Exposed on Camera

An article published by Restaurantowner.com states, “25 percent of restaurant employees are honest all the time, 50 percent are honest most of the time and the remaining 25 percent are dishonest to the core and will steal from the house anytime they have the opportunity.”

Watch Post

It was a Thursday night and I was the closing manager on duty.  The dinner rush just finished and the cash line had cleared.  Over eight hours had passed since I last had something to eat.  This was my chance to head to the back and grab a quick bite.  The back hallway was a perfect spot to stand since it was far enough from the crowd of customers but close enough to have a clear view of the surroundings.  Because we were an open concept restaurant located in one of the city’s busiest shopping malls, stealing was a common problem.  Therefore, the back acted like a watch post.

Trying to enjoy a break was always difficult, but that was part of restaurant life. I was nearly finished downing my pasta when I noticed a group of high school teens lingering near the cash station.  For groups, it was normal procedure to keep an extra eye on them to ensure anything taken would be fully paid.  Continuing to stand at my post, it appeared the teens were friends of Tina, one of the cashiers.  Staring down towards the cash station, Tina could sense I was losing patience.  Part of the restaurant’s policy was to discourage chatting with friends or co-workers during work unless it was a designated break period.  Soon after realizing my annoyed reaction, her friends left.

Food for Five

Five minutes later, Tina’s friends were back but waiting at the pizza station for an order they had previously made.  I noticed a tray in one of their hands carrying pasta, salad and dinner rolls.  Unless her friends had large appetites, there was too much food. For some odd reason, I had a gut feeling; trouble was brewing.  Inching slowly to the front to get a better angle of the cash station, I found Jason, an off duty employee standing by Tina’s side. Clutching his hand near his mouth, he whispered in her ear.  A couple seconds later, Tina’s friends approached the cash.  There was something not adding up and I was ready to find it.

You’re on Camera

I quickly motioned to the back of the restaurant to check the security cameras.  To deter theft, the restaurant installed a number of digital security cameras including a security feature at each POS station.  Any items that were entered into the system by a cashier could be monitored from our backend server.  Luckily, I had noted the time of when Tina’s friends had arrived.  I play backed the recording to 7:15PM carefully analyzing it for any suspicious activity.

7:15PM: Tina’s friends arrive.

7:16PM: Two of Tina’s friends pre-order two whole pizzas.

7:17PM: Jason, the off duty employee secretly whispers into Tina’s ear.

7:20PM: Pizzas are picked up and friends approach cash.  Additional items on the tray include one large pasta, one small salad, one dinner roll and a glass of juice.  Tina is seen exchanging words to Station#3 cashier, Jessica.

7:21PM: One friend takes tray of food to sit down while other two pay.  Station#3 cashier Jessica inputs one pepperoni pizza, but does not include   extra toppings. Station #6, Tina enters one dinner roll and excludes all other items (one pizza, pasta, salad and a drink).

Bingo! I got it.  I was right all along. Over $20 worth of food was not entered.  How foolish could they be?  In that heat of the moment, I was about to fire both cashiers until a thought came across my mind that I would only have one cashier for the rest of the night. Holding my patience, I see Tina coming towards me.  With a snappy attitude she declared her innocence that whatever I had suspected, I was wrong. Strangely, I had not even accused her of stealing nor did I question her.  Thinking they had me fooled, they were both in for a surprise.

Termination Day

If both of them thought they had won at their game, they were wrong and it was my turn to play.  It was Friday morning at 11:00AM, the start of Tina’s shift. As she was about to sign in, I told her that it wasn’t necessary.  Accompanied by my co-managers, we played the recordings and displayed our anger towards her actions.  She remained straight faced and displayed no emotion only continuing to deny that she was the person on the security camera. There was only one simple thing to do and that was to let her go.  Shortly after, Jessica arrived in tears knowing something had just happened to Tina. Unlike Tina, she admitted to everything and offered to pay for all the food.  After reviewing the recording, the puzzle was pieced together.  Jessica was not only the restaurant’s newest employee but she was used by her so called peers.  As for Jason, he was not only an employee but he was part of the group of friends who obviously knew wrong from right.  They were all good workers who decided to make dishonest choices.  Unfortunately, with two prior warnings, Tina was terminated.  Either way, she had lost the game and would have still been fired.

Dishonesty is like a disease that will hurt you.  At the end, no one wins.

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