Preventing Shoplifting This Holiday Season

October 27, 2016 by Leave a Comment
shoppers

The holiday season is approaching . Along with the jolly spirit, festivities, and holiday shopping come new security issues.  Hiring extra personnel for the stores this time of year is only one of the many extra security issues retail shop owners and managers have to deal with this holiday season. Now, shoplifting flash mobs are making an appearance in retail stores across the country, making the damage so much more than the lone shoplifter.  Can the extra security personnel help?  Follow the links below for more information about this and other stories.

Flash mobs the latest threat this holiday season

The holiday season rings in more than just higher sales for retailers. There’s also more shoplifting and lower profit margins than the rest of the year, according to a report released today. Plus, this year, there’s an extra surprise — flash mobs

The holiday season rings in more than just higher sales for retailers. There’s also more shoplifting and lower profit margins than the rest of the year, according to a report released today. Plus, this year, there’s an extra surprise — flash mobs

The holiday season rings in more than just higher sales for retailers. There’s also more shoplifting and lower profit margins than the rest of the year, according to a report released today. Plus, this year, there’s an extra surprise — flash mobs.

Not the dancing, music-playing, watching-a-couple-get-engaged kind of flash mobs. But the kind of flash mobs where a bunch of people all show up at a store at once, pull hats low over their heads, grab everything in sight, and split.

Just last week, there was a flash mob at an Apple store in Natick, Mass., that took off with more than $13,000 worth of iPhones in less than a minute.

Another flash mob last month near Boston netted more than $14,000.

Extra holiday patrols to keep EMC shoppers safe

The Safe Shopper Program, an initiative to reduce crime in East Montgomery County during the holiday months, will run this year from Oct. 15 to Jan. 31, 2017.

With the holiday season approaching, people in East Montgomery County may begin noticing extra patrols from the Montgomery County Precinct 4 Constable’s Office in EMC shopping centers.

The East Montgomery County Improvement District launched the Safe Shopper Program with MCCO Precinct 4 in 2012 as a way to diminish crime related to holiday shopping.

“It’s been a hugely successful program,” Kelley Mattlage, EMCID director of communications, said. “It’s basically a shoplifting safety program. EMCID pays the Constable’s Office overtime for extra patrols around the holidays. They go out to shopping centers and perform building checks, patrol parking lots and make sure no one is shoplifting or burglarizing vehicles.”

This year’s Safe Shopper Program begins Oct. 15 and will continue through Jan. 31, 2017; approximately two weeks longer than the program ran last year.

Recent thefts raise eyebrows at Abilene hardware store

ABILENE, Texas – Recent thefts at an Abilene hardware store are raising a few eyebrows.

A woman, with a baby carrier, is caught on surveillance video entering the store with a man and two children.

What happened next is surprising.

“Here they come, a man and his wife, her carrying the baby and they have their two little kids with them,” said Jennie Bright, general manager of Bible Hardware, while reviewing security footage.

“They kind of look around and come straight back down the aisle. There’s no employee right there and so she points to it, pulls the blanket back, puts it in there, covers that baby back up and walks out the door. The two kids are following and watching what the parents are doing.”

Bible Hardware in Abilene knows the cost of shoplifting is more than just the price of the item taken.

Bright said the store tried to keep the prices down to help customers out, but some people are helping themselves to what the store has.

 

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TV For Free Thanks To Me? What Alpha Spider Wrap Would Have Saved Me From?

October 27, 2016 by Leave a Comment

In my professional life I take pride in being a detailed investigator, brilliant interviewer and all around excellent LP teacher.  I love telling good stories, using real world experiences to instruct others. That is unless the story involves me and my being human. Those stories, where an oversight while applying an Alpha Spider Wrap turned into a hard lesson, I wish I didn’t have to tell.

 

As those of us in the loss prevention community know we do far more than just prevent shoplifting. Many of us also serve as compliance officers, enforcing policy. We work as safety captains, checking fire doors and clearing hazards and we work as process auditors, making sure company programs for using devices like an Alpha Cable lock are in place and 100% correct. Retail is a tough world and it is much easier to protect the sale you have already made then it is to find a sale to replace it.

 

Yearly inventory is a gauge of our success in LP. Inventory results can accelerate or derail an LP’s path forward. Preventing inventory shrink is why we prevent shoplifting, why we use Alpha Cable Lock devices to secure display TV’s and laptops. It’s why we use an Alpha Spider Wrap to protect Vacuums, Printers and TVs from theft. Or at least why we are supposed to use them.

 

Inventory is a crazy time for everyone, LP included and no one is immune to being overwhelmed and losing focus. I was clearing out cancelled layaway merchandise and it was a nightmare. Besides the storage area being heat wise just shy of the surface of the sun and slightly warmer than Death Valley in July, I was running about a million miles an hour.

 

I hadn’t done anything to prevent shoplifting in about two weeks and I was flat out worn down. Imagine my delight when I found a dozen TV sets just sitting in a stockroom completely forgotten. The fact that I had prevented a miscount was little consolation as I dragged the pallet of TVs across the store to put them out on display. I remember talking with associates who were busy securing electronics to the counter with Alpha Cable lock devices and asking if they had any Alpha Spider Wraps with them. They had some but not enough and I secured what I could before heading to the back.

 

I never made it.  One associate question, led to another which led to issue after issue. With all the fires around I finally understood why the store was so hot.  It wasn’t long before I had forgotten that we even sold electronics much less that I was stocking them. Overloaded and with my stomach on empty I decided that lunch was a matter of life or death and with everything else forgotten I left for lunch.

 

And there sat a trio of lovely TVs that I failed to use the Alpha Spider Wrap on. You can guess where the story ends. I walk back into frantic manager who informs me that we had a pushout of three TVs a few minutes after I left. Just perfect. My mistake didn’t prevent shoplifting it had enabled it!

 

It was a costly lesson. The subject was in my store under three minutes and the only thing they had taken was the three TVs I left unprotected. Had I maintained focus and applied the last three Alpha Spider wrap to the TVs I’m sure this story would have had a different ending. In the end we have to accept that we cannot see everything, cannot prevent every loss but what we can do is to ensure that what needs to be protected is, even when we aren’t there. 

 

Need information on Alpha Spider Wrap? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now

 

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Is Your Checkpoint System Ready for the Holidays?

October 11, 2016 by Leave a Comment

EASWe are getting ready for an increase in customer traffic. Is your Checkpoint System ready? Are you having false or phantom alarms? Is the system working properly? Have you had your system tuned or a Preventative Maintenance (PM) conducted in the last year or even 5 years?

Here are some things to check:

  • Checkpoint Systems do not generally like to be decorated. Anything with metal, foil, lights, electricity…. WILL cause trouble. Don’t decorate them.
  • Are the shopping carts, hand baskets pushed too close? Make sure they are at least 3 feet away.
  • Have you re-merchandised? Is tagged or labeled product too close?
  • Have you re-fixture in the area near the Checkpoint antennas? If so this could cause trouble. Again, you want to keep metal fixtures at least 3 feet away.
  • Have you added any other equipment in the vicinity of the system? CCTV, coolers, ice machines, vending machines, etc., all can make a huge difference in your system’s performance.
  • DO NOT put the Christmas tree next to the system. The lights and ornaments will cause problems.
  • Are you powering the Checkpoint system using an extension cord? Your Checkpoint Power Supply must be plugged directly into an outlet.

Check for these and other potential issues by simply standing back and looking your system over. Checkpoint Systems are commercial grade and made to last in a retail environment. But like any other systems and hardware, you have in your store, they need some TLC from time to time. Your car’s oil needs to be changed. Would you ignore that? Our systems need PM every once in a while.

If your system has not had a PM or service in some time or possibly never, then it is time. Besides checking the system over thoroughly, we will update the systems firm wear and tune it. You may see a substantial increase in performance.

Get a PM or service call scheduled now, before your attention is taken up with the selling season.

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It’s Getting Darker Earlier, What LP Things Should I Be Doing?

October 11, 2016 by Leave a Comment

outsidemall As a Loss Prevention Manager I always had three things I felt were my top priorities.  The safety of our store employees, the safety of our customers and the protection of store property.  Property in my mind always included the building (interior and exterior), equipment and merchandise. Planning and follow-up are the keys to keeping a store safe and secure.  I would mention that while I broke down my focus to three top priorities, my action plans always intersected. In other words, a plan for protecting a building from vandalism with adequate, working perimeter lights also made it safer for customers who walked to a housing area behind our store. With this in mind, it is important to create action plans that are relevant, sometimes adjusting for seasons such as holidays or being prepared for weather events such as hurricanes.  One change that is easily overlooked is the shortened daylight hours in the fall and winter.  With darkness descending upon us earlier there are steps Loss Prevention can take to keep stores safe.

Safety precautions to take as days get shorter:

  • Inspect parking lot lights.  If lights are burned out place a work order to have them repaired/replaced.  Dark parking lots make customers uncomfortable and they may choose not to shop in your store.
  • Inspect building exterior lighting.  These are the lights that are on the walls of the building and at the corners.  Criminals tend to prey on victims in areas with poor or no lighting.
  • Inspect the back of the store and loading dock areas.  Often this is the place where cardboard bales are kept, empty pallets are stacked and some stores maintain dumpsters.  If storage has to be kept here keep the area as neat and clean as possible.  Unkempt areas are attractive to drug and other illicit activities.
  • If your store has a storage trailer(s) located at the rear of the building, establish a time when employees are not allowed to leave the building to pull merchandise or store merchandise in the trailer.  This should be no later than dusk and that may be a flexible time as the days get shorter. 
  • Encourage employees who are leaving in the dusk to dark hours to leave with a partner.  It may be that they ask for a Loss Prevention partner to escort them to their vehicle if no one else is leaving at that time.  Always remember that a buddy system is the best method to prevent robberies of employees.
  •   Increase parking lot foot patrols.  Being visible makes customers feel safer and acts as a deterrent to those who may lurk in the parking lot waiting for an opportunity to grab a purse or commit a robbery.
  • Consider hiring a uniformed security officer or an employee to be present at the front door.  They can respond to EAS alarms and conduct receipt checks, but they can also offer escorts to customers leaving the building. They may also step outside the doors to do a visual inspection of the parking lot.  One store I worked at had a person who was hired to do just this and they were called a “Guest Ambassador”.  This person should not be used as a back-up cashier because the tendency is to keep them on a register and they lose their effectiveness at the front doors.
  • Employees will go on breaks and some are smokers.  If you are going to have a designated smoking area, be sure it is well lit and it should not be in a secluded area for the safety of those who may go out after dark.
  • Inspect any exterior closed circuit television cameras you may have on the building.  Make sure they are functioning, have clear pictures, and are retaining video for at least two weeks (preferably 30 days). 
  • Find ways to build a relationship with the police department responsible for the area where your store is located.  Contact a Crime Prevention Officer and offer to assist with Santa Helper events, children’s car seat safety events, or other activities that the department is helping for community outreach.  As you build a relationship, you may find more officers using your parking lot to stop and write reports or conducting ride by patrols.  The more police presence, the less likely crime will occur in or around your store.  This is always a bonus at night.

The tips are not exhaustive, there are other ideas you may think of as you create a plan specific to your store and location.  By being proactive and establishing a plan that will keep your store safe as the nights get longer, you will protect your business and your reputation and as a result drive up sales.

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5 MORE ITEMS YOU SHOULD BE USING ALPHA SPIDER WRAPS ON

September 29, 2016 by Leave a Comment

I recently gave some advice on the top 5 items (in my opinion) that should be protected with an Alpha Spider Wrap. After writing my thoughts, I went to power down my laptop for the night, but I couldn’t. While those 5 items were at the top of my priority list, I couldn’t help but think of 5 more. I’d be remised if I didn’t share them with you.

 

6. Electronic Razors

I recently replaced my aging shaver, and quickly realized that costs have gone up over the past 2 years. I guess I could’ve waited until Christmas, but I’m not going for the Duck Dynasty look. I noticed that all these clippers were well above the $50 price-point, but the store was not taking any measures to prevent shoplifting. A simple Alpha Spider Wrap would be the perfect solution if thieves are clipping you daily.

 

7. Printers/Printer Ink

These are targets for organized crime rings. They are expensive, hard to secure and easy to resell. Most retailers opt to keep the ink behind glass cases and the printers behind cages. Great idea to prevent shoplifting, but customers are probably leaving empty handed if they can’t track down an employee to open those cases.

 

8. Headphones

Little square boxes that sell for $200+. The better the sound quality, the higher the price. The higher that price, the more likely it is to be stolen. If you aim to keep your product accessible to customers, the Alpha Spider Wrap is the sure fire bet to keep you from hearing about all that loss from shoplifters.

 

9. High-end Cookware

Ever go out and purchase a good pot, or pan? It’s likely to set you back a few dollars. Additionally, most individual units aren’t packaged in any type of box, but are mostly open so the customer can marvel at high quality metal. So how are you supposed to secure a $100+ single item that no traditional tag can? The Alpha Spider Wrap can be a great solution to this problem, as they are perfect for those awkwardly shaped items!

 

10. Televisions

People steal TV sets more often than you would ever imagine. One thing that seems to deter this activity is a physical security measure in place. The most effective method I’ve seen to prevent shoplifting is the Alpha Spider Wrap. I’ve seen criminals completely bypass TVs that were secured and steal the smaller ones that were not. Needless to say, we use them on all boxed TV sets that we display on the sales floor!

 

Get more information on Alpha Spider Wraps, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.

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Addiction and Shoplifting

September 22, 2016 by Leave a Comment

shoplifting5The retail industry loses billions of dollars a year due to shoplifting. And the small business owner that loses money due to shoplifting is a struggling business, without the resources the big retail chain has. Shoplifting, employee theft, organized crime, and even merchant theft, are major reasons why some small businesses close their doors for good.  Shoplifters with a drug addiction problem are also a big problem for these businesses, because they enter their store to steal big quantities of merchandise to sell for cash to keep with their addiction drugs.

Prosecuting the shoplifter is always a hard decision for the small business owner to make, specially  when they consider the financial burden attorneys’ fees will have in their business. A small quantity of small business owners choose to prosecute, but many choose to terminate the employee and deal with the loss instead.

For more about this and other topics about shoplifting, follow the links below.

It’s better to prevent addiction than cure

Addiction is powerful and destructive.

And there is no magic bullet, no magic cure.

Ask any alcoholic or drug addict in recovery and he or she will confirm that it takes perseverance and self-discipline to remain clean and sober, one day at a time, for the rest of his or her life.

What does this have to do with the American court system?

Empirically, addiction and crime go hand-in-hand. And people charged with crimes end up in court.

As a judge to whom thousands of criminal cases have been assigned, I have detected patterns when it comes to substance abuse.

A horrific crime with unspeakable allegations? Methamphetamine addiction.

Property crimes, including burglary, shoplifting and auto theft? Heroin addiction.

Domestic violence? Child abuse/neglect or animal abuse? Alcohol and methamphetamine.

DWI? Alcohol and/or drugs, both legal and illegal.

Of course, this is not an exhaustive list, just patterns I have noticed in my courtroom. Additionally, there is often an overlay of mental illness, sometimes specifically brought about by years of chronic substance abuse.

Shoplifter stole food for drugs

A PERSISTENT shoplifter who stole to fund his drugs habit was handed a suspended prison sentence and warned that if he committed another offence he was likely to be jailed immediately.

Christopher Page pleaded guilty to eight charges of theft from a shop – seven of them from the same One Stop shop in Pinehurst. The total value of the goods stolen was more than £200.

James Burnham, prosecuting, told Swindon Magistrates Court on Wednesday that Page went into the One Stop on August 5 and took six packs of steak without paying. He returned just before 5pm on August 7 and picked up washing liquids and gels worth £67.80, putting them down his trousers and walking out. The following day he was back to steal milkshakes valued at £3.

Then on August 9 he put more washing liquids, five packs of bacon, sausages, shower gels and a packet of hot chocolate worth £35.45 down his trousers and left without paying.

On August 14 he took washing liquids and the following day he stole fabric conditioner and washing capsules to the value of £13.65. “He sold the items to buy food and drugs if they were not food or were high value,” explained Mr Burnham. Ten days later he was back at the One Stop but this time he was seen hiding three boxes of Ferrero Rocher worth £19.50.

Good start in tackling gun violence-drug addiction problems

I attended two meetings recently that provided me with valuable information about problems in our community.

The Heroin Awareness meeting presented by the City of Myrtle Beach was excellent. I hadn’t realized the extent of the problem. My heart aches for those addicted and their families. Many try heroin because of peer pressure and become addicted. Others had been taking prescription meds for pain, became addicted, and then turned to heroin. Some overdose the first time they try it. Some go through many painful withdrawals before they are finally able to stay clean. Drug addicts are responsible for many crimes of shoplifting, burglary and prostitution in order to feed their habits.

I hope this Heroin Awareness program will be offered again to a countywide audience and especially students. Was the whole program filmed? If so, could it be shown in schools and community groups?

I also attended an Horry County Democratic Party Committee meeting on gun sense. We are seeking information so that we can understand how gun violence can be reduced. Horry County officers Wyatt and Conti were generous with their time and knowledge.

 

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Your Checkpoint System is Only Delivering Half of the Shoplifting Prevention You Need!

September 7, 2016 by Leave a Comment

Having a Checkpoint Systems Electronic Article Surveillance System (EAS) is only half a plan. Picture this: you buy a Checkpoint System (or heaven 1-1forbid a competitive system). It is installed and your shoplifting losses go down. They will! The simple act of installing a system will make a percentage of your shoplifters go elsewhere.

But 6 months later you are scratching your head wondering why after the time, money, payroll dollars and effort you and your staff have put in, your shoplifting problem is climbing back up again. Your losses are more than you can take. Why?

Because…… you and your staff are not trained and do not have sufficient policies and procedures in place. I know what you are thinking now…. We are a small operation we don’t need that. Yep, you sure do! This part of the plan is not just for the big box stores. In fact you need it more than they do. You do not have a dedicated LP staff.

So if you are contemplating buying or have bought your Checkpoint System or other EAS system from somebody other than Loss Prevention Systems, you are missing out!

Loss Prevention System provides training! Not just how to use your Checkpoint System. We teach you how to prevent shoplifting with our FREE, PERSONALIZED (for you), LIVE TRAINING.1-4

Our customers who purchase Checkpoint Systems from Loss Prevention Systems get free LP training for the LIFE of their Checkpoint System. Just buy your system, labels and tags from us. Is your EAS vendor doing that for you?

And that’s not all. We provide you more than shoplifting prevention training. How about employee theft and pre-employment interviewing training? All free, personalized and live. Taught by me, Bill Bregar, a 30+ year Loss Prevention Expert. Here are the courses:1-5

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But there is still more! This is NOT a onetime deal. We will tea1-3ch these live webinars as reasonably often as you need. Staff turnover, promotions, follow up training, one employee or fifty…. Just schedule the session. Oh, by the way. I will also provide you with 15 draft LP Policies and Procedures that you can customize to your operation. Shoplifting, employee theft, robbery, key control…..

As the founder of Loss Prevention Systems, I know that this training works. I have been training retail management and staff in loss prevention for over 30 years. Your losses will go down and it will help you to keep the losses in check.

Why am I doing this? Because I know that if I save you money, then you will be my customer. It’s that simple!

Loss Prevention Systems is so much more than someone selling you “stuff”. We want you to succeed!

So contact us today and let’s get you on the path to better margins!

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Retail Burglary and Robbery – How To Train Employees To Prevent, React and Recove

September 7, 2016 by Leave a Comment

As a Loss Prevention Manager for nearly 14 years, I was involved with training employees on robbery response.  It is an unfortunate fact that store robberies do happen and it can be difficult to prevent them.  We can do little to influence the choice of someone who wants to commit the crime other than to make a business an uninviting target.  Public View monitors and signage indicating closed circuit television is in use can be deterrents to robbery; however a determined criminal may still choose to try to commit the crime.  It is our responsibility to prepare employees on steps they can take to prevent a robbery and how to react and recover should a robbery take place.    

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https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2014/crime-in-the-u.s.-2014/offenses-known-to-law-enforcement/browse-by/national-data

It is important that employees are taught:

  • To make eye contact with and greet customers.  Criminals don’t want undo attention.
  • If robbed, don’t panic.  It is easier said than done but, panic makes it more difficult to comply with the robber’s demands and can make him/her more nervous.
  • Do whatever the robber demands. Give them what they want and get them out of the store.   
  • During the event, pay attention to as many details as possible about the robber; what were they wearing? How tall are they? What color is their hair? Did they have an accent? Could you tell an approximate age of the subject?
  • If possible, watch the direction of travel when the robber leaves the store.  Did they go to the right or left? Was there a vehicle waiting for them?  NEVER try to follow the robber outside.  Whatever you see should be done from inside the store.
  • Don’t touch ANYTHING once the robber leaves.  This includes the cash register, the checkout counter, doors and anything else the robber may have touched.

There are also tips for managers and supervisors following a robbery:

  • Call 911 and report the robbery and provide any information they ask.  Stay calm.  The dispatcher will have specific questions to ask and needs clear responses.
  • If you have a supervisor or supervisors to assist, ask witnesses to stay to speak to the police and separate them from other people and each other.  Information sharing tends to change a person’s perception of events.  If possible, provide pens and paper and ask them to write down their recollection of events.
  • The building is now a crime scene and needs to be secure.  If you have rope, chairs, wet floor signs, use them to block off areas where the robber was believed to have been.  Locking doors is discouraged since customers may want to leave.  You also don’t want to touch areas on the door where the suspect may have touched.  Prop a door open, pushing it from the bottom of the door (an unlikely place for a suspect to touch) and use it for entry and exit.  Have someone stay at the door to turn away new customers and ensure no one touches the doors. This person will also direct police to a manager when they arrive.
  • You can’t force people to stay, but you can ask them to stay to talk to police.  If they are reluctant, ask if they will leave their name and contact information for police follow-up.
  • Be prepared and have a counseling service number in your emergency contacts.  Employees and customers may experience trauma and need to talk to a professional who can help them recover from the event.
  • If you have video recording in your store, let the recorders run.  Do not try to stop them or playback and review until the police ask for access to the recordings. Usually a Crime Scene Investigator will have the ability to retrieve the videos stored on a recorder or computer.  If they need your assistance they will ask for it.

Recovery and getting back to “Business as Usual” is the final step.  It is important to restore a sense of normalcy as soon as possible.  Owners and managers must be sensitive to the needs of their employees.  Everyone will have a different reaction to a traumatic situation.  Be patient and allow for people to take some time off if necessary.  There will be those employees who are ready to get back to work.  For them it is their way of handling stress, so let them work.  You may also have employees who were not working so they will not be affected in the same way as those who were present at the time.  Rely on them to get the store back in business. 

Have a robbery plan and review it regularly with employees.  Being prepared will help you get through a crisis and back on your feet quickly.

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3 No-brainer Ways to Decrease Theft

September 7, 2016 by Leave a Comment

shoplifting1If you work in retail then you know theft is a big problem.  The theft of supplies, merchandise, time and money are just a few of the things managers have to deal with daily.  They have to address it on many fronts (i.e., impulse and professional shoplifters, employees and their friends and families, vendors).

Unfortunately, these concerns aren’t going to go away.  At this time, no one has a solution for stopping all forms of stealing.  You can’t change human nature and some people are just going to be dishonest.  That’s the bad news. 

However, there’s some good news too.  While you can’t completely stop it, there are ways you can prevent or minimize a lot of your loss due to theft.  Loss – caused both externally and internally — can be decreased by making a few operational changes. 

Here are 3 operational areas where you can make some headway in your on-going struggle against theft.  If they seem like they’re “just common sense” you’re right, they are.  But, there are a lot of managers and organizations out there who don’t do them — you probably know some. 

Put the right person in the right job.  We all do some things better than others; everyone has strengths and weaknesses.  Putting people in positions they’re not trained to do or aren’t capable of doing affects the way they’re able to perform their job.  Sink or swim is a destructive way to manage and it rarely works. 

If a person is good with organization think about making them responsible for keeping a tight rein on your high-risk inventory.  How about putting the out-going person in charge of greeting, engaging and monitoring customers on the floor?

Everyone is accountable for their job duties.  Lack of accountability is one the biggest complaints people have with their jobs.  Consequences for poor performance and behavior are some of the most effective deterrents to theft.  Honest, responsible, motivated employees want to work in fair and equitable workplaces.

Prioritize effective communication.  This is a simple, smart fix.  Yet, most companies struggle with it.  Billions of dollars have disappeared in a pocket or walked out a door because somebody didn’t: pass on important information, talk over a problem, speak up with a concern, get enough training, get the memo or listen well enough. 

There are other operational ways to decrease internal and external theft.  But, these 3 are a good place to start.  If they are done well and consistently they might be all you need.  If not, they’ll give you a good base on which to build further.

Nicole Abbott is a professional writer who’s had over 200 articles published.  She’s a business consultant and former psycho-therapist with over 20 years of experience in mental health, business and addiction.  She’s a coach, lecturer, trainer and facilitator.  She has conducted over 200 workshops, trainings, presentations, seminars and college classes.

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Employee Theft is NEVER Funny, Or Is It? That May Depend On Your Perspective

September 7, 2016 by Leave a Comment

theft (12)What can make life miserable for a Human Resources or Hiring Manager?  In the right circumstances, a Loss Prevention Manager can be the cause of much consternation for a Human Resources Manager.  When more than one employee is being apprehended or fired for theft at the same time it requires shifting schedules, moving people around and hiring new people to take the place of the employees being removed.  What makes it even more difficult for a retail H.R. Manager is if the employees work in a specialized job function.  I confess (with a smile on my face as I write this) that I was responsible more than once for putting a Human Resource Manager in this predicament during my Loss Prevention Manager career.  Don’t misunderstand, I was not taking pleasure in the misery of the Human Resource Manager or the Department Manager, for that matter; I was enjoying closing an investigation that netted around five employees in total, three who worked in the one area.

     So what was this particular case and why was it funny to me?  The case started out as a cash shortage investigation in our food service area.  We had multiple departments in our store but the food services employees tended to be more specialized in their duties. Unlike other departments, there were not always employees in the store who could provide what we called back-ups to assist in food/drink preparations.  For example, when the front lanes got busy, a call for back-up cashiers would result in employees from all areas of the store responding since everyone was trained as a cashier.  The same thing could not be said for our food service area.  We simply did not have the same number of trained people who could respond.

     As I began developing my case, I conducted live camera surveillances of our food service area.  Now a good investigator remains open to the possibility that there is always the chance that one “type” of case can lead to other activity and he/she is prepared to expand an investigation if necessary.  Rushing to close a case simply to get a quick statistics is poor investigative technique, but I have seen it happen.  It didn’t take long to identify the person I suspected was causing the cash losses, but I also found there was a second person causing shortages.  That led me to conduct additional surveillances and watching all transactions that took place.  Soon I was noticing drinks and food were being given at reduced prices or for free to other employees and even some customers.  The passing of food and under-ringing became so routine it was comical to watch.  There were customers I identified as “regulars” coming to the counter to get special deals that weren’t on the menu.

     Eventually I identified three food service employees and two or three other store employees regularly getting free meals, in addition to the primary cash theft that instigated the investigation.  There were several more employees who received a free drink or two but not on a regular basis.   With the prior approval of my District Manager, I involved the Human Resource Manager since it was going to make a significant dent in her ability to staff food services for a little while. Needless to say, she was taken back by the amount of theft and fraud that had been taking place.  She was absolutely shocked when it dawned on her that she was about to lose almost a third of her food service staff.  To ease her pain a bit I let her know I was not going to go after the employees who received one or two free drinks.  With her assistance, we would issue written warnings to those employees. 

     Because we had a good relationship, our H.R. Manager worked with me to schedule the employees at staggered times during the day so I could conduct individual interviews without one person having time to alert anyone else to what was happening.  The day came when I conducted all interviews and a couple of people were prosecuted for cash theft and three or four were terminated for theft of food and policy violations.  A couple of employees received final warnings for policy violations but were allowed to continue their employment with the company. 

   Coverage for the food service area was difficult for a few weeks, but we made it happen.  I also had to chuckle because some of our “regular” customers stopped coming for food. A final word of advice to those in LP and management; build strong partnerships with each other, it is mutually beneficial for you and the store.    

    

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