An Automan screen related to this article.
The problem
Manual discounts start with good intentions — “keep the customer happy” — then quietly become a habit with no recorded reason. The shop looks busy; the margin vanishes to nowhere in particular.
The tip
Separate two things: official discounts are built as structured promos (with conditions, limits, and validity periods), while the authority to discount manually is restricted through permissions. Discounts still exist — the difference is they now have rules and a trail.
Practical steps
- Check cashier permissions: does every cashier really need to edit discounts?
- Restrict discount-editing to the roles actually assigned to it.
- For legitimate discounts, build structured promos — clear conditions, clear benefit, clear usage limits.
- Review the discount records periodically: promo discounts can be evaluated, manual ones can be questioned.
When to use it
When discounts start appearing without records — or when the margin in the report doesn’t match how busy the shop looks.