In every restaurant there are countless variables contributing to loss at the point of sale. It could be a combination of many factors: inefficiencies at the drive thru, long wait times, or losses at the register due to excessive manager meals, coupons, or overrides. But once your point of sale system tells you there’s a problem, how do you know what to do to solve it?
Video footage can hold those answers, and adding cameras at the point of sale can help you prevent losses and boost profits.
See everything that happens at the register
Boosting profits at the point of sale starts with minimizing losses - making sure every sale is logged correctly and taking the appropriate action when inconsistencies or problems occur. Many point of sale systems allow you to set rules and parameters, but even with those precautions in place, employees can find exceptions to those rules. And when there’s a problem, most systems can only show you the numbers.
When you know what to look for, video footage can show you what’s causing the problem and help you think of ways to solve it.
For example, if you know from your POS system there were 20% more manager meals last month at register A than at register B, you can pinpoint when those occurred and pull up the video to figure out why.
Adding cameras at the point of sale helps you monitor everything that goes through your system for data collection or possible fraud. When you know what to look for, you can create those items as exceptions. The system then provides you only those exceptions and the video associated with it - which saves you both time and money.
Video footage adds context to your point of sale data
Video footage from the point of sale can give you the context you need to solve the problem. The manager meals scenario above is a perfect example. When you know there’s a problem, you can review video footage to see exactly what happened. With that knowledge, you can take the appropriate steps to address the issue and prevent losses in the future.
Another great example is a restaurant with a bar. Adding cameras to the bar area helps you monitor how your bartenders make drinks and charge customers. Are the bartenders adding more alcohol than they should to cocktails? Are double pours common? If you notice stock disappearing faster than it should be, you can review the video and see what your employees are serving customers – and verify that’s what was charged.
The data you gain from your point of sale system can help you identify trends and inconsistencies. But it’s not the whole story. When you need to answer the question of why losses occurred, video can give you the picture you need to see why it happened and determine what you can do to boost profits in the future.
Restaurant Theft
