As consumers, most of us have had some exposure to using mobile POS in hospital POS systems while either shopping at a retail store or dining at a restaurant or quick-serve establishment. Many restaurant servers are now utilizing mobile POS or other mobile devices for orders instead of the traditional order pad and pencil, with the complete table order automatically going to the kitchen, and the server quickly moving to the next table. In many retail stores, clerks now walk the sales floor with a mobile POS device for line busting to quickly check out customers standing in long lines and get them on their way faster. This not only speeds checkout time and increases customer satisfaction, but also increases sales potential
Healthcare retail presents many opportunities where mobile POS can provide extra convenience to employees and guests, expand the functionality already present in a traditional POS system, and greatly improve operational efficiency with cost-saving results.
Mobile Cafeteria and Coffee Cart
Take, for example, the hospital cafeteria with traditional POS terminals in the check-out lanes, and additional outdoor seating that opens when the weather permits. Rather than routing patrons through the check-out lanes to pay for food and beverages before seating themselves outside, mobility allows the table-side transaction completion, giving the employee or guest more time to enjoy their meal and dining experience or possibly prevent a lost sale from occurring. With a traditional POS system in place, the cafeteria menu can relay to the mobile device with sales data rolling into a central database for reporting and improvements in decision-making. Mobile solutions are also ideally in mobile coffee carts or mobile food carts where a POS system is necessary, but space and portability rule out a large cash register with all its peripheral devices.
Patient Guest Mobile POS Services
A lot of hospitals now offer patient guests the convenience of ordering food and beverages from the cafeteria menu on an iPad or Android device and paying either by cash or credit card on the same device. Just imagine visiting a friend or family member in their hospital room as patient dining is either taking or delivering their meal. It’s great comfort and convenience to be able to order and enjoy your meals together.
Mobile POS Usage: Gift Shop and Fundraisers
Usually run by the hospital gift shop, fundraisers are a vital revenue generator for the hospital retail area. Generally held in the hospital lobby, the fundraising event may sell anything from uniforms to jewelry and is usually geared toward the hospital employees. Using a mobile pos system is ideal for this temporary event, especially when the capability to accept credit card or employee payroll deductions as payment types are available.
Tell us about how you’re using retail POS software in your hospital!
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