The MegaMax Theatre is located in the MetroMall and employs six cashiers. Two of them work from 12:30 to 6:00 p.m., and the other four from 6:00 to 11:30 p.m. The cashiers receive payments from customers and operate machines that eject serially numbered tickets. Some customers use debit or credit cards, but most payments are cash. The rolls of admission tickets are inserted and locked into the machines by the theatre manager at the beginning of each cashier’s shift.
The cashiers’ booths are located just inside the entrance to the lobby of the theatre. After purchasing their tickets, customers take them to a doorperson stationed at the entrance to the theatre, about 10 meters from the cashiers’ booths. The doorperson tears each ticket in half and drops the ticket stub into a locked box. The other half of the ticket is returned to the customer.
Required:
a. Outline the main internal control considerations for cash receipts generally, and briefly discuss how they apply to MegaMax Theatre’s cash receipts procedures.
b. Discuss any weaknesses in the current internal control system that could enable a cashier and/or doorperson to misappropriate cash.