How many tech products do you use to run your bar or restaurant?
My guess is you have a software tool or some kind of hardware for almost every area of your operations.
From online ordering to table management and inventory, there’s now an app for that.
And in many cases, these products bring a new level of efficiency to your bar and restaurant. But in some, they just create confusion and more stuff to do for you and your team.
If you want to finally get things off your plate, instead of just adding extra tools and complexity, video auditing might be the right solution for you.
In this article, we’re going to look at what video auditing is and why it could be useful for your bar and restaurant. In addition, we’ll explore how to implement video auditing with minimal friction in your establishment.
Ready? Let’s go.
What is video auditing?
Video auditing is an automated way to review and analyze camera footage and other video content. Instead of you spending hours staring at the screen, video auditing pinpoints issues like theft and inefficiency in work processes using computer vision (a field in AI which deals with identifying objects in the real world).
This means that computers can now recognize and classify specific items from an image or video. In the context of bars and restaurants, you can accurately count how many glasses of Prosecco were passed through the counter or how many beer bottles were handed to customers, for example.
Then, you can match this information with other data you have, such as sales numbers from your POS system. If the video audit detects a major difference, you’ll know the exact date and time of the incident so you can take action.
This brings a number of interesting applications for video auditing in bars and restaurants.
Do you need video auditing in your bar and restaurant?
If you experience any of these issues, video auditing might be the right solution for you:
1) When inventory is not adding up month after month
There are many reasons why your inventory counts may show a drastic difference between your expected stock levels and actual ones. Video auditing can help you identify the exact cause faster and easier without having to micro-manage people.
2) When you see considerable waste and spillage
If your team wastes a lot of product, they are likely not following operating procedures when it comes to handling stock or recipes. Video auditing acts like your second-in-command even if you’re not physically there to monitor operations.
3) When you suspect theft by employees
If you think someone might be stealing, video auditing can help you pinpoint the exact date and time of the incident or other non-compliance such as handing out too many free drinks.
Ultimately, video auditing can help improve employee behavior and identify unaccounted sales, inconsistent customer service, inaccurate inventory management, and other operational errors that cost your business money.
If you want to tackle these issues quickly and efficiently, video auditing might be the right fit for your establishment.
How to get started with video auditing
In order to get started, all you need are security cameras in the right positions and a video auditing system like Glimpse.
However, we would also recommend approaching video auditing with care when it comes to your team. They need to understand the value it provides and be fully on board if you want to keep morale high and create a strong company culture.
Here are some of the top things to keep in mind when getting started with video auditing:
Transparency
Being transparent with employees is the most important step in your video auditing setup. Creating trust in the workplace is vital to your company culture and overall working environment. Let employees know cameras are there to ensure their best performance and a great customer experience – which leads to healthy tips and a sense of pride in your work.
Employee privacy
Employees should not be monitored everywhere. There should be designated camera-free areas where they can expect their privacy to be respected. Typically, video auditing will help you the most when you place cameras above the bar or kitchen service areas, monitoring both sales and customer service.
Company policy
You should also consider formal documentation of your video auditing use. Create a privacy policy for employees and do not stray from it without verbal and written notice. Explain what the cameras will be used for, where they will be placed, and make sure they are only used for those purposes and in those locations.
Glimpse Video Auditing
If you’re on board with video auditing, the next step is to select a video auditing system.
Glimpse provides an end-to-end video auditing solution for bars and restaurants, from setting up hardware to reviewing footage and providing performance reports.
The system looks at your security camera footage and compares it to POS sales data to bring a range of insights into your operations.
With Glimpse, you get daily and monthly reports that show you:
Lost items
See which items were served but never recorded to your POS, leading to lost revenue.
At-risk items
Discover the items that were served but rung up late in the POS, suggesting slow customer service and compromising your sales.
Compliant items
Recognize your best employees with this report which shows you the items served on time and properly recorded in your POS.
Food and drink production times
Measure the time from order placement to item being served and customer checkout.
Customer traffic and wait times
Quickly verify the number of customers in your location, the duration of overall customer service time, and customers that walked-out without a purchase.
You can book a free consultation with a Glimpse product expert here.
Conclusion
This was a quick introduction to video auditing for bars and restaurants.
Overall, it’s one of the best ways to improve your business by uncovering operational errors and influencing employee behavior in a positive way.
Of course, it’s best to approach the subject with care, ensuring your team is on board and understands the value of video auditing in case you decide to implement it in your establishment.
Finally, if you decide to implement video auditing, Glimpse may be the right technology for you. Just click the button below to get started.
You might also like:
- 4 Android POS Apps for Bars and Restaurants
- The 9 Best Software Tools for Managing Your Bar
- The 5 Best POS Systems for Bars (and Why You Need One)
Trifon Tsvetkov
+1 (786) 292-2373
insights@glimpsecorp.com
