Sales Control System

SALES CONTROL SYSTEM

Every Hotel needs proper and effective control system in order to run its operations smoothly and effectively, without any fraudulent activities.

This control is required at each and every stage of the Food and Beverage Cycle, i.e.:-

1. Taking the customer’s food or beverage order
2. Announcing these orders to kitchen or bar as the case may be
3. Getting the order correct and ready on time
4. Serving the correct order, on time with correct serving temperature to the guest
5. Making the correct bill
6. Setting the bill
7. Closing of the  restaurant

 

Food sale is such a business if allowed unchecked can make an establishment bankrupt overnight. Therefore, it is not the workers or masters should work to control but system should work efficiently to prevent a disaster.

Functions of A Control System……..

·         The control system monitors the area where food and beverage sales take place.

·         It reduces the pilferage, fraud, and wastage to minimum.

·         It provides required information to the management for costing purposes, so that they forecast the statistics accurately for the next financial period.

·         It ensures that cashiers make bills correctly so that the customer is neither overcharged nor under charged.

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v   The food and beverage order taken from the guests should be documented for effective control. There are different checking methods followed for either of the two menu styles namely:

 

 

                                i.            Triplicate checking methods

                              ii.            Duplicate checking methods

                            iii.            Single order sheet

                            iv.            Quick service menu and customer bill “OR” Service with order

                              v.            Computerized order taking

 

 

 

 

 

MANUAL CHECKING SYSTEM OR CONTROLLING SYSTEM

 

TRIPLICATE CHECKING METHOD:; 

 This system is traditional and time tested and very efficient and still is vogue. As the name implies, the food check has 3 copies. Each copy has same serial number on them, and be off different color for easy identification and demarcation. Once the order is recorded on the KOT, the first copy goes to the kitchen or the dispense bar on the basis of which the order is prepared. Once the waiter picks up the order, the KOT copy is dropped in to the control box, which is always kept locked. Control box is maintained by the food and beverage control department to prevent any kind of fraud and malpractice.

The second copy is given to the cashier, and based on that the bill is prepared, which has 2 copies. The first copy of the bill goes to guest and another copy is retained by the cashier the cashier attached the 2^nd copy of KOT to the 2^nd copy of the bill and submits it along with sales summary to the food and beverage controls at the end of the day.

The 3^rd copy of KOT remains with the waiter in the KOT book for reference and checking up the order during service. It may be called for auditing at any time b the control department.

DUPLICATE CHECKING METHOD

This kind of checking method is used in small hotels, Cafés, and popular restaurants. As the name implies the KOT book has 2 copies. The first copy is sent to the kitchen on the basis of which the order is prepared. When the waiter picks up the order, the first copy is dropped in to the control box for auditing by the control department.

The waiter retains the second copy as a means of reference during the service. When guest requests for the billing, the waiter or cashier sum up all the rates on the 2^nd copy of KOT and presents the same to the guest as the bill.

In a few organizations, the copy has four to five perforated slips. The waiter writes down the food order course wise on different perforated slips. As and when each course is required that particular slip is torn off and given at the hot plate. Every slip has a waiter number, table number, serial number and date. When the food is ready, the Aboyer keeps the particular slip along with the food to avoid confusion.

 

Difference Between Duplicate And Triplicate Method

 

 

SINGLE ORDER SHEET:

This system is used in cafés, quick turn over restaurants, departmental stores, and taken away establishments; usually the menu is very limited with little or no choice. Many organizations following this system may have order sheet printed with the menu, after taking the order from the guests, the waiter writes it on KOT and calls for the order verbally over the hot plate. When the guest requests for the bill the waiter prices the order sheet and hand over to them as a bill. While leaving the restaurants, the guest submits the bill to the cashier and pays the amount. The cashier retains the bill for control purpose.

SERVICE WITH ORDER:

This system of ordering is used in fast food joints, taken away, cafeterias, etc. Here the menu offered in the establishment is displayed in wall mounted boards. The guests choose what they want to eat and then order that. The person at the cash counter make the bill collects the cash, stamp the “bill received” and hand it over to the guest. The guest goes to respective food counter and collects the dishes against the bill. After delivering the order the person at the food counter stamps the bill “delivered” and hand it over to the guest.

Whatever may be the checking system used, it should ensure good control over the food service operation staff who deals with two important things------FOOD and CASH..

MODES OF PAYMENTS:

There are various methods of making payments for the consumed food and beverage services. Some of the most popular methods are;

v  CASH

The payment received in cash should always be checked in front of the guest and at the same time when change is given then it should be counted back to customer. In this method complete payment is made in cash and therefore the currency notes should be checked for their authenticity and proper shape.

v  CREDIT CARDS

If the payment is made by credit card, the first step is to check its validity. Then a voucher is made out and filled in with the required details. The customer is then requested to sign the voucher after which the operator should check and match the signature with that on the credit card. The customer copy should be given to the guest.

The validity of the credit card is checked by passing it through the electronic machine after which the details of the credit card are printed on the form of itemized bill which the customer then signs. (One copy of this itemized bill is given to the customer for his record)

v  DEBIT CARDS

The use is similar to the above, but the amount used is immediately deducted from the customer’s account.

 

 

v  CHEQUES

When accepted cheques, the cashier should check the following information;

ü  Correct date

ü  Filled amount (correct/incorrect)

ü  Signed by the person indicates on the cheque

ü  Match the signature of cheque card.

           NOTE: cheque should always be accompanied by the cheque card.

              

 

TRAVELLER’S CHEQUE

These may be issued by the travel agent (if travel agencies and hotels have tie up or any type of contract). The traveler’s cheque must be signed once when issued and again when to pay.

                      

                

 

KITCHEN ORDER TICKET/TOKEN………

 

KOT is prepared by food service personnel to intimate the food order of the guest to the kitchen staff. It helps in serving the right order to the right person. The KOT consists of details such as table number, covers, name of the waiter, date, time, items ordered, and its quantity. Usually, all the KOTs are serially numbered for control purpose. The food check may be duplicate or triplicate depending on the size and style of the organization.

 

A KOT is written as follows;

§  The order is written along the lines and not up or down.

§  Indication is given between the courses.

§  If a few lines are left in KOT, that space is struck off.

§  Quantity of each dish is written in words rather than the numbers….

 

 

Different types of KOTs such as Suivant, Supplement, Retour/En place, and Accident are used in certain instances. There explanations are as…….

 

SUIVANT

This KOT is used where it is necessary to write more than one KOT for a meal order. When a separate KOT is required to be written to order dessert for the same table after the main course is served, at the top of the KOT ‘suivant’ is written, which means the ‘following’ check of the previous one.

SUPPLEMENT

When an extra portion of food is required because sufficient amount has not been sent (or extra portion of accompaniments are required) from the kitchen, a special KOT must be written out headed ‘supplement’. This means to ‘supplement’ what has already been sent. It should be signed by the senior caption and normally it is not charged.

             ACCIDENT

A waiter may drop a dish by accident. In this situation, a separate KOT, called ‘accident’, is raised, indicating the dish name and the number of portions required. This has to be signed by the senior caption and it is not charged.

RETOUR/EN PLACE

When a wrong dish has been ordered and has to be sent back to the kitchen and replaced, a special KOT must be made mentioning retour(return)  and en place (in place). If the dishes are from an a’la carte menu, then the price should also be mentioned along with the order.

 

BILLING

BILL FORMAT

In the restaurants, when the guest request for the bill, the waiter collects it from the cashier and checks it whether all items are entered and priced correctly. It is always advisable for the waiter to double check the addition. Then the bill is presented to the guest in a bill folder.

Many types of billing methods are used in foods service operations. The type of method used depends on style and volume of business. They are explained as follows;

v  Bill as check: in a duplicate checking system, the second copy of the food check is used as a bill .When the guest requests for the bill, the waiter or cashier sums up all the rates on the second copy of the KOT and presents the same to the guest. This method is used in small hotels, café, and popular restaurants.

 

 

v  Separate bills: The bill is made for the second copy of the food check. The second is given to the cashier. Based on that, the cashier prepares a bill that has two copies. The top copy of the bill is presented to the guest. On receiving payment to the guest, the bill is stamped ‘paid’ and is returned to the guest. The second copy is retained to the cashier and attached to the second copy of KOT to submit it along with sale summery to the food and beverage controls department.

 

v  Pre-paid: The customer purchases tickets or coupons in advance, either for specific meal or specific value. For example food service operations organizing theme food festivals, fashion shows, and New Year’s Eve program sell admission tickets in advance at fixed price. Admission in to the venue and service of food and beverages is based on tickets or coupons.

 

v  No-Charge: in this system, the guest is not charged for receiving the goods or services. The guest is asked only to sign the bill as acceptance of service received, and the particular amount is posted to the house.

 

v  Deferred: This type of system is used in catering function. In this, a service has been requested by an individual, firm, or company, which has been confirmed and taken place. Upon the conclusion of event, the bill is prepared or the services rendered and are sent to the company or organization person.

 

Computerized checking systems OR controlling system…….

 

In today’s food service operations, computer has become an integral part and is used in every sphere of operations. Computerized pre-check systems are extensively used in food and beverage control.

The advantages of using modern technology in food service operations are as follows; 

ü    It ensures good control over the operations.

ü    It increases productivity and reduce labor costs.

ü  It eliminates revenue leakages by ensuring that all the orders are billed.

ü    It reduces clerical errors to minimum.

ü    It avoids duplication of work.

ü    It saves time.

ü    It generates bills quickly without any mistake.

Electronic cash register……

An electronic cash register is a mechanical device used to calculating and recording sales transactions. It usually prints a receipt for the customer. It has an attached drawer for storing cash. The cash drawer can be opened after a sale, except when special keys, which only senior employees have. This reduces the risk of cash pilferage.

Its following advantages are;

Ø  Print checks, including the printing of previously entered     items.

Ø  Provide an analysis of sales by waiter per hour shift period.

Ø  Provide an analysis of sales made by type of product.

Ø  Analysis of sales by method of payment (cash, cheque, credit card, etc…)

Ø  Complete automatic tax calculations and cover service charges.

Sales Summary Sheet…………

The sales summary sheet is an analysis of all the transactions/cash taken during the particular period of service. It is prepared to know the revenue generated through the sales of food, beverages, the modes of bill settlement- cash, cheque, credit card, amount charged to room accounts, tax amount, discounts given etc. the basic information required in a sales summary sheet includes the following:

Ø  Date

Ø  Bill number

Ø  Table number

Ø  Number of cover per table

Ø  Bill amount

Ø  Modes of payment- cash, credit card, cheque, posted  to room

Ø  Analysis of food, beverages, and other sales items.

 

FORMAT OF REVENUE CONTROL SHEET OR SALE SUMMARY SHEET-

Point –Of-Sale ( POS)Terminal……….

Point-of –sale systems are computerized system incorporating registers, computers and peripheral equipments, usually on a computer network. These systems keep track of sale & can generate records used in accounting and book keeping.

POS registers are connected to touch screen monitors, magnetic strip readers, bar code terminals, etc. the data is fed to various terminals and it can be accessed in various output units. This system integrates the data and reduces the manual work. For example- if a bill is made in the restaurant, it will be automatically posted in the guest bill, if a KOT is made it can be displayed in the kitchen or can be printed in the kitchen.

These systems can  also generate reports required by various departments at any given point of time, can control reservations, guest history, guest registration ,sale summary sheet etc.