What are Override Reasons?

Override Reasons are standard explanations that have been previously identified to support a staff member or manager who overrides a standard POS rule and transaction that has occurred at a restaurant. The overrides performed can include giving a greater level of discount, voiding an item, changing the price of an item, or modifying orders outside normal permissions.

A staff member would usually need a Manager’s approval or authorization code to perform an override. The entry of a valid override reason when performing an override will ensure that all incidents of this type are properly documented for the purpose of tracking accountability and transparency. Management can monitor the number of times that overrides occur to prevent abuse or fraud and can use that information as part of their analysis of operational trends to make better business decisions and exercise control.

How do Override Reasons work?

The POS will alert you with an exception code to indicate that you are trying to process something that requires an exception to the normal rules. The system will restrict the transaction until someone with the authority approves it. The manager or authorized person can only approve the request for credentials or PIN. After a transaction has been approved, the system will then require that you denote a reason for the override.

The reason provided for the override is attached to the transaction and creates an audit trail. Managers can review these reports to analyze the reason for the exception, identify trends regarding frequent discounts, and also determine if employees have adhered to company policy.