Restaurant POS Equipment: Checking for Proper Input Devices
POS Equipment – types of input devices
Point of Sale Equipment: Keyboards and touch screens
One of the first choices you will have to make about your point of sale equipment is whether to go with a touch screen or a programmable keyboard. Most businesses choose touch screens. The only market where keyboards are mostly used is grocery stores, since it has the ability to program individual keys for specific item codes and prices.
Because touch screens are designed by restaurant owners, it focuses more on meeting the needs of a restaurant that’s why they are more intuitive to use and “user-friendly”. They also provide more flexibility in the user interface and programming. Most touch screens sold today are flat-screen LCDs instead of traditional CRT monitors. While LCD touch screens are slightly more expensive (typically $600 – $1,000 instead of $400 – $500), they are sturdier, saves electricity, and saves up space. They even look much better. With both CRT and LCD displays, avoid “overlay” touch screens that are added on to regular monitors – they are more prone to breakdowns and add an unnecessary complication to your system.
About keyboards, some has the standard 101-keys model similar to any computer. For smaller keyboards, there’s the flat-panel membrane keyboard that’s more POS-specific, you often see on fast food outlets. Often, POS keyboards come with built-in magnetic stripe readers for processing credit cards. Programmable keyboards usually go for between $150 and $300.
No matter which you choose, make sure you consider the environment where it will be used. Both keyboards and touch screens are available with varying levels of spill and dust-proofing.
POS Scanners
All scanners work in the same basic manner, reading a bar code and sending the resulting numbers back to the computer. They typically connect to the system through Y-connectors called wedges that make them function as an extension of the keyboard. It can improve the speed of transaction as well as accurately stores information.
Low quality, cheap scanners are based on CCD technology. These scanners are inexpensive, but usually have a very short range – an item being scanned needs to be 1 to 3 inches from the scanner. In a typical retail setting, this should be fine.
Laser scanners uses a beam of light in order to read bar codes, they offer much better scanning ability since they are able to scan at long ranges. You may find some laser scanners that automatically turn themselves on when scanning and then turn off again, this is called “autosensing”. Omnidirectional scanners send out 15 or 20 lasers simultaneously, making bar code scanning from any angle easy. And the top of the line are embedded scanners, these are omnidirectional scanners commonly seen in supermarkets located below the counter for easy access.
Choose a scanner based on your customer volume. If the counter line has only one or a couple of customers, the CCDs or entry-level laser scanners should. A fairly constant flow of customers might call for an autosensing model, and for businesses with high volume of traffic, they should check out omnidirectional or embedded scanners. Prices range from below 0 for the most basic CCD scanners to 0 or more for omnidirectional laser scanners.
Handheld POS terminal
One of the latest and clever type of input device is the handheld, wireless terminal. For PDAs, it can take orders and transmits it wirelessly it back to its base station. A great advantage for restaurants is that they increase the amount of time servers spend on the floor taking orders and interacting with customers, because it eliminates the need to go back to a terminal to enter orders.
Newer still are write-on handhelds: the combination of a touch screen interface and PDAs, this tiny input device allow servers to simply write the orders down. Handwriting recognition software parses the order then sends it directly on to the kitchen and bar to prepare the orders.
These handheld terminals costs more compared to a traditional touch-screen order terminal. However, these devices can make up for their cost by up-selling your customers more desserts and drinks. If are planning to purchase any handheld device, evaluate it first and don’t forget about the “drop test” – these units are rated for toughness according to how much they can survive a fall. You can easily find out if your business is a candidate for handheld POS terminals by comparing multiple POS equipment vendors and check out their offered products and services.
Need more information or an online resource?
Go to POS-For-Restaurants.com
The author of this article is the Vice-President of Customer Relations at POS-For-Restaurants with over 20 years of experience serving restaurants of all types throughout the U.S.
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