Category: POS Features
What’s Selling?
I talk to a lot of people at trade shows and on the phone. One of the things I try to figure out during these conversations is what we can do to help retailers be on top of their sales. Often I hear from store owners that they want a better understanding of what is and is not selling. I usually show them our specialties report on the Business Summary in SP-1.
This report shows each specialty or signature item that a store carries. In this example, we are showing both the total dollar and the quantity for each specialty item sold by size. The real powerful figure here is the Percent of Total Quantity that shows. The latte drinks account for 22.53% of total coffee sales and the mocha is 3.93% of those sales.
This report can be run for any time frame (a day, week, month year) that you desire. This is a fantastic way to review new additions to your menu and also to make sure that your current selections are actually making you money!
Specialty Report showing drinks
Posted in Order Entry, POS Features, Reporting
5 Things to Consider with POS Systems
One of the things I’m often asked about our Point of Sale product is “what didn’t I ask”. I thought it would be informational to put together a list of 5 things to consider:
- Purchase or long term finance: Here is the key, it does not really matter from a POS standpoint on if you lease or purchase. The real advantage is based on your cash flow. Leasing can be a great way to offset the upfront costs on a POS purchase. Leasing does not affect warranties or support duration however. Our general rule of thumb is to keep a lease to own under 3 years.
- Which credit card processors do you work with? This is a potential landmine of issues. Here at SelbySoft we want you to use the credit card processor that you like. If you are interested, we have a referral for you. If not, then use virtually anyone you like.
- How are gift cards processed? This is a question that anyone who is planning on having gift cards should ask. With SelbySoft, the gift cards can be processed at the store level, through the cloud or through a credit card processor. I really suggest not doing the cards through a credit card processor until you are involved in franchising. For single store owners, the gift cards being processed at the store level is the way to go. No swipe fees and no monthly fees either.
- Where is the company located? What is outsourced? Everyone may not agree with me here but I believe that outsourcing is usually a bad idea. Here at SelbySoft, all of our development, sales, support, shipping etc is done in house. I believe this makes us a better company as everyone is on the same page. Consequently, this makes us have a better product as well.
- Once I purchase, how does the warranty work? With incredibly rare, and noted, exceptions, all warranties start when the equipment is received by you. Not when you actually purchase. Our support operates the same way!
- (Bonus Question) How long is the initial support term for? One year! Really, companies that offer 30 days or 3 or 6 months are doing you a disservice. If you are truly going to tackle the hundreds of features that SP-1 has, you need a year. Let’s face it, your first couple months with a new POS are mostly spent trying to catch up on the other things you put off while making a purchase.
Posted in Order Entry, POS Features
Let SelbySoft BACK YOU UP!
Hopefully, you didn’t just picture the guys from Saturday Night Live with a couple of old school tape backups in their hands.
We all know that catastrophe strikes when we least expect it. Unfortunately, in some cases, we start thinking about checking for backups after the catastrophe happens.
You may be aware that part of our SP-1 by SelbySoft solution is a daily cloud based backup. We consider that step 1 of your backup solution. Step 2 is the store level backup. Why store level? Because it is possible for any cloud based backup to fail. What if your Internet provider goes down? Even something as simple as a cable coming loose or an employee accidentally stopping the service that does the backup can mean your backup is not happening.
In order to be completely protected, you should be performing a local backup to a CD, DVD or USB drive daily. Further, make sure you take that backup offsite occasionally. Backups don’t do any good if they are in the store when that catastrophe happens.
Need help setting up a local backup? Let us know and we can help you get it going.
Posted in POS Features, Technology Tagged with: backup, cloud
Open Retail in SelbySoft
You may know that SP-1 by SelbySoft has the ability to handle full retail control through scales and barcode scanners. Did you know that you can setup an ‘open’ retail item and then enter a custom price? This is a great way to handle those catering style orders.
Posted in POS Features Tagged with: catering, retail
5 Ways to Increase ROI with SelbySoft
Want to increase your return on investment? Make sure you use the tools that SP-1 by SelbySoft has available for you.
- Reduce mistakes with accurate menu pricing. Add effective forced modifiers to increase the number of times employees up sell.
- Track your discounts and coupons to make sure that the ones you offer are the ones your customers are interested in.
- Check your employee and ticket audits to make sure nothing ‘funny’ is going on.
- Market to your customers with our built in email and mailing marketing options or sign up for Hands Free Marketing and let us do it for you.
- Increase cash flow with smart gift card promotions.
Posted in Marketing, POS Features Tagged with: gift card, marketing, roi
Employee Job Classes in SelbySoft
Do you ever have one employee that works for a different wage depending on the job they do? This can be common when you have one employee that works occasionally as a cook, driver, barista etc. In these cases, it may be desirable to setup a job class with a 2nd wage amount.
With Job Classes, you can have up to five different wage amounts per employee. If Bill works as a driver, he may be paid a smaller wage plus tips. When Bill works in the kitchen, he may receive a larger wage but no tips. on the right hand side.
Posted in Employees, POS Features, Reporting Tagged with: job class, wage
Remote Print with SP-1 by SelbySoft
SP-1 has the ability to support multiple types of remote printers or displays for your Kitchen, Barista or Delivery staff. It starts with the flexibility of the SP-1 program itself. SP-1 has been designed to be able to specify when and where items are printed or displayed. SP-1 can designate this by the specific menu items as well including by any of the following:
- Menu Groups (Coffee, Sandwich, Pizza)
- Group Sizes (small, medium, large)
- Specialties (Mocha, Latte, Garden Sandwich)
This means that you can specify that the Coffee goes to the Barista and the Sandwich goes to the Kitchen printer or monitor.In addition, we can also specify that any of the printers print multiple receipts. Here are a couple of examples:
- Single Station with one printer: You can print a receipt, barista ticket and kitchen ticket from the same printer.
- Single Station with three printers: You can print a receipt at the counter, barista ticket at the espresso machine and sandwich receipt in the kitchen.
Additionally, SelbySoft offers other printing options:
- Printers with red/black ink for highlighting (useful for kitchens).
- Thermal Printers with logo printing and coupon printing directly on the receipt.
- Sticky thermal paper that will stick right to a cup.
- Boxlabel printers for sandwich bags.
Finally, the option of forgoing a printer for the kitchen or barista and use a monitor with a bump bar instead. This system will allow you to see up to ten orders on the screen at a time! This screen can also be setup to only show certain menu items just like the printers. These are a great tool in high volume locations.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ihtGU8GPkI&feature=g-upl
Posted in POS Features, Technology Tagged with: kitchen, printing, remote printers
Message Your Employees
It can be tough to stay in contact with employees. Hopefully, you are not using this method. SP-1 by SelbySoft can make that task a little easier thanks to our Ecom (employee communication) system.
With Ecoms, you can send a message to one or more employees. There are a few special switches that can be used as well. The first is the SEND option – entering a future date here will allow you to send that message in the future. This is great for reminding people about events or specials that come up in the future.
Read ONLY at Clock-In can be checked if you want to make sure the employee only sees that message when they are clocking in. Let’s face it, odds are they won’t actually read the message when they are clocking out.
Allow Response is optional and allows the employee to type a response back. The message sender can read this response at any time.
Of course, all of the messages are saved forever and can be read only by people with an appropriate security code.
Posted in POS Features Tagged with: Ecomm, messages
Customer Confirmation Monitors
Want to help customer service? How about increase up sells? Help stop potential theft?
A customer confirmation monitor can help you with all of these. Our customer confirmation monitors come in both 9″ and 17″ monitors but function the same way.
With this, your customers will see a customized slide show with pictures of product that you are offering. When the order starts, the screen changes to show three pictures, the items and prices that have been ordered and a sliding scroll bar with a customized message!
This helps the customer verify their order and eliminate mistakes in communication. Up selling is increased by ‘impulse’ buys due to the pictures on the monitor. Finally, customer confirmation monitors help reduce theft by forcing the clerk to enter the order instead of working out of pocket.
Posted in Employees, POS Features, theft Tagged with: customer confirmation monitors
Need a Coffee Shop Manager? Try SP-1!
Most coffee shops have been in the situation where they would love to have a manager but just can’t justify the labor cost. Just adding someone at minimum wage is between $7.50 and $10.00 an hour!.
What if you could hire someone at $2.50 an hour and get them to work without complaining? What if after the first year of work they dropped their wage to a $.25 every hour or even free?
You know where I’m headed with this. . . SP-1 can do this for you at these rates (or lower!). Sp-1 can:
- Track employee timekeeping and keep it organized – saving you time and money.
- Insure that every employee rings in the items correctly and charges the correct price.
- Neatly tell your barista or kitchen employees what to make and how to make it.
- Stay on top of your labor costs.
- Alert you to potential theft when it happens.
- Give you hourly updates without having to ask for them.
- Evaluate menu sales and present it to you quickly.
- Help track how you did this year vs. last year.
- Run a marketing program for you or for a nickle raise send the marketing emails automatically for you.
- Not complain.
- Work 24/7 with no vacations.
- Track and present an ideal COGS (Cost of Goods Sold) percentage.
- Help stay on top of employees and increase sales by helping them ask for the up sell.
- Help your employees remember the name and drink of most customers.
Sometimes we have to look at things in a different light. . . SP-1 can and will help you with the problems you have. Even if you are on top of these things, we will help you be more efficient and give you more time with your staff and customers.
Give us a call and ask us for a full featured demonstration.
Posted in Order Entry, POS Features Tagged with: coffee shop manager