8 Reasons to use Handhelds with your Restaurant POS System
Advancements in handheld technology are changing the way that the hospitality industry operates. The days of wait staff taking customer orders with a pen and notepad are coming to an end, and restaurateurs are beginning to take advantage of portable devices in their business operations. Why? Here are 8 reasons to use handhelds with your restaurant POS system.
1. Efficiency Servers can stay on the floor without having to enter orders at a POS terminal. This saves them time and makes the entire ordering process more efficient.
2. Verification Orders can be verified right in front of your guests, allowing time for changes to be made and eliminating the likelihood of errors.
3. Security With Credit at Table Service (CATS), available with Future Fusion, customers can swipe their credit cards right from their table. This ensures tighter security, and provides peace of mind to your customers.
4. Information Access Reports and other important information can be viewed right from the handheld device. This simplifies managerial decision making, and allows you to oversee your business from other locations.
5. Cost Savings Not only has the cost of handhelds decreased, but ordering via portable devices results in fewer errors and less wasted inventory. Servers can also cover more tables, which can ultimately lead to lower labor costs.
6. Higher Sales By using handhelds with your restaurant POS system, your staff can dedicate more time to actually selling your menu items and less time to taking orders. Customers may also be more apt to order additional food and drinks, since they don't have to wait as long for servers to travel back and forth between POS terminals.
7. Tableside Printing By incorporating a wireless printer, your handhelds allow you to print checks, coupons, frequent diner information, and other marketing promotions right at the table. This is a major convenience factor, and it redirects your business focus from the POS terminal to the customer. 
8. Flexibility A bar or restaurant POS system integrated with handheld technology offers a higher degree of flexibility, especially when it comes to connecting multiple business operations. Read this Future POS case study to find out how handhelds helped to link the box office and food/beverage sales of a Chicago comedy club.
For more information on handheld technology, click here to download our informational handout.
Photo Credits: The Point of Sale News