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Downtime Disaster: How Restaurants Can Avoid Costly Tech Troubles

Author Matthew Dieden

Downtime Disaster: How Restaurants Can Avoid Costly Tech Troubles

You’re restaurant is in the middle of the lunch rush, and your POS system suddenly freezes. Your POS can’t take orders, process payments, or print receipts. Your staff is panicking, your customers are waiting, and your revenue is dropping. What do you do when your in the middle of a restaurant tech disaster?

You’ll probably call your POS provider’s customer service line for support. But will they pick up when you need them most?

You need a POS provider you can trust during a disaster. And that’s what this article is all about. We cover:

  • The hidden (and not so hidden) costs of POS downtime and poor tech support
  • Why 76% of restaurant operators value 24/7 customer support from their tech partners and how it can save your restaurant from downtime disasters
  • Why you need to steer clear of POS providers without restaurant industry experience

By the end of this post, you’ll know which POS partners you can trust — and which to avoid.

How Much Do Downtime Disasters Impact Your Restaurant’s Revenue?

Your POS system crashed, and you have no idea how to fix it. But you can’t reach anyone from your tech partner’s support team. Sound familiar? 

We’ve been in the restaurant industry for a long time, and we’ve heard it all. Much of our team consists of ex-restaurateurs and food industry veterans who’ve experienced the frustration of poor customer service firsthand.

In our experience, POS problems have a tendency to snowball. Let’s examine the consequences:

  • No POS? Without a POS, orders slow to a crawl as waiters jot everything down by hand and kitchen staff struggle to read the hieroglyphics that are some people’s handwriting. All of which leads to stressed-out staff, longer waits, and frustrated customers.
  • A POSsibly Heavy Toll. When your POS is down, customers have to wait longer, and can only use cash — which might not be ideal for them. Our research shows even loyal customers aren’t quick to forgive if they have a poor experience in your restaurant.
  • Dirty Data POSes Problems. Not only do POS outages slow down your restaurant, but they wreak havoc on your internal data, inventory management, re-ordering, and other metrics.

There’s no exact number that sums up the loss you can expect due to your POS going down. It will vary — depending on the size of your restaurant, how busy you are, and how responsive your staff are to these kinds of setbacks.

But the toll could be steeper than you think. POS troubles cost Starbucks an estimated $3 million dollars back in 2015. You probably won’t be losing that much — but it will make a dent in your profits. That’s why we recommend choosing a tech partner who understands the restaurant industry and won’t leave your call hanging.

Discover: Why Restaurant Owners Should Think Twice Before Ditching Phone Orders 

76% of Restaurant Owners Say This Is the Most Important Thing to Look for in a POS Partner

The twin blows of your POS going down and poor customer support can significantly harm your restaurant. Our advice? Pick a POS provider that offers 24/7, U.S.-based customer support.

76% of restaurateurs say 24/7 support from their tech partner is very important or extremely important for their business. And knowing your tech partner is available around the clock? That can bring real peace of mind.

Don’t believe us? Just look at how many frustrated posts there are on Reddit about POS systems going down. Or ask your staff how they felt the last time the POS failed.

“Harbortouch had bad customer service and their point of sale system was bad, too. We switched to HungerRush POS, because we needed to replace the Harbortouch system with a POS that is stable and reliable. We also didn’t want to be locked into merchant service, like we were with Harbortouch. The excellent quality of HungerRush’s customer service was unmatched.” —The Hard Bean Cafe

Your profit margins are already razor-thin. You can’t afford to have your POS system fail.

And don’t settle for outsourced overseas support teams that don’t understand your needs and can’t communicate clearly with you.

Word to the wise — not all customer service solutions are created equal. Be sure to run through this checklist before making your final decision to avoid Downtime Restaurants Tech Disasters:

  • How long will they take to call me back in a POS emergency? 
  • Do they truly understand the restaurant business? Or are they just another tech company?
  • What do their G2 reviews look like?
  • Are there language barriers? Can we communicate clearly?
  • What’s their first-call resolution rate?

Learn More: HungerRush Wins In Pizza: Customer Service and HungerRush 360

Want a POS Provider with a 93% First-Call Tech Resolution Rate? Better Call HungerRush.

Source: HungerRush

Don’t wait for your POS to go down before switching providers. Protect your restaurant with an award-winning POS provider that won’t let you down when you need it most.

HungerRush guarantees 24/7 U.S.-based customer support. We resolve issues quickly and efficiently — in fact, we have a 93% first-call resolution rate — which means we get it right the first time, minimizing downtime and hassle.

Enjoy the peace of mind that comes with having a POS partner that won’t leave your call on hold.

Request your free HungerRush Demo today.

“HungerRush customer support is outstanding. I’ve worked closely with their department multiple times on projects and they have always been extremely thorough and responsive. I am extremely happy with HungerRush’s customer service, and with HungerRush as a whole.” –Ann Keller, The Hot Tomato

The post Downtime Disaster: How Restaurants Can Avoid Costly Tech Troubles appeared first on HungerRush.