Why your bar or restaurant needs ongoing theft audits
Taken from an article on BEVSPOT: How can you prevent problematic employees from committing bar theft?When you think of a thief, you might picture the classic stereotype of a burglar with a black ski mask and a sack filled with cash. But, in reality, most bar theft is committed by employees. In fact, according to the National Restaurant Association, 75% of inventory shortages are due to employee theft.
In many cases, they don’t even consider their actions to be stealing. After all, most employees aren’t acting maliciously—they simply don’t realize the severity of their actions. Though some might steal cash and product, most employees are more likely to steal by over-pouring and giving away free drinks.
As the bar manager or owner, you can use the admin settings in your POS to check any of your bartenders’ tabs at anytime. It’s a good habit to routinely check your bartenders’ tabs. Not only will it give you a good idea of what’s going on in your business, it’s also a good way to keep track of what’s actually happening at your bar compared to what bartenders are ringing in.
For example, if a bartender’s friend sits at the bar for a few hours, you can check the bartender’s tab after her friend leaves. If the POS report shows your bartender only rang in a shot and a beer, but you also saw her friend drinking a glass of wine and a margarita, you’ll know the bartender gave away drinks without recording them as comps.
Also, make sure you safeguard all POS passwords and keep them safe from your bartenders. You don’t want them using your password to log in and learn their shift sales!