I was training two new employees at the store where I work and they got a taste of how to stop shoplifting. I was training the guys on where merchandise in the store is located and in the process I came across a suspicious shopper and offered him extensive customer service. The shopper ended up leaving without making a purchase (and without stealing anything). I was able to use this as a training moment to explain to the two new employees what made me decide this was no shopper but a shoplifter wannabe. I transitioned from rendering customer service to giving aggressive customer service. My level of service changed based on my Loss Prevention experience and knowing that the statements and actions of the “customer” were not consistent with what a normal shopper would say or do. This brings me to the reason I chose to write on the topic of training, how do store owners who may not have a Loss Prevention background conduct training to prevent employee theft and stop shoplifting?
Effective training requires a certain level of expertise. This is not to say the trainer has to be a true expert in every aspect of a task or job but he/she should have more than a passing familiarity with that task. For example, I am familiar with some aspects of Human Resources but not enough to train someone else in it. Likewise I would not recommend someone who has responded to an electronic article surveillance alarm or two to teach others about how to identify when employee theft or shoplifting may be occurring. Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. is an outstanding training resource for retailers which cannot afford an internal Loss Prevention Officer. Major national retailer chains can afford teams of Loss Prevention Officers who can also act as trainers and investigators of internal theft. Since this is not a realistic consideration for independent store owners Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. offers an alternate solution.
From training to prevent employee theft and how to stop pilferage due to shoplifting Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. (LPSI) has a variety of training opportunities available to store owners and managers. Store owners can schedule live training seminars for their management teams that can help them understand the different types of shoplifters, their behaviors and even methods to approach them that won’t feel uncomfortable. Employee theft prevention training encompasses everything from the different ways workers may be stealing from you to the ways you can pre-empt it with sound hiring practices which include background checks. The great thing about LPSI’s programs are there are several means of receiving training including in-person seminars to live webinars.
One more training module that I believe is very important to any business is that LPSI offers a “Train the Trainer” course. You can train people to learn something but showing them how to train others is a different matter. Referring back to my suspected shoplifter, I was able to use that real-life incident to follow-up with my new co-workers. I had the experience to explain what it was that I keyed into to discern something was not right in the situation. Had they received this same information from someone with little more knowledge than they had the lesson would not have carried the same impact. Likewise, if you send a manager through training to stop shoplifting that alone will likely provide a sufficient level of knowledge for them to share with others and have the same result.
Did I have to share what I was seeing and hearing with my co-workers after the suspect left the store? No, I could have let the issue rest and gone back to what I was doing. By sharing my knowledge I hope that they will remember the lesson as they start working and use it to prevent theft. LPSI has a wealth of information that can help owners and managers make their businesses more prosperous. Stop shoplifting and dishonest staff members and dollars lost to shortage drop significantly. LPSI can assist you with all the training you will need to build a shortage and security savvy squad of employees.
Need information on how to stop shoplifting? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
