RE: Future earnings23 Apr 2024 18:35
Sterr & accip, this abuse could be cured if staff cleared tables sooner. You often go in to find used glasses, half-eaten plates of food (why do they order so much, smaller dishes available?) and, yes, beverage mugs that could be re-used fraudulently. Some of this is idle staff, more is bad management; but for profit reasons the staffing can be very thin, as the margins are thin. It's a fine line, what makes more profit, stopping beverage fiddles or a lean wage bill?
However, customers who might leave a chunk of cash behind would be attracted by clear clean tables and rapid bar service. A recent experience was of 3 bodies behind the bar only 1 of which served live customers, the others doing online orders stocktaking and clerical functions. Trade was light but it only took a complex food order to cause a big delay. Only customers with possession of their order are actually making us profit, until then they just use space for no return.
Sterr, a token system would require staff time. I think the reason for refills at all is that serve-yourself is cheaper than employing to serve.