Ask yourself this question: do I check my liquor and food deliveries thoroughly? Proper checking includes taking responsibility for matching payments with invoices and supervising delivery personnel to ensure that stock never disappears without permission.
As stocktakers, we are aware of our responsibilities. However, many of us become complacent over the years, particularly when we delegate key jobs.
Do any of the following statements apply to your business?:
l Deliveries are supervised by anyone available.
l Stock levels are too high to check every item.
l Delivery staff store goods for me while I make them a cuppa.
l When we are busy serving customers, we check our deliveries later.
l Reconciling every invoice against every delivery note is too much work.
Let's face it - we all know what we should do to protect our property, but it's very tempting to ignore the absolute basics. Habitual short-cuts we develop due to pressure of work cost us time and money in the long run. Thieves depend on us taking our eye off the ball, exploiting crucial weaknesses created by gaps in our systems.
Here are some simple steps to follow to ensure that you get exactly what you pay for:
l Carefully pre-count and record full kegs and cases of packaged beers/minerals and any other valuable items.
l Organise deliveries for a convenient day and time.
l On delivery day, tidy all stock in your cellar and storage areas and ensure that empty kegs and cases are ready for collection. Dispose of all rubbish.
l Ensure that a senior member of staff takes responsibility for checking receipt of stock deliveries.
l Check that the total number of kegs and cases delivered reconciles to your delivery notes.
l If you are unable to check goods received at time of the delivery, at least ensure that deliveries are placed intact in a separate area of the cellar/stores where you have pre-counted your stock. Clearly notate "unchecked" next to your signature on the delivery note - most suppliers require notification of claims for shortages or breakages within 24 hours of delivery.
Landlords who rigorously check deliveries and properly supervise incoming goods actually make life easier for themselves by closing vulnerable gaps that encourage short delivery and theft. Deliveries into the kitchen should be inspected closely: for example, if you order fillet steak, check that you receive the required amount of the correct type. This is not a job for a kitchen porter or junior member of staff.
Get into the habit of checking all food deliveries rigorously, particularly expensive items such as meat, fish or dry goods. Word will soon reach those assembling your order that your checking procedures will not tolerate mistakes. Always mark errors on the delivery note and contact your supplier immediately to ensure speedy correction. Make sure that your credit is refunded, particularly if you pay by a direct debit scheme which doesn't allow you to withhold payment until credit comes through.
The majority of delivery personnel operating throughout the UK are honest, reliable, professional and reputable, but it makes sense to guard against unscrupulous exceptions by raising our own standards of practice to protect our businesses and our valuable reputations.
A complete service
Q I employ a stocktaker to carry out liquor and food stocktaking on a regular basis in my pub. I find it very difficult to get a quick response from him after he has left my premises. What sort of after-service should I expect from a stocktaker?
A Whenever you have this type of query you are entitled to have it resolved quickly and effectively. At Venners our key posts are manned by fully-trained stocktakers. Our field-based managers troubleshoot clients' problems as part of our service, which doesn't involve extra charges.
Tricky calculations
Q As a manager for a national pubco I am required to carry out weekly stocktaking. I have trouble calculating the selling price for post-mix products. Can you please explain how this is calculated?
A You are not alone in finding this calculation confusing. Post-mix is concentrated syrup diluted through the system before it is dispensed. There are several brands with differing dilution ratios, so you need to obtain the correct information from the box or your supplier before making the calculation. For example, Pepsi-Cola products are calculated at a ratio of 5:1 while Coca-Cola products vary from 5.4:1 for cola products to 7.5:1 for Schweppes Lemonade. Several other products have differing ratios. If your product has a dilution ratio of 5:1, 1litre of syrup mixed with 5 litres of water makes 6 litres of dispensable drink. The next thing to consider is the size of glass to use to dispense the drink. Some people prefer a pint or a half-pint for a long drink, while others want a splash to go with a measure of spirit or wine to make a Spritzer. Most stocktakers price this product by the litre, because the product is delivered in 10-litre boxes. A litre is 1,000ml and a half-pint glass holds 284ml, so to make the calculation for this size of glass if the dilution ration is 5 to 1, use this method: I litre syrup plus 5 litres water = 6 litres or 6,000ml of dispensable drink. Divide 6,000ml by 284ml. The number of glasses (rounded down) is 21, so if a 284ml glass of cola costs £1.50, the selling price per litre (not per box) is £31.50. The total value at selling price for a 10-litre box would be £315.00. These calculations are made without any consideration given to displacement for ice. If you put ice into the glass before you dispense the drink then obviously your customer will not get as much product as you are charging them for. Try to ensure that the price you charge for various glass sizes equates to one base price - for example, if you charge £1.50 for the half-pint equivalent of 284ml, charge £0.60 for a 4fl oz splash which equals 114ml. The cost will work out at roughly the same price per litre. Simple - when you know how!