Need POS Reviews

[maknapp]

Does anyone know of a good article for POS Reviews or does anyone have an opinion on which one might be the most user friendly, yet capable, for a restaurant/bar environment?

The only system I am familiar with is PosiTouch but I wanted to see if there are any better options available.

 

[DrZogg]

What region are you in and what do others near you use? I make IT decisions based on how good the support is. Write a requirements list of what you need operationally (your expectations) and what your staff have experience using

 

[Lex87]

I spend a lot of time on owner forums and lots of them can be rather informative, when people aren't just ranting.

My favorite is PMQ's "think tank" but it's almost exclusive to the pizza biz .. what industry are you dealing with or is it just a family restaurant with a bar?

PosiTouch is really popular, I've seen lots of happy installs in my area so it sounds like you made a decent choice.. I wish I had used it some to give you an idea of how it compares but sadly I haven't even played with the ordering, I just watched a few cashiers closing off my tabs and it looked efficient.

If you find something that's unbiased and good info please share.

I'm a nerd in training and can give free help with lots of point of sale setups (Aldelo, CRE, PCCharge, ICVerify) for anyone. Please try to start a thread and only PM if needed.

 

[Bulldawg23]

I am a POSitouch tech/programmer and POSi is about as strong as any out there. There are literally tens of thousands of POSi installations throughout N America. I also support Dinerware and POSi has a steeper learning curve but the functionality is outstanding comparitively; Dinerware is great for 1-2 terminal sites looking for a simpler setup. POSi can be utilized in a greater number of configurations and is used by enterprise level customers like Cheesecake Factory, Outback, Dairy Queen, Fuddruckers, Carrabba's, etc.

I do agree with DrZogg in that the quality of support is perhaps the most critical part of choosing a POS system. The dealer and their support team is often the most important aspect. Having said that, there is definitely some subpar POS software out there. I have nothing bad to say about Aloha and think it's fairly comparable to POSi...but like I said, support should be a HUGE part of your decision.

Let me know if I can help.

 

[alohaakamai3]

Support, support, support. Period.

Someone you could say "Buy Aloha! It's great!"

And that's true. But if the dealer in your area is bad, you'll hate it.



Unless you're a chain that has a bunch of MUST HAVE system requirements, all the fairly well-known POS systems are doing the same thing these days. The race for features is still going on somewhat, but it's cooled considerably in the last 5 years- so don't be tricked into buying on features or gimmicks.

I don't advocate buying something no one has ever heard of, but I'd definitely sacrifice a little brand recognition in lieu of some good dealer references.

 

[pmegan]

I agree with DrZogg and alohaakamai3, support should be a major part of the decision. Find out how reliable the local dealership/support center is and what their response time is like. Talking to some other restaurant owners in your area will probably give you a pretty good idea.

The POS specific references you get here will be pretty biased for the most part. We all have our favorite and feel that it's the best. I've been doing custom work on Micros systems for years and wouldn't use another POS system. I tried to use Aloha and POSi that were in restaurants we bought out, even went for training at the local dealerships who installed them. In the end I used them as trade-ins for a Micros systems. That's my bias coming through though.