POS training: a checklist before the first shift

Agree on a safe way to practise

Ask the provider how to practise without taking real payments. Practice should not send food orders to the kitchen or cause errors in sales reports either.

Use the same terms and menu options employees will encounter on shift.

Have an experienced colleague watch while the new employee carries out the tasks. Mark each item “ready”, “needs more practice” or “needs help from the person in charge”.

Practise a normal order

Go through the tasks in this order:

• Log in with the correct user account. Explain what that user can do.
• Find a dish and choose the size and extras. Confirm the price with the guest.
• Choose dine-in or takeaway. Select the correct table or collection time.
• Check that the order reaches the right place in the kitchen. Add-ons must be clear.
• Try payment using the agreed test method. Find the receipt.
• Follow the order until everything is ready and handed over.

Practise what can go wrong

Try these situations before the first busy shift:

• The guest changes an add-on. Try this both before and after the order is sent to the kitchen.
• An item sells out. Show who marks the item as sold out in the system.
• Payment fails, or you are unsure whether it went through. Check what happened before trying to charge the guest again.
• An order needs correcting, or the guest needs a refund. Show who can authorise this.
• A screen or the internet connection stops working. Find the outage plan and the person to contact.

Create a short help page

Write down how to fix the most common errors. Include who approves exceptions and how employees get help from the provider.

Do not put shared passwords or payment details on the page. Agree on who keeps it updated.

The person closing the shift must also practise reports and payout checks. If you use cash, they must practise checking that the money in the till matches recorded sales.

Give each employee access based on the tasks they need to do.

Follow up after the first busy shift

Ask what was difficult. Have the employee demonstrate the task again.

See whether the problem was lack of practice, an unclear menu or incorrect settings.

Keep practising what is needed. Agree on who follows up during the next shift.

A completed checklist alone does not show that the employee has mastered the tasks.