Frequently Asked Questions

The following FAQ's have been compiled from customer requests for more information on our epos system, training, installation and support. We have done our best to categorise the questions, but if you have any that are not answered below please feel free to contact us and we will be happy to answer them.

When do I pay?

For all EPOS installation jobs:

We require a deposit to be paid to secure the installation date. The payment of the remaining balance is to be made at time of installation. A VAT invoice will be supplied within fourteen days of installation.

For all delivery orders:

We require full payment to be cleared in advance of shipping. We can supply a pro-forma with BACS details for you upon request.

Every quote we've been given has some hidden extras, what are yours?

We operate a NO HIDDEN EXTRAS policy.

We have spent a lot of time revising our pricing to ensure that it is totally transparant and there aren't any additional costs. Yes, there are options, but they're not compulsory. Too many of our competitors advertise cheaper incomplete systems in order to entice customers, only to find out that there's hidden extras which are compulsory.

We find that on balance, our prices are among the fairest and the most complete that you will find.

What do you mean by subsistence?

Our site team often travel great distances at unsocial hours to attend installs, and as such when our engineer and their assistant attend site, we would ask they are provided with coffee, tea and water facilities. We also ask they get a meal break with an option off your basic menu.

If this is not possible on site, and we fully understand this if you are in a state of refurbishment, they will usually attend a local cafe or restaurant for a break and use the nearest venue to keep topped up with coffee. This will be invoiced to you at cost price.

Network Linking:

What do we need in order to link our EPOS systems?

Depending on the EPOS system you decide to buy, we usually recommend a professionally installed CAT5 solution, however, on PC based systems we are able to use a secure wireless LAN to link your tills. The key to either of these solutions is the professionally installed element (a standard wireless router designed for home/office use won't usually be able to cope with the 24/7 EPOS environment).

Do we need to network our POS systems?

Networked terminals make life easier; it means that you only have to program one terminal with new changes. It also means that your terminals are all uniform and staff find it easier to navigate. If you are using any back office software or wish to monitor the tills remotely, you will need to network the systems together.

PC Based EPOS terminals

When we say PC terminals, we're referring to the integrated touch screens that we provide that run Windows XP as an operating system and store everything on to a hard disk as opposed to memory chips. The terminals are fully integrated in to one unit which includes the touch screen, processor and all connections, so you don't need to have any extra boxes behind your bar.

Do I need PC based EPOS terminals?

It isn't always essential to have PC based EPOS terminals, but they do have several advantages:

with such large hard drives they can keep many years journal and not need to overwrite their history
the systems are much easier to support remotely
PC based systems are easier to upgrade and always have the latest features

Can I mix and match, or do all my terminals have to be identical?

The glory of PC based tills in your hospitality environment is that the terminals can be completely different in make and model since it's the software that makes them operate in the same way. We can use many different brands, models and styles of EPOS terminal on the same site if that's what you need.

Do I have to use your software on my terminal?

Your terminal will come with CES Touch Software installed as standard. When Hospitality Tills was set up, we evaluated several EPOS programs (about 35), and found that nearly all were unprofessionally written or unprofessionally supported.

One thing we didn't want is our customers being forced to pay annual upgrade fees, phenomenal monthly support fees or being forced to deal with overseas call centres. CES was the best all rounder which can be used in many environments.

Integration of your EPOS to other systems:

Do I have to buy the back office software for stock control?

CES has some in-built stock management and is more than capable of tracking basic figures. If you'd like to use the system to process your ordering, suggest order quantities, and produce more comprehensive management reports, or if you need a head office solution that will let you link to multiple sites, then CES is the system for you.

Does your system integrate with Sage as standard?

All our PC based solutions can integrate with Sage Line 50 through CES or through the back office solution.

What methods of import are included as standard?

You can import and export to Excel spreadsheets as standard on CES. Contact us to check if your terminal can use this.

Can your system integrate to our hotel software?

An option is available to link in to the GuestMaster, GuestLine and Rezlink systems.

Financing an EPOS system:

If we decide on a finance, will we be accepted?

As with any finance agreement, our partners will run credit checks in order to satisfy themselves that you can afford the repayments and have a good history of paying credit agreements on time. If you meet the criteria, the chances are you will be accepted.

Who can get finance?

At present, we are only legally allowed to finance to Limited Companies (both private and public). New companies are welcome, although directors guarantees will usually be required.