When to Comp Items

Comping (giving items for free or at a discount) is common in restaurants for:

Customer Service Situations

• Wrong order: Kitchen made the wrong item
• Long wait: Food took too long to prepare
• Quality issues: Food was cold, overcooked, or didn't meet standards
• Special occasions: Birthday celebrations, anniversaries
• Complaint resolution: Making unhappy customers satisfied

Business Situations

• Employee meals: Staff discounts during breaks
• VIP customers: Regular customers or special guests
• Promotional offers: "Buy one, get one free" or percentage discounts
• Training purposes: New staff learning the system

How to Comp Items

Step 1: Select the Items

1. Look at the order on your screen
2. Click on each item you want to comp (they will be highlighted)
3. You can select multiple items at once

Step 2: Open the Comp Screen

1. Find the "Comp" button on your POS screen
2. Click it to open the comp options
3. You'll see a list of the items you selected

Step 3: Choose Your Comp Type

Option A: Percentage Comp (Most Common)

• 25% - Quarter off (small discount)
• 50% - Half off (medium discount)
• 75% - Three-quarters off (large discount)
• 100% - Completely free
• Custom % - Enter your own percentage

Option B: Special Pricing

• Employee Price - Use employee discount pricing
• VIP Price - Use VIP customer pricing
• Regular Price - Reset to normal menu price

Step 4: Provide a Reason

1. Select a reason from the dropdown menu (examples):

   • Customer complaint
   • Kitchen error
   • Long wait time
   • Manager approval
   • Employee meal
   • Promotional offer

2. Add notes (optional but recommended):

   • "Food was cold when served"
   • "30-minute wait for appetizer"
   • "Birthday celebration"

Step 5: Get Authorization (If Required)

• If your restaurant requires manager approval:
  • A manager will need to enter their password
  • Or scan their fingerprint (if enabled)
  • Some systems auto-approve if a manager is already logged in

Step 6: Confirm the Comp

1. Review the new prices on screen
2. Click "Submit" or "Apply Comp"
3. The items will now show the discounted price

Real-World Examples

Example 1: Customer Complaint

Situation: Customer says their steak is overcooked Steps:

1. Select the steak item
2. Click "Comp"
3. Choose "100%" (make it free)
4. Reason: "Customer complaint"
5. Notes: "Steak overcooked, customer refused replacement"
6. Get manager approval
7. Submit

Example 2: Employee Meal

Situation: Server wants to buy lunch during break Steps:

1. Select all their meal items
2. Click "Comp"
3. Choose "Employee Price" option
4. Reason: "Employee meal"
5. Submit (may not need manager approval)

Example 3: Birthday Special

Situation: Customer's birthday, offering free dessert Steps:

1. Select the dessert item
2. Click "Comp"
3. Choose "100%"
4. Reason: "Promotional offer"
5. Notes: "Birthday celebration"
6. Submit

Important Tips

Do's

✅ Always select a reason - This helps with tracking and reports
✅ Add notes for unusual situations - Helps managers understand what happened
✅ Double-check the amount - Make sure you're giving the right discount
✅ Get customer approval - Let them know what you're doing for them
✅ Follow your restaurant's comp policy - Some places have limits on what you can comp

Don'ts

❌ Don't comp without reason - Always explain why in the system
❌ Don't comp more than necessary - A 25% discount might solve the problem instead of 100%
❌ Don't forget manager approval - If required, always get authorization
❌ Don't comp items after payment - Comp before processing payment (refunds are different)

Troubleshooting

"I can't find the Comp button"

• Check if you've selected items first
• Look for "Discount" or "Comp" in your menu buttons
• Ask your manager - comp button might be in a different location

"It says I need manager approval"

• Get a manager to enter their password
• Or have them log into the system first
• Some systems let managers pre-approve by staying logged in

"The comp didn't work"

• Make sure you clicked "Submit" or "Apply"
• Check if the items are still selected
• Verify you have permission to comp items

"Customer wants cash back instead"

• Comps only reduce the bill - they don't give cash
• For cash refunds, you need to process a return/refund
• Talk to your manager about the difference

Receipt Information

When you comp items:

• The receipt will show "COMPED ITEM" next to discounted items
• It displays both the original price and the comp amount
• Customers can see exactly what discount they received
• This helps with transparency and customer satisfaction

Manager/Owner Notes

Tracking Your Comps

• All comps are recorded in your daily reports
• You can see which staff member did each comp
• Reasons and notes appear in your end-of-day reports
• Use this information to identify training needs or recurring issues

Setting Comp Permissions

• You can control which employees can comp items
• Set whether manager approval is required
• Configure default comp reasons for your restaurant
• Review comp activity regularly to prevent abuse

Quick Reference Card

To Comp an Item:

1. Select item(s)
2. Click "Comp"
3. Choose percentage or price level
4. Select reason
5. Add notes (if needed)
6. Get manager approval (if required)
7. Submit

Common Comp Amounts:

• 25% = Small issue (slow service)
• 50% = Medium issue (wrong temperature)
• 75% = Large issue (very long wait)
• 100% = Major issue (completely wrong order)

Need help? Ask your manager or check your restaurant's specific comp policies. Every restaurant may have slightly different procedures.