While selecting a point of sale solution can seem like a daunting task, it really doesn’t have to be. With a wide variety of options, features, and benefits, your software selection process can quickly turn into a nightmare. Thankfully, we’ve put together a list of five essential features that any point of sale software solution must have to be considered amongst the best (hint – Teres Point of Sale includes all of these features and more!).
- Fully Integrated
Operating a hotel with a point of sale solution that isn’t integrated with your property management system is like eating those last few bites of dessert when you are completely full – it might seem like a good idea at the time, but you’ll quickly regret it. By implementing point of sale software that is directly tied into your PMS, you can ensure that all data will be both accurate and secure. With a single, centralized ecosystem, information can flow back and forth with ease. For example, guests can make food and beverage or retail purchases throughout the hotel, which will automatically be added to their guest folio. This process helps to improve operational efficiency, while creating a more seamless guest experience – which only stands to benefit your property.
- Easy to Use
There is nothing worse than investing time (and money) into learning how to use a point of sale solution, only to find out that it’s too complicated and difficult to use. A truly easy to use and simple point of sale software should allow staff to intuitively learn how to operate the system with ease. If your POS system is not user friendly, or takes too long to implement, employee satisfaction will quickly decrease resulting in dissatisfied guests as well. In addition, a point of sale solution that has an easy to navigate menu and tabs can go a long way to simplifying each transaction. Specific functionalities such as smart logic and effortless configuration will have your staff trained quickly and your hotel up and running in no time!
- Secure Payment Processing
While security is often considered a ‘nice to have’ or even worse, an afterthought, one doesn’t have to look to far to see the impacts of a data breach. Whether your credit card has been compromised or you’ve been a victim of identity theft, there are plenty of thieves out there looking to steal your data. With that being said, selecting a point of sale software that is fully safe and secure is one of the most important factors to consider. Ideally, the POS solution should be backed by Point-to-Point Encryption (P2PE), EMV, and tokenization to ensure guest data is protected at all times. With the potential cost and damages a data breach would cause, a highly secure point of sale solution is integral in today’s world.
- Scalable Solution
Nobody likes to find out that they are stuck, especially when they have put a lot of effort into implementing and learning how to operate their POS solution. Unfortunately, many properties find themselves in that exact situation. Whether it’s additional workstations or inventory items, businesses today want to be able to adapt as their needs change. Having said that, many of the POS systems on the market today are both inflexible and limiting in terms of their scalability. When researching point of sale software, make sure the solution has unlimited functionality, such as menus, items, and terminals to ensure that your property is able to adjust accordingly, and avoid getting, well – stuck.
- Customizable
Let’s face it, not every property is the same, so why should your point of sale solution be one size fits all? The reality is that it shouldn’t, but yet so many properties are saddled with software that can’t be customized to suit their needs. When looking into different point of sale systems, ensure you determine what level of customizability exists to fit your property. For example, the ability to create an unlimited amount of room layouts and table configurations is ideal for properties that may have unique spaces or change their arrangement on a regular basis. Don’t fit a square peg into a round hole, find a point of sale solution that has the highest level of customization available to give your solution a personal touch.
Interested in learning more about Teres Point of Sale? Simply request a demo today and we’ll be happy to walk you through our solution. Also, be sure to follow us on social media to stay up-to-date with our latest news and updates!