5 Ways POS Software Can Help Restaurants Survive Any Pandemic

A restaurant point of sale (POS) system is one of the smartest investments you can make in 2020 if you own a restaurant. Restaurant POS software has always allowed restaurant owners to provide a cutting-edge dining experience. They help cut costs, maintain accurate records, and are incredibly mobile. But there's an entirely new and somewhat unfortunate reason why these devices are so useful: the Coronavirus.

The restaurant industry has been impacted significantly during this pandemic. People are afraid to leave their homes and eat in public spaces—and that's with good reason. Furthermore, restaurant owners and workers are taking a significant risk in dealing with customers up close and personal. However, the latest restaurant POS software can make this entire process much more comfortable and safer than it has ever been. Here are five different ways that it can help your restaurant survive the pandemic.

1. Contactless Payments
According to CDC reports and FAQs, COVID-19 can only be spread through the air or contact. To protect customers from the virus’s airborne spread, you should require some sort of face covering in your restaurant. Now, that leaves the question of, “how do you stop the spread of the virus by contact?" This is particularly difficult when you run a business where cash is exchanged. Luckily, an advanced POS system can remedy this problem to a large degree.

Contactless payment systems can become extremely helpful during these uncertain times, yet many business owners haven't upgraded their systems to handle the technology. Whether it's credit cards, debit cards, or smartphones, the customer has multiple options when it comes to paying with no contact involved. However, in order to reap the softy benefits of contactless payment, upgrading your out-of-date POS system is essential.

2. Online Ordering
It's safe to say that many restaurants are only surviving this pandemic thanks to online ordering. This is especially true in states and cities where restaurants are not allowed to provide a dine-in experience. However, with such a spike in online ordering, you want to be sure that your business is setup to handle it. Equipping your restaurant with essential software and systems that can process a mass of online orders may be the difference between your business thriving or failing during the pandemic.

The idea of incorporating online ordering may sound overwhelming at first, but it doesn't have to be. State-of-the-art restaurant POS software makes it just as easy as if they were ordering inside the store. As a matter of fact, it might even be easier because you don't have to deal with disgruntled customers.

3. Delivery Integration
As a business owner, you're probably aware of the incredible evolving nature that restaurants have had over the past decade. Most notably, restaurant delivery has become a large success in growth for restaurants as 60% of US consumers order delivery or takeout at least once a week. Thankfully, innovative POS systems are capable of integrating delivery/takeout capabilities along with many other restaurant advancement into one single piece of hardware.

An order can be processed online, prepared at the restaurant, and then delivered by any of the popular services used today like GrubHub or DoorDash. The best POS systems feature integration for all of the most popular delivery services so that you don't waste time scheduling deliveries yourself.

4. Marketing To Engage
Influential marketing is more critical now than it has ever been. Remember, a lot of people are hesitant to leave their homes, much less eat at a restaurant. They may even be wary of having food delivered to them via delivery service. That means you'll need to focus more than ever on marketing to the masses and reassuring your existing customers that your business is safe. Even when it comes to sending marketing messages to new and existing customers, a high-tech POS system can assist with this as well.

5. Reward Loyal Customers
This final benefit goes hand-in-hand with the last. Most of today's POS systems come with the option to offer loyalty programs to customers. As we all know, being a loyal member of any business is always a fun and rewarding experience. The occasional surprises and discounts make it worth the few moments it takes to sign up. So why not offer customers that opportunity? From a business perspective, it’s also a great way to retain customers and increase business sales as 46% of consumers say they increase their business with companies offering loyalty programs.

Your Restaurant Can Survive
These are challenging times for any restaurant owner. They need to take every step necessary to ensure they survive this pandemic without losing their customers. Investing in state-of-the-art restaurant POS software is a great way to accomplish this. They can reward loyal customers, send automated marketing messages, and never worry about contact that could spread the virus.