Comps, voids and discounts are different things
- A comp is an item given to the guest at no charge. The food was made and served, so it costs you the ingredients and the labor.
- A void removes an item from the check. Before it reaches the kitchen it costs nothing; after it has been sent, the food may already have been made and wasted.
- A discount reduces the price of an item or a check, such as a happy hour price or a staff discount.
Measure them
Track each as a percentage of sales so that busy weeks and slow weeks compare fairly, then break it down by server, by manager and by reason.
Comp rate % = Total comps ÷ Total sales × 100
| Total sales | $42,000 |
|---|---|
| Comps | $630 |
| Voids after the order reached the kitchen | $410 |
| Comp rate | 1.5% |
Voids after the order reached the kitchen were another 1.0% of sales, much of it food that was probably already made and thrown away.
Warning signs worth a look
None of these proves anything on its own, but each is worth a conversation.
- One server with a comp or void rate well above everyone else’s on the same shifts.
- Voids made after a check was printed or after the guest paid.
- Many voids on cash checks in particular.
- Comps approved by the same person who asked for them.
- Reasons that are always the same, or always “other.”
Controls that work
- Require a preset reason for every comp and for every void after the item is sent, so they can be reported by reason.
- Require manager approval for every comp, and for any void after the item was sent to the kitchen.
- Keep the record with the check: who asked, who approved, when and why.
- Review them at the nightly close and look at the trend weekly.
- Never let the person asking approve their own request.
Fix the cause, not just the number
Comps for long waits point to kitchen timing or seating pace. Comps for wrong items point to order entry or modifiers. Voids for “rang in wrong” point to training or a confusing menu screen. Sort by reason and the fixes usually suggest themselves.
Do not make approvals so slow that a server keeps a guest waiting. A manager who can approve from a phone keeps service moving without giving up control.