How to Reduce Skipping (Non paying) guest in Restaurants?

1. If the custom of the restaurant is to allow the ordering of food prior to receiving payment, present the bill for the food promptly when the guests have finished eating.

2. If the facility has a cashier in a central location in the dining area, make sure that person is available and visible at all times.

3. If the facility operates in such a manner that each server collects for his or her own guests’ charges, instruct the servers to return to the table promptly after presenting each guest’s bill to secure a form of payment.

4. Be observant of all exit doors near restrooms or other areas of the facility that may give an unscrupulous guest an easy “out.”

5. In a hotel dining situation, if it is the custom of the restaurant to allow food and beverage purchases to be charged to a room or master bill, verify the identity of the guest with both a printed and signed name. Guest identity verification may take a variety of forms, but in all cases should firmly establish that the guest requesting credit privileges is indeed authorized to do so.

6. If an employee sees a guest leave without paying the bill, he or she should notify management immediately.

7. Upon approaching a guest who has left without paying the bill, the manager should ask if the guest has inadvertently “forgotten” to pay. In most cases, the guest will then pay the bill.

8. Should a guest refuse to pay or flee the scene, the manager should note the following on an incident report:

• Number of guests involved.

• Amount of the bill.

• Physical description of the guest(s).

• Vehicle description, if the guests flee in a car, as well as the license plate number, if possible.

• Time and date of the incident.

• Name of the server(s) who waited on the guest.

• Name of the server who notified management of the skip.

9. If the guest is successful in fleeing the scene, the police should be notified.

10. In no case should staff members or managers be instructed to attempt to physically detain the guest. The liability that could be involved should an employee be hurt in such an attempt is far greater than the value of a food and beverage bill.