The restaurant industry is pretty much the same as any other when it comes to staff pilfering and theft. What sets it apart from many other businesses is that the majority of restaurants are small businesses for whom the loss of a few hundred bucks a night is a big deal. Wal*Mart doesn't mind, they just pass the cost on - you do mind and can't just raise prices.

We ask Mike White of  Omni Career Search - a well known recruiter and restaurant consultant who is certified in Loss Prevention (LPC) - to share some common questions about pilfering and how best to avoid it.

Q: I have two questions for you: Is there a point of sale system on the market that can protect me from theft? Do you find that most of the front of house theft is from the bartenders and not the servers?

The answer is no! Although POS systems have improved every year they can not fully prevent theft. As long as a server and a line cook can get together to find a way to get food out of the kitchen without a slip, you will never be immune to theft. You bring up a good point in that many owners are so fixated on the bartender or cashier that they open themselves up for theft in other areas. Some of the most common server scams are:

* Clipping coupons and using them on cash transactions.
* Telling a manager they had a walkout when the customer paid in cash.
* Delivering soup, salads and drinks and not ringing them in for friends or a better tip.
* Asking management to void out something after a customer has paid cash.
* Adding the tip in and collecting a second tip.
* The Wagon Wheel.

You are probably asking what is The Wagon Wheel? The Wagon Wheel is the oldest scam in the book. It was very popular in the days of hand written checks and it still exists today despite the technology of modern POS systems. The scam is quite simple. A waiter/waitress will suggest the same beer and sandwich to their customers the entire shift. Once they have a repeat of the check they can reprint the first and reuse it the entire shift. Anyone who pays with cash after the first check - the server keeps it all. They present a check to the customer, once again no suspicion, they claim it did not print and show the line cook the check to get their food...no suspicion. This scam is extremely popular in Brunch and Buffet type settings. Think about it, how many $12.95 brunches with a coffee does a waitress serve during her brunch shift.

Mike White can be reached at
OMNI Career Search in
Norwell, MA
Phone 781.982.5627