You’ve invested thousands of dollars in all the new whiz-bang anti-theft products on the market and you still see shoplifting losses hit your P+L weekly. Could it be that the products just don’t work? Probably not. More than likely, your staff, specifically your managers, could use some training to get the most return out of our loss prevention investments. So, what do you do and how do you train your managers to Stop Shoplifting?
The first step really is more philosophical than anything tangible you can do, or purchase. It’s building a culture in your business that theft, whether it be customer theft, or Employee Theft, is something that is not tolerated. Your managers must be promoting loss prevention awareness topics daily, just as they discuss your sales goals and store promotions. Loss prevention has to be finely woven in the fabric of your company for any physical controls to be effective.
This is something, that as an owner, you have to make important. All too often, I see store teams treat loss prevention as “something extra” they have to do. That’s simply just not the case. If you want to Stop Shoplifting and reduce Employee Theft, I’d start with a few simple suggestions.
1. Be open and have frank discussions with your teams about the consequences of stealing from your store. They should be aware of the bleak outcome of any employee that is caught stealing.
2. Never go easy or turn a blind eye to a thief. Not only will this make you and your store a soft target, it will start a snowball effect that you’ll never recover from. If employees know that they can give a sob story to you after you catch them stealing money, you’ll find that you’ll be making loans for years to come…
3. Prosecute everyone, no matter what. This is how you really slow down Employee Theft. Everyone has to understand there are consequences for their actions. The same goes for every shoplifter that you encounter.
4. Conduct routine training with your managers at least once a month to refresh them on your expectations, their responsibilities and to discuss any trends in the store.
5. Put together training material that can be easily referenced by your managers.
While there will never be a secret recipe to completely Stop Shoplifting and Employee Theft, a small investment in training on your part can pay off in large dividends down the road. Remember, if you treat your managers and employees with respect, make your expectations regarding loss prevention clear, and operate your business with loss prevention practices on the “front burner”, you will see that losses by theft will not be an issue.
For more information about Employee Theft, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547.
