Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Top Things to Consider Before Buying a Point of Sale Solution for Hotel

As a hotelier choosing to upgrade from the good old cash registers to a point of sale software is a huge step. Thus it is a critical decision that every hotel manager faces: how to go about choosing the right hotel POS software for your business. The process can be a daunting experience especially if you chose the wrong system as it is very costly to replace.

So before you go on shopping for different POS software, there are some things you need to consider first. These are:

Identify the Needs of Your Business First

Every business has unique needs and so is your hotel. Identify them first. There are many soft-ware in the market today. Some are designed for marketing needs with less daily transactions. On the other hand there are also some systems that were developed for fast-moving hotels with tools to aid thousand daily transactions, has robust inventory solution and many more.

Purchase your POS Software and Hardware from the Same Company

Purchase everything from one company. From the software to the hardware and service, get them from one supplier. This eliminates the blame game should technical errors arise which is common when multiple vendors are involved. By having one supplier, you have a single point of contact for all your service and support needs. In addition, buying everything from one source can also help you reduce your overall cost.

Talk to Your Guests, Especially Your Patrons

Your clients are the receiving line of your service. If there are a group of people who can tell you how you can provide a better service? It is them. Your patrons can give you a first-hand perspective on their experience. You can also ask them if they have no difficulty reserving a room online or if they would be interested in joining your loyalty club programme. You can then use your guest’s feed backs to search for a hotel POS software that can better address their needs.

Ask for a Demo

Before investing in a POS system, be sure you have seen how the system works. Ask questions and know how each feature in the POS system can benefit your business or help in your daily transactions. Ask questions like, will you be able to know how much profit you made from the sale on the same day, or you can ask if the POS can track every bottle of wine you sold and how much is left on your shelf. Also ask questions that relate to your profitability like cash control, inventory and labour control. Do not be shy asking these questions. It is your money and you should get the best value for it.

To help you on your search for the right hotel POS software and steer you to the right direction, you can start by checking out H&L Australia’s point of sale solutions developed especially for hotels.

You can visit them at http://www.hotelpos.net.au/

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