Simphony POS Review: Cut Costs, Maintain Quality

Company Overview

Headquartered in Columbia, Maryland, Simphony was introduced by Oracle in 2014. Since then, they’ve served many clients, including Starbucks, Quiznos, Outback Steakhouse, and Sticks'n'Sushi. The POS was built on a safe, open API that runs on Oracle Linux or Microsoft Windows with features that operate on an enterprise-grade technology stack. Furthermore, they offer a payment cloud service that employs end-to-end encryption to safeguard sensitive data and is compliant with PCI DSS. In addition to useful features and affordable plans, Oracle has won many awards for corporate social responsibility, workforce, and employee recognition.

Features & Services

The POS system offers a range of features that work for big and small establishments. When you sign up for a plan, you can expect the following:

Inventory management: Their system will allow you to view stock levels to determine what has been used, expired, or missing and reorder items as needed. This reduces food waste while ensuring ingredients are always fresh at the time of order. You can also connect the POS to your favorite suppliers and vendors, allowing you to identify pricing trends, access invoices, and create menu models.

 Payment cloud service: The payment cloud service allows your business to accept debit, credit, and mobile payments, such as Google Pay, Samsung Pay, and Apple Pay. The cloud system is also automatically integrated with the POS to keep all costs, transactions, and payment data on one dashboard.

Customer loyalty programs: Customers can earn rewards based on visits, money spent, and purchases, adding incentives to each visit. They can also view their reward activity, including points and prizes, on their account. The customer loyalty program also uses targeted campaigns to keep customers engaged and updated on promotions and special events.

Employee management: This feature manages onboarding, schedules, and time-off requests, preventing scheduling conflicts and excessive overtime. It also assists with employee training, ensuring your staff is ready to deliver quality service.

Third-party integrations: Simphony allows you to connect their systems to various mobile payment processors, online ordering platforms, and delivery services, such as DoorDash and Uber Eats. This gives you the flexibility to stay on top of orders and increase customer satisfaction.

Reporting and analytics: The reporting and analytics dashboard makes it easy to access reports on the InMotion mobile app or desktop web browser. You can filter reports by location, region, employee, restaurant type, or all locations, enabling mobile push notifications to send real-time alerts and updates.

Custom interface and language: Their system supports customizable interface features to match the restaurant's brand, from the logo to the layout. Additionally, multiple languages and currencies are ideal for businesses with worldwide locations, including America, Germany, and Japan.

Industry-specific features: The company offers features tailored to restaurants ranging from quick-service to fine dining. This includes real-time table management, reservations, wait lists, conversational ordering, online ordering and delivery, menu management, and multichannel kitchen displays. This ensures the staff is always on the same page, resulting in better workflow, quicker orders, and more sales.

Hardware and add-ons: The hardware systems they offer, such as self-service kiosks, reduce lines and wait times. Their helpful add-ons, such as cash drawers and receipt printers, ensure restaurants have everything they need.

Pricing & Plans

The provider offers several pricing plans to meet your restaurant's needs, complete with cloud-based storage and software integration. Additionally, when you make the switch to Simphony, you can purchase a $1 POS hardware.

• Simphony Essentials: The Essentials plan is ideal for small restaurants, cafés, and bars that need a reliable POS system with a small IT footprint. Starting at $55, the membership fee enables smaller chains to launch their operations without compromising quality or breaking the bank
• $75 Plus: The Plus plan is ideal for multi-location, franchise operators, and restaurants that need flexible, advanced features. With features such as inventory management, retention marketing, and analytics, businesses can manage all locations from the same dashboard
• Single-Tenant deployment: Single-Tenant plans allow business owners to use their own technology stack with the provider's cloud-based POS. If you are unsure of which plan to choose, contact the provider for a quote and package that best fits your business

$1 POS hardware options

If you switch from your current provider to Simphony, you can purchase certain POS hardware for just $1. This is perfect for trying out a monthly subscription without spending too much on hardware. All you need to do is contact an Oracle product expert to discuss making the switch to this provider.

• Workstation 6 Series: The Workstation 6 Series is suitable for businesses of all sizes and features the latest restaurant technology. It includes a 15.6-inch HD widescreen, multiple payment types with offline mode, ample storage, connectivity, removable media, and shock and vibration resistance
•  Workstation 3 Series: Workstation 3 Series is designed for food trucks, concession stands, poolside bars, and other spots with limited electrical outlets. Its features keep your business running regardless of location, including daylight-viewable display, consumer-facing display, magnetic card reader, memory and storage, and full-shift battery power. It is also resistant to heat, moisture, shock, and vibration, making it suitable for operation in any location
•  Tablet 700 Series: The Tablet 700 Series is a mobile POS system that works for tableside, drive-through, and curbside ordering. This lightweight mobile POS includes a credit card reader and an eight-hour hot-swappable battery. It is also durable enough to withstand harsh conditions like heat, moisture, and grease. While it does connect to Wi-Fi- and Bluetooth-supported peripherals, it also features an offline mode to keep business running even in remote locations

Advantages & Disadvantages

Advantages

Secure cloud-based server and data protection: Restaurant data and customer information are saved on a secure cloud-based server. This way, missing or stolen hardware will not cause sensitive data to fall into the wrong hands. Furthermore, this enables you to access important information by logging into your POS dashboard even when you are not at the restaurant.

Multiple payment processors: Your business can accept debit, credit, mobile payments, and gift cards. This allows customers to use their preferred payment methods, from charging a credit card to going completely contactless. Additionally, it enables customers to enjoy the convenience of using a restaurant gift card.

Third-party software integrations: The POS can easily integrate with your favorite food delivery service platforms, like Uber Eats and DoorDash. Having access to all the tools you need on one platform means that you can save time and focus on your customer's orders.

Compatible with external POS hardware: Simphony POS allows you to use the software on your existing technology stack, providing a sense of familiarity and reducing the time needed to learn the system. You can also consult an Oracle expert to help you choose the right package for your business, complete with a custom quote.

Affordable POS hardware: When you switch to Simphony, you can choose from an assortment of modern, durable POS hardware for just $1 each. This is ideal for businesses looking to try a monthly plan without a significant investment in equipment. All hardware is equipped with the most recent restaurant technologies and can run the POS software smoothly.

Single platform multi-location management: The software allows you to manage establishments with multiple locations. Additionally, each location's interface, language, and currency can be modified, which is particularly advantageous for global chains.

Disadvantages

Poor customer support: Customers have reported issues with reaching an agent, stating that a response can take days or weeks. Some customers never receive a response, while others receive a response without a resolution. This makes it difficult to continue using the POS system.

Glitches after software update: There have been reports of minor glitches, especially after software updates. Examples include service outages and menu changes that are not updating on all devices. Such issues need to be swiftly fixed to reduce the potential losses.

No free trial: The provider does not mention a free trial anywhere on the website, indicating that it might not be available. While the hardware is $1 when making the switch, businesses still need to pay for a monthly plan that starts at $55. Many different establishments may not want to spend the money without knowing if the service is suitable for them.

High learning curve: Customers have expressed dissatisfaction with the software's learning curve, claiming that it has caused delays in operations because all staff members are required to use the POS system. Some users have also expressed confusion with the initial Simphony setup and general interface.

User Reviews

Simphony POS is rated 4.8 out of 5 on G2 and 1.1 out of 10 on TrustRadius. Oracle has a 1.3 rating on Trustpilot and has received an A+ from the BBB.

Positive feedback

Customers feel the POS system is easy to use, especially when taking orders and accepting payments. They also find it easy to execute tasks, such as setting the availability and count of specific items and general inventory updates. Those who have talked to customer service felt the staff was helpful. There was even a case of a technician using Zoom to help a business owner fix an issue.

Negative feedback

Unfortunately, many customers find it difficult to reach support, and some wait several weeks for a ticket to be resolved. Others feel customer support was not knowledgeable enough to solve the problem, and a different technician taking over the case puts them back at square one. Meanwhile, some customers had difficulty learning the software, making it difficult to start or continue operations. Additionally, some customers reported minor glitches that caused several hours of system outage.

The company has not responded to any of the positive or negative feedback. If you need more information on how the provider handles various situations, be sure to do more research and contact past and present customers. This way, you can ask customers about their experience and if they recommend the provider for your business.

Customer Support & Services

To speak to an expert, click the "Request a callback" button at the bottom of this page. You can also request a personalized demo to see the POS in action or expand your network by joining the online community. The "talk to sales" pop-up on the page allows you to speak to a sales representative by phone or email. You can also contact their US sales phone number at 800 633 0738 or refer to their list of global phone numbers available on the website. Oracle also offers free webinars featuring tutorials on how to use their POS and other tools.

Conclusion

Simphony POS offers features that work for businesses of all sizes, from food trucks to multi-location restaurants. Features such as inventory management, HD screen displays, and multiple payment processing speed up orders, while gift cards and loyalty programs engage customers. With reporting and analytics, businesses can keep up with popular demands and busy hours, increasing revenue. Moreover, the secure cloud-based server protects sensitive information, providing peace of mind for customers and employees.

The customizable interface, language selection, and third-party integrations provide convenience for multiple locations. For example, if you own a well-known franchise, you can change the language and currencies for your Japan, Italy, and France locations. Additionally, the ability to use the POS with your favorite tools makes it easier to keep things running smoothly. The drawbacks include minor glitches, the absence of a free trial, poor customer support, and a high learning curve.

Your individual preferences and business goals play an important role in selecting a POS system. This is why we offer comprehensive reviews for various top providers, which you can compare to determine which is right for you. We regularly post helpful blogs if you need help with industry-specific products, standards, and jargon.

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