DOCUMENTS REQUIRED BY THE SUPPLIER
- Invoice: Invoice is a document containing detailed information about the food deliveries. It is presented to the receiving clerk in duplicate by the person making the delivery, who expects the receiving clerk to sign and return the second copy, thus acknowledging to the purveyor that the hotel has received the commodities listed. The original invoice is a bill that must be paid and must be routed to the account department for paying the bill. Figure no 4.3 and 4.4.
- Blind receiving: in this method there is no invoice accompanying the delivery. The purveyors prepare regular invoices but they mail them directly to the hotel’s accounting office. The list will accompany the actual order; it may also indicate the totals. The receiving clerk has to make a complete listing of each item by counting and weighting and recording every article. This method forces the receiving clerk to do the job very carefully and exactingly. He cannot arbitrarily sign an invoice without actually inspecting the merchandise. He does not have an invoice. He has to write it himself. He has to count and weigh each item and unite it all down. Figure 4.6
The receiving clerk sends the finished record to accounting office. The accounting personnel compare the receiving clerk. Records with the invoice, that is received in mail from the purveyor. The accounting office should also check prices and extensions as is done in a standard receiving routine.
- Credit note/ memo: when the delivered merchandise does not conform with what ordered or with what appears on the invoice in quality, quantity, specification of price, and all or part of the shipment is returned, (figure 4.7 & 4.8) a credit memo is made out in triplicates. Distribution of copies are as follows:-
- The original copy is delivered to the purveyor.
- One copy is delivered to the food & beverage controller who sends it to the accounting department.
- One copy is kept on file in the receiving department
- Each request for credit memo must be pre-numbered and accounted for. If one memo is to be voided, it must be clearly stated on the original and two copies. The original and one copy are then sent to the accounting department is retained in the receiving department.
- Delivery notes: the receiving department must check all deliveries for quantity by comparing the delivery note with a copy of the purchase order. If all the quantities match up the purchase order, the items are checked for quality. The delivery note is normally in duplicate. The top copy is retained in the receiving department and the second copy is signed by the senior member of the receiving department and returned to the delivery man. In case the quantity of items delivered is less than that stated on the delivery note, and when items are not acceptable, the receiving department must obtain a credit note. Usually, in most of the hotel a printed slip ‘requested for credit’ is completed and signature of the delivery man is obtained thereon. (Figure 4.9)
Any alternation to the delivery note must be countersigned by the delivery man. If a supplier does not supply a delivery note for some reason, the delivery man must be asked to sign a dummy delivery note which can be drawn up. When the goods arrive the copy of the delivery note must be signed and the goods put into the store or cellar and entered as bin cards. In some cases, some goods are delivered directly to the kitchen. The executive chef or sous chef must countersign to verify the receipt of goods. This will ensure that the goods have actually gone into the store, cellar or kitchen.