Using multiple of the same items in a modifier group?

[LuigisLasagna]

Hello

When will this feature be available?  I signed up for beta to be able to use this feature ! Please help ! I am trying to get my store up and running but this is not working so we cant start until then

[TheRealChipA]

Hey there @LuigisLasagna.  The beta for this just started this week.  I would not expect it to be ready for use quickly, however.  One reason is it currently only works on online stores.  It is slated to be test on POS no sooner than the end of the month, and these things never go exactly according to plan.  Honestly, I would figure out another plan for now.  It is never a good idea to plan to be running a business with beta test software.  As long as it is in beta, there is no guarantee it will make it to general release.  I’ve been part of a few betas — especially those that are this early in the process — that were pulled entirely.  Just a word to the wise.

If you need some help figure out workarounds for now, feel free to post your issues.  I’ve used Square POS for over a decade and can help you find solutions.

[LuigisLasagna]

Thanks for your response

that is discouraging

I was excited to start that mid March but I guess I shouldn’t expect that

Basically I have a pizza store - we offer combos

we are trying to implement an AI software that integrates with square

the ai accepts orders by phone and sends them to square 

one combo includes 4 drinks and 4 dips

customers often want the same 4 drinks or 2 and 2 of the same drinks or dips - but currently it is confusing the system when they ask for this and not sending orders through

adding a different modifier group (4 modifier groups with each having all options) is not really helpful as this creates too many modifier groups for one item and confuses the AI

The other option is to create 4 of each option in the modifier group - to allow the customer to choose 4 garlic dips etc but this seems like a lot of work to have to do 

please help - this seems like such a obvious and easy fix to just offer and allow multiple quantities of the same modifier in a modifier group !!

thanks 

sam

[TheRealChipA · Accepted solution]

@LuigisLasagna I was a software developer in a former life.  Trust me, nothing is ever as easy or obvious as it seems to users.  Especially in an ecosystem as diverse and complex as Square’s.  Things must go according to a strict plan in order not to put out something that breaks it for all of us!  It will come, when it is ready.  Now….

I’ll admit that what you are trying to do is extremely complicated, more so when you throw in the very untested factor of AI order taking (you’re MUCH braver than I am, for sure.  I would never use something like that this early in the game.  Ha!). If you have to open with all of this, then yes you probably will have to wait for the beta to get around to Restaurants.

I’m going to tag @danitza who is one of the admins of that beta.  They will probably touch base with you via private message rather than here, though, since talking about beta specifics is not usually allowed in the public forum.

For now, I’d take the safe route and forget the AI until modifier quantities has been fully tested and released.  That way you can have 4 duplicate modifier groups, since that won’t confuse the smarter humans.  That’s just what I would do rather than take too many chances with a new business model.

[LuigisLasagna]

Weve actually been open and running business for 10 years, but have been trying to implement this AI System for the past 6 months and finally thought we were ready a few days ago.

I specifically purchased and signed up for square for restaurants because they were a recommended partner with the AI company (after toast) and i am really starting to regret my choice of not going with TOAST as it seems these issues im facing i wouldnt have been facing .

The problem seems that when the AI system is accepting an order from customers and customers ask for multiple of the same items in a modifier group (for example 3 coke and 1 gingerale when offered 4 pops in a combo) the system has no way to send that to square correctly as square wont accept multiple of the same options in a modifier group currently.

I went through my entire menu and have adjusted all combos with multiple modifier groups with only 1 allowed and required option for each (for example, 4 pops in a combo is now "choose 1st drink" "choose 2nd drink" etc and i will be testing this tomorrow to see if it works better for the time being)

Please help me sign up for the beta or implement this permanently - it would be game changing for square restaurant customers !

Thanks

Sam

[TheRealChipA]

@LuigisLasagna I’m just a fellow seller.  I can’t help you sign up for the beta.  They have strict limits on those and specific requirements.  The fact that you haven’t been accepted might be indicative that your account doesn’t meet those requirements.  Obviously, Square knows this will be a game changer.  That is why it is in beta test now.  But Square can’t be responsible for your timing of a new venture, nor can it change its internal rules just to help with the new venture of a single seller.  I already tagged a beta test admin.  If they review this thread and determine they can accommodate you, they will.  But please don’t forget something I said in my initial post — currently the beta ONLY is being tested in online stores.  It is not yet ready to test for ANY POS.  So, being accepted will not help you at all until that changes.

[ryanwanner]

Hello @LuigisLasagna !

As a business owner using Square and additionally someone who's helping out at a friend's pizza place using Toast I can say that I really hope that the modifier group listings is the worst of your AI integration problems!

The amount of variables I've seen come in on the pizza side of things is staggering, and that comes from a coffee shop owner with waaaaay too many milks, sizes, syrups, and coffees! 🙂 I know my friend's Toast system is set up with modifier groups upon modifier groups, and we still have to manually type in a few options.

I'll also add that while this is an available beta (almost), the development team is working on making it happen for the Square ecosystem. I personally wouldn't expect it to be released to the API calls for your AI integration any time soon. Assuming the beta completes and gets released to general use, my bet is it'll be after that before the API calls are updated. Then it's up to your AI developer to learn and test the new linkage.

[Summer2024]

Thanks @TheRealChipA and @ryanwanner for providing some insight here. 

I'm also going to tag my beta friend @Marco for visibility as well.