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4) VOIDS AFTER CLOSEOUT
In an ideal world, you have hired a management staff that you trust completely. You have entrusted them with the keys to the building and the liquor cabinet, they are responsible for operations on the floor, and they are often the ones approving comps and voids in the system.
Unfortunately, with this responsi- bility comes great opportunity for theft. Managers, alone in the restaurant at the end of the shift, have every opportunity to void out cash transactions that occurred during the day. The books balance out in the POS system and they can take the cash for themselves.
Prevention:
• Keep a close eye on all voids, especially those made after close, and which manager is approving them. Your POS system should be able to track all of this for you and make it easy to see where theft may be occurring. You will notice right away if one person is voiding transactions frequently and if they are doing it at odd hours.
5) REUSABLE RECEIPTS
This scheme requires accuracy and a little bit of luck, but more than a few anonymous ex-bartenders I spoke with reported they saw this happening at their restaurant.
A customer comes to the clubhouse and orders a Bud Light at the bar - a frequently requested beverage. The bartender prints the receipt and the customer pays in cash. Instead of closing out the tab, the bartender leaves it open. Fifteen minutes later, a different customer orders a Bud Light. Instead of entering it in the POS system as a separate check, the bartender reprints the first customer’s receipt from the still-open tab.
Originally published January 13, 2017 at The information has been edited for the
When the second customer pays for their beer, the original check is closed, leaving the cash from that first order unaccounted for and in the hands of the bartender.
Prevention:
• Some restaurants require a receipt to be placed in front of the guests upon delivery of the drink, so every party should have a receipt in front of them at all times. That process can also improve efficiency because guests don’t have to flag down the bartender for their checks.
• You can also use your POS data to your advantage. Keep an eye on the average time a tab is open at the bar and which servers are frequently reprinting receipts. Being aware of these sneaky tactics can help you sniff out anomalies in your business data.
6) REGISTER SKIMMING
The oldest trick in the book. Restaurant owners who don’t track their sales report are extremely susceptible to employee theft.
Your employees are smart - when they know that money is not being tracked closely, some may try to skim $5, $10, or $20 when they think they can get away with it. This is much more common in smaller, independent restaurants that may not have solid systems in place to prevent this from happening or track down the culprit.
Prevention
• Thankfully, modern restaurant POS systems make these thefts a bit more obvious. When there’s a mismatch in your daily sales report and the money in your register, there will be a glaring mismatch. You can begin investing into the issue immediately and ask your managers and employees if some- one’s been acting strange lately.
• With these modern POS systems, you can also make it clear in the training process how accurately you are able to track sales. This can deter staff members from the idea that a successful skimming of the register is nearly impossible.
STOPPING RESTAURANT EMPLOYEE THEFT
No matter what you do to arm your business against theft, there will always be ways that your staff can steal from the restaurant. So, it is also important to recognize the roots of your staff’s impulse to steal.
If you can create a fulfilling work environment where employ- ees feel a sense of ownership in their work, you will decrease their desire to “stick it to the man.” They will be far less likely to behave recklessly if they are happy and feel fulfilled at work. Look closely at your payroll to ensure that wages match the duties expected.
Consider treating your staff to a wonderful meal or offering a desirable discount for their friends and family (with limits, of course). Understanding the ways your employees can steal from you while also working to make your staff feel valued creates a strong wall of defense.
Golf Business Canada
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Golf Business Canada
https://pos.toasttab.com/blog/ways-your-staff-is-stealing-from-your-restaurant-now. purposes of Golf Business Canada Magazine and is reproduced with permission.