In the last few years, every restaurant has had to come to terms with tight pocket books and rising operational costs. Staying on top of every penny is a priority. Today’s post takes a look at ways you can use the POS system to drive ticket size and profits.
Script Upselling
Do your staff naturally take advantage of opportunities to upsell? Depends on who takes the order, right?
Not always. Restaurant operators who script upselling prompts into the order-taking process at the point of sale see a sizable increase in average check size.
When it comes to upselling, restaurants have an advantage over other businesses: your guests typically won’t take suggestive selling as a pressure tactic; in fact, they will usually regard upselling as good service. Download a quick guide to systemizing upselling at the point of sale:
Use Visuals
What kind of digital signage are you using in the restaurant? An easy way to start is by adding a customer-facing display at the point of sale. Order confirmation information builds confidence and speeds service, and upselling visuals drive add-on sales. Add photos and promotional graphics to introduce new menu items, appetizers, and desserts. Or use the digital display to invite guests to sign up for a loyalty club or follow you on Facebook. Promote the value of package deals with point of purchase display, and increase check size.
Promote High-Margin Menu Items
Spotlight higher-margin items in prime menu real estate. Use your POS system’s item sales reporting to identify low-margin, slow-moving items to eliminate from your menu, and high-margin items you could promote more aggressively.
Drive Profitable Sales Online
Quick service restaurant operators understand the impulse buy concept well, with order takers trained to ask: “Fries with that?” or “Extra cheese?” But are you upselling in the same way on your online ordering website?
Implement the same kind of upselling strategy online:
Suggest related products.
In the webinar How to Improve Your Customer Experience by Shifting Focus, author Arjun Sen gave the example of having an Amazon mindset: "If people are ordering this, what else will they order with it?" Take that thought process, and apply it to your menu. When a visitor selects a large cheese pizza (for example), suggest related items for review such as wings, a 2L soda, or breadsticks. Consider offering add-ons in a bundle deal if ordered together.
Limited time offer deals.
Expiration dates and limited availability drive redemptions—and can help you control the impact of discounting on your brand.
Offer web-only specials.
Use social media to announce promotions, and encourage customers to order online to redeem the online-only special.
Technology is driving major changes in the restaurant industry. If you’ve already invested in a restaurant point of sale system, the question follows: are you making full use of the tools built into your system to drive order size, frequency, and profitability?
