Ways To Discourage Cash Drawer Pilferage
Every retail and restaurant owner faces the possibility of employees stealing from their cash drawer. You want to trust your employees, but it's foolish to assume that everyone you employ is honest all the time. You're not running a Las Vegas casino, so multiple cameras and detectives are out, but you still need to increase the odds that your team won't be stealing from you. Here are some techniques that have been shown to work:
Signing their Name
Have your cashiers count their drawers at the beginning and end of every shift and sign their name on a sheet stating the amount is correct. Having that sheet eliminates end-of-shift arguments about whether the drawer was short at the beginning of the shift. If money comes up missing at the end of the day, you have the culprit cashier's own signature to prove that they had the right amount of money when they started the day.
Use Counterfeit Money Detection Pens
Not only do counterfeit money detection pens catch many counterfeit bills, saving you significant money loss, they also indicate to cashiers that you're serious about going the extra mile when it comes to taking care of your money. You'll look diligent and aware, which can give pause to some thieves who were counting on you not paying attention. These pens can be purchased from companies such as Counterfeit Buster.
Double Verification
Always insist on two people counting together, both at the beginning and end of a shift. Make the cashier one person, of course, but choose an unlikely accomplice for the second. Pull the janitor into the room for a minute to watch the count, ask a busboy to come back for five minutes, or rely on a dishwasher who's got five minutes to spare. Having a different, random person help with the count each day can severely reduce the possibility of the cashier working with anyone else to manipulate the numbers.
Never Share Drawers
Make cash drawers inviolate for everyone. Once a cashier counts her drawer, it should go into a register with a lock and never be touched by anyone else. No one, including management staff, should be allowed to go into another person's register, and it should be a punishable offense equal to theft. Keeping each drawer private to one person each eliminates any questions about who to look at when money goes missing.
Make Clear Consequences
Make clear rules about what happens if money goes missing at the end of a shift, and instruct all cashiers about these rules in their new-hire orientation. If money goes missing, make it the responsibility of the cashier to find it or replace it. This rule alone will encourage cashiers to guard their drawers and be more careful when making change, as well as making it impossible for them to blame a shortage on a mistake and get away with it.