Shoplifting Prevention Measures
Excellent customer service is the best way to help prevent shoplifting and various shoplifting methods. Here are some examples to follow:
1. Always observe the entrance to your department when stocking. Position yourself so you observe all customer entering or leaving your department.
2. Greet all customer entering your department. Make positive eye contact with all customers. This sends a message to the customers that you know they are in your department. If also lets the honest customers know that if they need help, they will get it.
3. Maintain coverage in the front of your department. If you leave, notify another associate so they can assist your customers. By doing this, you are telling the customers that another associate is watching them.
4. If you suspect a customer has concealed merchandise, call loss prevention and continue to give good customer service. Ask the customer, “would you like some help with your selection?”
5. Ensure all garments are properly sensor tagged and the alarm is tested.
6. Keep the sales floor neat and orderly. You want to be able to notice that an item is missing.
7. The professional shoplifter will attempt to intimidate you so you become confused and rattled, forgetting what is actually going on. If a customer is being unreasonable or abusive, you have the right to call loss prevention or the manager, who may in turn call the police to have the person escorted from the store.
8. Provide adequate floor coverage
9. Monitor restrooms
10. Do not permit unauthorized persons to enter the storage area.
11. Ensure the store has proper lighting
12. Never turn your back on a customer
Shoplifting Apprehensions – Witness the Crime
The client’s main objective is to give excellent customer service to deter shoplifting and various shoplifting methods. If this fails, an apprehension may be required. Loss prevention officers that have received the necessary training are authorized to make apprehensions.
The following guidelines must be met to make an apprehension:
(Long before you make a move to stop or question the suspected shoplifter, you already must have seen enough to go to court)
1. You have seen the shoplifter take the client’s merchandise and can prove client’s ownership.
2. You saw the client’s merchandise concealed.
3. You have seen the crime from its inception with continuous observation of the shoplifter. You know that he/she did not ditch the merchandise or pass it off.
4. You know that the merchandise has not been paid for.
5. The shoplifter must pass the last point of sale and show intent to steal. (If the suspect is unwilling to stop when approached by you, avoid chasing him/her down).
6. Do not jump into, on or otherwise use a vehicle to give chase.
Shoplifting Apprehensions – Appropriate Steps
1. Remain calm as you approach the suspect and identify yourself.
2. Explain to the shoplifter that you would like to discuss with him/her the incident that took place.
3. Escort suspect to a private area as quickly and quietly as possible.
4. Once in a private area, ask suspect to produce photo identification and obtain information concerning suspect’s address, phone number, date of birth and driver’s license number.
5. Tell the suspect that he/she has unpaid merchandise (specify item) concealed (state where it is concealed) and ask the suspect to voluntarily give you the unpaid for merchandise.
6. Secure unpaid merchandise in a bag with information as to the name of the suspect, date of apprehension, store number and description of unpaid for merchandise on the bag. Retain the bag as evidence or follow photographic evidence policy as permitted by local prosecutor.
7. At this point the suspect can be released. Complete information on detention form as to witness’ names, addresses, home phone numbers and position with store (i.e. Department Manager).
8. If suspect refuses to give identification or you do not believe the identification provided is valid, call the local police.
9. Do not become involved in investigations of retail theft not initiated by your client’s store. If another store’s security asks you to identify an individual as having been in your store or identify merchandise as your store’s merchandise, politely decline, explaining that “the store policy” does not permit you to become involved in or conduct investigations initiated by others.
10. Do no allow another stores security to use the client’s premises for interviewing a suspect.
Our next post will cover procedures for a non-cooperative violent suspect.
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