Cash registers are an important topic, worthy of their own chapter.
Cash registers range from very basic to highly computerised with information sent directly from the service point to the kitchen and bar areas.
When used correctly they are one of your greatest tools for having a successful business. Basic cash registers tell you how much money should be in the till and not much else. The more detailed the cash register the more data it can give you.
An electronic cash register with departments, individual products and perhaps table numbers allows much greater scope. You can do detailed analysis within your business to find out what is selling and what isn’t. You can quickly change items on your menu that are not selling and replace them with other products that may sell better.
From a customer’s perspective a detailed account at the conclusion of the meal is much easier to understand than just numbers on a slip of paper. If all their purchases are listed under the table number you can quickly realise if mistakes have been made, and perhaps correct them before they become a problem.
They are also useful in stock taking. If the register shows that 50 items were sold and you are out of stock despite buying enough for 70 portions then you have discovered a problem. It could be that food is disappearing from the kitchen, or not being declared at the till. Be careful before accusing anyone; it may be as simple as incorrect key entry at the time of purchase.
These days, as we become more computerised and with so many demands on our time as business owners, it makes good sense to combine your computer with the cash register. This means that you can directly link between the point-of-sale and your accounting program, calculate your GST liabilities and reconcile your bank statements all from the one system with no duplicating.
A good cash register will even help with your ordering. You can calculate how much of almost every item to order based on historical sales.
You may have already guessed but I am highly in favour of detailed cash registers. I like to receive my financial good news and bad news quickly, coupled with the ability to analyse my business from more than one perspective.