Since restaurants and bars exist and as well as the waiters, always have been those who love to steal from the restaurants cash registers. That’s not a big news. This text talks about how waiters steal and how you can catch them in the theft by easiest possible way using POS software with integrated ordering system.
Be sure that your employees know what’s going to happen if you you catch them in theft
Most waiters and bartenders steal from your restaurant because they think they can easily get away with it, everybody do that in restaurant business or they are not inform about consequences of being caught in stealing. But no matter what kind of job you are working you are thief if you steal something what does not belong to you. So inform your employees about security measures and stealing consequences.
Someone who steal from your business should not work in your bar or restaurant even if that person is your best waiter or bartender!
Restaurant Theft Prevention During Busy Hours
The usual scenario of theft in restaurants looks like this. It s a peak time in your object and everybody get rush. Waiter taking orders and giving them to restaurant bartender in a form of written papers. Then taking orders and bringing them to restaurant customers.
But what he do with receipt? Did he enter complete order in a cash register? He has not entered complete order with all of items in the cash register. So when he comes to his customers he got only prices on peace of paper what he was write by hand and takes money of full order.
Of course if customer wish to get receipt he can always cancel previously made receipt and make a new right one. So in this case he could not be caught. Waiter got money for items which he has not enter in the cash register. Very simple way of stealing if you permit taking orders by writing it on peace of paper in a rush hours.
Extra crowd is always good moment for theft. What you should do is to take control over it. It is possible to control and stop stealing.
Be sure that in your restaurant waiter operating procedures runs as follows:
1. Waiter receives orders from customers
2. He log in the cash register
3. Entering order in the register
4. Taking receipt from waiter’s printer which brings to guests
5. Logs out from the cash register
6. The printer in the bar / kitchen printing order with total, summarized number of items
which waiter has been previously entered
7. Everything works without discussion between waiters, bar or kitchen
8. Overview of the total number of the ordered food and drink is simple for control
Everything is saved in computer with no errors.
This kind of working procedure with support of restaurant POS software preventing possibility of taking orders which are not entered in cash register list of orders and the receipt but also makes waiter s work simple and effective.
And You’ve got money for a holiday that has always been yours.
Of course, despite your best efforts, dishonest employees will find the way to steal . We have already written about different ways how waiters steal in restaurant or bars. But this time we want to talk only about stealing cash directly from your customers/ you.
Don’t forget importance of Menu item sales report and Daily sales report. It is your important recording of information for bookkeeping and control , but it is also used for weekly revenue tracking and revenue monthly projection.
This report provides valuable information for measuring daily activities to meet weekly goals. At first it is valuable planning tool.
Be sure to manage restaurant inventory at the end of the shift. Especially, you should be careful in a time of transfer shifts between servers and managers. It is important to organize this process perfectly, so that it runs smoothly and simply, without damaging anyone.
I hope that you have a good and loyal waiters and bartenders who are working gladly with others in restaurant and serving your guests, who appreciate the importance of honest work and earned money.
Only this kind of working policy can result with the creation of trust and improvement of restaurant service.
And if you have them – be sure to let them know that you appreciate their way of working.
If you catch them stealing – call the police.
