Author Credit: ROG Consulting LLC.

A recent survey indicates that most single store and small chain liquor stores do not have a standardized process or system for changing shifts. 

• How is the shift change done at your store?
• Do the cashiers have to count and control any items, such as lottery and cigarettes? 
• Do you have a system or are counts scribbled on a piece of scrap paper?
• Is every change done the same way, or is it left up to whoever is working?
• Do you have a Cash handling policy in place?
• How long does it take you to reconcile the day’s sales and inventory?

Let’s look at some best practices to answer these questions.

The first thing to establish is a policy for the shift change. Every shift change should happen the same way no matter who is involved. To ensure this is the case, list the steps each clerk should take and do a walk through with your staff to establish these steps. Some examples are:

1)  Count the cash drawer
2)  Count lottery tickets
3)  Count cigarettes
4)  Verify the ending shift numbers match the beginning shift numbers

The most important step here is that an incoming clerk must verify an outgoing clerk’s information. ROG recommends each clerk initial  both shift sheets after the verification.

Don’t have a shift sheet? OK, let’s make one. One side should list the steps in order that they need to be done. The other should map the “count and control” items, for example  a diagram of the cigarette rack, the lottery tickets, and any other items clerks are verifying between shifts. All of these diagrams should have 4 columns: beginning, plus/minus, ending, and total. This is also where you should have a place to keep track of safe drops. At this point it is simple math. Next step would be to close the shift on the POS.

Here is where the system begins to pay dividends. The process to reconcile the daily sales and count and control items is a matter of taking the first shift’s beginning numbers and subtracting the last shift’s ending numbers - that is the days total to account for.  Additionally adding up all the safe drops should reconcile to the bank deposit. With this system, you won’t even need to look at the individual shift unless something doesn’t  reconcile.

If there is a reconciliation issue, look at the individual shift sheets and qualify the issue. We recommend tracing every issue to at least the shift. If you are missing a pack of cigarettes or a lottery ticket every time  a specific employee works, you need to retrain employees to make sure they aren’t being lazy, sloppy or helping themself to products. If you do not see a change, then it’s up to you to make a change.

Although usually when a store implements a shift change process and the employees realize that you are watching, issues have a way of fixing themselves!

Bruce Butler
30+ years of profitable and successful ownership of a multi store retail chain
ROG Consulting LLC.
[email protected]
www.rogconsulting.net