If you don’t have a surveillance system at your bar, chances are you’ve considered it before. But, since installing a surveillance system can be time-consuming and costly, you may have put it on the back burner in favor of putting your money and time towards increasing sales. Does your restaurant really need a surveillance system, anyway? It depends. Surveillance systems can be a great way to reduce or prevent theft—not just from burglars, but from your own employees. Here are some questions to ask yourself if you’re thinking about a surveillance system for your restaurant.
What are your hours?
A lunch-only spot’s risk of burglary isn’t quite as high—it’s only open during bright, heavy-traffic hours. A restaurant that’s open past midnight, however, has a greater chance of theft. A dark night plus fewer customers can lead many thieves to assume a restaurant is an easy target. This is also the case for restaurants that open at the crack of dawn. A surveillance system can help you catch any late-night or early-morning thieves—and, if thieves know about it, it may deter them in the first place.
How big is your restaurant?
If you’re operating out of an extremely small space, you can see everyone in your restaurant at all times. But if your restaurant is large, there’s no way that you can watch everything going on. Multiple doors mean multiple ways for thieves to enter. And, if you can’t keep a close eye on your employees, you truly don’t know who’s stealing food, alcohol, or money from you.
What’s your lighting and landscaping like?
Are the entrances to your restaurant surrounded by shrubs or trees? Are the entrances well lit? What about your parking lot—is it brightly lit, or are there places you can’t easily see? A surveillance system is able to notice things you can’t.
Do you have lots of cash registers?
Simply put, more registers give your employees more opportunities to steal from you. Of course you want to trust your employees, but unless you’re watching them every second, you’ll never actually find out who might be stealing from you. Surveillance cameras installed near your registers can give you peace of mind.
Are you losing a lot of money and you don’t know why?
Is your inventory decreasing rapidly? Are you bringing in less money than you think you should be? Consider that employees could be stealing your stock or giving away free meals. If things aren’t adding up, a surveillance system can help you make sense of your losses.
Surveillance systems can be costly, but they can also definitely be worth it. Your answers to these questions can help determine whether surveillance systems are a must for your restaurant.
Article provided by Buzztime.
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