Retail Theft Prevention – 3 WC Blog 710
Stop Shoplifting-3
Sensormatic Security System – 3
Retail Theft Prevention – Lessons For Those Considering A Career In Loss Prevention Part 1
How does retail theft prevention relate to store sales? What impact does a Sensormatic security system really have on stock shortage? What is stock shortage? How do I manage time, people, investigations, training and community outreach as a Loss Prevention Manager? How should I really look at my job as a Loss Prevention Associate, am I a security guard, a police officer or some type of a hybrid? When I DO stop shoplifting how should I interact with the offender? There are so many questions I wish I had asked or known to ask that could have helped me out earlier in my career in Loss Prevention and retail in general. Of course we often don’t know what questions to ask when we embark on something, especially when it comes to career options. My son was telling me how I ought to write about what I wished someone had told me before or shortly after entering my Loss Prevention position.
There were a lot of lessons I had to learn through trial and error. I had good mentors over the years but it did not all come together in one nice neat package. In some ways I had to piece things together taking a little from this manager and a bit from another manager to be the Loss Prevention professional I wanted to be. One manager taught me how to stop shoplifting when we had few policies governing our department. Another manager helped me learn that there is more to retail theft prevention than just catching a shoplifter. He showed me that dishonest employees can create more shortage than shoplifters. I even had peers when I became a Loss Prevention Manager who I admired and tried to emulate some of what they did. I even learned to take examples from a couple of supervisors and store managers and determine that they were who I did NOT want to mirror by example.
So what would I want to share with people who are considering a career in Loss Prevention or may be just starting out? There is a lot I could share but it would never be all-inclusive. Some things do have to come by trial and error. IF I could give some tips here is where I would start. First, if your goal is to be a police officer this is not a bad place to begin. Retail theft prevention is a good place to get your feet wet. Depending on the company you work for you may stop shoplifting by apprehending thieves. You may learn report writing, how to use closed circuit cameras and televisions and how to safely stop and detain someone. You might learn about how a Sensormatic security system works. There are daily tests that should be run on systems to make sure they are operating properly. There are a variety of Sensormatic security tags for different types of merchandise and you should be able to identify the right label or tag to use on a product. This does not make you a police officer and you need to understand your role as it relates to the store not to law enforcement. What I mean is this, depending on what your company allows you to do you may be catching criminals and putting them in jail. You are helping law enforcement through your efforts but you are not doing it for law enforcement. If you put a shoplifter in jail you do it to protect your store from incurring losses and you do so to hopefully prevent future repeat activity by the suspect. You do not carry a weapon even for personal protection and you may or may not even carry handcuffs. Your job is to try to keep theft from taking place. If you are really fortunate you may work for someone who at one time had law enforcement experience and can help give you the tools that will help prepare you for a future career as a law enforcement officer.
In part 2, I will cover more about what it means to stop shoplifting as a Loss Prevention Associate, the benefits of a Sensormatic security system and other tips that can aid you in future career decisions. The field can be rewarding and a step to bigger things but help from someone who has been there can make the road a lot easier to travel.
Get more information on retail theft prevention contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
How does retail theft prevention relate to store sales? What impact does a Sensormatic security system really have on stock shortage? What is stock shortage? How do I manage time, people, investigations, training and community outreach as a Loss Prevention Manager? How should I really look at my job as a Loss Prevention Associate, am I a security guard, a police officer or some type of a hybrid? When I DO stop shoplifting how should I interact with the offender? There are so many questions I wish I had asked or known to ask that could have helped me out earlier in my career in Loss Prevention and retail in general. Of course we often don’t know what questions to ask when we embark on something, especially when it comes to career options. My son was telling me how I ought to write about what I wished someone had told me before or shortly after entering my Loss Prevention position.
There were a lot of lessons I had to learn through trial and error. I had good mentors over the years but it did not all come together in one nice neat package. In some ways I had to piece things together taking a little from this manager and a bit from another manager to be the Loss Prevention professional I wanted to be. One manager taught me how to stop shoplifting when we had few policies governing our department. Another manager helped me learn that there is more to retail theft prevention than just catching a shoplifter. He showed me that dishonest employees can create more shortage than shoplifters. I even had peers when I became a Loss Prevention Manager who I admired and tried to emulate some of what they did. I even learned to take examples from a couple of supervisors and store managers and determine that they were who I did NOT want to mirror by example.
So what would I want to share with people who are considering a career in Loss Prevention or may be just starting out? There is a lot I could share but it would never be all-inclusive. Some things do have to come by trial and error. IF I could give some tips here is where I would start. First, if your goal is to be a police officer this is not a bad place to begin. Retail theft prevention is a good place to get your feet wet. Depending on the company you work for you may stop shoplifting by apprehending thieves. You may learn report writing, how to use closed circuit cameras and televisions and how to safely stop and detain someone. You might learn about how a Sensormatic security system works. There are daily tests that should be run on systems to make sure they are operating properly. There are a variety of Sensormatic security tags for different types of merchandise and you should be able to identify the right label or tag to use on a product. This does not make you a police officer and you need to understand your role as it relates to the store not to law enforcement. What I mean is this, depending on what your company allows you to do you may be catching criminals and putting them in jail. You are helping law enforcement through your efforts but you are not doing it for law enforcement. If you put a shoplifter in jail you do it to protect your store from incurring losses and you do so to hopefully prevent future repeat activity by the suspect. You do not carry a weapon even for personal protection and you may or may not even carry handcuffs. Your job is to try to keep theft from taking place. If you are really fortunate you may work for someone who at one time had law enforcement experience and can help give you the tools that will help prepare you for a future career as a law enforcement officer.
In part 2, I will cover more about what it means to stop shoplifting as a Loss Prevention Associate, the benefits of a Sensormatic security system and other tips that can aid you in future career decisions. The field can be rewarding and a step to bigger things but help from someone who has been there can make the road a lot easier to travel.
Get more information on retail theft prevention contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
