Does Your Bar Point of Sale System Give You The Control You Need?

Gone are the days of putting the takings in a drawer behind the bar -- or are they? Surprisingly, there are still bar owners whose beverage cost control is limited to writing down the price of a drink in a book and placing the takings in the bank at the end of the day.

Nowadays bars, hotels and restaurants have so much more to contend with when implementing sales and stock control. In the past there were probably only a few items on your stock list and keeping control of these was a lot easier. But nowadays the reality is a lot different.

The type of POS system in your establishment can make a great difference when it comes to keeping an eye on your stock levels and your finances at the end of the year.

There are two basic different POS systems you can install in your establishment -- one is a basic cash register system where all your prices are entered in the till and at the end of the day you can print off a basic read to show you your sales that day. The other type of POS system is PC based i.e. it is connected to a computer system throughout your establishment allowing you to see at any time how your sales are doing and giving you full control over your stock items.

The type of system you chose is all relative to how you see your business in 5 years time. If you are happy to keep going at the pace you are at now then a basic till system would be perfect for you -- why go to more expense? But if you see expansion, e.g. moving into serving food, extending the bar, or even opening more premises, then a PC based POS system that you can upgrade will be an invaluable resource.

The sky is the limit when it comes to what you want from your POS system. It is now possible to watch what is going on behind the bar, in real time, from the comfort of your office or even your home. New technology now allows for a bar owner/manager to dial into any cash register from their computer and see what transactions are being put through the register. Couple this with CCTV trained on the bar, you can also view what is being served over the counter and work out if the amounts tally. This is Big Brother for the Bar owner.

OK, let's look at an example -- a staff member who you suspect may be giving away free drinks, is serving a group of their friends and you want to know if they are paying for the correct amount of drinks. You watch them, on the CCTV, pull two pints, and pour three gin & tonics -- you then dial into the cash register and watch the transaction go through. Maybe the staff member puts through the whole transaction, which lets you breath a sigh of relief, or they only put through the two pints, and don't record the 3 gins! You now have proof with which to question this staff member.

If these things happen without your knowledge, and let's agree that we know these things do happen, then over the period of a year you could be looking at a hefty loss from your taking. With a PC based POS system you have full traceability when it comes to sales and stock control. Your staff will have to follow controls set by you. You set the security levels.

By introducing a PC based POS system into your establishment you have total control over your stock, costs and staff. You can choose what reports you need at the end of the day -- whether it be 'how many shots of well vodka do we sell' or 'what is our best selling wine', you can have this in your hand at the close of business every day.

Here are a few of the things you can have full control over with a PC based POS system:

* Full sales history of every single drinks item sold.

* Implement different drink prices for different areas of your establishment e.g. Function Room has a different price level to the Main Bar.

* Have different cash registers set up for different uses -- 1 for food only, 2 for drinks and so on.

* Unlimited number of buttons so unlimited number of stock items to display. No room for wrong price being input, therefore making control easier.

* Full table tracking when ordering food. No need to rely on the customer to tell you what they had to eat!

* Kitchen printers allow for orders to go straight to the kitchen, making it easier for the chef to read what is ordered, ensuring higher standards of service.

* Hotels can have full Property Management System (PMS) allowing real time room charging from anywhere in the hotel.

* Security for staff -- each staff member has to sign in when using a cash register.

There are so many different areas that you will be able to control that will allow you to eliminate discrepancies and therefore increase your sales. Take a close look at your establishment today and see if you could benefit from an upgrade in your control measures.

If you are considering replacing your current POS system or setting up a new bar, always make sure you get a full site survey before going ahead with any purchase. Putting in a whole POS system, although costing a significant amount, will be one of the most important purchases you can make for your control, saving you time and most importantly, money.