I have a Toast POS system, which is great on so many levels, but has one significant flaw that has caused me to start trying out Slice, but I’m quickly finding out that I can’t have both simultaneously (it’s either one or the other), but I’m so heavily invested in Toast that having to totally migrate to Slice or another POS system like Speedline would be a costly move, if not a dumb one.
The significant flaw I’m talking about has to do with the fact that you can’t export customers’ mailing addresses for database marketing. I really don’t understand why Toast doesn’t enable this feature, but I understand that Toast is geared mostly towards dine-in establishments, so may be they don’t feel any need to prioritize pizza places, but this is just me surmising.
Has anyone that owns Toast found a way to access their customers’ mailing lists. If so, how were you able to achieve that?
Slice seems to have a lot of good things going on for it, but I feel like their $2.50 per order is quite high, not to mention that so far every online ordering customer that has come through Slice is actually a regular customer, who simply was forced to (or led to believe that they had to) order through Slice, because that’s who comes up first when you order the blue Google button.
Once again, if you use Toast, I’d like to hear from you. Thank you in advance!
2.50 an order? You’re being margined to death. Speedline’s online ordering is only $109 a month.
As far as toast, I’ve heard the major downfall with them is they are also your processor. What’s your effective rate on credit cards? It may be worth it in the long run to look at a Speedline POS system, especially with the monthly fees you’re probably paying to toast. Not to mention their cut of your credit cards.
Thank you kindly Steve for the reply! My rate with Toast is 2.29%, plus 15 cents per swipe/tap for the card being present, and it’s 3.25% for cards not present. This is for Visa and Master Card. For Amex, it’s 3.29% for card present and 3.5% keyed in.
Do you use Speedline? If so, do you recommend it?
I’m actually very pleased with Toast, despite some shortcomings, and yes, I wish I wasn’t locked in for the credit card processing, but all that is OK.
However, not being able to access my customers’ mailing lists is almost a deal breaker for me.
You’re getting hammered on those fees. I’m at 2.5%, all in. Including all card brands and swipe fees.
I’ve had speedline since 2013 and they’ve always been awesome to deal with.
Thanks again Steve, that’s good to know. Do you conduct any online or direct mail marketing via Speedline? If so, how do you like it?
2.5% sounds nice coming from my world. That’s almost an entire percentage point that they pocket from my revenue, and by the way I’m one of the better stories, as some restaurants get pounded mercilessly.
Finally, how much does Speedline cost to have? Right now I have two POS stations for Toast.
Depends on your total setup, I’m setting up another store with 2 order taking stations, 2 kitchen display screens, and 3 printers. It’ll be around $14k. 109 a month in online ordering, 175/month for support & live maps (live maps is only like $12 I think. It enforces your delivery zone for online orders and pinpoints all of your deliveries in the map).
I export customer email addresses from Speedline store manager and save it as an excel file then upload into MailChimp. Create an email template and send to 6k people in minutes.
Thanks a bunch Steve! This sounds like a great system that I may want to look into.
I do have to say that some of the features you mentioned are built into Toast as well, and one feature that I grew to like is the Payroll, which is integrated in the system, so I don’t need to export any data to any CPA or any program like QuickBooks.
That said, you’re right about the fact that Toast wipes out a full percentage point of my revenue (and not even my profit, but my total revenue) when they force me to process transactions through them exclusively.
I’ll look into SpeedLine for sure.
I really like HungerRush, imo they specialize in the pizza business. It has every feature you discussed and more imho. Better live support, online ordering, and app.
There have been soooo many people bashing hungerrush/revention on here. I’d never touch it just going off of everyone’s experience
I’m new to the site, I see that now too. Hasn’t been my experience with them and im hoping it never is.
Is that a setting you can turn on in toast? I export my customer mailing list frequently with no issues. It’s under Guest Engagement. I use it to help manage our pizza subscription program.
I’d love to know how you do that @RobotsAndPizza. Remember, I’m talking about physical mailing addresses, not emails. I’m able to create custom email campaigns, as well as export email lists if I choose to, but physical mailing addresses for direct mail campaigns are another story for me.
How are you able to access/export those?
Ah I also misunderstood, but Speedline has a function for that where you can even print them on mailing labels.
Hi @Steve, that’s exactly what I need. What’s funny is that when I had another restaurant back in 2007, my POS system at the time, which was a fairly basic one allowed me to export customer mailing lists in order to print them on labels, but Toast not only doesn’t have this function, but they even refuse to share my customers’ lists with me.
The last rep told me that they’re going to push a new update, which will enable this feature, but whether this update will take place soon (or at all) remains a curious question.