Retail Theft Prevention-5 WC Blog 458
Checkpoint System-5
Attitude And Store Culture Contribute To Retail Theft Prevention And Reduced Shortage
Store managers, I am going to relate a story that happened to me in a grocery store during a recent shopping trip I made with my wife. It was my turn to check out. The cashier and the bagging clerk were chit chatting. I was barely acknowledged as I pulled out my customer loyalty card, I think I interrupted a conversation between these two clerks. I stood at the credit card reader and watched my items being scanned while the cashier continued to chit chat with her friend. I found myself getting irritated as these two employees were conversing and seemingly ignoring me. As the clerk scanned a piece of meat and started to place it in the bag my wife pointed out that she had overlooked a coupon on the packaging. The employee removed the coupon scanned it and completed the sale, handed me the receipt with a half-hearted thank-you. She never pointed out our accumulated “rewards” points or the survey we could take. As a former Retail Loss Prevention Manager and currently still working part-time in retail I found I was irritated not only at the lack of customer service but the lack of attention to retail theft prevention. I have little doubt in my mind that had I been trying to sneak merchandise out on the bottom of my cart the cashier would not have caught it and the bagger may not have done so either.
Retail theft prevention is more than just having a Loss Prevention employee working for your store it is a culture that is embraced by store employees. In fact there are many stores that cannot afford any type of Loss Prevention person in the building but what they can afford is a Checkpoint System. Employees who possess customer service skill can deter a significant amount of theft. Stores using a Checkpoint System have employees trained to properly tag merchandise and respond to Checkpoint pedestal alarms. This training can make an even bigger impact on stock shortage.The fact is shoplifters don’t want attention and don’t want to hassle with anti-theft devices. Theft Prevention begins with a store culture that emphasizes customer service and a willingness to make some type of investment in anti-theft technology.
My encounter with the cashier and the bagger was a glimpse into a store with bigger issues. I shop at this store frequently and I don’t encounter many smiling faces. One of the newer managers smiles and greets guests but many of those who have been in this store for a lengthy period of time fail to exhibit outgoing personalities. This starts to influence the new and younger employees and becomes infectious. When employees aren’t engaging customers shoplifters notice and get comfortable stealing from these locations. Happy staff members greet people, engage in conversation or maybe just look someone in the eye and smile but all of these demonstrate recognition. Recognition is a deterrent to thieves and therefore it a method of retail theft prevention.
The other piece to this puzzle is the Checkpoint System. The pedestal alarms require a quick and effective response from a worker who is willing to interact with people and do so with a positive attitude. A staff member who responds to an alarm with a lackadaisical attitude or an overly aggressive or accusatory disposition is going to be ineffective at recovering merchandise. A shoplifter is going to respond in kind to an angry employee and if the responder is unconcerned or shrugs off the alarm the shoplifter is going to continue out the door. The employee with the negative attitude is going to be less than thorough in tagging merchandise and that also hinders the effectiveness of a Checkpoint System. If a tagger is only tagging half of the merchandise they are supposed to tag the shoplifters will find the half that are not protected and steal those and that is a blow to the retail theft prevention plans of a store.
It is the role of store leaders and owners to hire the right people and ensure a work environment is one that is enjoyable to be in. Leading by example and modeling those attitudes lends credibility to those leaders and increases their effectiveness when they talk to an employee about their impact on retail theft prevention when they don’t meet expectations. Drive great shortage results with a Checkpoint System and superior customer service.
A Checkpoint System is important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.
Store managers, I am going to relate a story that happened to me in a grocery store during a recent shopping trip I made with my wife. It was my turn to check out. The cashier and the bagging clerk were chit chatting. I was barely acknowledged as I pulled out my customer loyalty card, I think I interrupted a conversation between these two clerks. I stood at the credit card reader and watched my items being scanned while the cashier continued to chit chat with her friend. I found myself getting irritated as these two employees were conversing and seemingly ignoring me. As the clerk scanned a piece of meat and started to place it in the bag my wife pointed out that she had overlooked a coupon on the packaging. The employee removed the coupon scanned it and completed the sale, handed me the receipt with a half-hearted thank-you. She never pointed out our accumulated “rewards” points or the survey we could take. As a former Retail Loss Prevention Manager and currently still working part-time in retail I found I was irritated not only at the lack of customer service but the lack of attention to retail theft prevention. I have little doubt in my mind that had I been trying to sneak merchandise out on the bottom of my cart the cashier would not have caught it and the bagger may not have done so either.
Retail theft prevention is more than just having a Loss Prevention employee working for your store it is a culture that is embraced by store employees. In fact there are many stores that cannot afford any type of Loss Prevention person in the building but what they can afford is a Checkpoint System. Employees who possess customer service skill can deter a significant amount of theft. Stores using a Checkpoint System have employees trained to properly tag merchandise and respond to Checkpoint pedestal alarms. This training can make an even bigger impact on stock shortage.The fact is shoplifters don’t want attention and don’t want to hassle with anti-theft devices. Theft Prevention begins with a store culture that emphasizes customer service and a willingness to make some type of investment in anti-theft technology.
My encounter with the cashier and the bagger was a glimpse into a store with bigger issues. I shop at this store frequently and I don’t encounter many smiling faces. One of the newer managers smiles and greets guests but many of those who have been in this store for a lengthy period of time fail to exhibit outgoing personalities. This starts to influence the new and younger employees and becomes infectious. When employees aren’t engaging customers shoplifters notice and get comfortable stealing from these locations. Happy staff members greet people, engage in conversation or maybe just look someone in the eye and smile but all of these demonstrate recognition. Recognition is a deterrent to thieves and therefore it a method of retail theft prevention.
The other piece to this puzzle is the Checkpoint System. The pedestal alarms require a quick and effective response from a worker who is willing to interact with people and do so with a positive attitude. A staff member who responds to an alarm with a lackadaisical attitude or an overly aggressive or accusatory disposition is going to be ineffective at recovering merchandise. A shoplifter is going to respond in kind to an angry employee and if the responder is unconcerned or shrugs off the alarm the shoplifter is going to continue out the door. The employee with the negative attitude is going to be less than thorough in tagging merchandise and that also hinders the effectiveness of a Checkpoint System. If a tagger is only tagging half of the merchandise they are supposed to tag the shoplifters will find the half that are not protected and steal those and that is a blow to the retail theft prevention plans of a store.
It is the role of store leaders and owners to hire the right people and ensure a work environment is one that is enjoyable to be in. Leading by example and modeling those attitudes lends credibility to those leaders and increases their effectiveness when they talk to an employee about their impact on retail theft prevention when they don’t meet expectations. Drive great shortage results with a Checkpoint System and superior customer service.
A Checkpoint System is important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.
