4 Items to Consider when Choosing a Pizza POS Provider

If you’re shopping for a new pizza POS system, you know there are options for all price ranges, capabilities and services. How do you know if a pizza POS provider is the right fit for you? Ask these four questions:

1. Do they talk Pizza?

Pizza restaurants have specialized operations. If the company you’re considering only promotes solutions for cafes or juice bars, you should keep looking. Be honest about your technology needs. Don’t pay for features you’ll never use, but don’t get talked into a system that barely fits the bill. Some of the features the pizza POS should include are:

• Ordering, modifiers, half and half
• Pricing and inventory tracking
• Coupons (ranging from simple to complex with topping requirements)
• CRM or customer database with preference storage and last order recall
• Delivery routing and tracking
• Driver management

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2. Which particular pizza POS should we use?

If you’ve narrowed your choices to POS systems designed for pizzerias, there are a number of other factors that should influence your choice:

• Up-to- Date Technology. Evaluate a company’s offerings to see if they are the most current available. A pizza POS system should last for a few years, so don’t invest anything that’s already dated. If you’re in the market for an iPad POS, make sure you can purchase everything — peripherals, installation and tech support — from one company.
• Flexibility and Scalability. Choose a company that fits your needs today but also gives you flexibility to meet future goals. Ask the provider if their product line includes different modules for expansion.
• Value. If you own a small mom and pop restaurant, you probably don’t need the biggest, most expensive pizza POS system. Do some price comparisons to see if the system you’ve chosen is the most affordable for your business and if you are getting the best value for your money. Also investigate available payment plans.
• Company Stability. Purchasing a system from a fly-by- night company with rock bottom pricing is never recommended. Choose a stable company with a good track record of doing business. Ask if the company has a team of developers that will continue to create quality solutions and products.

3. Can the company provide references?

Don’t be shy about asking for references of other pizzerias in your area using the software. Call or visit them to see how the pizza POS works and be prepared to ask questions about the company’s service, tech support and updates.

4. Does the pizza POS provider offer support?

Eventually, something is going to go wrong and your pizza POS system will need to be serviced. Before you sign on the dotted line, ask if software updates and support is included or if they’re an additional cost. It’s also important to ask if the company offers same-day, on-site service or if it requires you to send parts in for repair. For troubleshooting, ask if the company has a dedicated support team, the hours they are available to speak with directly, and whether support is outsourced.

The time you spend researching options for your business’ new pizza POS system will pay off in a system that makes your business more productive and efficient. Don’t settle for less than a system that meets your pizzeria’s specific needs and is backed by the support of an established company to keep it operating at peak performance.