Controlling Retail Shrinkage by the Numbers

April 14, 2015 by Leave a Comment

theft (11)The margins in a retail business can be slim.  It doesn’t take much shrinkage for a store to go from the black to the red.  One of the primary roles of a successful store manager is to develop, follow and then tweak a comprehensive security plan.  The creation of an effective plan takes a large investment of time, money and effort.

Managers often have gut feelings about where their losses are, and may even have a good idea about how to control them.  However, few of them understand — and therefore can’t effectively address — the full scope of the problems.  A successful plan starts with knowing the numbers, not indistinct feelings or incomplete ideas.  

The yearly National Retail Security Survey (University of Florida) started in 1991and is considered to be the most accurate and comprehensive in the industry.  The 2014 report estimates that the total shrinkage amount for retail businesses is $44.25 billion.  This is broken down into 5 categories.  The numbers have been rounded and don’t add to 100%.

Employee Theft (41%) – Many managers believe shoplifting is their number 1 shrinkage problem and make the mistake of overlooking this statistic, to their detriment.  Employees will steal time, money and merchandise.  This is regardless of how nice or punitive their supervisor is, good guys get stolen from as much as bad ones do.

Shoplifting (33%) – People steal for a variety of reasons.  With the advent of the Internet (which makes it easier to sell stolen items) and the difficult financial times of the last several years it has been steadily on the increase.  But, it remains consistently second to employee theft, which has also been rising.

Administrative (15%) – This category represents common human error involving administrative tasks, not deliberate fraud.  It includes things such as: miscounting or misplacing stock, money/cash register mistakes, lack of follow through on paperwork and poor record/receipt keeping.

Unknown (7%) – Some researchers view this category as a miscellaneous or catch-all one, where odd or seldom seen circumstances, which don’t fit any other classification, are located.

Vendor Fraud (6%) – This is another area of shrinkage that many managers overlook.  They trust their supplier or its representative and ignore all the places (i.e. warehouse, delivery driver, invoices, order forms) where their shipment is shorted “just a few things”.

Before developing a loss prevention security plan it’s vital to understand where the loss is happening.  Then valuable resources, time and money, won’t be wasted on ineffectual systems, training and equipment.  Good managers know their employees, customers and suppliers, and have a feeling about where the problems are.  Great managers know all that too, but they back up their subjective feelings with objective numbers.

Nicole Abbott is a writer and psycho-therapist with over 20 years of experience in the fields of mental health and addiction.  She’s an educator, consultant, lecturer, trainer and facilitator, who’s conducted over 200 workshops, trainings, presentations, college classes and seminars.  

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The Tricks of the Shoplifter

April 9, 2015 by Leave a Comment

shoplifting4Managing or owning a retail store is not easy.  Shoplifters and employee theft are in some instances a daily occurrence, and the profits you were thinking you were getting have disappear.  The digital age has brought information to the young mind easily and instantaneously, and although some use it for the benefit of their mind, others use it to cause harm and to commit crimes.  Have you checked the videos on Youtube about how to shoplift?  From how to shoplift and not get caught, to instructions on how to prepare before shoplifting.  Yes, your shoplifting prevention team has to be aware of these tactics to be effective apprehending shoplifters.

Follow the links below for more information.

Video:

How To Shoplift Without Getting Caught Using a “Thief Book”

Female shoplifters caught on camera

Several supermarkets have complained that social customs enable women to steal with impunity.

Muhammad Hamouda, sales manager at an electrical accessories company, said 70 percent of thefts in his shop are made by females, primarily stealing women’s accessories.

Most thefts are monitored on closed-circuit TVs, which have also revealed various tricks of these thieves, particularly women with large handbags into which laptops, devices for hair and body care can be concealed. Only female security staff at supermarkets can deal with women thieves.

Hamouda said: “Mostly shops do not complain to police, but demand a written confession with a copy of her identity card, and then let her go free. But there are also shops that make her pay double the price of the article she shoplifted and she is prohibited against stepping inside the shop in future,” he said, adding that some ladies deny the charges and threaten to call the Haia as a means of defense.

Muhammad Asiri, a salesman in Asir, said there were suspicious disappearances of women’s accessories such perfumes, vanity bags and rings, discovered at the end of the month. Guards do not notice anything because the missing articles were mostly light and can be easily hidden. Occasionally there are gangs of women involved in these thefts, Asiri said.

 Confessions of a teenage shoplifter

I couldn’t help letting out a low whistle of admiration when I read news that the cost of goods stolen in the average shoplifting incident is now £241. Bloody hell, I thought, as I tried to imagine how exactly you would stash that many eye-shadow compacts up your sleeve. You see for a few months back when I was 16, shoplifting was the hottest craze at my suburban girls school. It spread like a virus through Year 11, to the point that students would pop into town at lunch and return with a huge cache of stolen goods. They’d upturn the contents of their bags on to a desk with a shout of: “Who wants what?” Now, the thieves providing the British Retail Consortium with a headache this week with their high-cost hauls are more likely to be professional “steal to order” shoplifters, not a gang of feckless teenage girls. Nevertheless, it instantly brought back that rush of adrenaline that always follows a bout of five-finger discount “shopping”.

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The Costs of “Wardrobing”

March 31, 2015 by Leave a Comment

theft (10)According to the National Retail Federation’s annual survey, it is estimated the industry loses approximately $9.1 billion yearly in return fraud.  This includes refunds on merchandising that has been stolen and a practice like “wardrobing” that is costing retailers this incredible amount. Those incidents are done by employees as well as shoppers and shoplifters.  To read more about this topic follow the links below for more information.

NOT-SO-HAPPY RETURNS: RETAIL FEDERATION HIGHLIGHTS “WARDROBING” COSTS

In a new survey, the National Retail Federation says that holiday-return fraud could end up costing stores billions this year. The worst part? This scam is more organized than ever.

The holidays are over, but stores big and small will be dealing with more than the memories.

That’s according to the National Retail Federation (NRF), which reported late last month that during the holiday season alone, retailers could face as much as $3.8 billion in lost revenue from fraudulent returns, an increase from $3.4 billion in 2013 and a big chunk of the estimated $10.9 billion in return fraud in 2014 as a whole.

The organization’s 2014 Return Fraud Survey [PDF], which gathered responses from loss-prevention executives at 60 retailers, shows that retailers suspect that 5.5 percent of holiday returns are fraudulent. And while technology has helped curb illegitimate returns, NRF said, there’s only so much companies can do about retail fraud, which is often suspected to be the work of crime rings.

Eliminate the Practice of Wardrobing in Your Store

Well here’s a new one to me.  The art of wardrobing.  It’s a term coined for shoppers who buy merchandise with the full intent of using it, then returning it for a full refund.  Take a read of the article as the insight is fascinating.

I was astounded to learn that “nearly two-thirds of merchants had items wardrobed in 2007, up from 56 percent the year before, the first year the National Retail Federation (NRF) started tracking the trend,” according to the article.

The term wardrobing was chosen (I’m guessing) because it stems from clothing that’s been purchased, worn and then returned.  But the article points out that wardrobing has taken on a broader meaning and is now applied to any merchandise that’s been used and then returned.

So how big is wardrobing?  The article points out that “Wardrobers want to rent the things they want or need for free, which amounts to fraud, said Richard Hollinger, a criminology professor at the University of Florida who specializes in retail theft. He said return fraud, which includes wardrobing, fake receipts, and other practices, cost retailers an estimated $10.8 billion last year, up from $9.6 billion in 2006.”

RETURN FRAUD COST 9.1 BILLION IN 2013

​Criminals trying to get refunds on stolen merchandise and customers engaged in practices like “wardrobing” cost retailers an estimated $9.1 billion in return fraud last year, according to NRF’s annual survey.

“While coverage of this issue paints return fraud as one of the less severe retail crimes, the fact of the matter is that returning used or stolen merchandise — or even using false tender to purchase items — is fraud, period,” NRF vice president for loss prevention Rich Mellor said in a release accompanying the survey. “Efforts to combat fraudulent activity are slowly starting to work, but criminals are becoming more savvy and technologically advanced in their methods.”

The dollar amount of fraud was up 2.8 percent from 2012, but the proportion of returns believed to be fraudulent (3.4 percent) remained the same. During the just-finished holiday season, fraud totaled an estimated $3.4 billion.

Fraud was experienced by virtually all retailers, with stolen merchandise involved in 95 percent of cases. Employee fraud accounted for 93 percent of incidents; 69 percent were returns of items purchased with fraudulent payment like stolen or counterfeit gift cards. Wardrobing — where customers typically purchase a dress for a party or a big-screen television for the Super Bowl and return the item after it has been used — accounted for 62 percent.

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Wardrobing & Returns

March 30, 2015 by Leave a Comment

Shark Tag DressThere is a new term in the retail dictionary. “Wardrobing” is the process where a customer purchases a piece of your merchandise, uses it one time, then returns it claiming a small flaw or just taking advantage of  your liberal return policy.

We see this especially in clothing such as expensive dresses, prom dresses, shoes and suits. But tools, electronics, beach wear and more can be a target. The problem is hardly new. However, it has always been frustrating. Not only has the retailer experienced a loss  since the merchandise is no longer new but chances are that you or your staff put a considerable amount of time into the initial sales process. Couple that with tight margins and expenses and the problem gets expensive quickly.

Add to this that word will spread. If your store is known as an easy mark for wardrobing, then this kind of shopper will flock to you like metal to a magnet.

The problem is also not just a brick and mortar store problem. In many ways it is worse for online stores. Because it is a faceless transaction, the shopper is more likely to feel comfortable about doing this.

Whether it is right/wrong or illegal, is a side issue. Wardrobing causes Retailers significant losses.

LPSI Shark Tag8  Shark Tag with Return PolicySo how do we fix the wardrobing problem that leads to your returns being higher than they should be? First look at your return policy. Have you dusted it off lately and updated it? Look at the circumstances of accepting returns. Look at the time limits. Is there a restocking fee? Is the customer responsible for shipping on certain items? Look at your competition’s return policies both in store and on-line. Maybe they have solved the problem and the wardrobers are now coming to you. If you would like, I can also be an LP sounding board (at no charge) for your return policy. Just call me, Bill Bregar, at 770-426-7593 x101.

We also offer an excellent fix for wardrobing. The “Shark Tag” by Alpha High Theft solutions basically puts an end to wardrobing. Shark tags are bright tags that mount directly to the merchandise or can be attached via a lanyard. An example could be that the Alpha Shark Tag is placed in a very obvious area such as the bust line (as a guy I would notice it!) of a prom dress. The Shark tag can be removed easily by the customer at home with a pair of ordinary scissors. Once the Shark Tag is removed, your stores policy kicks in. Without the Shark Tag attached, a return is no longer possible.

Also, Shark Tags are VERY inexpensive! If you would like a sample, please contact us.

Remember, you and your staff put a lot of time, effort and expense into your sales efforts. Do not let the thieves or even the wardrobers, rob you of your margins or even your business!

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Social Media and Employee Theft

March 30, 2015 by Leave a Comment

theft (2)There isn’t anything I enjoy more than catching an employee stealing. Whether it be through a lengthy investigation, or through an anonymous tip, it’s very satisfying to me. The idea that you employ someone, put money in their pocket and a chance to succeed, but they steal from you, eats at the pit of my stomach. I can’t stand a thief and to me, it’s even worse when it’s an employee. Throughout my career in Loss Prevention, I’ve handling thousands of employee theft cases. Most don’t really stand out to me, but there are a handful of stories that I like to share when I have the chance.

Social media has really changed the way we communicate and share information. Personally, I rarely watch the 9 O’clock news anymore. I just log into Twitter, or Facebook and see if there is anything relevant to me. No more are our personal communications private. Using social media as a communication device gives the entire world visibility to everything you say, or do. So, if you’re a thief, you should probably know this. 

Recently I was having some issues with shoes in my store. I was constantly finding less expensive brands in the more expensive boxes. I started off finding one or two a month, so I chalked it up to a shipping error from the factory. As the weeks progressed, I began to find more and more, and I quickly realized I had a potential thief. I started running the sales for the cheaper shoes and noticed that one individual had purchased every single pair that I had found. Inside those boxes were no doubt the more expensive shoes, but who was this guy? I hadn’t a clue, and without any good leads, my case went cold. Until one of my employees helped me crack the case. 

I was closing the store one Saturday night and a few hours before closing time, I started making the rounds to make sure everyone was zoning and cleaning up so we could get out at a decent time. I noticed one of my footwear employees on the computer in the manager’s office, so I started walking that way. He noticed I was heading in his direction, so he quickly left the area. A little while later, I went to check sales on that same computer and noticed there was a window still open. It was that employee’s Facebook page. 

I maximized the screen, at first not realizing it was his page. What I saw shocked and amused me all at the same time. The window that opened was his private messages. Out of curiosity, I perused a bit. There, in the open, was a long conversation between my employee and a friend of his. The employee basically taking an order for shoes. My employee described how he would put the shoes in a cheaper pair, where to find them and even what cashier to check out with. I had found my shoe culprit, in the most awesome way possible. I printed out the page and a few days later, after letting his friend buy the stolen shoes, confronted the employee. He admitted to the several thousand dollars’ worth of theft and implicated several others in the store as doing the same. In total, I lost 5 employees. To this day, he has no idea that he led me to himself, and I have no plans on telling him!

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Organized Retail Crime and the Effects on Small Business

March 30, 2015 by Leave a Comment

shoplifting7Organized Retail Crime, or ORC is something you have probably heard very little about. ORC is, by definition, the organized and planned stealing of merchandise with the expressed intent to resell in order to make a profit. Plainly, it is a group of shoplifters whose full time job is to steal from you in order to make a profit for themselves. If you think that your small business isn’t a target, or hasn’t been targeted by an ORC group, you are wrong. These are not your average shoplifter stealing for personal use. These are well organized, well trained and equipped individuals who can take a single store for thousands of dollars in mere minutes.

I recently worked an ORC case dealing with the theft of a certain product. Over a two month period of time, I had a group of 5 individuals steal this product, then immediately sell them to a pawn shop. This handful of people were able to cause a $20k loss in a very short amount of time. They had a plan, stuck to a routine and committed the theft with near surgical precision. It was well organized, and it took months to uncover. $20k might not be a big deal for a national retailer, but if this were my own store, it very well may have put me out of business. This is the case for small businesses across the country. These groups often target the smaller stores as they feel they are a softer target. 

Smaller stores may not have the security measures larger retailers do. Something as simple as CCTV may not even be installed. The store may not have security devices on commonly shoplifted items. More importantly, those smaller stores most likely do not have a Loss Prevention team, and the owners may be unwillingly to prosecute individuals caught shoplifting.  This all makes the small retailer a prime target for ORC. 

The first step you should take to prevent your store from being a target is to minimize your exposure to the risk of shoplifting. CCTV systems are not big, bulky and expensive pieces of equipment anymore. You can most definitely find a solution for your store under a few hundred bucks. Next, you should be familiar with product security. While you may not have the capital for the newest trends in EAS, a simple checkpoint system will discourage ORC, especially if you are using tags that have your store’s name, or logo on them.

Organized retail crime has gotten the attention of the law enforcement community. In fact, several states now have ORC laws on the books, which carry heavier penalties for individuals convicted of this type of theft. The only way these individuals can be brought to justice is if they are held accountable for their actions. That starts with you and is why it’s always important to prosecute a shoplifter. That guy you just caught stealing all of your razor blades could be the tipping point for a much larger operation. Just because you have a small store, doesn’t mean you can’t lose big from these groups.

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E-Commerce Fraud:What You Need to Know

March 26, 2015 by Leave a Comment

theft (13)With the digital age came different types of fraud retailers were not used to encounter in their daily operations.  Shoplifters came to the store and the loss prevention team knew the policies and procedures to follow to apprehend the shoplifter.  Now, retailers fear online fraud and debate on how to keep customers information safe.  The most prevalent fraud retailers are to be aware of is card fraud. Keeping cardholder’s information safe is a top priority for online retailers, and monitor suspicious transactions has become a top priority for them.

To learn or read more about e-commerce fraud follow the links below.

e-Commerce Fraud: The Rapidly Growing Challenge for Retail Investigations

Just as the word “e-commerce” has come to refer to a menagerie of different specialized markets, so e-commerce fraud comes in many different guises. And as the great pace of retail evolution dictates that retailers’ transaction processes are constantly changing, so the frauds change with them.

In a bid to stand on the top of the heap competitively, retailers are offering as many options to consumers as possible when it comes to ways to buy. You can place an online order at an in-store kiosk to be shipped to your house. You can place an order from your mobile device to be picked up at a local store. You don’t like the color of the new curtains you ordered through the online customer rewards program? You can return them to the nearest brick-and-mortar store to save on shipping.

There are multitudes of different ways for customers to shop in the modern omni-channel retailing world. But this proliferation of transaction processes can leave behind more and more holes that malicious actors can exploit. “You have this almost complete melding of digital and physical worlds now, and the primary challenge is keeping pace with that evolution,” said Jerett Sauer, director of loss prevention at Gap Inc. “Awareness of risk has always been a core part of any great LP program, and historically, digital space was outside that sphere of awareness; the focus was on people touching a POS or physical merchandise.

Kount and Ethoca Join Forces to Help Ecommerce Merchants Eliminate More Fraud, Accept More Orders

Kount, a leading provider of fraud detection and sales boosting technology, and Ethoca, the industry standard for collaboration-based technology solutions that help card issuers and online merchants increase transaction acceptance and stop ecommerce fraud, today announced a strategic partnership to help ecommerce merchants increase their overall acceptance levels.

Ecommerce merchants aim to strike a delicate balance: eliminating as much fraud as possible, while maximizing the acceptance of good orders. With the increasing frequency of data breaches and online security threats, many ecommerce merchants are tightening their fraud tools to stop as much fraud as possible, but that often results in too many good orders that are wrongly rejected and result in lost revenue.

Through its partnership with Ethoca, Kount now offers merchant customers worldwide an additional, complementary service with Ethoca Alerts. These alerts provide a safeguard to catch fraud that has already been confirmed between the card issuing bank and the cardholder.

Smart Card Technology Will Affect Your Fraud Prevention Strategy

With large retail chains like Target, Neiman Marcus and Michaels experiencing massive data breaches, U.S. banks and brick-and-mortar merchants face serious pressure to increase credit card security measures by implementing smart card technology.

This shift to more secure card-present transactions at physical, smart-card ready terminals will impact ecommerce sites as fraudsters are stymied at brick-and-mortar stores and turn their attentions to card-not-present (CNP) transactions online.

As smart cards become standard in the U.S., forward thinking ecommerce merchants must prepare for the coming increase in online fraud. Now is the time for software companies to ensure that their fraud prevention system is ready.

Brick-and-Mortar Merchants Face Serious Pressure

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ShopliftingTricks You Should Be Aware of For Preventing Shrinkage

March 23, 2015 by Leave a Comment

shoplifting3

Haven’t you heard in police shows on TV how you have to think like a criminal to catch a criminal?  Well, in shoplifting prevention you have to know the methods these criminals are using to be able to protect your merchandise and your employees.  There are shoplifting rings that are professional and make their living stealing.  They may target a specific store or chain of stores, but they always have a plan and different people working to steal as much as they can without getting caught.  The shoplifting prevention team in your store may not be aware of some of these “methods,” and being aware of them may be the difference between a profitable store or one that is constantly loosing money.  For more news about this topic, follow the links below.

Suspects arrested after aluminum foil used in shoplifting

SNOHOMISH — Money-making schemes are a popular topic of conversation among the criminal community. One such scheme ended in three arrests earlier this month in Snohomish. A group of suspects was accused of working in tandem, using aluminum foil to defeat anti-shoplifting devices.

The trick is widely known among heroin addicts who pilfer goods to support their habit, Police Chief John Flood said. He credited the Nov. 2 bust at the Snohomish Station Kohl’s to increased anti-shoplifting patrols and proactive store security.
Snohomish police started seeing thieves trying the foil ruse about a year ago, Flood said. The crooks wrap bits of foil around the security tags.

Dubai shoplifters’ tricks: Cut magnetic tags

Two Egyptians, who allegedly fled with garments they stole from a shop after removing the magnetic tags, returned after 45 minutes to steal more, the Dubai Criminal Court heard.

AM, 27, truck driver and HS, 28, clerk were noticed roaming around in a well-known store by a security staff.

“I noticed two Arabs roaming around in the shop and kept an eye on them. They picked up a pair of shoes and a T-shirt and one of them entered the trial room while the other waited outside. Then the man came out of the room without the shoes and the garment.

“The two then stepped out of the shop and as the security device did not beep, I thought they had left the T-shirt and the shoes in the room,” the security staff told investigators.

However, the two returned to the shop after 45 minutes and picked up a pair of jeans, a wallet and two pair of shoes.

“One of them entered the dressing room and after they stepped out of the shop, the security gate did not beep this time too. I followed them and caught them near their car while calling police. When asked about the stolen items, they replied that they are in the car,” the security man said.

Retail Profiling Lawsuits: Businesses Would Rather Lose Merchandise Than Detain Potential Shoplifters

SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX 5) — Retailers lose $45 billion dollars annually to theft, about $10 billion of that to shoplifting.

Yet the last thing stores may want to do is catch a thief.

Chris Mcgoey knows all the tricks. He’s been in the loss prevention business for almost 40 years. On an undercover tour of a big box store he showed us how shoplifters stash things and how to pick out what he calls “likely candidates”, like women with big purses in shopping carts. Or shoppers with baby carriers.

Mcgoey admits it’s profiling. “It’s not based on race, religion, sex, age, any of those, it’s really based on behavior.  But he says these days some retailers would rather lose the merchandise than detain anyone. “America is  just shaking in their boots, they are scared. If you stop someone and they haven’t stolen anything you are sued.”

Earlier this year Barneys in New York paid half a million dollars to settle accusations it was singling out minority shoppers. The state launched an investigation after 19-year-old Trayon Christian sued the store for detaining him and questioning his ability to pay for an expensive belt.

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The 3 Essentials for a First-rate Loss Prevention Program

March 11, 2015 by Leave a Comment

shoplifting6It’s never been more profitable to be a shoplifter.  In the past it was difficult to make money from stolen merchandise.  A thief commonly used a third party or “fence” to offload the product.  Fencing was a secretive, high risk job and “average” shoplifters had no way to establish a connection with one.  If they did have one he got a share of the profits, often the biggest cut.

 But, the internet has dramatically changed this process.  It allows shoplifters to function as their own fence.  They’re able to eliminate the middleman and sell directly to, usually, unsuspecting people.  Selling stolen goods is easier, safer and more profitable than ever before.  Therefore, shoplifting is on the rise and, to stay in business, stores have to be diligent when creating a loss prevention program.

There are 3 main essentials needed for a successful loss prevention program.  The 1st and most important is proper store management.  This topic is thoroughly discussed in other articles on this site.  But, while vital, good management goes only so far.  Ultimately, an effective plan also includes 2 other essentials – towers coupled with security labels and hard tags.  

Towers are the 2nd essential piece of a successful security plan.  Checkpoint System is the leading provider of towers.  Checkpoint’s towers are plastic or metal structures and are positioned on both sides of an entrance.  They sound an alarm when an active Checkpoint tag or label, which is attached to the merchandise, passes through them.  Many shoplifters will by-pass a store with towers and, instead, target one without them.

A 3rd essential is hard tags and labels – Checkpoint has many types of each.  Tags are applied to items such as clothing, shoes, and purses; they need a special tool to be removed.  Some tags are filled with ink and will open if not properly removed.  Labels are attached to things like books, DVDs, cosmetics and are deactivated at the point of sale.  When shoplifters see a label or tag, they’ll often move on to merchandise that’s not so well protected.

Making a store a difficult target can keep thieves out of it, which creates a more pleasant, safer environment for employees and shoppers.  Just as importantly, Checkpoint can be the difference between staying in business or closing the doors.  Checkpoint System, coupled with security savvy management, can go a long way towards producing a profitable store.

Nicole Abbott is a writer and psycho-therapist with over 20 years of experience in the fields of mental health and addiction.  She’s an educator, consultant, lecturer, trainer and facilitator, who has conducted over 200 workshops, trainings, presentations, college classes and seminars.

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You Can Teach an Old Dog New Tricks…Me

March 2, 2015 by Leave a Comment

shoplifting1I was recently the Keynote Speaker at a retail conference. The audience was very engaged! As a speaker and trainer I like those situations best.

We had many great questions and comments. But there is one that I continue to think about. Someone mentioned that a way that shoplifters are now discouraging you and your staff from providing customer service is by using a cell phone.

Let’s step back. The first key to preventing shoplifting is the liberal application of customer service. Impulse, armature and professional shoplifters cannot ply their evil trade if your staff is customer servicing them to death.

So now enters the cell phone. If the shoplifter is on a call, real or pretend then we are likely, out of courtesy not to approach them. What a wonderful way to keep us away from them in our own store! This is something I had never considered before. In fact what I have been thinking about is that there are other tools they could use to accomplish the same thing.

Listening to music with a head set on, talking on a two-way radio as if it is work related or how about being busy with electronic tablet or phone with email. Again any situation they can create to keep us at arm’s length.

However, there is a well-established solution to this. All of these techniques fall under the category of distraction or diversion. The solution to this tactic is simply MORE customer service.

Those actions by a “customer” are at a minimum rude. It is also a red flag that you should now pay attention to. Being in your store, taking your time and resources and being on the phone is rude. But we do not want to respond in kind. Instead apply an even more generous application of customer service.

Stay with them, keep your eye on them and make sure they know it. A legitimate customer will feel it and get off the phone, device…. The shoplifter will have a different reaction. They will get frustrated. You are frustrating their efforts to obtain a bit of privacy so they can conceal your merchandise.

Frustrating a shoplifter is our goal. Drive them crazy and send them on their way hopefully never to be seen again, at least by you!

You can reach Bill Bregar at 770-426-7593 x101 or at [email protected]. Bill has over 35 years of experience in the Loss Prevention industry. He has personally investigated over 2300 employees for theft and dealt with shoplifting all the way from his days of apprehending shoplifters as a store detective to the development of policy and procedure for several major retail chains in the role of Director of Loss Prevention.

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