Aboriginal Buying Group

Are you looking for the perfect computer system for your restaurant? Regardless of whether you are looking at a system for your office or restaurant, there are a couple of things you should keep in mind when installing systems that will help you manage your office data and help you operate your business.

1. Network cabling. The majority of systems are computer-based, designed to run on Microsoft Windows technology. This means that the workstations and computer equipments will communicate over standard Ethernet networking. Although wireless communications have been the talk of the town these days, it is still highly recommended 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.

Regardless of who does the cabling, all must be properly plugged and tested before installing any equipment. Each equipment will be needing a cable drop. A cable drop is the cable that connects a device to a network, like your computer or remote printer connecting to a networking source.

For a restaurant POS system, the restaurant should be wired with CAT 5 or 6 network cabling that connects 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. Installing a dedicated and isolated circuits for your restaurant POS equipment such as your POS computers, network devices such as hubs and routers, and phone systems that can share. There should be no other electrical equipment on this circuitry. Preferably, your network, phone, and electrical service will be near one another. An isolated circuit means its ground is separated from that of the main electrical service. This helps to prevent spikes and surges that can destroy motherboards and hard drives. Note, however, you may still want to use surge protectors at each workstation.

3. Designing workspace. When designing your workstation area, be sure to leave ample space to comfortably fit all needed equipments there. Tabletop space for server stations should be large enough to place your computer monitor, guest check printer, and possibly a credit card terminal if you’re planning to use separate credit card equipment. Leave enough space below the tabletop to hold the computer, surge protector, power strip and your UPS.

If you want to place your workstations on mill-manufactured surfaces 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 give sufficient space for cords and cables on most POS systems.

For the 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. Be sure to get the drawer specifications from your supplier in advance if you are building a custom countertop so that the drawer is recessed into or underneath the counter.

4. Service Plans. Most vendors will offer some type of service plan 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 retail establishments like a restaurant. Printers will eventually break, fans will fail, and hard drives will crash. How often they rely upon the conditions under which they operate. Dirt, dust, heat and moisture are the most common danger to office and restaruant POS equipment.

There are those people who rarely experience problems wih their computers while others continue to deal with same problems. The best thing a retail business owner can do is to invest in good equipment and maintain it to reduce future damages. Many restaurant POS solutions provider will offer ongoing service agreements 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 represent a sizable investment. But if you dedicate the time and planning required to properly put in place and maintain the system, you are more apt 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 Customer Relations Vice President at POS-for-Restaurants.com — With over 20 years of restaurant experience that helps ensure that your technology is more efficient and your business more profitable .

Grow Your Profits

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

For businesses in the food service industry, running a restaurant point of sale system, this can greatly help you!

Taking Checks

Checks may not come mostly from teenagers, but their still widely used especially among older customers. So if you have not been accepting checks, start soon. There’s equipment that will scan the check as quickly as a credit card, check out and measure them against a nationwide database of bad check writers, deposits the money electronically, and can guarantee that funds will be delivered to you within a few days. In addition, the cost is typically lower than for credit cards and could add 10-15 percent to sales—possibly more if seniors make up the majority of your customers.

Accepting All Cards

Of course, you’re already accepting cards like Visa and MasterCard. How about cards like Discover and American Express? Particularly, the latter accompanies larger transactions in general. You might have hesitated because of the high fees, but do reconsider—you may also think that it’s not worth it even a 1% difference, and since American Express transactions are often larger than those of other cards, you’ll make it up in gross profit. Furthermore, your customers may keep coming back because they’ll know that your business accepts all forms of credit cards.

Do Your Research

Most merchants think their fees are 1.69% plus an additional $.19 because that’s their qualified rate on a tiered pricing program. Though fewer than 20 out of 100 transactions receive the 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.

Understanding Statements

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.

Internet Reporting

Don’t wait for the post office to deliver a letter disputing a charge. With the help of online reporting, you’ll exactly know what’s up within 24 hours, which ables you to aggressively defend against chargebacks. With this kind of quick response, it can increase your success rates and reduce your losses.

So you won’t have to scratch a head over a complex credit card statement, as well as your bookkeeper.

Use the Card Validation Value and Address Verification System. They are highly effective fraud screens proven to reduce losses, and by using them the right way, you can obtain the lowest possible discount rate.

One more thing, you need to avoid vicious hackers by being PCI compliant. Hackers can cause you mammoth of fines, and even drives them out of business. Find time to read Visa’s report on noncompliant systems, so you’d always be alert.

Taking Care Of Chargebacks

If you run an online or phone ordering business, it’s always a great idea to implement the “Verified by Visa” or “MasterCard Secure Code” plug-in on your web site. This can help eliminate the chargebacks on cardholder nonauthorization. The state of being legally obliged and responsible for these chargebacks will be shifted away from you to the issuing card bank, and you qualify for the lowest discount rate available. This simple step could eliminate up to 80 percent of all chargebacks and increase your profits.

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 with restaurant point of sale systems.

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.