Guest Checks in Micros Simphony 19

Updated on January 2, 2024
Michael Konrad

What are Guest Checks in Micros Simphony?

Guest checks are created with every new transaction and contain all the menu items, discounts, and promos which a guest orders or is entitled.

Besides menu information, guest checks contain information about:

the restaurant in the header,
the server who started the order,
the revenue center and time,
taxes and service charges,
other information on the trailer.

We can track checks using their assigned check number, which is controlled by CAPS or the local workstation.

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Configuring Guest Check Numbers

Guest Check numbers are typically assigned automatically by CAPS (the Check and Posting Service), but in some uncommon cases, the operators can manually assign them.

Assigning Guest Checks Numbers by RVC

This is the typical setup we see in most Restaurants where we define a number range in the RVC Parameters and CAPS assign checks numbers to each Workstation when a check is created.

We also have to ensure option bit #53 is checked:

53 – Use Revenue Center Check Numbers

Select to assign check numbers by revenue center (from the Check and Posting Service). Deselect to assign check numbers using the check number range configured for the workstation.

If this option bit is not selected, the checks will be assigned by the workstation instead.

Assigning Guest Checks Numbers by Workstation

In certain situations, some restaurants decide to have check numbers assigned by each individual workstation and can enter the number range in the Workstations tab in EMC.

If you do decide to use workstation check numbers, it’s best practice to have different ranges for each workstation.

1000-1999 for Workstation 1
2000-2999 for Workstation 2
and so on…

You also have to un-check Option bit #53 in RVC Parameters in order for the Workstations to start “issuing” check numbers.

Assigning Check Number ranges in the Workstations tab is best practice even if you intend to use RVC level control because these are the numbers that will be assigned if the workstations work in offline mode.

Configuring Guest Checks Headers and Trailers

Another very important part of the guest check is the header and trailer. These are the top and bottom parts of the guest check and contain information such as:

The restaurant name, address, phone number,
general information such as service charges and gratuities
promotions and discounts

Guest check headers and trailers can be defined at all levels in Simphony: Enterprise, Property, and RVC, so we can configure as many details as needed.

To make changes to heathers and trailers, open the Guest Check Headers module from the descriptor tabs.

There are 6 lines available where you can add any text in the header and 12 lines available for the trailer.

You can also add a Logo to the check by uploading it in content and checking the “Use Logo” box. For more details, read my article on Logo on Guest Checks.

Guest Checks Service Totals

After entering all the items in the guest check, we have to use a Service Total key to send the menu items to order devices.

The service total key will end the current service round, send menu items to order devices and post totals. Besides these core functions, we can also add other functions, such as printing the check.

We can configure 3 types of Service Total buttons:

Send and stay – send menu items to order devices
Send – sends menu items and logs the user out
Send and Print – sends menu items, logs the user out, and prints the check

These options are programmed in the tender media module.

The tender media module is also where we configure if we want to print the Sales Itemizers, Summary Totals, and the check trailer:

Option	Description
20 – Print Sales Itemizers	Select this option to print the sales itemizer lines on guest checks, customer receipts, and memo checks when workstation operators use the tender record. Deselect this option to suppress printing of the sales itemizers.
21 – Print Summary Totals	Select this option to print the summary totals (subtotal, tax, amount due, and change due) on guest checks, customer receipts, and memo checks when workstation operators press the key. Deselect this option to suppress printing of the summary totals.
22 – Print Check Trailer	Select this option to print the guest check trailer lines at the end of the guest check.
28 – Print Guest Check Trailer on Fast Transaction Customer Receipt	Select this option to print the guest check trailer on the customer receipt when workstation operators use the tender to close a fast transaction. Deselect this option to prevent the trailer from printing on customer receipts.

Guest Check Printing Options

There are 2 main ways we can program our guest checks to print:

On-Demand – most common in restaurants
By Round – most common in quick service (coffee shops)

These print options are configured in the Employee Classes module (at the property level). Select the correct Operator type for each RVC.

Closing Guest Checks

In order to close a guest check, we have to apply a Payment Tender that covers the entire amount due. The payment can be Cash, Credit Card, Gift Card, Room Charge, or other internal tenders.

Closed Check Operations

Once a check is closed, we can still perform a few operations:

Adjust Closed Check: Change or add a tip, tender, or guest count to a closed check without reopening it.
Reopen Closed Check: Reopen the check and use it as a regular guest check. All menu items from the check are considered previous-round items.
Reprint Closed Check: Reprint checks for a closed transaction in the current or previous business dates.
Reprint Previous Closed Check: Reprint a receipt for the last closed check.

These functions can be performed by an employee or manager based on the options in their roles.

These functions are also available for guest checks closed on previous days. We can control the number of days allowed to reopen/reprint closed checks from a previous business day in the Control Parameters. The range allowed is 0-14 days.

As a best practice, I prefer to set both numbers to zero, so re-opening/re-printing closed checks from previous days is not allowed.

It’s much easier to re-print checks from Reporting and Analytics or create a negative check to offset any item returns from a previous day.

Guest Check Transfers

Transferring a guest check is an operation that allows us to change the ownership of a guest check, change the table number, or the RVC.

Guest check transfers are done when an employee is taking a break and needs to change the ownership to another employee or when we need to change the table number.

Changing the table number on an active check is not possible in Simphony, so if a guest moves to a different table and we want to update the table number, we have to open a new check on the new table and transfer the old check to the new one.

In order to allow employees to transfer checks, we need to add a few options in their Role privileges:

45 – Authorize Transfer of Checks in the Same Revenue Center: Select to allow employees with this role to transfer checks from another operator within the same revenue center, and to authorize others to do so.
46 – Authorize Transfer of Checks Between Revenue Centers: Select to allow employees with this role to transfer checks from another revenue center, and to authorize others to do so.
47 – Authorize Adding of Checks in the Same Revenue Center: Select to allow employees with this role to add checks (to be in a check, and add another check to it) within a revenue center, and to authorize others to do so.
48 – Authorize Adding of Checks Between Revenue Centers: Select to allow employees with this role to add checks (to be in a check, and add another check to it) from another revenue center, and to authorize others to do so.

Besides the privileges, we also have to add several buttons to our functions page in Page Design. There are many functions available, so add only the ones you need.

Add/Transfer by Number: Adds or transfers a check within the same revenue center using the check number entered.
Add/Transfer Check by Number RVC Index: Adds or transfers a check (using the check number) from the revenue center specified in the Index field. The Index field points to one of the eight revenue centers configured in the Add/Transfer section of the RVC Parameters module.
Add/Transfer Check by Number Prompt RVC: Adds or transfers a check (using the check number) from one of the eight add/transfer revenue centers configured in the RVC Parameters module.
Add/Transfer Check by Table: Adds or transfers a check within a revenue center. The workstation client prompts for the table number or table ID of the check to be added or transferred.
Add/Transfer Check by Table RVC Index: Adds or transfers a check (using the table number or table ID) from the revenue center specified in the Index field. The Index field points to one of the eight revenue centers configured in the add/transfer section of the RVC Parameters module.
Add/Transfer Check by Table Prompt RVC: Adds or transfers a check (using the table number or table ID) from one of the eight add/transfer revenue centers configured in the RVC Parameters module.
Add/Transfer Check From List Prompt RVC: Prompts users for the revenue center, and then shows all open checks that can be added or transferred from others within the specified revenue center.
Add/Transfer Check From List RVC Index: Shows all open checks in the revenue center (specified by the Index field) that can be added or transferred from others. The Index field points to one of the eight revenue centers configured in the Add/Transfer section of the RVC Parameters module.
Add/Transfer Check SLU: Shows a list of checks that can be added or transferred from other workstation operators on the Open Check SLU.

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