One aspect of managing a hotel pantry that initially gets overlooked is theft. Shrinkage from your pantry is unavoidable, whether it’s due to stealing or reduced prices for employees. So it’s important to take the proper measures to prevent guests and employees from stealing or abusing the pantry. Here are four tips to help reduce theft from your pantry.
1. Surveillance Cameras
Some suppliers will have security cameras installed to monitor the pantry. If you don’t work with a supplier that can install cameras, we suggest investing in them. While it might seem like another expense, the money you make (and save) from the pantry will quickly cover the costs.
2. Maintain Physical Presence
Managing a hotel can be like juggling glass bottles while running full speed across a balance beam. It gets hectic. But being able to maintain a physical presence near and around your pantry as much as possible will help deter would-be thieves.
3. Inventory Monitoring System
Knowing is half the battle. Without having a firm understanding of what your pantry inventory looks like at any given time, it’s much more difficult to keep up with shrinkage. Having a solid pantry management system to keep track of inventory that you have can help reduce theft and shrinkage. If you know certain items are likely to disappear, you can limit the amount of product you put on the shelves.
4. Monitor Employee Use
It’s well-known in loss prevention circles that employees steal more than customers. Knowing this, it’s incumbent on managers to make sure employees understand that the pantry is–first and foremost–a convenience for guests. It’s not a break room. Some managers choose to not let employees use the pantry at all, while others decide to let them purchase items at a reduced price. Whatever your approach, stick to it and monitor employee use of the pantry.