So you’ve done your homework and placed orders with the vendors offering the best deals and the best service. The orders still need to be delivered and checked in. The receiving dock is one area where costly mistakes frequently occur, and it is the first place you should look to improve loss prevention.
Loss Prevention and Receiving
Most restaurants have deliveries every day. Vendors are your partners – when you’re profitable, so are they. Unfortunately, though, receiving goods from vendors can also lead to loss. Training managers and employees in effective loss prevention strategies will prevent errors and theft that can occur during deliveries. Follow these tips:
- Keep it professional. Even though you might get to know some delivery people over time, keep the relationship strictly professional. Never accept any free products from vendors, or offer them anything for free from the restaurant.
- Never assume an order is complete. Always look inside each case and count the items. Cases that look full at first glance may actually be missing some product.
- Touch as you count. When you check in the vendor, touch each product type as you count each item. Don’t let vendors count for you. This will become confusing and they may count faster than you can locate the product on the invoice. Make a checkmark by the item as you count it.
- Match products up to the invoice exactly. Receiving the wrong item can make a big difference in the cost of the product.
- Spot check items, and inspect expensive items like seafood and meats carefully. If any items are damaged or appear to be spoiled, send them back at the time of delivery. Have the vendor fill out a separate credit slip.
Properly receiving items is just one piece of your restaurant’s overall loss prevention strategy. Losses during receiving can be prevented when you stick to best practices.
