With summer and the festive season just around the corner now is the perfect time to gear up your cafe for the busy months ahead. Take the time to sit down and understand what areas of your business are working well and which need attention. Knowing exactly what changes need to be made is the first step in preparing your cafe to run like clockwork this summer.
The second step? Finding a nifty piece of software that can solve your list of problems and help grow your business. Hint: we’ve got just the solution and your first 30 days are free!
Lightspeed POS
Lightspeed’s point of sale (POS) system was designed with cafes and hospitality businesses in mind. The tech wizards behind Lightspeed POS have come from hospo backgrounds and many are ex-baristas, so they know exactly what’s important when it comes to making a cafe tick.
The best bit? They’re offering the whole platform for free for 30 days, meaning you can kick off the summer season with the best tools at your disposal.
Take payments at Lightspeed
Old and outdated payment terminals can be a headache for both customers and cafe owners.
Slow payments = longer queues and frustrated customers both of which can impact your sales. Lightspeed POS terminals seamlessly integrate with payment terminals, like EFTPOS, in a safe and secure way. Meaning no more keying errors from staff and faster payments for customers – a win-win for everyone!
Deliver consistent service with Lightspeed POS
Order errors are going to happen but taking steps to minimise them will save staff time, keep costs low and customers happy. Lightspeed’s cafe POS creates handy workflows that lets cafe owners pre-programme prompts that show to staff when they’re taking an order.
For example, a customer orders halloumi and eggs on toast. As the member of staff enters the order they’re presented with two prompts; to select the kind of toast – sourdough or wholemeal – and the type of eggs – fried, poached or scrambled.
Providing staff with the right tools helps minimise order errors and empowers them to consistently deliver the best possible service to your customers. Yes, mistakes can happen, but building effective workflows can minimise the frequency of common errors – saving time and money.
Build a base of loyal customers
Did you know that acquiring a new customer can cost five times more than retaining an existing customer?
That’s why Lightspeed integrates with loyalty and marketing programmes like Marsello and Goody – to help cafes build custom loyalty schemes to boost retention and build a loyal customer base. Gain insights into your customers’ spending behaviour and keep them coming back with automatic rewards, loyalty points and targeted marketing messages.
The POS that helps you upsell
Upselling is a great way to inject cash into your bottom line, but it’s not the easiest thing in the world and staff often forget to ask the right questions at the right time. Lightspeed POS allows cafe owners to prompt pairing suggestions when specific menu items are selected, so staff never miss an upselling opportunity.
For example, if a customer orders a regular flat white the POS can prompt staff to ask if they’d like an extra shot or to make it a large. Or, Lightspeed POS will suggest a muffin add-on with a cappuccino – based on predefined, automatic promotion rules.
The key to good upselling is consistency and with a helping hand from technology it’s a great way to increase your AOV and maximise sales.
Save costs with Lightspeed’s Track Wastage add-on
Wasted food means wasted money. Whatever the reason – if food is sent back by the customer, accidentally spilled or gone past its use-by date – it’s costing you money that you can’t get back.
Many cafes are turning to technology to take control of their wastage and understand exactly how much it’s costing them. With Lightspeed purchase you can:
- Easily record food wastage, who entered it and why
- Have clear visibility of stock as inventory is automatically updated when wastage is recorded
- Minimise waste by running reports to spot trends over time
Boost sales with Lightspeed reporting
As Lightspeed POS is connected at every point of your business it contains a wealth of data. These insights can be used to spot trends and highlight areas for improvement. One-click reports offer instant insights into everything from daily sales to comparison reports to staff attendance. Plus, a live sales reporting app gives you access to real time sales data even if you’re off site – allowing you to make snap decisions if necessary.
Not a Lightspeed customer?
You can try out Lightspeed’s cafe POS platform, with all of these features (and more) included, at no cost for 30 days. No commitments, cancel your plan at any time. Sign up here.
