By Dan Lulich, Chief Technology Officer, Eleven Wireless
No longer tied down
The days of paying for your purchase at a register are soon to be a thing of the past. In just the last few years, point-of-sale transactions have undergone something of an identity shift. Hard-wired, all-in-one units are being replaced by a variety of mobile devices such as The Square, Go Payment by Intuit, and PayAnywhere that plug directly into the headphone jack of a smartphone and allows anyone to accept credit card payments.
Mobile means better service
For the hospitality industry, this shift is huge. For years, operators have been seeking industry-tailored, affordable solutions that help them minimize lines and speed up tableside service. Hotels are increasingly turning to mobile solutions to improve efficiency, boost profitability, and increase guest satisfaction. Gaylord Hotels has jumped on the mobile POS bandwagon and recently implemented a solution for poolside ordering and payment that provides faster service. Their solution uses an iPod Touch, featuring mobile POS software, and an attachment that allows the server to scan, collect payment and print a receipt from anywhere, so guests never have to leave their cabana.
An abundance of mobile POS software programs, tailored specifically for hospitality have recently started to surface. For example, Agilysys, a leading provider of innovative IT and software solutions for the hospitality industry, recently released InfoGenesis Roam mobile POS software for the iPod. This software solution is speeding up order entry, food delivery, and payment. Moreover, it is giving operators the opportunity to provide exceptional service to their guests. With this solution, as you’re giving your order to the server, they are inputting it directly into the iPod. The kitchen immediately receives the order and gets to work on it right away. By the time the server arrives in the kitchen, it is almost ready to go, significantly cutting down on wait time. Done right, mobile POS can help you deliver world-class service.
Wires not included
Mobile computing is here to stay. Mobile POS, smartphone apps, a concierge with a tablet – one thing is for sure, the future of hotel technology does not include wires. Partnering with a company, like Eleven, that is committed to the future of mobile computing, is sure to give you long term ROI on your technology investments.
What kinds of experiences have you had with mobile payments, transactions, etc.?