Reseller FAQ
Dinerware POS Frequently Asked Questions
What is Dinerware?
Dinerware is an intuitive, easy-to-use, reliable,
point-of-sale (POS) system for restaurants of all sizes. Based on state-of-the-art SQL technology, Dinerware is designed to be the most affordable advanced POS option available
to the restaurant industry today.
There are a lot of restaurant POS systems on the market. Why is Dinerware better?
Dinerware thinks like a restaurant manager, so restaurateurs
don’t need to waste time trying to think like a software engineer. Most POS systems are designed based upon
outdated point-to-point technology, which makes them prone to crashes and data loss when the restaurant gets busy.
Dinerware’s sophisticated three-tier SQL technology makes it more
reliable than most POS systems, while the user interface is intuitively designed, so most users can master Dinerware within a few minutes.
Why is an intuitive POS system better for my customers?
Because Dinerware’s user interface is intuitively designed, all the functions your customers need are located exactly where they expect them to be. Most POS systems are set up so their screens make sense to the software engineers, not the restaurateurs who
actually use them on a day-to-day basis. Dinerware’s user interface is designed so your customers don’t have to
hunt for the features they want to use, saving your customers time and aggravation.
A lot of POS systems claim to be easy to use. Just how easy
is Dinerware to use?
Most users can be trained in about 10 minutes to use the basic floor functions – setting up tickets, placing orders, splitting tickets, etc. Most restaurant managers find that they can set up their menus, discounts, and policies in a single afternoon.
Imagine being able to train your customers during the demo!
My customers want their POS system to work very fast. How
complicated is it to do things like split tickets?
Servers can split tickets, share menu items, and add special
requests to tickets in a single step. All of the tools they need are right there on the order screen, making
it quicker to use.
My customers worry that their POS systems will crash when their restaurants get busy. Why should they feel secure owning Dinerware?
Dinerware is designed for high reliability, based upon SQL
2000™ and XML-based “stateless client” architecture. Our state-of-the-art three-tier design is the most robust and advanced on the market. This means that Dinerware can easily and
affordably scale to handle even the largest operations – and won’t crash just because your restaurant has a busy Friday night.
Will my customers need to buy proprietary hardware to run Dinerware?
Dinerware runs on open hardware standards on Windows 2000. Your customers don’t have to buy expensive proprietary hardware to run Dinerware – which means you can offer your customers the hardware products that fit their requirements and budget.
What kind of connection will my customers need to process credit cards with Dinerware?
Dinerware features direct interfaces to Mercury Payment Systems, Heartland Payment Systems, and Paymentech that do not require the use of any middleware software. For all others, we offer integration with your choice of two middleware applications (purchased separately): Slipstream from Midnite Express, or PC-Charge from Verifone. For all options, we require a reliable, always-on internet connection. Dial up modems have been used successfully, but we do not support this configuration. In the case of Mercury Payment Systems, we are pleased to be able to offer the credit card processing integration at no charge to you or your customer.
We also offer integration with Mercury and Valutech gift cards. Givex integration may be accomplished with the use of PC-Charge software.
Will my customers need a back office computer to run Dinerware?
No. All of Dinerware’s management functions are available on any workstation, so your customers will not need a separate back office computer. This reduces the cost of the system, and
makes Dinerware suitable for installation even in tiny restaurants and bars. Also, managers can stay on the restaurant floor, available to customers and staff, not hidden away in a remote
back office.
Will Dinerware expand to meet the needs of a fast-growing restaurant?
Dinerware can be used for any restaurant, large or small. As your customers build their menus, expand their staffs, and add new locations, Dinerware has the capacity
to grow with their business. From a
chef-owned independent restaurant to a chain, Dinerware scales easily to meet your customers’ needs.
Some restaurants have
new specials every day. Does Dinerware track sales of these?
With our Fresh Sheet function and an investment of mere minutes of a manager’s time, Dinerware will keep track of how many specials have been sold, how many remain to be sold, and provide easy-to-generate sales reports.
Can my customers track sales and costs over a long period of time?
All of the data your customers enter in Dinerware remains
available, always. So if your customer
decides in five years to run a report on today’s sales, the data is accessible; users may view data for any period they choose.
Dinerware makes it possible for your customers to view their data their way, making long-term planning easier – which ultimately increases their bottom
line.
My customers worry about security. If Dinerware is running on easily accessible terminals, how can they protect their important data from unauthorized users?
Dinerware makes it easy to restrict access in any way you
choose. You can require a PIN code, set access capabilities individually for each user, and establish automatic system
time-out.
Can Dinerware handle other managerial functions, such as timesheets and staff messaging?
Employees are automatically clocked in when they log into
Dinerware. When they clock out at the end of the shift, Dinerware provides each user with a daily personal activity
report, complete with tip totals. Managers have full access to all of this information through easy-to-generate reports. Managers can set jobs and pay rates, and even send messages to staff.
Many of my customers have never used a POS system before.
Will they be comfortable using Dinerware?
Dinerware is designed to be as easy as possible for the end
user to use and maintain – which means fewer headaches for you and your customer. Our intuitive user interface, high reliability, and affordability combine to make Dinerware a POS system you
can sell with confidence, and that your customers will love!