Table Side Payment (aka the awkward moment where you watch someone evaluate you)
By: POSGuys - 9/15/2014

Recently <a href="http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/11508449/lesean-mccoy-philadelphia-eagles-left-20-cent-tip-statement-service">ESPN reported a $.20 tip by Philadelphia Running Back LeSean McCoy</a>.  It's traditional in the US to do the tipping away from the server, you can evaluate the bill, recall your experience, and calculate a tip that makes sense.  However with more stringent <a href="https://www.pcisecuritystandards.org/">PCI rules</a> table side payment is now becoming more and more common.  Instead of taking the credit card to the payment terminal or <a href="http://posguys.com/restaurant-cash-register_40/">POS Station</a>, the server will take the payment terminal to the customer.  This makes it more secure from having the credit card number written down or photoed as you have line of sight on the credit card the entire time.  That's great for making sure no shady characters are sitting around trying to gather credit card numbers, but what it does is create an awkward situation where the server is going to be standing right next to you while you are evaluating their service.  Instead of having the privacy of closing the little black book with your desired tip amount hidden, you have to record it down and then hand it back to the server, forcing you to leave a respectable tip (even when it isn't deserved) or to have that awkward moment where someone learns what you think of their service, or maybe you want to leave a cash tip and then you have to explain to them that your leaving cash.

For many business owners who don't ever want to risk a PCI fine, having the customer and server go through table side payment is just something that they are going to have to deal with.  The larger PCI fines have been in the hundreds of thousands of dollars range, but were levied against chained businesses that have multiple locations and that should have been aware of what kind of responsibility they had to ensure the safety of their customer's payment information.  Small single locations are still susceptible to fines, which is why it's important to keep your POS Software AND payment software up to date, use <a href="http://posguys.com/magnetic-card-reader_4/Mag-Tek-Centurion_1031/">encrypted card readers</a> whenever possible, and to make sure they are following basic PCI rules such as making sure the customer has line of sight on their card at all times.

One business where table side payment absolutely makes sense is conveyor belt sushi places.  Especially in popular metro areas, these businesses are all about turn over.  You get people in fast, they have their few plates of food, and you get them out.  Service in general is going to be fairly standard and not too much to gripe about, unless your special ordering something, the food comes straight to you.  Maybe your water doesn't get refilled fast enough or you run out of wasabi, but for the most part these types of sushi restaurants, are pretty hands off with the servers, more then anything you just want your bill fast.  <a href="http://www.aldelotouch.com/">Aldelo Touch</a> or the older <a href="http://posguys.com/point-of-sale-software_35/Aldelo-Wireless-Edition_561/">Aldelo Wireless</a> is the perfect software for this business, the ipad mini can fit in an apron, you can also carry around a mini receipt printer, pop open the software, click a few buttons, and take payment right there.  Turning over the seat quicker and making the customer happier.  Win Win for everyone.

For more information on table side ordering or payment processing that is both secure and convenient, please talk to one of our system integrators at 1-855-POS-Guys or 1-800-903-6571.

Table Side Payment (aka the awkward moment where you watch someone evaluate you) By: POSGuys - 9/15/2014

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Table Side Payment (aka the awkward moment where you watch someone evaluate you)
By: POSGuys - 9/15/2014