When you go to a meeting, don’t you normally wear a name tag so that people know your name? Maybe you also include the name of your company and your position with the company.
Wouldn’t life be so much easier if shoplifters behaved the same way when they walk into your store? If each shoplifter wore a name tag saying “Hello, my name is Fred, I am self-employed and I am the lead shoplifter”. Truly, wouldn’t it be helpful if we could so easily detect a shoplifter? Unfortunately shoplifters don’t wear name tags advertising their profession.
In reality, there is not a “look” to a shoplifter. They can be dressed nice, dressed shabby, be clean, be unkempt, be male, or be female. There is no picture in the dictionary next to the word “shoplifter.”
Does that mean since we don’t have a picture of a typical shoplifter, there is nothing that your business can do to prevent shoplifting? Shoplifters can be detected more by their actions than their look. Shoplifters may be looking around and watching other customers and your employees. He/she may appear nervous or apprehensive. If he or she simply wanders through the store and does not appear to be shopping the way your other customers are shopping, you may very well be dealing with a shoplifter and yes, you can teach your employees how to identify a shoplifter and prevent shoplifting.
Some shoplifters work alone but many times they work in groups.
One person may distract the employee while the other steals. Once you teach your employees that anyone can be a shoplifter whether they enter your store as a single customer or in a group, they will be better prepared to prevent shoplifting.
Training of your employees is a key element to prevent shoplifting. Have your employees pay attention to their surroundings while they are working on your sales floor. If they are stocking shelves or straightening merchandise, they can still watch the customers around them and provide good customer service.
Make sure that your employees are aware which items are considered high theft. These items should be kept in an area where employees can monitor them. Employees should provide excellent customer service at all times – but especially when customers are looking at these high theft items.
Shoplifters will never wear name tags in public but you certainly can ensure that they will not frequent your store for the “deals” of the week by applying proven tips to prevent shoplifting in your store.
For more information contact us: prevent shoplifting or call 1.770.426.0547 Atlanta Georgia
