That's when you master closing the door 10 minutes before closing and standing guard so you can let people out and dissuade people from coming in by the simple fact you're standing in front of a closed door.
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I work retail and shoplifters bother me than they logically should...
- Thread starter Birdie
- Start date
The only time I was bothered by someone stealing from my job was when I worked at a skate shop and someone stole a complete longboard and the managers wouldn't let me watch the camera footage to see how they pulled that off.
At my old job I openly told people if you walk out of the door with any items, consider it yours. It's against corporate policy for associates to run after you, and police don't give a fuck. So yeah, the idea that you're obligated to pay for shit (at least at my old job) is like the rest of America- built on a gentleman's agreement.
I never really cared about shoplifters, but I guess when you work for companies that you hate it's easy to be dismissive of those issues. The typical rhetoric for why employees should care is because of the way they might tie your shrink to a bonus, but not only is shoplifting a tiny proportion of your losses, I always had to exceed in too many metrics for a bonus to be a viable reason to personally invest myself in it. Even as a "department" manager when I got a $2,000 bonus, that was an exceptional year for me and just felt like a kick in the teeth next to the store managers $100,000 take on those same metrics.
Now if we're talking smaller businesses that would probably upset me more.
Got a lot of fun stories of having to tail shoplifters, though. And while not quite your typical shoplifting experience, one of my favorite stories of getting stolen from involves a man who owned a schoolbus that took 5/3rds of a sectional couch from us. That took entirely long to figure out and there was nothing we could do besides let him know that we knew he did it lol.
Now if we're talking smaller businesses that would probably upset me more.
Got a lot of fun stories of having to tail shoplifters, though. And while not quite your typical shoplifting experience, one of my favorite stories of getting stolen from involves a man who owned a schoolbus that took 5/3rds of a sectional couch from us. That took entirely long to figure out and there was nothing we could do besides let him know that we knew he did it lol.
I work retail, and shoplifters drive me insane. And it has nothing to do with money being lost, it's just the act of stealing in general across the board. Regardless of if it's from a company, or just an innocent person. It bugs me to no end. It's not yours, pay for it or leave it be.
And from the job perspective, again it has nothing to do with the money from the theft, but it also really pisses me off when a customer asks me for something particular, and I take them to where they need to go, just to find the one item they need is just an empty package because someone just opened and stole the item, and I never knew about it to correct my inventory till it was too late. Especially in this age of buy online and pick up in store, where I have to decline customers orders because of it, which effects people not involved in the corporation that Era is so against.
And from the job perspective, again it has nothing to do with the money from the theft, but it also really pisses me off when a customer asks me for something particular, and I take them to where they need to go, just to find the one item they need is just an empty package because someone just opened and stole the item, and I never knew about it to correct my inventory till it was too late. Especially in this age of buy online and pick up in store, where I have to decline customers orders because of it, which effects people not involved in the corporation that Era is so against.
And while we're on the subject, loss prevention makes you racist. And being black and working loss prevention helps you recognize that you're being racist and how all of your coworkers are being racist without actually explicitly being racist. You'll start to notice that most of the shoplifters being pointed out to you, or assumed shoftlifters because they look suspicious, are black or latinx.
You notice how they respond when you point out over the radio that the black dude by the TV's looks like he's trying to fumble and steal an iPod, and how ill attentative they are when you do the same with the white lady walking around to the washing machines with three cell phones.
Shoplifting bothered me more than most, not just for the missing items and how they might've impacted my paycheck, but how the way people go around it is a stark reflection of how criminals and assumed criminals are treated in society in general.
Which is why I made sure to call the cops on all the white people I caught to get them arrested or trespassed. It was the only way I could make things equal in my mind.
You notice how they respond when you point out over the radio that the black dude by the TV's looks like he's trying to fumble and steal an iPod, and how ill attentative they are when you do the same with the white lady walking around to the washing machines with three cell phones.
Shoplifting bothered me more than most, not just for the missing items and how they might've impacted my paycheck, but how the way people go around it is a stark reflection of how criminals and assumed criminals are treated in society in general.
Which is why I made sure to call the cops on all the white people I caught to get them arrested or trespassed. It was the only way I could make things equal in my mind.
I use to care, but then I was like
A) Why am I trying to protect the property of a multi-billion dollar company
B) It only leads to a shitty customer experience because coworkers will be judging folks based on whatever factors they deem are "people who steal" & so they'll slow down the process, prevent folks from buying shit, have numerous coworkers "keep an eye out for these people".
Edit: The company I use to work for also didn't care either. It was basically, it's not your job, just make sure you are safe. And yet coworkers still want to be cops & stop the crimes before they happen.
A) Why am I trying to protect the property of a multi-billion dollar company
B) It only leads to a shitty customer experience because coworkers will be judging folks based on whatever factors they deem are "people who steal" & so they'll slow down the process, prevent folks from buying shit, have numerous coworkers "keep an eye out for these people".
Edit: The company I use to work for also didn't care either. It was basically, it's not your job, just make sure you are safe. And yet coworkers still want to be cops & stop the crimes before they happen.
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People should steal according to the value there theoretical payment on full effort of labor would be if not for Marx's theory of surplass value extraction
Basically pretending to have the buying power of what your paycheck should actually be
Basically pretending to have the buying power of what your paycheck should actually be
My first job was at a grocery store and while I wasn't in security, we had people trying all kinds of way to shoplift. This one woman was trying to steal baby formula and when they caught her, she literally shit herself trying to get away from being restrained. Man, I learned so much about the world as a 16 year old sacker.
I know how that feels, as someone who has worked in retail small and large. 100 times out of 100 it's not worth it to risk your life to save a business a few dozen dollars.
edit: I guess, to continue, I should say that if you see some teen pocket something, definitely call them out. And small businesses deserve more vigilant loss prevention than any big box retailer. Use your best judgement, but when I was being paid $7/hr I couldn't be fucked to stalk every 'shady' customer. Or any, for that matter.
edit2: You know what, forget everything I said. Give yourself plausible deniability if you see theft and just let it roll. Shits hard out there and any retailer probably has insurance or something. My condolences; i hated working retail.
edit: I guess, to continue, I should say that if you see some teen pocket something, definitely call them out. And small businesses deserve more vigilant loss prevention than any big box retailer. Use your best judgement, but when I was being paid $7/hr I couldn't be fucked to stalk every 'shady' customer. Or any, for that matter.
edit2: You know what, forget everything I said. Give yourself plausible deniability if you see theft and just let it roll. Shits hard out there and any retailer probably has insurance or something. My condolences; i hated working retail.
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It would come up conversationally if people accidentally walked out with something and started freaking out when retuning it. I did it to assuage their fears. I wasn't telling everyone at the counter to rob us. Not that it's any of my business what the customers did or didn't do. The corporate folks literally stripped me of the power to do anything about theft, and I don't like corporations anyway so.
I stopped caring years ago after I caught someone leaving with a dozen eggs and not paying and the amount of time (court and everyone involved) and energy wasted to follow through with prosecuting them. It ended up costing me alone more having to be a witness and everything than the damn eggs costs and I never got reimbursed. Also topped off by there being something in the road on my way back that blew out one of my tires. -.-
I had to stand watch over some kids who got caught by asset protection stealing an xbox controller when I worked at walmart. Then I had to stand there awkwardly while their family was called and the cops yelled at them for half an hour.
Then there was one of those Karen types shoving a metric ton of cheap clothes into her purse at 10pm at night. Apparently she comes in there to steal regularly but my manager was straight up like "it's not our jobs" because he seemed to be aware that she'd start shit if she were caught and they didn't want to pay for one of us getting potentially injured
I could not give less of a shit if the company lost money but there's something about petty theft that irks me. I don't have to steal something to get tailed and I've been stolen from before, so if you're stealing non-necessities I take it personally.
I worked for Best Buy for a few years and there's a weird contagious mentality among the sales staff that shoplifters are the bane of your existence. I would check out r/shoplifting for giggles around that time and they were terrified of Best Buy, lol. I definitely worked with some AP guys who took the job very seriously and earned that reputation, but half the time we were short-staffed and the post was covered by a warehouse employee who would rather do literally anything else at that moment.*
*Source: I was that warehouse employee on many an occasion
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We had a lot of regular thieves who seemed to know exactly how many employees were on the floor and who was covering each area. Several times I observed people waiting until no one was nearby and then running out the emergency exit where a getaway car was waiting. Those types can definitely get fucked. Lots of career criminals target walmart in particular because security is so damn lax there most of the time. Did have a few funny encounters over my time there though.
We had a guy walk out of the store once with like $1000 worth of power tools. Me and another employee started chasing him across the parking lot and so the guy dropped one of the bags because they were weighing him down. I grabbed that one and my coworker continued the chase until the guy let out the most exasperated "Oh come on! FUCK OFF!" I've ever heard, threw the other bag, hopped in his car and took off. Was hilarious.
We also had some older guy with a cane who seemed like he could barely walk and his female accomplice attempt to make it out the door with a cart full of camping supplies. Security caught them and told them if they didn't get the fuck out the cops would be called. Old dude pitches the cane and sprints right outta there lmao. Was a sight.
That really sounds like the world telling you something. Eggs? Man.
You really gave a shit over some eggs? You can't be serious. That shit literally $2 or less
Shoplifters I wouldn't even notice, but I get it. Retail does that to you because all that shit about being honest and truthful is thrown out. It was the theft rings that just harassed fucking employees till they got what they wanted or found the new employee.
It's incredible how you guys condone stealing just because something "isn't yours".
I just don't understand how people can be THAT lazy. Just go put it back.
Regarding OP's story, I used to work retail when I was in college, and we had a regular who used to come in with his son. Really nice guy, became friends with all the staff. Around Xmas time one year, he had been laid off, and asked if he could get a few hours at the store to help with the season's gifts and stuff for his family. We naturally obliged, and were happy to get the extra help. After he finished his holiday hours, we found pretty hard evidence that he had been stealing product from the backroom on the regular. That pissed us off so much. It felt like he'd personally told us to go fuck ourselves. We go out of our way to expedite a position for you so you can make ends meet, and that's how you repay us?
I could never be bothered to give a fuck back when I worked retail. Most of the time if even saw someone obviously trying to steal shit (kneeling down next to the burner phones or DVDs for an abnormal amount of time because they are cutting the plastic cases open, putting their old shoes in the box and walking out with the new ones) I didn't even bother telling the racist ass LP at my store (who would magically decide to call me and tell me to "keep an eye" on customers whenever any young black males happened to walk into my section).
Worked retail for a short time and couldn't give two fucks what people stole. Honestly, good for them.
Reminds of the time when my manager caught some kid stealing. I forget what it was, but his friends bailed and he got caught, so I was stuck in the loss prevention office (door was open because liability) supervising this kid while we waited for the cops to show up. About 15 minutes later, two cops show up.
One of them was the kid's uncle. That was an awkward 20 seconds while I tried to get the paperwork in order so I could leave them alone.
Getting caught stealing, only for your cop uncle to show up and then get yelled at by uncle cop and parents has to be some life changing shit.
This also reminds me of the time this family of I think eight walked in; a dad, his teen son, and bunch of younger kids. First thing he says to me was "watch out, these kids like to steal!"
He laughs, I do that fake laugh thing because jokes are stupid....
Why these little shits all start trying to steal shit? Other than the dad and the teen, the fuckers all got caught with all manner of things. I found one of the kids in the restroom trying to stuff video games and when I caught him, he started to cry and strip naked. I ran out of that shit so goddamn fast lmao.
No sorry, i was quoting you to agree with you. The sentence wasn't directed at you :)
Returns with no receipts?
Is this normal in [insert country] because where im from if you dont have a receipt you are fucked.
Is this normal in [insert country] because where im from if you dont have a receipt you are fucked.
Well I guess I need to spend time expanding this now.
Actual price was $1.25 and it was fucking stupid, especially after he had someone come the next day and pay for them, saying he forgot and didn't realize it until the cops got a hold of him, surprise he completely failed to sell in the recording of the conversation that was played in court. It being an honest mistake off a distressing call despite the story of the call that he told turned out to not be distressing at all and also blamed his having ADHD which he didn't provide any proof of, his defense along with that was how it didn't make sense that he would purposefully steal because he made well into the six figures (and lived in a rich part of the state and also owned several properties in my area) though for whatever reason he hired a shit lawyer whom I was familiar with from mine and other people's past experiences and declined to plead it out and forced it to go to court where he pretty much sabotaged himself (and apparently threw out info that he never mentioned previously to his lawyer) in the honest mistake defense that he failed miserably to sell the judge on who was willing to dismiss it had he provided any proof of it being just that. It was still stupid to prosecute but he came off in court as someone who didn't think anything would happen for such a low value item, got caught and had someone try and cover it for him and thought he could convince the court with a bunch of stuff with nothing to back it up, it also made zero sense that he would get eggs up here anyway since he was on his way back to his primary residence down state that was a two and a half, three hour drive in the middle of Summer.
Still it should've been settled when that person came in to pay for the eggs.
But yeah, karma for telling on some well off guy walking out with a low value item who thought he'd get away with. 👍 But meh, I needed new front tires anyway.
I was subpoenaed as a witness over a dozen fucking eggs, yes.
I'm not the one who pressed charges, it was also my first week there fresh off getting it pounded into my head from training videos how aside from unions being the devil, how important our effort to "reduce shrink" was and how my job could be at risk for failing to do so and I didn't exactly want to get fired over it either which I would have since he just walked out in front of a bunch of our regulars right in front of me who would have brought it up to my boss next time they saw her, I mentioned it to the manager on duty later after he was gone and when my manager came in the next day she was on it like she was Eliot Ness working to take down a Al Capone.
Actual price was $1.25 and it was fucking stupid, especially after he had someone come the next day and pay for them, saying he forgot and didn't realize it until the cops got a hold of him, surprise he completely failed to sell in the recording of the conversation that was played in court. It being an honest mistake off a distressing call despite the story of the call that he told turned out to not be distressing at all and also blamed his having ADHD which he didn't provide any proof of, his defense along with that was how it didn't make sense that he would purposefully steal because he made well into the six figures (and lived in a rich part of the state and also owned several properties in my area) though for whatever reason he hired a shit lawyer whom I was familiar with from mine and other people's past experiences and declined to plead it out and forced it to go to court where he pretty much sabotaged himself (and apparently threw out info that he never mentioned previously to his lawyer) in the honest mistake defense that he failed miserably to sell the judge on who was willing to dismiss it had he provided any proof of it being just that. It was still stupid to prosecute but he came off in court as someone who didn't think anything would happen for such a low value item, got caught and had someone try and cover it for him and thought he could convince the court with a bunch of stuff with nothing to back it up, it also made zero sense that he would get eggs up here anyway since he was on his way back to his primary residence down state that was a two and a half, three hour drive in the middle of Summer.
Still it should've been settled when that person came in to pay for the eggs.
My manager was a very authority loving sort even after he had someone come in and pay for them saying he forgot, she still pushed for charges being pressed due to "corporate policy". I'm pretty sure she had fantasies of being a cop with her authoritarian streak.
But yeah, karma for telling on some well off guy walking out with a low value item who thought he'd get away with. 👍 But meh, I needed new front tires anyway.
As someone who worked in retail for a long, I remember me hating it as well;, especially as I worked in charity shops which really made me hate the thieves.
But really you have to let that shit go, plus a lot of the bigger companies will fire YOU if try to stop shoplifters.
But really you have to let that shit go, plus a lot of the bigger companies will fire YOU if try to stop shoplifters.
I'm so glad I don't have to worry about shoplifters now. Shit is a nightmare and it's only going to get worse as people become more desperate.
The worse part is the security guards who think they're part of the SAS taking on some guy stealing razor blades. They were a liability and would go bad cop during interrogation then turn to me when it came to calling the police.
The worse part is the security guards who think they're part of the SAS taking on some guy stealing razor blades. They were a liability and would go bad cop during interrogation then turn to me when it came to calling the police.
You can do it in Canada too at a bunch of places. Walmart is the most notorious for it.
My girlfriend used to work at a small game store where people would bring in stolen games and exchange them for soda (Yes seriously these people were stealing games for soda) which pissed me off, but those were games stolen from people. We'd usually set the games aside and return them to the people they were stolen from if they ever came in. They brought in some pretty rare games too. Could you imagine trying to trade Haunting Ground or Silent Hill 2 for the PS2 for a single can of sprite?
Not that I'd turn a blind eye to it but I can't see myself caring about some one stealing from a larger store considering I'd almost guaranteed to be making minimum wage and therefore am probably being stolen from by the company far more than any shoplifter ever could from me emotionally. Especially if they are taking it and exchanging it for money like that. It sucks sure but I also have no idea what where that person stands in the world. You say quick buck but it could just as easily be the last chance to feed thier child, it's impossible to know so it's not worth it for me to be broken up over really.
It especially wouldn't be worth it to risk my safety. I had a friend who had someone steal from their shift and their employer was livid that they didn't chase the shoplifter down the street to get it back which is an absoloutely insane thing to expect from someone when you are paying them the least you're legally allowed to and you have no idea what state of mind that person is in.
He always tried to steal that specific CD? That's some cartoon villainy
I used to work in a phone shop and had a shoplifter cut the alarm cord on a phone with a stanley knife and pocketted it. When I approached him he took 2 swings at my face with the knife which I dodged then bolted through the crowd with my manager in tow.
Jokes on him, it was a decoy/dummy phone.
Jokes on him, it was a decoy/dummy phone.
I know it's been brought up, but stealing from big corporate retailers just fucks employee bonuses so please reconsider your "I'm sticking it to the man" moral crusade, you are actually one of the factors fueling their wage theft mechanism