UX Design | Select UX Contributions

Company: Toast POS
Project: Contributions from select UX Research Interviews.
Background: As a daily user of Toast POS since 2015, I was happy to be approached to participate in numerous UX Research Studies over the years. I am passionate about sharing pain points, insights, suggestions, and product ideas for both the benefit of the product and for restaurant users everywhere. See below for a sampling of thoughtful observations and design suggestions.

Problem Type: Pain Point

Restaurants cannot accept orders up through their Closing Time.

Screenshot of back-end shows restaurant is open until 10pm. Note screenshot was taken at 9:47pm.

Shows front-end that at 9:47pm, Online Ordering is unavailable, and customers are not able to place online orders through closing time at 10pm. This is due to the restaurant's default "Prep Time" of 30 minutes (the amount of time it takes to prepare an order). This model does not take into account business models that want to ignore this Prep Time default when it comes to their closing time.

Resolution: a new module was added to give restaurants the option of accepting their last order at "Closing time minus prep time" or at their true "Closing time". I.e. customers can now place orders all the way up through 10pm.

Screenshot of back-end shows restaurant is open until 10pm. Note screenshot was taken at 9:47pm.

1/5

Why is this a problem?

This restaurant closes at 10pm, and wants to accept orders up through 10pm. Photo 1 & 2: If the restaurant sets their back-end to close at 10pm, Toast automatically deducts the restaurant's "30 minute Prep Time" from the closing time, causing orders placed past 9:30pm to be rejected. Restaurant misses out on valuable revenue. Photo 3 & 4: If the restaurant sets their back-end to close at 10:30PM, orders will be accepted up through the desired 10pm, but with the added consequence of Toast Online Ordering displaying to customers that the restaurant is [incorrectly] open until 10:30pm. Photo 5: Toast's resolution!

Suggestion

Design a solution that allows restaurants to accept orders up through their closing time, while remaining transparent about their accurate closing time.

Problem Type: Innovative Product Suggestion

Ability to custom-brand Toast Online Ordering

Specifically requested custom-branding via HEX codes in a UX Feedback email in December 2021.

Custom Branding (Adobe Illustrator Color Picker-style) was added to ToastOO Q3 2023!

Specifically requested custom-branding via HEX codes in a UX Feedback email in December 2021.

1/2

Why is this a problem?

Websites that accept payments from customers, but do not feature custom branding, diminish confidence in cusotmers that the site is legitimate. It can even cause them to back out of a purchase. Users expect branding to be consistent across every channel of a company for peace of mind.

Suggestion

Allow restaurants to add Custom branding to their Toast Online Ordering (and all other customer-facing) pages.

Problem Type: Bug

"Other" payment options are out of order on the POS.

Back-end "Other Payment Options" settings.

Proof of bug on POS.

Back-end "Other Payment Options" settings.

1/2

Why is this a problem?

"Other" payment types in the back-end are listed in the order of most commonly used; the employee-facing POS should reflect the same order in order to reduce Payment errors.

Suggestion

Fix the bug.

Problem Type: Pain Point

Unable to review Sales reports older than 25 months.

Shows Sales reporting does not allow users to review sales reports older than 25 months.

1/1

Why is this a problem?

Considering restaurants who have been open for more than 25 months, access to prior year sales data is vital for forecasting, staffing, and general trend recognition. Especially taking the COVID-19 pandemic into account, restaurants are interested in seeing how quickly they can return to "pre-pandemic" numbers, which is not possible to access from the current reporting model (as shown by error message in photo).

Suggestion

Allow restaurants access to ALL-TIME sales reporting directly from the Sales Summary report that they are already familiar with, rather than redirecting to a different report that shows less detail.

Problem Type: Pain Point

Restaurants cannot update Takeout & Delivery quotes from the POS itself

Current ToastOO quote-changing behavior that requires employees have back-end access.

Suggested ToastOO Quotes module.

Suggested ToastOO Quotes module drop-downs that demonstrate complete clarity.

Current ToastOO quote-changing behavior that requires employees have back-end access.

1/3

Why is this a problem?

Due to the fast-paced nature of restaurants and high customer expectations, restaurants need to provide extreme clarity to customers (before they place an order) about how long their order is going to take. Toast currently requires restaurants to login to its back-end from another device, scroll down to the Toast Online Ordering -> Quote Time Strategy -> Quote Times section, update the quote time using separate drop-downs for Hour vs Minute, hit Save, hit Publish, then check front-end website to assure the change was properly published. This also requires giving general employees back-end access, which most restaurants do not want to do due to the sensitive nature of its content and risk of changing incorrect settings.

Suggestion

Add a "ToastOO Quotes" module directly to the POS itself, so employees have access, based on their permissions, to update quotes in-real-time without requiring risky access to the Toast back-end.

Problem Type: Pain Point

"Order Due" time is not printed on 3rd party receipts.

A Take-out order placed via direct Toast Online Ordering clearly displays Order Due Time at the top of the FOH ticket.

A Take-out order placed via Direct Toast Online Ordering clearly displays Order Due Time at the bottom of the Kitchen ticket.

A Take-out order placed via GrubHub and printed via the ToastPOS does not display the Order Due Time at the top *nor* the bottom of the printed ticket, leaving staff clueless as to when the order is due.

A Take-out order placed via direct Toast Online Ordering clearly displays Order Due Time at the top of the FOH ticket.

1/4

Why is this a problem?

Without "Order Due" time transparency on 3rd party order receipts printed from the ToastPOS, restaurants risk not having orders ready on time, causing a poor customer experience. Photo 1 & 2: A Toast Online Order prints with absolute clarity on Order Due Time. Photo 3 & 4: A 3rd party GrubHub order prints from the ToastPOS, completely omitting the Order Due time (arguably the most important piece of information on a ticket).

Suggestion

Use the 3rd party's API to funnel Order Due time from the 3rd party platform directly into the POS, and print it on the paper receipts so everyone within the restaurant (FOH + BOH) has clarity on order expectations.

Problem Type: Pain Point

Need ability to assign Service Charges by each individual Dining Option.

Current: Service Charge set-up by Dining Type.

Suggested Fix: Service Charge set-up by Dining Option, which offers more flexibility to match tax and surcharge laws for various jurisdictions across the country.

Current: Service Charge set-up by Dining Type.

1/2

Why is this a problem?

With 15+ years of experience bookkeeping across 3 states, I have firsthand awareness that service charge and tax laws are vastly different across cities, states, counties, and other tax jurisdictions. To give restaurants the flexibility they require to remain compliant in their own jurisdictions, they need the ability to assign Service Charges based upon their specific restaurant's Dining OPTIONS, rather than just by Dining TYPE (Dine-in vs Take-out vs Delivery). As it stands, even with Toast's suggested workaround of setting up the Colorado Retail Delivery Fee as a fixed 'tax' on a fixed Delivery Fee, the system does not currently accommodate full Tax compliance in the State of Colorado. 1) There is no way to automatically remove the Retail Delivery Fee from Bicycle Deliveries, where the Fee is not required, and 2) The system does not accommodate Third party platforms, such as GrubHub, who are required to collect and remit the Retail Delivery Fee for all motor vehicle Delivery orders placed directly on their platforms. Since there is no way to turn the Fee off for incoming API-integrated GrubHub orders, the Fee is being doubly-applied; once on the outside platform, and once on the internal POS. This results in unnecessary and time-consuming bookkeeping adjustments, and inaccurate sales and tax reporting.

Suggestion

Allow restaurants to assign Service Charges by Dining Option; not just Dining Type.

Problem Type: Pain Point

Unable to email $0 [Donation] digital receipts.

ToastPOS does not have the ability to send an emailed copy of a digital receipt that has a $0 total (i.e. a fully Donated order).

1/1

Why is this a problem?

When a restaurant makes a donation to a tax exempt entity, receipt documentation is required for both parties' records. Although ToastPOS allows the emailing of digital receipts for orders with regular payment methods (such as Credit Card, Cash, GooglePay, etc.), it does not allow the emailing of digital receipts for $0 (full donation) orders.

Suggestion

Allow restaurants to email $0 [Donation] receipts. Current workaround is to print a paper copy, take a photo, and email it to tax exempt partner. This is less professional and less efficient than providing a digital receipt directly via email.

Problem Type: Pain Point

Restaurants must login to their back-end menu in order to 'hide' unwanted menu items.

Current: Shows there is no way to 'hide' an Out of Stock menu item from customers' view directly from the POS itself.

Suggestion: Add a dropdown that allows staff or managers to control visibility of Out of Stock menu items directly from the POS itself.

Current: Shows there is no way to 'hide' an Out of Stock menu item from customers' view directly from the POS itself.

1/2

Why is this a problem?

If a restaurant runs out of an item and wants to 'hide' it from appearing on Toast Online Ordering platform, restaurants currently have to login to their back-end from a browser in order to change that setting. Many restaurants do not have a computer on-site, and many restaurants do not want common employees accessing their back-end settings and data. If employees and/or managers were instead able to publish this change from the POS itself, it would empower staff to make necessary updates without requiring back-end access.

Suggestion

Allow restaurants to update Visibility of Menu items from the POS itself. Create the feature as a 'permission' based on Passcode login and 'Job' allowances, so restaurants have the option to restrict common employees from making changes if they wish; it must have the option of being set up as a 'manager only' permission.