bookkeeper as well.

Use the Card Validation Value and Address Verification System. They are highly effective fraud screens proven to reduce losses, and when using them correctly, you obtain the lowest possible rate for discounts.

In addition, you need to avoid hackers by being PCI compliant. Hackers can cause merchants huge fines, and drive them out of business. Find time to read Visa’s report on noncompliant systems, be alert at all cost.

Taking Care Of Chargebacks

If you run an online business, either by internet orders or by phone, it’s always a great idea to implement the “Verified by Visa” or “MasterCard Secure Code” plug-in on your web site. This will eliminate cardholder nonauthorization chargebacks. Liability for these chargebacks is shifted away back to the issuing card bank, and you qualify for the lowest discount rate available. Just by following this simple step, you can eliminate up to 80% of all chargebacks and increase your profits.

With over 20 years of restaurant point of sale experience and helping businesses in the food-service industry nationwide increase their efficiency and bottom-line profits, the author of this article is the VP of Customer Relations at POS-For-Restaurants.com.

You may visit POS-For-Restaurants.com for further understanding of how our national network of restaurant point of sale professionals can help your business achieve greater success in these difficult economic times.

At Contactless, a leading provider of advanced, open-standard contactless chip technologies, and First Data, a global leader in electronic commerce and payment processing services, announced that they have signed an agreement for 3 years to develop contactless payment stickers, which First Data will market as GO-Tag products. With this agreement, INSIDE will supply MicroPass payment sticker prelams exclusively to First Data-qualified card manufacturers for production.

The agreement leverages the core technology from INSIDE Contactless and the issuing and transaction processing power of First Data. GO-Tag products will be marketed by First Data to major U.S. merchants, financial institutions, and other distribution channels in a variety of form factors.

First Data’s GO-Tag Solution represents a very important step into the future plastic cards and fobs, and offers a bridge to the future of mobile payments according to Barry McCarthy, the general manager of Mobile Commerce and Point of Sale Solutions at First Data. “Our partnership with INSIDE Contactless enables us to offer consumers an opportunity to turn just about any personal item, from a mobile phone to an employee ID badge, into a payment device.”

According to Charles Walton, executive vice president of payments for INSIDE Contactless, the agreement highlighted the versatility of the MicroPass platform to support a variety of contactless payment applications and form factors, also stickers.

You might also want to consider updating your restaurant POS system to Contactless credit card acceptance in the near future, because their technology is becoming more and more common in the marketplace. And we all know that customer service is all about the speed and fast transaction to a restaurant point of sale terminal, the better the service is the better your customer experience will reflect on the value of your services.

The author of this article is the VP of Customer Relations at POS-For-Restaurants.com with over 20 years experience helping restaurants nationwide increase their efficiency and bottom-line profits using restaurant POS systems.

To learn on how our national POS network of restaurant point of sale professionals can help your business achieve greater success in these difficult economic times, visit POS-For-Restaurants.com.

If you want to run your restaurant business to success, learn the basics: good food, good service and the right location. But today, there’s an addition to these basics: a reliable software to run your POS systems.

Even though physical components like the monitors and computers are the most visible, the software is the core of your POS system. Doing a careful evaluation of restaurant POS software is key to getting a system that will satisfy your customers and staff.

Looking for the right restaurant software
First, it’s important to know what exactly you need the software to do. Your restaurant POS software should be able to handle checks per diner or per table, track orders per server, has the ability to move bar diners to the table, manage waiting lists and reservations, and more.

Once you’ve found that restaurant software that can meet your basic requirements, give it a test drive to learn how to use it. Even though there would be a learning curve for your staff when you purchase a new POS system, and since a POS software is easy to learn and navigate it can save you time on staff training.

You may have a couple of your staff to to be involved in the evaluation of the software while testing it. They may try different kinds of inputs and changes to the system that can cause problems with some software.

• Security – create login accounts for each employee. With this you are able to limit your employees’ access to some reports as well as the functions (such as comping meals) to managers, if desired.
• Flexibility – servers should be able to manipulate checks to match your patrons’ whims: easily splitting checks and tracking special orders, for example.
• Reporting – one the main advantages of restaurant software for owners and managers is the detailed reporting available. So you better make sure the software you choose gets the neccessary detailed information on your business transactions either by per server or over all sales from day-to-day or annually.
• Multiple location support – if applicable, make sure that your POS system is able to track and record on multiple locations, including local differences in staffing and pricing.

Don’t forget your hardware
Of course you’ll need to invest in restaurant POS hardware as well: computers to run the restaurant software on, touch-screen displays for servers to enter order, and printers to produce order slips for the kitchen. Along with POS software is hardware – the biggest hardware decision you’ll have to make is how many stations you need.

Think you need more learning when it comes to searching for the right POS dealer? You can read more information and get free unbiased quotes from the Restaurant POS professionals serving your area.

The author of this article is the VP of Customer Relations at POS-For-Restaurants with over 20 years of POS experience meeting the automation needs of restaurants of all types throughout the U.S.

All your application can perform perfectly on an average POS computer but don’t forget that some POS software requires newer versions of OS and regular updates. If you plan to buy your computer components separately with different resellers, you may want to coordinate with them and always keep in contact should any problem occur.

Avoid using your restaurant POS computers for anything other than POS! Some restaurant owners ignorantly connects their POS computers to the internet for web browsing emailing, most of them end up having corrupt files, data loss or suffer from system crashes. Although all of these can be repaired by having a good back up plan, it is still much safer that you do not use your POS computer for anything other than POS. You may be able to restore your files but once you ignorantly use it again to connect to the internet, you’ll end up with the same old problems. Loosing valuable time and spending loads of money on continues repairs.

Checking Your Restaurant POS Software

There are a lot of things you must consider before ordering a restaurant POS software. Check first if it has the features that will work perfectly for your business, its compatibility with your POS computer and never forget to check if the price is reasonable. These are just some of the bits and pieces of the things you need to know before ordering a POS software.

Most restaurant POS software packages offers the same functionallity, so choose wisely based on their prices. With its powerful tools you can easily create checks, place special orders, generate waiting list, move diners from the bar to a table and even track orders per server! You may also add more features depending on the volume of customers you get and for your convenience as well.

Internet data boards: This part of your POS terminal takes a snapshot of the day’s business which you can access from anywhere with a web connection, comes very handy if you want to view your other branch’s business performance. You can also donwload data from other branches and have total peace of mind, knowing that your other branches are doing fine.

Multimanagement: From the multi-manager approach in business management. This a big factor to consider when it comes to managing multiple branches. Because different branch managers have different sets of skills and area of specialties, neither all of them or just by one manager can handle all branches. That’s why each branch manager’s assests is assessed and carefully pick two of the best to smoothly manage all the branches. Avoiding conflicts and making business management more efficient.

A multimanagement POS software allows sharing of data and allocation across multiple branches[By using a multimanagement POS software, it allows multiple branches to share data and allocation across multiple branches].

Program for frequent diners: A frequent diner POS software program provides a better allocation of your customers’ accumulated points through meals or items they’ve purchased, which they can later exchange for free desserts or discounts. With this you can easily award points to your customers to keep them coming back. You can help boost your sales as well as your low-performing items.

For a growing restaurant, you may want to consider adding more POS software to enhance your business performance and increase your profit. You’ll find it easy to add and change POS systems, install new software and replace old computer components. What’s really important is you must know first the type of restaurant POS equipment or software your business needs before heading on to the nearest POS vendor serving your area.

In advance, you can acquire free competitive price lists from the expert POS vendors serving your area. They’ll be happy to provie you any type of POS systems You need. With a simple request for a FREE POS system quote, you will be able to get intouch with the most qualified vendors in your area.

Remember, check the POS software or hardware first before buying it. You may also want to check if the user interface of your POS software is easy to learn and navigate, so your staff can serve customers faster and more accurate.

For more information or to have a local POS professional serving the restaurant industry near your location contact you find more information on our website POS-For-Restaurants.com.

Few of the best restaurant POS software that can help you save time, lower costs and increase profit!

You may not consider getting into the restaurant business because it’s not one of well known high-tech endeavor. Even so, numerous restaurant Point of Sale software programs are being developed in order to help boost the restaurant business. And there’s more good news: most of this software costs less for smaller retail businesses that operate only a few eateries or even a single location. The various software products currently available can help you:

1. Greatly increase profits|Double your profits|Increase your profits
2. Lower food costs
3. Streamline staff scheduling
4. Improve table and customer management
5. Improve customer reservations system
6. Gain complete control of inventory
7. Menu designs

Cost out your recipes

Accurate recipe costing can put you on the fast track to success. With the right figures, you can easily identify your most profitable meals as well as items that aren’t performing well. Software programs can help eliminate human error in this vital area.

Tables and reservation management

A reservation software can be very useful for managing reservations, cancellation, differentiate VIPs from regulars, track customer preferences and can even reduce no-shows. It can also help you maximize table management and improve your guest management.

Inventory control and tracking

Restaurant inventory management includes controlling quantities of goods, proper handling, re-stocking and delivering. It can be considered as the crucial part of business management, so it’s very important for the restaurant owner to have full control and keeping track of his invetory.

Recommended:

The best contacts and resources to help you make the right choice for your restaurant point of sale system are available at POS-For-Restaurants.com

Correct ordering and purchasing

Look for a POS software that streamlines the ordering and purchasing process, giving you more time to concentrate on revenue-generating activities.

Recommended:

The best contacts and resources to help you make the right choice for your restaurant point of sale (POS) systems are available at POS-For-Restaurants.com

Software for creating menu designs

If you make frequent changes to your menu or you simply don’t want the hassle and expense of hiring a graphic designer, use software that helps you create designer-quality menus.

Proper employee scheduling

Every restaurant owner knows that scheduling employees can be a real headache. When performed manually, the task is time-consuming and often results in mistakes, such as understaffing or overstaffing.

Recommended:

The best contacts and resources to help you make the right choice for your restaurant point of sale system are available at POS-For-Restaurants.com

A few simple advice that can really help your business’ growth

• When operating on more than one restaurant, it’s alway a wise decision to test-drive your software first on one before implementing it to all.
• Using your restaurant software programs’ powerful reporting features, you can easily review your sales, customers and menu. Analyze them and make changes, this will surely help you improve your performance and increase profits.

Bar owners shouldn’t have to spend time worrying about product shrinkage or lack of inventory. With the right bar POS software, you can avoid these concerns and concentrate on running the business and growing profits.

You can handle almost any customer transaction using bar POS software. Your POS can display information like the average bar tab in a given night, the number of open tabs, returns or invalid tabs, and debit card processing details. The software also provides comprehensive reporting so you can manage inventory, determine which top-selling items to keep in stock, and track the performance of new products.

Powerful features of a bar POS software
A very important bar POS software feature is the liquor inventory control. This tracks all the liquor, wine, and beer you have in stock and lets you know when certain items are running low. It even tracks how much liquor goes into each drink, so you could know how much money you can earn. It also helps keep staff honest – since supplies are closely monitored, they’ll be less likely to give their friends free drinks.

The software also offers other cool features to help you streamline your operations and track overall sales performance (you may want to request for a free POS system quote where a bar Point of Sale professional can tailor the right POS solution to meet your needs):

• Secured login– Requires authorized staff to log in each time they use the software.
• Liquor control devices (LCDs) – Track the exact amount of alcohol bartenders pour from bottles to reduce shrinkage.
• Recipe lookup – This provides bartenders a “cheat sheet” reference for looking up on indgredients when preparing mixed drinks.
• Data import and export – Downloads reports into your word processing or spreadsheet software for your personal bookkeeping efforts.
• Email list maintenance – Keeps customers informed on new product releases, and special events at your establishment. It can also build up customer loyalty thus it increase your profit.
• Gift card management – Adds gift card capabilities to your bar POS software that supports your brand and bring in repeat business.
• Schedule promotions – This bar POS software feature automatically manages price changes on alcohol under limited time promotions like “happy hour.”
• Barcode readers – Speeds up customer serving by quickly scanning barcodes of beer and malt beverage bottles.
• Employee scheduling – This features helps determine the exact number of staff neeeded for certain shifts based on your sales history.
• Customer management tools – Help manage open bar tabs, check split requests, and gratuities.
• Food service integration – Processes food and drink orders on one screen.
• Menu management – Toggles between different liquors so you can accurately track the amount of liquor that goes into certain drinks.

Need more information or an online resource?

Go to POS-For-Restaurants.com

The author of this article is the Vice-President on Customer Relations at POS-For-Restaurants with over 20 years of experience serving restaurants of all types throughout the U.S.

1. Scheduling Your Employees. Some restaurant POS packages includes a “staff scheduling” feature. You can expect to increase efficiency and dramatically reduce overall labor costs by controlling time-ins and time-outs, utilizing forecasting tools and control staffing levels. Integrated features allow for easy schedule access, unlimited shifts and multiple job positions for each staff. You can tie in any number of security functions to any job position. Some of the packages even allows you to post schedule on a website and sends an email of the schedule to your staff automatically. Keep your labor costs in check and increase employee performance by managing time and attendance efficiently and effectively.

2. Software Upgrade Assurance or SUA. SUA is a software maintenance program that gives you a distinct advantage when you purchase a POS system. It enables you to extend the life of your restaurant POS system and help stretch your investment. Customers who are on an SUA plan will always have the latest software version. This basically keeps their POS system new. Whenever you receive an upgrade it’s just like you’ve bought the latest and most current POS system available with the newest and most up-to-date features your restaurant can greatly benefit from. The most current features of a POS system set ensures that you have the best possible ROI by allowing you to have full advantage of what its POS software features offer.

One other very important feature of SUA programs is that no software purchase is required if you upgrade or replace a hardware. When hardware needs to be replaced there is a drastically reduced cost to upgrade.

Typically, these programs work on a yearly fee for you to acquire their benefits. Ma customers are satisfied receiving the huge benefits of this program that help reap the full return on their POS investment.

3. Handling Tips. Some of the point of sale software products has a builtin tip tracking feature in their time in attendance module. Once you set one of your staff as a tipped employee, the POS system will require a tip declaration prior to clock out. Servers and waiters who ring sales will get their total sales tracked. Tips collected through credit card sales are tracked and shown on the server closeout report. Prior to clock out, the server/waiter will be shown their total sales, collected charge tips collected and then asked to declare their cash tips. This functionality will help you enforce tip regulations and manage the tracking declared tips, charge tips and hours worked for every tipped employee.

4. Customer Loyalty Programs! As the restaurant owner you would like your point of sale system to provide accurate information on your customer’s number and frequency of visits, their buying habits, entice repeat visits and purchases through reward programs like a loyalty card, reward card or points card. You are able to do all this while managing the programs and preventing “sweet hearting” by employees. Prevent retail loss at all cost! Sweet hearting happens when an employee promises a deal to a customer so that he/she can close a sale.

Some POS packages come standard with a frequent diner or customer loyalty package that does all these things and more. By expertly tracking down your guests and their buying habits, you can prevent retail loss. You establish a database of account numbers using your guests information.. You may use their phone numbers or any number system you want. However, the most popular and secured method is by using magnetic cards with a logo of your business. These cards may act as a simple reminder of your restaurant to your customers by having your business logo in their wallet or purse. The software will secure the reward programs you put in place and prevent your server or waiter give away food. Rewards are given only when earned through purchases, frequent visits or for items on your menu that you wish to highlight. By establishing reward programs takes your employees out of the game and puts you in total control.

If you look closely, you will find that there are so many ways to run your business more efficiently by paying enough attention to your exact needs. You may have the latest restaurant POS equipment in town but your business doesn’t really require one, you’re just flushing money down the drain.

The author is the VP of Customer Relations for POS-for-Restaurants.com. With over 20 years of restaurant experience, POS-for-Restaurants.com helping business owners you their technology to be more efficient and more profitable.

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1. Wireless Hand Held POS Devices. The newest generation of wireless restaurant hand held POS devices allow your servers greater freedom to take orders as well as collect payment without leaving the customer. Servers can present your daily specials to your customers on the spot, easily process credit cards from table to table, send a bread request for table 37 to the kitchen, and also the ability to add walk-ins to the waiting list – right from the handheld device. With this, your servers are able to spend more time interacting with more customers keeping them happy and keeping them coming back.

2. The “Sticky” Paper Printer. One of the newest invention for POS systems is the “sticky” paper printers. These printers use paper similar to a Post-It which allows you to reposition the receipt over and over again. The paper can be printed to whatever length you need, then stick to any surface where it will remain unless you remove and/or plan to stick it elsewhere. With these printers, the paper can stay with the order through the entire order process. The new paper is also liner-free so there’s no need to manage non-recyclable waste and can be easily removed and restuck to a different surface – again and again. You can use it for all orders, instant and special orders, as bag tags or any combination.

3. Digital Menu Board or Signage. Your POS system can be used to deliver media rich content, using video, audio and pictures. Some of the POS bundles have fully integrated and seamless digital menu board software that allows the creation of content using the same database. Menu titles, pages, menu items, and prices can all be interlaced with high-quality multimedia to give your restaurant menu board that can give both a dramatic and interactive display without having to spend extra money for addtional components.

With a digital menu board, you can easily sent to display content from your restaruant’s database in real-time, so the menu board continually updates throughout the day!

4. Self-Service or interactive Kiosk. Also called interactive kiosk, a self-service device first used in photo machines. This great restaurant POS system can be a piece of self-service hardware device that works in combination with a self-service software where customers can perform their transactions with ease. For a restaruant POS system, a kiosk software may come in package and those that do not, allows adding a kiosk with no separate software required. Kiosk software can be used to cut down on labor costs and speed up the ordering process. It can even enhance customer’s user experience enabling a whole new level of profitability!

5. Paging Customer Cell Phones. Some restaurants are selecting to take the more modern approach by paging customers’ personal cell phones. This can be done by allowing your host or hostess take the guest’s cell phone number and inputs it into their cell phone paging system device. And when their table is ready, the paging system sends a call to the cell phone with an automated voice message to notify the guest that he or she maybe seated. This may be convenient way for guests who want to roam farther than conventional pagers will allow and there is no fear of the customer walking away with your pager.

This small list is just the appetizer when it comes to restaurant technology. More to come in the following months…

The author Michael Tash is VP of Customer Relations at POS-for-Restaurants.com. With over 20 years of restaurant experience, POS-for-Restaurants.com helps businesses use their technology to be more efficient and more profitable.