Aloha Cloud Reviews

“awful customer support”

Pros

It doesn't take long to get comfortable with it. The system is simple to use while still offering a lot of features.

Cons

The software is good enough but I am deeply disappointed by customer support. I often end up explaining to them how the system works because they don't seem to know it well enough.

“clean design”

Pros

Very user-friendly system with a clean layout that makes daily tasks simple. And it works well with chip readers, Bluetooth devices and similar hardware.

Cons

I don't like that the signature prompt appears on every transaction.

“handles several stations well”

Pros

Setting up multiple stations has been pretty easy and that's worked well for us over the past few months.

Cons

Our biggest issue has been the red X showing up at the end of the signature line.

“Convenient cloud access”

Pros

Cloud remote access is great. Using iOS hardware also helps avoid the kind of hardware failures we'd have run into with other devices.

Cons

The first level of tech support hasn't been very useful and they often seem to lack the proper tools to handle issues effectively.

“many options to work with”

Pros

Gives me a good range of device options to choose from.

Cons

I just wish it included more inventory features since that part feels a bit limited right now.

“broken reports”

Pros

At first the sales team does a very convincing job of making both the system and the staff look capable. In reality though I ended up handling most things myself while dealing with a group of outsourced support reps who seemed indifferent and uninterested in doing their jobs.

Cons

Reporting doesn't work properly and support is practically unavailable most of the time. Based on what we dealt with, callback estimates for standard issues were usually anywhere from 3 to 7 days. Their team asks for detailed notes when you open a ticket yet another support person will still call back with almost no understanding of the issue beyond a basic summary. There's also no real chain of command so if a disengaged rep keeps you on hold for 30 minutes and then hangs up, there isn't even a proper way to file a complaint.

“support takes too long”

Pros

When it actually works its simple to navigate. The pricing looked attractive at first but in the end you really get what you pay for.

Cons

Support has been very unhelpful to me and getting an issue escalated to a supervisor can take hours or even days.

“Weak support”

Pros

We've found that the system runs beautifully on Apple iPads. The reporting is impressively simplified and customizable. Also I just find it reassuring to have a large company behind it.

Cons

For some reason we've been plagued by random login and password reset issues. customer service has been practically non-existent which is why we're only rolling this out in our lower-volume locations and skipping it for the busy ones.

“flexible customization”

Pros

Most of our staff had already worked with it before so we barely needed any training. I also like having the cutomization flexibility so the system can fit the way our business operates.

Cons

But that level of flexibility can also make the system easier to misconfigure. One field can end up affecting another. Payroll integration is another issue for us.

“very helpful support”

Pros

Across full-service, QSR and mobile POS setups this has consistently worked well for me. The hosted services are a big advantage. Support is always quick and able to resolve issues without dragging things out.

Cons

It does cost a bit more but I think the value justifies it. One limitation is that when the app is implemented it runs off the POS database so certain app changes just aren't really possible.

“Powerful restaurant pos”

Pros

Running an entire restaurant with this POS feels very manageable. Aloha is plain to use and its core tools are built specifically to support restaurant operations and help the business succeed.

Cons

Honestly the only downside I can point to is the price. That said it delivers the kind of value you'd expect for what you're paying.

“Limited growth”

Pros

I got familiar with the setup and features and the system became simple to use and train staff on. Being able to generate multiple gift cards at the same time was also a really useful feature.

Cons

The platform was laggy and difficult to integrate as our business grew. Once we added more online ordering and catering tools it just wasn't keeping pace with what we needed.

“advanced features”

Pros

Compared with a few POS systems that can feel complicated this one includes all the advanced features I need while still being very simple to use.

Cons

I'd really want a free trial version at least for 3 months.

“smooth checkout experience”

Pros

The server side is very user-friendly with categories and screens that are simple to follow and remember by my team. The checkout function is also really useful for capturing daily data.

Cons

On the back-office side programming is much harder to work through. Updating buttons, designing screens and even changing the footer on the customer receipt are all more complicated to navigate than they should be.

“Weeks of unresolved issues”

Pros

Honestly it feels ridiculous having to come up with something positive when the overall experience has been so bad. I suppose I can say that on the rare occasions that the computer actually worked the system itself was fairly stable.

Cons

The service has been terrible and they have not been able to fix ongoing problems. We ran into credit card processing issues and checks were printing twice across several kitchen printers. Simply swapping out the unit is not always a real solution. We have been calling and emailing for weeks and the problems still have not been resolved.

“Total lifesaver”

Pros

After using a lot of POS systems over 10 years as a waitress Aloha has honestly been a lifesaver. Most of the companies I've worked for have chosen Aloha and it's easy to see why. The number of modifiers available for entree items makes the system very simple and that also helps a lot when training new servers. Each entree can have specific buttons assigned to it which lets servers place orders quickly and efficiently with everything right at their fingertips. It also gives you the option to add or remove buttons so if the menu changes or needs an update you can usually have that adjusted within 24 hours.

Cons

Keep in mind that adding or deleting buttons can be a bit tricky if you don't already know the system well. Even though the software is very capable and lets you do a lot new users may need customer support pretty often to figure out how to navigate everything. It still feels like a small tradeoff compared with the convenience and accessibility Aloha gives you overall.

“anyone can learn this”

Pros

I handle most changes myself. Updating things in the POS is fairly simple. The ergonomic layout also makes it comfortable and simple for staff to work with.

Cons

It's hard to reach the right person with regards to customer support and the issue still doesn't fully get fixed. I've also run into cases where certain buttons I needed weren't available for me to add on my own so having to call someone to enable them felt unnecessary.

“constant outages”

Pros

The layout is user-friendly for servers and the programming works decently once you get familiar with it. It's fairly simple to navigate but it really needs a local help desk since everything is handled remotely.

Cons

Constantly drops offline and the system goes down far too often. Instead of actually resolving the problem support seems to just pass it along through email and leave me stuck without a working system.

“terrible customer support”

Pros

It doesn't require the large upfront investment you usually deal with with a hard-wired system.

Cons

But it can't do a lot of the things a hard-wired system can and the customer service is disappointing. The support team also doesn't seem to have the technical knowledge needed to help much. They couldn't solve most of my problems.

“Outdated system”

Pros

People who have been around a long time usually already know how to work with it since it's an older system that servers and waitstaff have used for years.

Cons

Buyers should be careful with Aloha because they seem to get you coming and going. They sell you the same system while also messing up the service charges in every way they can so I'd strongly recommend looking for a different system instead.