Printed Tickets Missing Essential Modifiers and Items Altogether

[Chip_OceanW]

For the past several months, one of our printers randomly decides to skip printing essential modifiers for our sushi menu items. This is extremely frustrating as the remaining printers print everything fine. A workstation printer by the KDS (as well as the rest of the printers) shows all items that need to be made and served to the customers. HOWEVER, the missing modifiers on a printed ticket from the sushi bar workstation printer SLOWS our efficiency down a lot. Now, we (all servers) have to bring the unaffected ticket into the sushi bar area, causing inconvenient congestion, in order to compare each ticket one by one to ensure all sushi items are prepared correctly.

To give an example, we have an item called “Nigiri Top Ten” which comes with a choice of a sushi roll like “California Roll,” “New York Roll,” or “Shrimp Tempura Roll.” These choices are not set up to be optional, so before this item is ordered, a choice must be selected. However, on the printed ticket from the sushi bar workstation, one of these choices should appear but in reality is omitted for some reason.

In addition, an item without any modifiers will be missing altogether. This means that the technology designed to make things better is failing us randomly and more frequently.

My manager has contacted Customer Care to fix these issues several times, but the issues still persist. 

Can anyone help pinpoint if this is a hardware or software issue?

[rcmck]

I would suspect missing prep station routing to the that prep station on some items and modifiers. The best way to see if everything that should be sent to that station is being sent to it is to use advanced properties, prep stations selected, then look into all your menus and items that seem to be missing from that station. Be sure to expand all the modifier groups as well.  https://central.toasttab.com/s/article/Advanced-Properties-1493048870996 

[Chip_OceanW]

Thank you for your response!

The issue is that any missing items from the printer would reappear on a printed ticket for a different order. So it seems the advanced properties  are working alright. The items that are being affected at this moment are routed to one prep station only. The fact that they are omitted on the printed tickets randomly is a mystery. So I’m wondering if this could be a hardware issue rather than a software issue.

If you can see the attached photo of a printed ticket of the entire order. The “Nigiri Lunch” item is in the system. This is the main item with no additional modifiers. So it shouldn’t have disappeared altogether from the prep station ticket.

I just thought of switching this printer with another one to see if this solves the problem. If this problem persists, I am tempted to replace the cables next time. Any thoughts? Thanks 🙂

[rcmck]

Ok in that case I would check your actual pos devices device setup (tablets and handhelds), there may be one with that prep station selected under non printing prep stations. That might explain the randomness of it. I don't suspect the printer to be the problem, they just print what they are sent.  https://central.toasttab.com/s/article/How-do-I-get-the-bar-printer-to-not-print-orders-from-the-bar...