Lots of people in and out. Lots of customers. Numerous people handling money. It's easy for restaurants to fall prey to theft and fraud. Here are some tips to reduce the fraud in your restaurant with tips from Winny Daud and Philipp Laque of Revenue Management Solutions:
1. Identify where you are at risk. This can be any area where cash is exchanging hands or a lack of supervision is common. Where are employees issuing refunds for example? Is a supervisor or card required to issue a discount or void out an item? Establish a system of checks and balances to safeguard from this.
2. Look for a pattern. Is there a particular server who always seems to be present when a high amount of refunds take place? Patterns like these can help stop fraudulent behavior and identify and dismiss the perpetrators.
3. Make it known that you're watching. Whether by security cameras or company meetings, people are less likely to steal when they know that someone is watching. Although that may seem like common sense, it means that by simply posting rules against fraud, monitoring activity and keeping an eye on your employees, you can cut down on theft.
4. Watch out for cash. This makes fast casual restaurants especially vulnerable to theft, but the truth is the overwhelming majority of voided transactions are cash based. You can't refuse cash, of course, but be mindful of cash transaction and be ready to question a large number of voids that take place on them. Questioning your servers and rely on your managers to monitor and watch out for any suspicious activity.
