Taking Cash

[washregal]

Just wondering how easy it might be to roll back the counters on a changer?

I am in a way an absanteee owner trusting my hired help to do the things I need them to do.. I pay them, very well n my opinion.. but you always wonder.

Has anyone had any experience with the above, or have any type of method for catching personnel doing this?

I probably need to add a video survailance system however the cost is really alot.. anyone have other suggestions?

 

[DavidMD5]

The best way to keep an eye on everyone and keep them honest, belly up and get survailance - you wont regret it. I have 16 camara's at my wash and monitor them from my house 24/7, its worth every penny, and a great piece of mind to know you can watch anytime, ALL THE TIME, just the fact they are there helps keep everyone honest. you will be surprised at what you see. good luck hope that helps

 

[blurdgman]

If you have time counters for the operation of each bay you can keep track on a spreadsheet and associate that information to the changer counters. Also if you are using tokens only, you may count the tokens coming out of the bays and associate that information on your spreadsheet. A continuous running of this information will point out real problems.

 

[ScottP]

Only install cameras if your ready to work more hours. I installed 16 cameras at my convenience store. Within the first month I fired 6 of my 10 employees for either stealing or drinking on the job or both. And they knew the cameras were there. I was back to working 70hrs a week until I could hire some more employees. I figured my cameras paid for themselves in 3 months.

 

[rph9168]

I would highly recommend the use of cameras. I once knew a c-store owner that took pictures of employees being led from the store by police in handcuffs. He posted the pictures where all employees could see them. He still had problems with employee theft. I guess that says something about the intelligence of those hired.

 

[pitzerwm]

I agree with the cameras, but I would also recommend putting a process in place, that requires the employee that collects needs to fill out a form, that shows the count for each bay/item. Once in awhile, go and pre-count and replace it, that is how I caught my thieves before cameras. If you make it easy, it will happen. I had a check cash with $50K on the tables, my process, would catch a penny off. I closed it when I needed a new employee and when I narrowed it down to 5 people, all 5 had been fired from their last job for stealing. I decided to hell with it.

 

[rzeavy]

hi
I would not run a cash business unless I or someone I trust deals with the money.
They can steal money from you with the cameras if they really want to.

 

[pitzerwm]

RZ obviously anything is possible, even the sun to start coming up in the West, but you still have to make all reasonable efforts to keep the employees from stealing. Since wives, children and friends have been known to steal, there is no such thing as "someone that you can trust". Whoever counts the money the first time knows how much there was.

 

[Earl Weiss]

You may be able to roll back counters on a changer or disconect them but this is a finite method of stealing because if it continues, you eventualy run out of change. Certainly it is easier to audit a changer by matching the payout of the counter with bills in the stacker. But, you could also run a surprise audit. Put $500.00 or any fixed amount of quarters in with the bill hopper empty. Come back a few days later. The quarters plus the bills must still equal the $500.00 .

If you suspecvt theft from the changers, how about from other locations as well? Vaults? Vendors? Other coin Boxes?

 

[Earl Weiss]

Also, you need to be cautious about theft accusations. If a changer is short, it could be an employee or you could be the victim of changer "Stringing" which apparently all changers are susceptible to, but some more than others.

 

[JMMUSTANG]

I had an employee design a cup with a handle connected to it, put it down the pipe going into the safe. He would put it in the pipe late in the evening and remove it in the morning. He did not have the safes combination. Not a lot of money nightly but times 9 bays times 30/31 days a month it added up.
I caught him when I went in around 4 a.m. to fix a coin acceptor and found it. All bays had one in them. So I went across the street and watched him arrive. First thing he did when he got in (6 a.m.) was remove all of them. I caught him in the eqp. room counting his winnings.
So it's not just the changers to worry about-bays and vacs too.

 

[Earl Weiss]

That is why you need to control keys to the coin acceptor compartments as well. Know one guy who went to empty his vaults and felt what he thought was a cow's udder hanging down into it. The employee had put condoms into the drop tubes from the acceptor compartment.

 

[blurdgman]

All the more reasons to switch to "tokens only".

 

[Ben's Car Wash]

I control ALL THE KEYS at the SS wash to the bays, bill changers, vacs. They are locked up in a key box... the bill changers stay locked when I'm not there. I have a camera on the bill changers too. If a customer has a problem, I have posted signs on the doors and the vending machine to go next door to the full service wash for any refunds or equipment problems. There I have several ways to control cash. 95% of all cash transactions are done on the XPT (I prefer 100% be done on the XPT). There are 10 cameras at the Full service wash and SITE WATCH to monitor the cash drawer. The SS has 8 cameras. Even this does not deter theft. When I notice cash disapear I begin to track the employees.... sometime spending hours watching replys on the DVR. On Holloween I spent 3 hours reviewing the DVR instead of trick or treating with my kids (boy did that pi$$ me off in the morning when I got a hold of this employee) watching a kid put $20 bill after $20 bill in his pocket AFTER RINGING UP A SALE... making my drawer even SHORTER! These kids are too bright. After having the police watch the films, we call the employee in the office... give them a change to explain what happened... they alway deny... show the tape... they deny.... put them in handcuffs and march them past the other employees.

I had to do this 3 times in 6 years at the full service wash. Even though the employees know that cameras are on the cash drawer... they can't help themselves! Even some of my most trusted turned bad later.

SS is so much easier. Keep all keys locked up in a locked box and only let yourself have acces to them!

 

[Earl Weiss]

I would make sure the lock box for the keys is extremely secure. A small safe encased in concrete perhaps.

If they get the box re keying is a huge headache.

 

[mjwalsh]

do-able?

With the cost of PLC inputs less than they used to be it seems like a program could be written that could output directly into an Excel spreadsheet. At a glance if the coin count was off from the counter an owner could then proceed with more intensive monitoring such as going over the video recordings etc. Any thoughts?

 

[Earl Weiss]

I can see how the PLC tells you what is supposed to be there, but you seemingly still need a physical count. The counters also tell you what is supposed to be there.

 

[bigleo48]

My employees have a $100 float that they are responsible for. They have no access to cash.

Keep it simple...

 

[MEP001]

I can see how the PLC tells you what is supposed to be there, but you seemingly still need a physical count. The counters also tell you what is supposed to be there.

The count from the PLC does you no good if you don't do a physical count. The whole purpose of the PLC would be to have something to compare to a count to make sure it's not short.

 

[ronald]

I would never give my keys to anyone..
I do not trust anyone with my money..