TIPS TO PREVENT A ROBBERY

Can you believe we are in December already? This year has flown by and we’re in the home stretch. For many, many small and large businesses alike, this next month is crucial to profitability. Often times, the 4^th quarter can mean you stay open for another year, or it could mean that you didn’t make enough to pay your vendors. If you think that’s not a reality, do you remember a little electronics company by the name of Circuit City? So it becomes even more important to do every single thing you can to retain as much profit as possible. That means having the right product, providing the best service and definitely making sure your money makes it to the bank.

Holiday time brings an increase in sales, which in turns leaves you with a little (or a lot) more cash on hand than you normally would. This is great. We love to see money, right? Well, there can be a downside to all this extra green hanging around; a robbery. No one likes to think this can happen, or will happen to their store, but the reality is that it can. Criminals know this time of year means more cash in stores and it’s no secret that robberies tend to happen more frequently during the last few weeks of the year.

Last year, one of my stores were targeted very early in the morning. Thankfully, we were not open for business yet and none of my team members were hurt, but it exposed some holes in what we believed was a fool-proof procedure to deter these acts.

The first lesson is being vigilant. A good manager will always drive the perimeter of building when they first arrive. You should look for any signs of breach, or anyone who doesn’t belong in the area. If something stands out, don’t hesitate to call the local police. Better to be nothing than to walk into a robbery. Also, safety is in numbers. Managers should wait until all morning team members arrive before entering the store. This way, the store can remain locked and a manager isn’t opening the door several times throughout the morning.

Prepare for the worst. You don’t want it to happen to you, but it can. Train you managers, as well as your store team on what they should do in case of a robbery. You don’t want any heroes and you don’t want anyone to get hurt. You should constantly stress the importance of complying with the robber’s demands and getting them out of the store as quickly as possible. The very last thing you want is to have a hostage situation because the police responded while the robber was still inside. Remember, do what they say, give them what they want and get them out.

In my many years in LP, I have never seen a robbery happen in the middle of the day. Each one that took place in one of my stores happened either early morning, or late at night. At closing, a manager should head to the front of the store about 15-20 minutes prior to closing. Take a look at the parking lot. Are there any suspicious vehicles, or people hanging around? Once the last customer has exited, and it’s closing time, quickly lock your doors.

Try to avoid having team members leave the store at different times. If possible, schedule every to leave at the same time each night. That way, everyone can leave at once. You want to avoid opening/closing the door as much as possible. Robbers will stake out your store for days, or even weeks before hitting their target. If they know you open the door several times after close, you could set yourself up for a robbery attempt. By leaving all at once, in a group, you make the robbery less appealing to the criminal.

There’s no secret formula or magic wand that can be waved to completely prevent a robbery. You have to assume that at any time, it can happen to you. The best thing you can do is to work robbery prevention into your daily routine and most importantly be prepared for it. The last thing you want is to have your team faced with this reality and not know what to do. A simple conversation about expectations can very well be the difference between life and death.