Designing a restaurant loss prevention strategy is a vital aspect of running a profitable business. Whether you run an established chain, or an up-and-coming restaurant, ignoring preventable sources of profit loss can derail the outlook of any business. This day and age, a successful restaurant LP strategy revolves around two things. A data-centric approach to understanding your main sources of profit loss. A detailed action plan that breeds targeted analysis, follow-through, and communication Whether you are implementing a new loss prevention program or looking to revamp your current LP initiatives, these 9 restaurant loss prevention tips form a baseline to help you kickstart the process. Rather than manually reviewing restaurant check data and video (more on that later) to identify fraud at your restaurant, you can use your own historical data combined with industry trends to define an “unacceptable” level of activity for each fraud scam (i.e 3 transfers in a shift per employee); and set an alert for it.
This “set it and forget it” methodology gives you the peace of mind that if suspicious employee behavior appears, you will be made aware without the need to waste time searching for it. Additionally, advanced restaurant alerting tools have the flexibility to continually add and adjust thresholds to be stricter (or more lenient) as employee behaviors change.
Infosys transforms pharmacy retailer’s loss prevention management reducing shrink by 5%. Manual interpretation before any corrective steps could be taken. With the new Loss Prevention solution, the client can now boast. Loss Prevention Management.
So, as your loss prevention scope widens you can institute more automation as things improve. Hiring & training your staff may not sound like a restaurant loss prevention responsibility, but there are ways that you can use your data to assist these efforts. Using sales, performance, and loss prevention metrics can help your HR team create a model that identifies the “ideal employee.” Although hiring is never an exact science, identifying your top performers and understanding what makes them shine helps supplement the recruitment process as well as the framing of interview questions. Additionally, your restaurant’s training procedures should reinforce the habits & actions that your top employees do to drive profit and provide an excellent customer experience. Risk index analyses that grade your employees on loss prevention metrics like voids, comps, refunds, etc. Can provide insight into the things that you may need to address in your orientation & ongoing training procedures.
Additionally, looking at operational metrics like upselling and table turns can shed light into the positive attributes that should be replicated by under-performing employees or stores. Rather than starting with video and searching for the problem, restaurant loss prevention teams should focus on identifying issues in the data prior to resorting to video investigation.
Avoid false positives by letting your data tell you when a particular store, employee, or item is outside the norm. Once you have the numbers that back up your assumptions, drill down into the details to make your entire investigation process more efficient. Hint: A best-in-class data analytics solution provider will have the ability to integrate your video directly into their solution. How your restaurant handles and tracks follow-up is just as, if not more important, than actually identifying issues. Without a defined “action plan” to address how to proceed when an incident is discovered, you leave yourself open to restaurant managers pushing problems to the wayside. Developing and adopting a standardized follow-up workflow can help streamline and operationalize your restaurant loss prevention efforts.
Following the chart in this section (on the left), we will walk through a framework that your management team can build their follow-up process upon. Communication is another key to an effective restaurant loss prevention strategy. Whether it is in employee training, during regular meetings, or when a new policy is introduced, make sure that your staff is well aware of the rules & repercussions involved.
Drawing their attention to the software or processes that are in place to monitor their activity can sometimes be a deterrent to future “bad” behavior. This may seem like an obvious one, but the majority of restaurant employee fraud is opportunistic or due to the belief that they either won’t be caught or there will be no repercussions. Make sure the employee handbook is readily available, post signs in the back office or kitchen, and follow through with the rules so your staff knows their negative activities do not go unnoticed. There is a fine line between running a tight ship and appearing overbearing. So, promote open dialog with your staff so that they feel like they are an important part of the team. This approach will make them feel like a vital asset to the restaurant, and help preemptively prevent restaurant theft while.
The final and possibly most important tip for any loss prevention strategy is that no decisions, priorities, or thresholds are ever final. What you will likely find, as you start identifying and addressing more issues related to restaurant theft and/or inefficiencies, is that the same issues will start happening less and less because your loss prevention strategy is actually working. But it also means that you should continue to tweak thresholds to find new issues, stay up on industry tactics, and broaden your scope to find potentially new sources of loss or profit opportunities. As stated in the previous tip, employees that are looking to steal are opportunistic, so as you prevent restaurant theft one-way, they will find another.
Continuing to audit your loss prevention reports, alerts, and resolved issues to ensure they remain effective will give you the best chance to and earn the most profit.
Hi, I publish what might very well be the only comprehensive training manual available to the public. Unless you know the following topics like the back of your hand, you might consider downloading it. Hi, I publish what might very well be the only comprehensive training manual available to the public.
Unless you know the following topics like the back of your hand, you might consider downloading it. I must also protest a little bit here.
Every state and country has different laws that change an LPO's job and should dictate their training. Every company has different policies and procedures in place dictating how their officers should surveillance, apprehend and investigate theft.
Unless you have been a major player for a large LP driven organization for some time now and actively train new LPO's in your current position this really isn't worth my time to even read the first chapter. Don't think you are going to just throw a website up and get professionals throwing you money from here. You are in the wrong forum for that. (Unless MJW wants to go into LP?!).
It seems to be California Law. Anyone can publish a book to Lulu. I know several folks who have. I would not base a training program off some e-book I bought off Lulu. I would base a training program off a book purchased from Lulu if it had an ISBN and other information that I (and opposing counsel) can use to reference it in court, after verifying that the information contained within is actually useful, and the person writing the information is considered a trainer, subject matter expert, or at least experienced in the field of knowledge. That's the problem, folks.
Who's Mark Henry, and why do I want to buy his book for training purposes? What a Genius Justice Hound: I don't know of any good publication out there. I'm sure you know that there are many poorly trained officers out there and though many major retailers have good systems in place, there are many aspects of the job officers are either not taught or they learn over time. Many officers are taught what to do and not to do according to company policy but the Penal Code, Responding Police Officers, the District Attorney's Office, Defense Attorneys and the trial process are the real authorities that must be answered to. Also, the very real threat of injury on the job demand, in my view, that anyone seeking to cross over from uniformed security into Loss Prevention have full understanding of the world they're entering into and the tools to succeed against many diverse circumstances and challenges.
My background is having first worked very successfully as an L.P. Officer and an investigative researcher. Though I went through company training and came out the gate smoking, doing the job and dealing with its many faces over time, pushed me into the law library and I developed tactics for things like dealing with surprisingly dangerous and desperate individuals and circumstances, getting what I needed out of suspect interviews while remaining the good guy, dealing with the barrage of ploys used by defense attorneys and all of the other information that I'm passing on through the manual.
I want to give the officers mastery of the game and though it might seem arrogant to say so. I can give that. Swifty, your post is somewhat offensive. The manual is strictly for California and regardless of whether it's worth reading the first chapter or not to you, a look at the statistics on false arrests, brutality, & lost cases would be clear evidence to some others that something is going wrong out there. The manual isn't for everyone. Just people that consider the possibility of someone else having the awareness and ability to help nail the matter down.
Curtis - Thank you, your admonition is noted and appreciated. The purpose of the manual is to impart exactly what you mention; a point by point and exact understanding of shoplifting and shoplifter apprehension and processing according to the State Justice System, along with procedural and operational instruction. Corbier- Yes it is strictly California Law. And it is true that anyone can post on LuLu. It's the same with an ISDN number, for $500 anyone can have one. Resellers sell them for $10.00.
The number really doesn't help when clearing up whether a book is legitimate or another vague, money motivated rip off. If you think because it's on Lulu that it couldn't be worth anything, that's your choice but it's really about content. No officer would need to reference my manual in court because it directs the reader to the an understanding of the Penal Code. As far as who Mark Henry is, you wouldn't really understand that until after reading the book. I'm a writer. There is a process of gathering important information, sorting and making it easily digestible and putting it on paper that I simply can do. I apologize for addressing Swifty's attitude in such blanketed manner.
The other posts were valid. Welcome to the Internet. I invite you to continue to reply in an argumentative tone, it provides amusement for me while in Mazatlan today. It is an undisputed fact that ANYONE can publish to Lulu.com. Please attempt to dispute this. I, too, have a Lulu.com account.
Your description states its related to California Law. So, dispute that? My opinion is as valid as your post. I, personally, might buy your book. Granted, I kinda don't like e-books, but hey. I would not buy your book for the purposes of adding it to a training library or using it to train my employees without doing due diligence. If you have a problem with the fact that any employer should perform due diligence when evaluating training materials, you have more problems that you let on.
Actually there is nothing opinionated about the fact that your initial post was a bit arrogant, because thats ok when you are trying to sell something, it was the fact that your follow up posts are unprofessional. I showed this to my client at lunch. Hes the head of his department for a worldwide corporation, and he was the one that said while he felt the inital post was fine, the rest were the type of thing that would immediately cause him to terminate you as a resource. I asked him how he viewed the professionalism of the response.
He said he agreed with me that they were highly unprofessional, and that as his contract employee, he would be disappointed in me if i reacted to critcism this way. I sit in meetings with boards of directors because my client knows that i can handle myself, and that i am getting well versed in the art of not just thinking before you speak, but thinking ahead before you speak. As for 'friends' here, if you would hold it against me to count some of the fine men and women here as friends, then i surely would be glad to count you out of that group. As i stated before, your material may or may not be good.
Thats a fact Your skills as a trainer that are reflected in these posts are poor.thats a fact I wont say what my opinion is because your attitude really says more about you then i ever could I do however hope that you can take criticism,because the kind given here is more valuable in honesty and experience than any training you can find. Oh I see I can only tell you that I'm not arrogant. I sure was hit with arrogance though. I should not have allowed myself to be pulled into someone else's problem.
In my personal life, I walk the fine line between being peaceable with all men while not being walked on by jerks. I let a matter go, the jerk tries again, I put the jerk in his place, I'm perceived as being harsh. It's a no win so whatever with it.
I'm not here to make friends and win people. Just to let anyone passing through that might need to learn the full picture of shoplifter apprehension. Rule number one of this business is that the clients opinion does rotate the globe, since without the client we are nothing. I have gone to him to wish him a happy thanksgiving, and he assures me that he agrees with you that you should not speak before you investigate a matter. However he also agrees with me that we have both fairly and completely investigated the matter at hand, which is your demeanor.
We both agree that we never condemned your material which is something we havent seen, and dont claim to know anything about We also agree that after reading, and then re-reading every word you have posted, that your attitude is highly unprofessional. As far as 'manning up' goes, (and this is where opinion comes in), it would seem its you that needs to learn how men act, especially professional ones.
In the professional world, such sarcasm and derogation as you express is not only frowned upon, it is seen by everyone as a reflection of poor character. I only hope you can see these things as facts (because they are facts), and perhaps learn something. My boss seems to think that you probably will, but hes a corporate brown noser i guess.
I live in the real world where i have seen guys like you in a variety of settings. You rarely learn, and always view criticism of any kind as not only a personal attack, but a personal affront on your dignity. But you can personally attack me all you want.
I am 'man' enough to take whatever you got, and giggle like a schoolgirl after. I just want to make sure I have this straight. After working as a Payless Drug Store and Henry's Marketplace LPO since 1994, you join this forum yesterday, shamelessly plug and advertise your 'book' (after your initial asking price of $49.99 didn't fly), insult longtime members of this forum and want to pick a fight.
Pharmacy Loss Prevention Manual Retail
Source: The bottom line is that you could be an expert, but no one has ever heard of you. But your attitude alone leads me to believe you have just taken other people's work and compiled it as your own.
I can't think of anyone that would want to employ you, let alone have you train their people with your hostile attitude. If you were any sort of expert, someone here would have heard of you by now. In short, you are a troll, and I hope you get banned. Cgh6366 - to imagine that someone would 'take other people's work and compile it,' violating Federal Copyright law to create a book on effectively prosecuting crime, is not very well thought out. And as far as anyone hiring me, I don't do Loss Prevention because it's not a great career direction. I did it because I was young and it was a stepping stone.
One criminal can snuff out an L.P.' S life in a moment. I've had friends that were hurt. I'm going to teach those that do want to pursue L.P. Work how not have that happen to them.
If you think because you can't write such a book, no one else can, that's your problem. If you think this is about not taking criticism, that too isn't thought out very accurately. I want criticism but valid criticism would require examining what I have to offer. I've given copies of the manual to people that asked for one. This is the first place I've ever seen where anyone imagines that they are high and mighty enough to immediately get ugly about something they're ignorant of. If you don't understand that, wait until you get older, you might.
For a site thats so insignificant, you sure seem to want to come back time and time again and convince everyone how you are the misunderstood and learned artist trying to humbly bestow your knowledge upon the ignorant masses here. I know more about you than you might think, since your repeated posts and the content thereof write the truth in 40 foot high flaming letters.
Feel free to be the legend in your own mind that all here see you for. I am really glad you posted, and hope you keep posting. Football is a good thing on thanksgiving after all.