In our hotel client onboarding calls, we are often asked the same question: “How exactly does integration work with our POS?” Most people assume that everything will fall into place once they have managed their POS. Third-party intermediary websites that promise simple connections between online ordering systems and POS can be misleading. The reality is usually more complicated.
Let’s start at the beginning. It’s possible that thousands of items are unused in your POS system if your hotel has not recently opened or is transitioning to a new POS. Imagine the Valentine’s Day Special from 1999, an ambitious cocktail experiment from 2012 or a Christmas Menu entered incorrectly last year by an intern. Some POS systems limit how much data is sent during integration. However, others send all this outdated information.
Moreover, have you ever encountered an F&B department that claims to be quiet and not busy? It’s not possible. This constant pace leaves staff with little time to enter items correctly into the POS. When time is of essence, corners will be cut. Johnnie Walker Black Label gets shortened to JW Black, a Club Sandwich becomes “Club S.,” Crispy Fried Calamari is abbreviated into “Calamari.”
These shorthand terms, while understood by staff in the kitchen and service, can cause confusion to guests. What are the odds that staff will spend the time necessary to write appealing descriptions of each menu item if they cut corners with item names? The answer is often “not very much.” The result is? This results in incomplete names and lack of descriptions being synced straight to your mobile ordering system. This is not what we are all trying to achieve when it comes to the guest experience.
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Another common problem is spelling mistakes. Spelling mistakes are commonplace without spell checkers. I love “Aqua Panna” and “Pizza Margarita”. Although they may not appear to be a major problem, these errors can bring down the professionalism of an establishment.
Let’s pretend we have miraculously avoided these pitfalls. After you have imported your products into the system, what next? You might see a “Coffee and Tea” button in the POS. Clicking on it will reveal a list with coffee flavors. This may simplify operations for the staff but it does not necessarily improve the guest experience. The guests prefer to see appealing pictures of the options rather than a list. It doesn’t matter if something is organized logically to make it easier for the staff, if guests don’t like it.
SABA Hospitality is unique in this regard. We don’t only develop technology, we design it keeping the guest in view. We have over 60 years experience in the hospitality industry. This includes 30 years of operational experience. We know what our guests want and where they are experiencing pain.
SABA Hospitality can provide the best advice to improve your guests’ experience. Together, let’s change the way the hospitality industry operates.
