Checks and Tips

Purpose

Front desk staff accept checks and cash and record tips as part of daily payment handling. This procedure covers what to verify before accepting a check, what to do with a bill you suspect is counterfeit, and how tips get recorded and split.

At a Glance

• Check a written check against six criteria before accepting it.
• Notify a manager the same day any check is received, so it can be deposited and marked.
• No cash back on any credit card, check, or gift certificate transaction.
• Double-check $50 and $100 bills with the counterfeit marker or light.
• Record every tip, including cash. Tips split equally among staff (not management) and pay out on the last paycheck of the month. A new employee joins the tip pool after 90 days.

Accepting a Check

1. Confirm the check is dated with the current date. A post-dated check, or one dated in the future, is not acceptable.
2. Confirm the check is made out to the school's legal name: Partners Dog Training or Partners Animal Institute, Inc.
3. Confirm the amount is filled in correctly, at minimum in the numerical box.
4. Confirm the check is signed.
5. Confirm the check states a reason for the payment.
6. Confirm the printed name and address on the check match the client's information on file.
7. Notify a manager the same day so the check can be deposited and marked.

Handling Cash

• We do not give cash back on any credit card, check, or gift certificate transaction.
• Double-check $50 and $100 bills for authentication using the counterfeit marker or light.
• If a bill looks counterfeit, find a manager, or tell the client nicely that you don't feel comfortable accepting that bill and ask if they have another form of payment.

Recording and Distributing Tips

• Record every tip, including cash tips, either on the terminal or as a line item in the cart. A tip that isn't recorded can't be distributed properly.
• Tips split equally among all staff except management. Every role contributes to the guest experience, so the split is even.
• Tips pay out on the last paycheck of each month.
• A new employee joins the tip pool after working at the facility for 90 days.

What should I do when a bill might be counterfeit?

Check it against the counterfeit marker or light first. If it still looks wrong, find a manager. If a manager isn't available right away, tell the client directly and politely that you're not comfortable accepting that bill, and ask if they have another form of payment.

See Also

See Payment Policy for the school's full-payment-before-pickup rule. That policy's note about not accepting a client "sending a check" refers to paying after pickup instead of in full at pickup; it is a separate rule from the in-person check acceptance covered here.