QSR June 2022

SmartChain Restaurant Security & Cash Handling

Tackling the Hidden Costs of Cash Handling Should cash management challenges be considered “business as usual?”

C ash handling in quick-service res taurants has always been a com plex logistical dance that carries significant risk. Problems arising from typical cash management practices—like ensuring employee safety, the threat of theft, and inefficient time sinks—have long been considered unavoidable or just “business as usual.” ۔ौHUH LV D FRVW WR WUDGLWLRQDO PDQXDO cash management,” says Brandon Dieter, senior director of commercialization at Brink’s . “Many business owners over look this cost since they’re not receiving a monthly invoice for it, but the cost of cash comes from several areas: your employees’ WLPH DQG HਬRUW ORVW SURGXFWLYLW\ VKULQN DJH RU WKH़ DQG EDQN GHSRVLW IHHV ौLV cost increases as cash transaction vol ume increases, and is further compounded for multi-unit operators and enterprise businesses.” ौH ULVNV RI FDVK KDQGOLQJ EHJLQ DW WKH moment it exchanges hands at the pur FKDVH FRXQWHU RU GULYH WKUX ZLQGRZ $़ HU WKH KDQGRਬ FDVK LV WHPSRUDULO\ KRXVHG in the register until transferred to a safe RU PDQDJHU ۑ V RਯFH XQWLO LW LV ਭQDOO\ SXW HQURXWH WR D EDQN RU ਭQDQFLDO VHFXULW\ service pickup. “All of these steps involve human interaction and the risk of human error, and consequently have inher ent security threats and vulnerabilities,” says Brandon Dixon, director of national account sales at Guardian Protection . Since COVID-19 began, operators have DOVR EHHQ WHVWHG LQ QHZ ZD\V ौH ODERU shortage has created enormous chal lenges when it comes to cash handling. ۔ौH VKHHU DPRXQW RI WLPH IRU HPSOR\ - ees and managers to count, authenti FDWH DQG VHFXUH FDVK LV VLJQLਭFDQW ە VD\V Joseph Gnorski, executive vice president of

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“The sheer amount of time for employees and managers WR FRXQW DXWKHQWLFDWH DQG VHFXUH FDVK LV VLJQLÀFDQW µ

retail markets at Glory Global Solutions . “It KDV EHFRPH LQFUHDVLQJO\ GLਯFXOW WR ਭQG employees for any job in the restaurant, so it means operators have to ask fewer SHRSOH WR GR PRUH ौLV LV JRLQJ WR EH DQ RQJRLQJ DQG LQFUHDVLQJO\ GLਯFXOW FKDO lenge for the industry to tackle.” As a result, the pandemic has acceler ated the rise of mostly cashless self-ser vice payment options—a much more novel concept in the industry before COVID,

they can now be found virtually any ZKHUH ौH\ KDYH KHOSHG IUHH XS HPSOR\ - ees for other tasks while also easing cus tomers’ COVID-related fears. “In addition to cashier-facing and back RਯFH VROXWLRQV UHVWDXUDQWV DUH DOVR investing in self-service solutions, such as ordering and payment kiosks, to expedite the customer experience and minimize employee interaction,” says David Barclay, vice president of marketing at Tidel ۔ौLV

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JUNE 2022 | SPONSORED SECTION