While we’d all like to think that all of our employees are honest , that’s just not always the case. Some employees will pilfer food, alcohol or other items from the restaurant, while some will go for cold hard cash. It’s estimated that internal theft in restaurants is equal to 4 percent of total sales. Keep your employees honest and your bottom line healthy with a few simple tips:
- Keep a close eye on food and beverage costs: Have your food and pour costs increased while your sales have remained the same? Good record keeping can help you determine when your purchases and sales don’t add up—and may indicate a deeper problem.
- Watch the till: If you’re noticing that your cash register is consistently over and under, it may be a sign that someone is skimming from the register, or purposefully not ringing items and taking the wrong amount from the till.
- Listen: Often, your employees and customers will see things that you can’t. If you start to hear rumblings around the restaurant, there’s no need to go on a witch hunt, but it may be time to take extra precautions to protect yourself.
- Trust your gut: If someone or something doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t. Take some time to talk to employees who are acting oddly, just to make sure everything’s all right. You may be surprised what you find .
Hopefully, all your employees do the right thing. Want more information on how to keep your bottom line in order? Call us.