Did you know: according to the British Hospitality Association, the UK hospitality industry dishes up more than 8.3 billion meals every year.
Hotels are gaining a bigger and bigger slice of that lucrative market, with some now playing host to destination restaurants, and many growing F&B into a valuable revenue stream.
The most successful are using sophisticated hotel EPOS (electronic point of sale) systems to support and streamline their operations.
So if you don’t have it, chances are you probably want it – but in a competitive market where margins are always tight and ROI is crucial making the right choice can be confusing.
So we’ve compiled the 7 key questions every hotelier growing an F&B operation should be asking.
1. What’s the difference between hotel EPOS and hotel PMS?
A PMS is the backbone of hotel operations, managing all aspects of hotel business from reservations to guest billing and payments.
A hotel EPOS is a dedicated system which works wherever your guests spend money – for instance, in your restaurants and bars, on the dining terrace or in your spa.
It works throughout the customer journey, all the way from taking table reservations to making service more efficient and allocating the spend to the correct room.
It’s also used to boost customer loyalty and bring your F&B customers back again and again.
2. How does hotel EPOS streamline my guest experience?
EPOS is designed to focus on making your food and beverage operation as welcoming, seamless and efficient for guests as possible.
It enables them to make online reservations, and once they arrive, your staff use graphic table plans to make seating quick and improve table turn.
Serving staff use handheld devices ranging from dedicated devices to mobile phones to take orders at tableside and send them straight to the kitchen for swift and accurate delivery.
Payments can be taken at tableside too or the bill allocated to the correct guest room.
It all adds up to a luxuriously effortless experience for your guests, with no quibbling about incorrect dishes or billing.
* Great guest reasons to supercharge your EPOS
3. Does hotel EPOS integrate with my other technology?
If you choose a restaurant ePOS software system with a flexible API, it will integrate effortlessly with your PMS system and also other back office systems such as accounting, providing perfect accuracy at all times even across multiple-location groups.
4. What benefits does hotel EPOS bring to my F&B stream?
Your hotel EPOS constantly captures guest data that identifies best selling dishes, reducing waste and improving stock control.
Other EPOS reports provide an immensely real-time view of areas including sales and labour. It allows you pinpoint control across the whole F&B operation that keeps costs at a minimum and drives up efficiency.
* Learn 20 ways EPOS can improve your F&B business.
5. Can I improve my customer engagement with hotel EPOS?
EPOS data capture makes it simple to cater for guests’ preferences, helping to create the personalised customer experience that sets your hotel restaurant or bar apart from the competition.
EPOS also monitors your all-important social media reputation, alerting your managers if a hostile review is being posted from your restaurant so they can address issues on the spot before the customer leaves.
* Discover more about building customer loyalty with EPOS.
6. There are many hotel EPOS systems out there – how do I select the right one?
It’s important to select a consultative provider who works with you to understand what you REALLY want the system to achieve.
Don’t be dazzled by salespeople who want to make a quick sale and run – look for a supplier who will provide expert 24/7 backup and support after the installation is complete.
* Find more information about selecting the best hotel EPOS for you.
7. What’s the best way to finance my hotel EPOS?
There’s a number of different ways of financing that provide the swift ROI you need, depending on your company situation and requirements.
Hotel EPOS can be provided as an on-premise solution, or hosted in the cloud, which saves on hardware costs.
Your supplier should offer you the option to purchase hardware and software, to purchase hardware and lease software; or to lease the entire system.
