Gypsies, Tramps, and Thieves

Let's imagine there are customers in your store that make all your alarm senses go on alert. One is picking up items randomly, glancing around, and putting them down again. Her companion is talking loudly and gesturing wildly at the cash register while a third enters a dressing room with a large amount of clothing. In certain moments like this, you may worry about becoming the victim of retail theft. There are several things you can do to keep retail theft under control. Some thought into the way your staff presents itself and the store’s layout can help to prevent theft.

In-Your-Face Customer Service

Customer service can be used as a tool against theft and shoplifting. One way to deter thieves is to cheerfully greet a customer when they  walk into the store. This lets the customer know they’ve been noticed. As a warm greeting feels welcoming to a valuable and authentic customer, the same greeting can make a potential thief nervous. Thieves know the staff is aware of them and has them in their radar. Instruct your employees to make frequent eye contact with any browser as well as offer to see if they need any help. This is good customer service and a great thief deterrent.

Make sure your staff makes a pleasant comment to every customer that takes clothes into the dressing room. This makes the customer aware that you are aware of what will be expected to be returned or taken up front to be purchased. If a thief is trying to steal clothing, he or she will know you're watching. When it’s time for the checkout, remind your staff members at the register focus on ringing up their customers, and make sure other staff members handle loud, boisterous, or needy customers elsewhere. Thieves have used a divide-and-conquer tactic in which a second noisy, obtrusive customer at checkout rattles the cashier into giving out wrong change, ringing up wrong prices, or making similar errors.

Your Store Layout

The layout of your store can help prevent theft also. If your checkouts are near the exit, then your customers will be forced to go past the registers and staff to leave the store. Know too, that thieves sometimes hide merchandise in baby strollers, inside purchased merchandise or inside umbrellas. Make your staff aware of these methods.

One way to prevent shoplifting is to place mirrors to eliminate blind spots so shoplifters can’t hide from view. Place easy-to-steal items close to the cash registers so the staff can keep an eye on them. By keeping your displays full, it will allow your employees to see if something is missing.

Other Ideas

Walk around your business and greet your customers. Making your presence known can be a great deterrent. Keep all your expensive items under lock and key and don’t permit your employees to take out more than one expensive item at a time. Keep your store neat and clean at all times. Your staff's pride in the store’s appearance can alert potential shoplifters that your staff is attentive to anything out of place or disorganized.

A business with good customer service plus a well-designed store layout may not prevent all theft, but it will help to reduce it. The potential shoplifter will notice all these things and perhaps decide that your store is not so easy pickings and move on.

Photo courtesy of morguefile.com