How to Prevent Employee Theft From Your Restaurant
By: ServingIntel
Read Time: 3 minutes 32 seconds
Employee theft is something that the majority of restaurant businesses come across with. Regardless of how well you know your employees, there is always a possibility of stealing. Incident of this kind in restaurants takes a lot of forms, from stealing credit card details from customers, giving free drinks and food to patrons without permission, and more.
A lot of employees only steal because they know that the possibility of them getting caught is slim. However, if there is a proper system in place, employees will less likely to steal. So, what are the ways to prevent this? Check it out below.
Stock Sale Comparison:
If you’re suspicious about your employees stealing drinks or food, check to determine if you have less supply than you should have. In the event you consistently have low supply, it can be a sign of employee theft. If you can’t identify who’s at fault, talk to your employees about what’s causing the issue.
Regular Void Review:
Pocketing a customer’s money or voiding a sale is a common strategy for employee theft. You can further avoid this by a mandatory void approval from managers. If there is not enough management, you can call another staff to witness the transaction and the void.
Check Profit Margin:
If your profit stays the same when there is an increase in your sales volume, this indicates ineffective management for cash procedures. If you are not closely monitoring your cash, there is a higher chance employees are skimming from you. This can either occur at the customer table or at the register. Customers paying servers at their tables can be a factor of employee theft as they will be tempted to pocket a cash payment.
Observe Employee Behavior:
This is the simplest way to prevent possible employee theft in your restaurant. If someone starts to act weird and is withdrawing himself/herself, or secretive, there could be a reason to talk with them. Get ahead of such issue.
Proper Regulation of Time Clocks and Payroll:
Be aware that employee theft does not only happen at the cash register or in the kitchen. Employees who do not clock in or out correctly also fall to theft. If there is a camera installed over the time clock, review the CCTV footage frequently for any possible discrepancy. Make a clear and strong policy about how employees can use their discount and sharing it with others.
Daily Inventory Tracking:
When you have proper systems installed to keep track of your daily inventory, employees are less likely to do something fishy. While your staff must know you’re tracking the inventory, it is not necessary for them to know what or when it is being monitored.
Level Up Your POS System:
If you’re still using the old cash register system, you’re at risk for possible employee theft. Invest in a computer-based point-of-sale system. It makes harder for employees to skim off the cash register.
Have a Strong Password for Your POS:
Every employee must have their own password in order to use the point-of-sale system transactions. Make use of the password to gain access so employees don’t stand a chance to initiate returns or void transactions. Passwords should be generated randomly every month or depending on your timeframe. Employees must not create their own passwords. Deactivate a password if an employee no longer works for your business.
Takeaway:
Employee theft is a serious threat to any business. We can’t afford to lose sales just because we’re too confident that our employees are all trustworthy. It is better to be safe than sorry. These simple guidelines can help you prevent possible fraudulent activities from your employees. Implementing a strong and strict rule will surely keep those with bad intentions from doing so.
About ServingIntel:
ServingIntel is an international hospitality technology company that creates cloud-based enterprise and point-of-sale solutions serving a variety of hospitality industries, including restaurants, country clubs, hospitals, and senior living communities — providing complete software, mobile hardware, and business intelligence software through its ServingIntel platform. ServingIntel increases revenue and profit in foodservice operations while enhancing service and quality levels for the guests.
Reference:
https://www.thebalancesmb.com/how-to-prevent-employee-theft-2888858