While standalone meal ordering solutions are readily available in the marketplace, a trend toward applications that integrate the online ordering function with restaurant point of sale applications is quickly emerging.

Okay, so you’re sold on the benefits of implementing online ordering in your restaurant. Now it’s time to select from among the many solutions available in the marketplace. But don’t let your excitement about the potential advantages to be gleaned from offering customers the opportunity to place orders via a Web site force you into making a rash software purchasing decision.

Chances are, you’ve heard quite a lot in recent months about online ordering solutions. Maybe you’ve even used them yourself to get takeout or a delivery from another restaurant. And now, it’s time to seriously consider implementing such an application for your own operation.

Chances are, you’re very excited about the benefits your retail or restaurant operation will reap as a result of migrating from a cash register to a computerized point of sale system. However, the same may not go for at least some of your employees.

In order for a customer loyalty program to be truly effective, it must be targeted to your best customers. Contrary to what you may assume, these shoppers aren’t necessarily the ones who frequent your store or restaurant most often. For example, in many instances the most regular visitors to retail stores come primarily or almost entirely in search of “bargains”, seldom pay full price and often return their purchases.

Tick tock…is it time to upgrade your retail or restaurant point of sale system? While the answer is not always cut-and-dried, here are a few indicators that this is indeed the case.

As if that weren’t enough, you can utilize historical point of sale information to set minimum and maximum “stock-on-hand” levels. This will prevent overstocks and, in turn, minimize the need to ever tell a customer that you are “out” of a product or menu item.

Remember, haste makes waste. Don’t be so eager to find a VAR partner that you overlook or discount negative information rather than thinking twice about whether the company is the right fit for your retail store or restaurant. It’s better to be without technology for a short time, than to be stuck in a relationship with the wrong VAR.

Be a ruthless reference checker. It goes without saying that VARs without a proven track record of customer satisfaction should be avoided at all costs. However, “investigations” must go beyond this point. When checking references, don’t just ask contacts whether they liked the VAR in question and if it provided “good” customer service.

Remote log-in program. Once this type of program is installed, you can access your store, restaurant, or home computer from the software provider’s Web site by entering your user name and password. This type of software can be provided by pcAmerica.