Remember going out to eat before the age of computers? A server would walk up to your table, whip out a pad of paper, pull a pen from behind their ear, and ask, “what’ll ya have?”

Of course, that’s if you were lucky enough to get someone who took notes. Most would wing it, banking on their years of experience to remember the details of your order.

The passage of time makes us remember experiences like this as the “good ol’ days.” We’ll wistfully remember a surly server and some funny stories that go along with her.

You’ll hardly ever find that old-timey eating-out experience anymore. And honestly, it’s a good thing.

Most of us tend to hold onto the good things as we age. A waitress who always knew our favorite drink order or dessert or called out our name when we walked through the door.

We don’t remember the hundreds of other experiences that went the other way. Servers who couldn’t be found for half an hour, forgot our orders, or rang us up secretly for something more expensive than what we really ordered.

Systems emerged over the years that streamlined the process a bit. Early POS systems were a radical departure from the old methods. But while they did help standardize orders to the kitchen and gave clarity over billing, they were cumbersome and inefficient. Servers would need to travel to some spot away from their customers to key in any orders or changes. This took them away from the guests and caused them to lose time they could spend attending to their needs.

The Handheld POS System Emerges

Thankfully, a new type of POS system became available to businesses. Handheld POS systems are a significant upgrade over the old, off to the side of restaurant payment processing systems. They’re a natural evolution and, in some ways, almost a full circle return to the old style of standing at the table with a pad in hand. 

Almost everyone alive these days is comfortable with a smartphone, so it’s only natural that those were used to replace the old pen and pad or kiosk POS systems. They’re light, agile, and you can move with them. 

Some of the Benefits You Enjoy With A Handheld POS System

Table-Side Ordering

One of the most apparent advantages of a mobile POS system is the ability for servers to take orders table-side. We all know that the more time servers are on the floor and available to customers, the happier they’ll be. 

Improve Accuracy and Efficiency

With servers taking the order table-side with the mobile POS system, you can say goodbye to forgotten orders. Servers juggle many tasks during their shifts, and a mobile POS makes one of their essential tasks much more manageable. They’ll also spend less time walking away from customer areas, increasing their efficiency every shift. You might just find you need fewer servers on the floor than before.

Pay At The Table

Payments can make or break a customer’s experience. Yes, you did a fantastic job on the meal, and everyone was happy. But that final bit of time spent looking all over the restaurant for their server to pay out ruins many a diner’s night. Thanks to a mobile POS, servers accept the payment directly at the table. No more hanging onto credit cards while other customers are flagging them down.

Increase Turnovers

For busier restaurants, every minute counts. Imagine how many more guests you can seat when you’ve shaved off all that wasted time? Servers were traveling to and from POS kiosks, customers could not flag someone down because they were not on the floor, etc. With all this wasted time eradicated, you can clear tables faster and increase profits.

Print Check or Send to Email

A handheld POS system allows you to print a check directly or send the receipt to the customer’s email. This might not sound that impressive initially, but getting customers into your email system can have huge marketing potential for your business.

Not Just For Restaurants

Many associate a handheld POS system with restaurant servers. Sure, restaurant handheld POS systems are on the rise. But their use isn’t limited just to restaurant work.  

Any business dealing with customers benefits from a handheld POS system.

Retail

“Showrooming” is when customers come to your business to try something on, but they intend to go home and shop online to see if they can find it cheaper. With a mobile POS, your floor person is ready to gently push the sale while customers are engaged with a product.

Delivery

Sure, Amazon has its own efficient system. But that doesn’t work for many types of goods and services. Many are still running delivery operations that require payment on delivery or other alternate methods of payments or signatures. A handheld POS system allows delivery operations to provide extra layers of service and tracking information for their customers.

Catering Services

Catering is a service that’s often overlooked. But a mobile, go-anywhere payment system opens up so many new avenues for revenue generation. Upsell some drinks at the table and have the guests pay individually without worrying about who’s taking care of the bill.

Don’t get left behind. Get started with a handheld POS system today

If your business hasn’t yet adopted handheld POS system technology, don’t wait to get started. Customers are increasingly expecting to see these technologies in even the smallest businesses. 

The setup costs are quickly recuperated with the increase you’ll see in efficiency. 

At DBS, we have several different handheld POS systems crafted for various industries. If you have questions about features, service, or prices, give us a call today so we can schedule a demo with you.