The cellar full of your empties
You deliver kegs, crates of bottles, gas cylinders or plastic trays to pubs, restaurants and shops. Each delivery should bring empties back. In practice, the driver collects what is by the door, the landlord says the rest are in the cellar, and the count goes on the delivery note if the driver has time.
Your stock of containers drops over time. Replacing them is expensive, and some manufacturers charge you for containers you cannot return to them. Nobody can say which customers are holding yours.
Why returnables slip through
Containers are treated as part of the delivery, not as stock with a balance per customer. Collections are counted roughly and recorded on paper. Deposits, where you charge them, are added to invoices inconsistently. So the balance each customer owes is never known, and chasing is impossible without a number.
| Container | What usually happens |
|---|---|
| Kegs and casks | Collected when visible, counted on paper |
| Bottle crates | Swapped roughly like for like |
| Pallets | Left at the customer, sometimes returned |
| Cylinders | Tracked by some drivers, not others |
What lost containers cost
Replacement containers and charges from manufacturers for unreturned ones add up quietly. Deposit income is inconsistent. Customers holding large numbers of your containers have no incentive to return them. And disputes are unwinnable when neither side has a reliable count.
Drivers are stuck in the middle. They are asked to collect empties but given no figure to ask for, and pressing a customer on a busy Friday lunchtime with no evidence is awkward. So they take what is offered and move on to the next drop, and the gap widens week by week.
The cost shows up in odd places: an order for new kegs that seemed early, a manufacturer's invoice line for unreturned containers, a stock count of crates that never quite matches. Because it is spread out, it rarely gets the attention a single large loss would.
The returnables ledger we build
- Each container type is set up with its deposit or charge rules, and whether it is yours or the manufacturer's.
- When orders are picked, containers going out are counted automatically from the lines ordered.
- At the drop, the driver's app shows the customer's current balance and records the number of each container type collected.
- The customer signs for both the delivery and the collection, and receives a note showing their updated balance.
- Deposits and credits are added to invoices through your accounts system based on the counts, following your rules.
- A report lists customers with high balances or no returns for a while, for drivers or reps to chase on their next visit.
- Balances per customer and container type.
- Returns to manufacturers tracked against what you hold.
- Tagged containers can be tracked individually where it is worth it.
What drivers and the office see after
Drivers arrive knowing how many empties the customer owes and ask for them, with the number on screen to back them up. Customers see their balance on every delivery note, which makes the conversation easy. Deposits are applied consistently. And when you order new containers or deal with a manufacturer's charges, you know exactly where yours are.
Is this your returnables problem?
- You regularly buy replacement kegs, crates or pallets.
- Nobody knows how many containers each customer holds.
- Collections are counted on paper, if at all.
- Deposits are charged inconsistently.
- Manufacturers charge you for containers you cannot return.