Using Phone Orders as a POS system
Table of Contents
What is a POS system?
A POS system, or Point of Sale system, is a combination of hardware and software that enables businesses to process transactions quickly and securely. It consists of a computer, a cash register, a printer, a barcode scanner, a credit card reader, and a touchscreen monitor. The POS system allows businesses to keep track of sales, inventory, customer data, and more. It can also provide up-to-date information on customers’ purchasing habits, enabling businesses to tailor their services and products to meet customer demand.
The cash register program must support all trade processes: operations for receiving money, returns, reversals, various types of payments, etc. The possibility of introducing marketing programs is also very important nowadays: discounts, bonuses, promotions, etc. General requirements are also important: protection from unauthorized actions of the cashier, data safety, promptness of system updates.
Phone Orders and POS system: common features
A Point of Sale (POS) system and Phone Orders offer a variety of features that enable businesses to conduct their operations in a more efficient and cost-effective manner. While these two systems have different primary functions, they share several common features that make them essential for managing orders and customer satisfaction:
Both systems have the ability to store customer information, including contact information and order history. This information can be used to quickly identify customers, provide personalized offers, or follow up on orders.
They also allow for easy payment processing, either through integrated payment processing systems or through manually entered payment data. This makes it easy for customers to pay for their orders quickly and securely.
Furthermore, both systems can also be used to generate reports and view sales trends and customer shopping habits.
As you can see, Phone Orders and POS system have a lot in common.
Although the name of the plugin might suggest that its use is limited to Phone Orders, this is not the case. This tool can also be implemented in a physical store.
We will tell you what steps you need to take to implement and configure the plugin as a POS system.
How to use Phone Orders as a POS system?
If you want to set up Phone Orders as POS system, it’s easy to do. First you need to install and configure the plugin. You can read our article about this.
Let’s imagine that we are a company that sells hot dogs for delivery.
We have been listening to our customers and they have repeatedly said that they would love to visit our restaurant if we had one. We have decided that this is the time to take the plunge and open a physical location. Opening a restaurant is a big challenge, but we are confident that our commitment to quality and customer service will make it a success.
We’ve been using Phone Orders on our delivery website for a long time. This is a very convenient plugin that partially automates the order acceptance process (we use the pro version). In addition, the plugin helped us better understand consumer preferences. After tracking order history, we found that the most popular menu item is Hot Dog Classic.
We really enjoyed working in Phone Orders, but we realized it wouldn’t be able to use it in a restaurant. “The plugin is only effective when used online.” – that’s what we thought and we were wrong. After all, it is possible to implement the Phone Orders plugin in an offline location.
There are several ways to to do this. The first option is to use a tablet with a compatible app that can sync with the website. This enables the business to accept orders in an offline setting, such as a restaurant or retail store. The tablet will need to have an internet connection, and the app will need to be able to connect to the website.
Another option is to use a mobile payment processor. This can be done through a variety of apps, such as Apple Pay or Google Pay. This is a great way to accept payments in an offline setting, as customers can simply scan their device and make a payment.
With this feature, our company can increase sales and revenue without the need for an expensive POS system!
Now let’s move on to how to enable it in the plugin.
To do this, we need to enable the Run at frontend mod. Go to Settings > Run at frontend and check the Accept orders at frontend page box. Also change Frontend page url to the following format:
http://your-site.com/phone-orders-frontend-page/Note: This feature is only available in the pro version.
By going to this URL you will see the following window:
The ordering process here is similar to the backend:
- Find out the order details.
- Fill out a note for it (optional).
- Ask the customer for his/her contact information.
- Create an order and ask the customer to pay.
- Send him/her an invoice by email (optional).
Conclusion
In conclusion, using Phone Orders as a POS system can be a beneficial solution for company that need an efficient and cost-effective way to process orders. It allows businesses to keep their customer orders organized and accessible at all times, which can be especially helpful for those that need to quickly process orders or provide customers with detailed information about products or services. Furthermore, phone orders are an ideal solution for businesses that are looking to save money on POS systems, as they are typically much cheaper than traditional POS systems. Additionally, Phone Orders are also very easy to use and require minimal training, allowing businesses to quickly get up and running with their POS system. All in all, Phone Orders can be a great option for businesses looking to streamline their ordering process and keep costs down.
