Multiple Aloha Quick Service questions!

[qsrsf]

Hello -

So my system is up and running in the restaurant (thanks to all of the help on the board!) but I have a few issues from my first week:

1. My FOH terminals randomly crash (I have two of them, both runing XP), usually one once a day. I am doing a very high volume - 200 transactions an hour. Can't pinpoint a particular situation that causes it and the DEBOUT doesn't say anything.

2. Occasionally one terminal will begin to display orders that are being placed on the other terminal and one terminal will be locked out until the current order is finished. Once finished both terminals are operational again.

3. When the currency counter is used for the cash drawers it only displays 5, 10, 20. No $1 bill (only in the coin section).

using Aloha 5.28 gold.

Anyone have any ideas for any of the issues?

THANKS!

 

[AkamaiAloha]

1) It's been my experience that Aloha can have problem with high volumes in some enviroments. 200 per hr is huge, wish I had your business It would be helpful if you could be a little more specific about what you mean by crashing... is it freezing on certain screen, does it display any type of error message, does it happen when doing one specific task all the time or is it more random, and does it tend to happen a certain times of day specifically or all the time? Info like this is helpful.

2) Again, a little more info here. I am not sure what you mean. Post an example.

Are all your units protected by power conditioners? I am NOT talking about battery back ups, I am talking about dedicated power conditioners. VERY important in this environment.

 

[qsrsf]

OK problems 1 & 2 are related. Here is what happens with some background.

I have two terminals, right and left. These are only used a registers, ie the order queue is not relevant (but may be part of the problem) they are only used to pay for finished items.

If I log in to terminal left and begin placing an order but do not finish it, than log in to terminal right the current check number (from left register) shows on the check screen and no items can be added (current oder is locked on another terminal). Once I close out the check on the left term they are both free again and they operate normally. This happens at what appears to be random times (we are too busy to see exactly what triggers it, I have only= duplicated it during the events described above).

Sometimes the master terminal will crash when this happens (the check screen will go from blue to white and I will get the friendly Windows report feedback screen and Aloha will close).

My entry process: I have one order queue that both terminals use. I enter items, then the tenders tender the amount and close the check in one button press.

Any ideas what would cause this behavior which is two terminals sharing or using the same check, but only once in a while?

Also two more questions:

Dollar bills on the currency counter screen, no option for this, I have to put them is a dollar coins

&

I have allowed managers to 'not force magentic card' in the CC tenders and have set my access levels so they can enter card numbers but the credit card screen will still not let me enter numbers manually, any idea what would cause this?


THANKS!

 

[qsrsf]

solved, or atleast 'worked around'

I created two seperate queues, one for the right, one for the left. (don't know if this helped or not)

I also changed the max open orders from '0' in each queue to '2' I found with them set to '1' I still had the same problem, but with two have had no problem.

As I see it even if they have different queues the terminals share the same check numbers, if max is set to 0 sometimes it can't start the new order, at '2' they can both start a new order w/o interefing with each other.

I don't know if I am creating other problems, like leaving extra open orders hanging about, but I did this a couple of days ago and haven't had any problems since...

One other solution I just thought of is changing the min order number for one queue so it is different than the other. Then they wouldn't share order numbers...hmmm have to experiment tomorrow.