Employee Theft Reduction Training Must Include More Than Just Shoplifting Prevention

Employee Theft Reduction Training -3                                                                      WC Blog 605
Stop Shoplifting – 3
Employee Theft Reduction Training Must Include More Than Just Shoplifting Prevention

     If you are not conducting employee theft reduction training with employees and managers to help stop shoplifting and internal theft you are doing yourself a disservice. Theft takes place in many different forms. If store workers don’t know how it can happen and steps they can take to prevent it criminals will eventually take advantage of your business. A trend is apparently taking place in Florida in which thieves have found vulnerability in store training and they are taking advantage of it.

     As reported in LPM Insider Magazine, citing SunSentinal as their source, they posted a story on a recent jewelry store robbery in which a distraction was devised to steal a watch. According to the report a man had gone into a jewelry store, asked to look at the watch in a display case and “Once the subject had the watch in his possession, an unknown person set off fireworks in the vicinity of the store,” said Miami-Dade Detective Argemis Colome.” The story goes on to report that this tactic has been used in several other incidents this year with firecrackers set off near the store where the incident is taking place. In one instance an $11,400 Rolex watch was stolen when fireworks, apparently meant to simulate gunfire, were lit near the store entrance. It stands to reason that people are going to panic when anything sounding like a gunshot takes place near a store. Security of merchandise is not nor should it be the first concern. That being said, there are still grab and runs that take place regularly in retail and your staff needs to know how to prevent it.

     Do you invest time in employee theft reduction training? If you haven’t because you don’t know what to cover or how to cover it below are a few suggestions:
• Tools shoplifters use; purses, bags, baby strollers, booster bags and box stuffing to name a few.
• How some shoplifters dress; unseasonable clothing, ball caps pulled low and keeping dark sunglasses on while shopping in the store.
• Things employees can and shouldn’t say to customers they think are stealing.
• Controlling merchandise being shown from a showcase and limiting quantities.
• Till tapping; what is it and how do you prevent it.
• Short change artists; how do they operate and what cashiers should do to prevent it.
• Robbery prevention tips.
• What to do and not to do during a robbery.
• How retail anti-theft devices stop shoplifting and how to properly use them. This includes the importance of testing equipment and removing devices or detuning tags at the end of a sale.
• How to properly respond to electronic article surveillance alarms.
• Signs a co-worker may be stealing and how to report suspicious activity.
If this seems like a detailed list of topics it is. It is also not an all-inclusive list. There are more topics that should be covered in employee theft reduction training. Unless a manager or owner is trained in Loss Prevention it would be reasonable to seek the assistance of a company that specializes in Retail Loss Prevention issues. Bill Bregar and his team at Loss Prevention Systems Inc. provide training in a number of formats in addition to consulting with businesses on theft prevention.

     Theft is going to impact every retailer. In some instances where distractions such as fireworks or a display of a weapon may supersede any prevent measures that have been put in place. There are still things that can be done to minimize those risks. On a day-to-day basis anti-theft tools and training can stop shoplifting and employee theft. The key is to ensure employees are properly trained and use that training daily to keep a store safe and profitable.
For more information on employee theft reduction training contact us or call 1.770.426.0547

If you are not conducting employee theft reduction training with employees and managers to help stop shoplifting and internal theft you are doing yourself a disservice. Theft takes place in many different forms. If store workers don’t know how it can happen and steps they can take to prevent it criminals will eventually take advantage of your business. A trend is apparently taking place in Florida in which thieves have found vulnerability in store training and they are taking advantage of it.
     

As reported in LPM Insider Magazine, citing SunSentinal as their source, they posted a story on a recent jewelry store robbery in which a distraction was devised to steal a watch. According to the report a man had gone into a jewelry store, asked to look at the watch in a display case and “Once the subject had the watch in his possession, an unknown person set off fireworks in the vicinity of the store,” said Miami-Dade Detective Argemis Colome.” The story goes on to report that this tactic has been used in several other incidents this year with firecrackers set off near the store where the incident is taking place. In one instance an $11,400 Rolex watch was stolen when fireworks, apparently meant to simulate gunfire, were lit near the store entrance. It stands to reason that people are going to panic when anything sounding like a gunshot takes place near a store. Security of merchandise is not nor should it be the first concern. That being said, there are still grab and runs that take place regularly in retail and your staff needs to know how to prevent it.
     

Do you invest time in employee theft reduction training? If you haven’t because you don’t know what to cover or how to cover it below are a few suggestions:

• Tools shoplifters use; purses, bags, baby strollers, booster bags and box stuffing to name a few.

• How some shoplifters dress; unseasonable clothing, ball caps pulled low and keeping dark sunglasses on while shopping in the store.

• Things employees can and shouldn’t say to customers they think are stealing.

• Controlling merchandise being shown from a showcase and limiting quantities.

• Till tapping; what is it and how do you prevent it.

• Short change artists; how do they operate and what cashiers should do to prevent it.

• Robbery prevention tips.

• What to do and not to do during a robbery.

• How retail anti-theft devices stop shoplifting and how to properly use them. This includes the importance of testing equipment and removing devices or detuning tags at the end of a sale.

• How to properly respond to electronic article surveillance alarms.

• Signs a co-worker may be stealing and how to report suspicious activity.

If this seems like a detailed list of topics it is. It is also not an all-inclusive list. There are more topics that should be covered in employee theft reduction training. Unless a manager or owner is trained in Loss Prevention it would be reasonable to seek the assistance of a company that specializes in Retail Loss Prevention issues. Bill Bregar and his team at Loss Prevention Systems Inc. provide training in a number of formats in addition to consulting with businesses on theft prevention.
     

Theft is going to impact every retailer. In some instances where distractions such as fireworks or a display of a weapon may supersede any prevent measures that have been put in place. There are still things that can be done to minimize those risks. On a day-to-day basis anti-theft tools and training can stop shoplifting and employee theft. The key is to ensure employees are properly trained and use that training daily to keep a store safe and profitable.

 

For more information on employee theft reduction training, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547