Money, food, time; there’s a lot that can go missing in a restaurant. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 75% of employees have stolen from their employer at least once. In case this is happening in your restaurant, here are 5 ways to put an end to it.
- Keep a close eye on your POS reports
Staff who know you’re watching are less likely to steal. Do regular audits, and make sure your employees know you do them. - Monitor employee access (Eg: Pin code feature)
For further password and login security measures, you can enable the pin-code feature where POSRocket’s system automatically takes pictures of whoever unlocks your iPad. - Keep your door open
Make it easy for staff to report employee theft anonymously, while keeping staff feedback confidential, yet if you have to dismiss an employee for stealing, make sure the rest of the employees understand why. - Use a software to monitor price adjustments
Perhaps the biggest source of employee theft comes directly from sales adjustments at the registers. Returns and voids add up to a lot of lost revenue, and it can be hard to keep track of it all without help. There are software tools that can monitor register adjustments and send you alerts to notify you of any suspicious activity.
In a 2018 study of a Minnesota Taco Bell, using an appropriate software to monitor register adjustments resulted in:
- 10 times fewer register discounts than stores that were not using software.
- 3 times fewer voids and refunds than restaurants not using the software.
- Total annual savings of $14,000 per location over restaurants not using one.
5. Pay your employees well and provide them with benefits
If you compensate your staff well and provide them with benefits that improve their quality of life, it will be less likely for them to steal. Creating a positive work environment by, for instance, providing free staff meals, can be an amazing boost for team morale.
To conclude, if you aren’t keeping a close eye on your register adjustments, you’re losing money. However, by following these tips you can not only prevent theft but also build a sense of trust between you and your staff which will definitely have a positive impact at all work levels.
