We're going live with our POS on Monday

Harry Nutczak · Posted: Aug 10 2012 Post subject: We're going live with our POS on Monday

I built a mid-tower with decent HD space (1TB), and 8GB memory, I got my printers interface cables, cash drawers from www.POSguys.com and their prices were good, shipping was fast and free, and their employees are very knowledgeable. I told them what I wanted, and asked them to bundle the hardware and send me a quote. They sent me quotes for me to choose what level equipment I wanted, ordered from their site, and it was here in 4 days. SWEET!

I chose "Point of Success" standard software with the employee time keeping add-on, it was easy to install and propagate with our items, and getting the correct printers to print the right stuff.

This is my first time doing a DIY POS system, and I was able to do it all for less than $1K including a 24" touchscreen monitor.
We are still using Square for cards, and I am adding a separate printer for printing CC receipts for those who want a hard copy as opposed to SMS or email receipts (think "the elderly")

I got the FOH people playing with it today, but no cash in the drawers, just to give them some time to learn it without being crushed by a huge crowd.

I should have done this years ago!!
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Just remember that the toes you may step on during your climb to the top will also be attached to the a$$es you'll be forced to kiss on your way back down!

MikeJack · Newbie Joined: 11 Jul 2012 Posts: 42

Harry, how about a little more detail on your system for those of us looking to follow in your footsteps? What type of monitor, how many and what printers, cash drawer? Thanks, man, for leading the way!

MO Barbecue · Posted: Aug 12 2012 Post subject: Congrats!

Dont know what I'd do without a POS! I used point of success in my pizza place, and now in my BBQ joint. Its a great program and not too expensive.

For those looking, dell makes an all in one with a touchscreen that makes a great pos terminal if you need one. Best part is no tower to hide or spill drinks on. I bought mine on dell refurb for under $500. I have one term and 2 thermal printers for cc receipts and kitchen tickets.

I do recommend the "pro" edition, the quickbooks export makes dong books a simple simple process. Mercury payments is Included, or you can use a 3rd party processor (I do) with pc charge. Timclock and scheduling are also worthwhile additions.

Full disclosure: I was a techie before my restaurant days and am a point of success dealer in Seattle (although Im not active due to the open to close nature of my BBQ joint). Their support is great, and unlike most POS companies, they don't rake you through the firebox for annual support, it's very nominal compared to other companies.

Harry Nutczak · Posted: Aug 14 2012 Post subject:

I got most of my "POS specific stuff" through posguys.com, great service and prices on their end, they really impressed me.

The touchscreen monitor is a 24" HP I picked up a year ago from newegg.com for a steal.
And believe it or not, i got a mid-tower HP puter from wally world, I was there to get some ink, and they had a sale on this unit without monitor, so I grabbed one for a smoking price and added a wireless card to it.

I went with a 2-color impact printer with a cutter bar for the kitchen, and a 2-color thermal printer for the counter, 2 APG vesario cash drawers with under counter mounting brackets.

Both of my printers are made by Star Micronics. My kitchen printer is USB interface because the counter is close enough to pull it off, and my thermal is Ethernet because it will be printing receipts off POS and the iPad Square app and I need to add a router to the mix for wireless receipt printing for square.

the premium software had tons of stuff I currently do not need, so I went with standard for $300.00, I can upgrade any time I want for an upgrade fee, and they run specials often to even make it more affordable. I did add the time-clock feature though.

I did have a cash drawer trigger mech.quit on me, a call to POSGUYS.com got the ball rolling for it to be replaced after some quick trouble shooting to verify it was the drawer and not the printer of software.

OK, my star SP742 printer is the schitt, I can store my logo in the printer, and have our logo printed on our receipts. Way cool!! it comes with a software utility to customize tons of stuff above and beyond what the POS software can do. I also went with a Star SP100 thermal

the software is easy to install, add menu items, and use. it is really great stuff IMO.

Download a demo, make sure to open it as an admin to use it, play with it, and get some for yourself.

Go to the knowledge base, see recomended hardware, have POSGUYS put together a quote for you, all real fast and easy IMO. I did it during our busy times through email between orders.
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Just remember that the toes you may step on during your climb to the top will also be attached to the a$$es you'll be forced to kiss on your way back down!

MikeJack · Newbie Joined: 11 Jul 2012 Posts: 42

You the man, Harry. Thanks for all the great info and especially the heads up about square running on the iPod touch. I was having a hard time justifying a ipad purchase just for credit cards into my opening budget.

Harry Nutczak · Posted: Aug 15 2012 Post subject:

MikeJack · Newbie Joined: 11 Jul 2012 Posts: 42

OK...here is what I think I will be doing. Dell still has refurbed all-in-one PCs with touch screens and enough horsepower to run Point of Success for around $500. I will be setting up two Star printers: one kitchen (usb I hope) and one Ethernet thermal for receipts. I will be using Square on a Ipad 2 (printing to the Ethernet printer) . I will also be running a cash drawer off the receipt printer. I will start putting the order together next week and will update everyone with details and prices. Thanks to Harry, Mo Barbecue, and Moonie for their input, I am really just going to copy what is already working for you guys......MJ

Harry Nutczak · Posted: Aug 23 2012 Post subject:

OMFG!
I never imagined trying to train people to use the most simple and rudimentary of POS software could be so fricken difficult!!

I have this system set up to be damn near idiot-proof, and because I learned to not underestimate the density of some people, I put on a button named "Open Merchandise" just in case someone got stuck and lost their mind during a rush, so they could go back to handwritten tickets, and simply add the total in the "Open Merchandise" screen which emulates a cash register keyboard, it even adds taxes, and prints the customer receipt too.

Well, they bypassed that completely and just decided to not ring up any orders, not give customers receipts, and figured they'd just wing it with no taxes being added on!!
I am going to go outside for a while, chain smoke a few packs of cigarettes, and try to not start screaming.

We'll try another 3 hours of training and mock tickets again this evening, if they still do not get with the program, I have no other option than to replace them because this is not rocket surgery.
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Just remember that the toes you may step on during your climb to the top will also be attached to the a$$es you'll be forced to kiss on your way back down!

MO Barbecue · Posted: Aug 23 2012 Post subject:

Anything I can do to help, let me know! If you use quickbooks the GL export is very handy, I do all my books in house and I can walk you through the setup. It's pretty simple.

The setup you are looking at is exactly what I use, the dell touchscreen all in one refurb is about the same price as a 17" touchscreen, and you get a lot more buttons to play with on the larger screen.

The only problem you will run into is if you try and set your menus up on another computer, you need to set them up on the same size screen or larger, or you can't move buttons around. Point of Success will not scale the menu builder, it's full screen only.

Also, if you need licensing, I'll be glad to help out. I'll gladly discount licenses to smoke ring members! Advice and email/board help is always free too!

MO Barbecue · Posted: Aug 23 2012 Post subject:

RodinBangkok · Posted: Aug 23 2012 Post subject:

dogroach · Posted: Aug 23 2012 Post subject:

Rod - thanks for the ideas, that's great. We are also implementing a POS this season and need all the help we can get. Thanks again.
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Bradley digital electric smoker
Confirmed Loco CDN
Lobo Lui's BBQ Shack

Harry Nutczak · Posted: Aug 25 2012 Post subject:

They complained, And I told them why we use a POS system now.

They were not writing tickets in an understandable format, they were overcharging and undercharging customer with the handwritten tickets, they were forgetting to write down sides and modification, and forgetting to charge for upsized sides and bottled drinks, etc etc etc. Cash being rang up as charges or checks and vice-versa.

I was probably losing hundreds per day with handwritten tickets, now I know items are being properly charged, because if it is not on my printed ticket, it was not paid for, just that simple.
Ultimatum given, "you will use this system as designed, or you will find employment elsewhere" "Shortages in the cash drawer from any payment format will be deducted from pay"

I have 2 cash drawers, one for each person at the counter so no sharing of cash is happening and they are responsible for their drawer.

Now after all this, one of the servers asks me for help running a credit card, I ask her where the card is, and she tells me she needs to key in the number because the customer does not have the card with him. I have this dirtbag goober with a credit card number scribbled on a piece of paper, asking me to key in that number manually to pay for his order. And the cashier is willing to do it.
ARE YOU FRIGGIN SERIOUS????
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Just remember that the toes you may step on during your climb to the top will also be attached to the a$$es you'll be forced to kiss on your way back down!

daddywoofdawg · Posted: Aug 25 2012 Post subject:

And it's a discover card!LOL!
also take out money for the driver that will come!
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Good BBQ is all smoke and beers!
The Dawghouse Custom vertical Gasser
Custom Made offset smoker
Char grill smoker
Weber kettle

Harry Nutczak · Posted: Aug 26 2012 Post subject:

Geronimo · Posted: Aug 26 2012 Post subject:

Geronimo · Posted: Aug 26 2012 Post subject:

MO Barbecue · Posted: Aug 26 2012 Post subject:

RodinBangkok · Posted: Aug 26 2012 Post subject:

Can't speak to legality from here, but we have it written into the employee rules and regs. Each has their own drawer, cash out delta's are recorded based on percent over or under. Exceeding this max delta for a period of time results in different types of warnings depending on the percentage of the delta in a specified period. If it can be documented that its theft versus human error, then a police report is submitted with the evidence. Our POS system tracks the delta automatically.
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Rod

daddywoofdawg · Posted: Aug 27 2012 Post subject:

The discover card comment was meant about the guy with the number wrote down on a piece of paper.
I get phone calls a couple times a week for 150 salads to be shipped and they want to use discover,which every time they give me the number I call discover to report the number as they are always stolen numbers.
_________________
Good BBQ is all smoke and beers!
The Dawghouse Custom vertical Gasser
Custom Made offset smoker
Char grill smoker
Weber kettle