POS Equipment: Restaurant Input Devices

Input devices - Restaurant Point of Sale (POS) Equipment 

Point of Sale Equipment: Keyboards and touch screens

Choosing which input devices to use as your point of sale equipment should be the first thing on your checklist. You can go for a touch screen or a programmable keyboard, which ever makes transactions easier and faster. The only market where keyboards are mostly used is grocery stores, because it can program individual keys for specific item codes and prices.

Because touch screens are specifically designed by restaurant owners, it focuses more on meeting the needs of a restaurant that’s why they are more intuitive to use and “user-friendly”. They also provide more flexibility in the user interface and programming. You will find most touch screens today are flat-screen LCDs instead of traditional CRT monitors. While LCD touch screens are a bit more expensive (typically $600 - $1,000 instead of $400 - $500), they are sturdier, doesn’t use much electricity, and take up less space. They even look much better. When purchasing touch screens, avoid “overlay” touch screens that are added on to regular monitors - they are more prone to breakdowns and add an unnecessary complication to your system.

For keyboards, some has the standard 101-keys model that you can find with any computer. For smaller keyboards, there’s the flat-panel membrane keyboard that’s more POS-specific, common in fast food chains. Often, they come in with built-in magnetic stripe readers for debit card processing. Programmable keyboards usually ranges between $150 and $300.

No matter which you choose, just make sure to take in consideration the environment where you want use it. You can find both keyboards and touch screens have varying levels of spills and dusts proofing.

Bar code scanners
POS scanners reads bar codes and sends the information back to the computer. Typically, scanners connect to the system through Y-connectors called wedges that make them function as an extension of the keyboard. It can improve the speed of transaction as well as accurately stores information.

Low quality, cheap scanners are made based on CCD technology. They cost less, but usually have a very short range - the item being scanned needs to be 1 to 3 inches from the scanner. In a typical retail setting, this should be fine.

Laser scanners, which use a beam of light to read bar codes, offer better scanning ability with the ability to scan at longer ranges. There are also “autosensing” laser scanners that turn themselves on automatically when an item is placed in front of them to scan a bar code, and then turn off again. Omnidirectional scanners send out 15 or 20 lasers simultaneously, making bar code scanning from any angle easy. The top of the line scanner is the embedded scanner, which are omnidirectional scanners that are installed below a counter, as is common in supermarkets.

Properly use different types of scanners to serve customers. If you do not usually have more than a customer or two in line,. A fairly constant flow of customers might call for an autosensing model, and for businesses with high volume of traffic, they should check out omnidirectional or embedded scanners. Their prices may range from below $100 to $350 or more.

Handheld POS terminal
One of the latest and most ingenious type of input device is the handheld, wireless terminal. For PDAs, which wirelessly transmits orders back to its base station. A distinct advantage this POS equipment can provide to a restaurant is that they increase the amount of time servers spend on the floor taking orders and interacting with customers, because it eliminates the need to go back to a terminal to give the orders.

Newer still are write-on handhelds: think about combining touch screens with PDAs, this tiny input device allow servers to simply write the orders down. Handwriting recognition software parses the order then sends it directly on to the kitchen and bar as needed.

These handheld terminals costs more compared to a traditional touch-screen order terminal. However they can make up for the cost by allowing your servers to spend more time up-selling more desserts and drinks. If you are evaluating handheld terminals, make sure you ask about the “drop test” - these units are rated for toughness according to how much they can take a fall. You can easily find out if your business is a candidate for handheld POS terminals by comparing multiple POS equipment vendors and check out their offered products and services.

For more information and free POS quotes or an online resource?

Visit POS-For-Restaurants.com

The author of this article is the Vice-President of Customer Relations at POS-For-Restaurants with over 20 years of experience serving restaurants of all types throughout the U.S.