Security loop holes.

[UndercoverAngel]

It seems like the loop holes in store security creates a never ending game of cat and mouse.
Loophole #1: The dressing room being a safe zone for shoplifters.
Loophold #2: Seemingly widespread fear of being sued by innocent targets.

Never ending, indeed..... I used to work LP for Fred Meyers, Inc...Retail store in Washington.... I ran into this all the time....

[LPAjh9558]

As long as you maintain observation of the subject and see them selecting the merchandise, them concealing it under other items to make it looks like they are going in with less shouldn't undermine your case. It actually HELPS us, as we know that they are very likely to steal if they do that.

That's all good if that's what happens before a suspect or suspects go into a dressing room. At least then you might know for a brief time where concealment was made....

But...like I said, once inside the room anything can and usually does happen. There are all sorts of things that have to go the right way or it simply isn't worth the risk of a bad stop and/or losing your job. All just for making a dressing room app.

From the last company I worked at, we were not allowed to make fitting room stops. Our regional could have 'certified' us but he was unwilling to, saying there is no 'need for fitting room apprehensions.' But at the end of the fiscal year, the company still holds the LPM responsible for the shrink..What happens when a shoplifter goes into the fitting rooms w/ 15-20 DVD's? Seems like a double standard

Double standard? That's a really touchy subject. IMHO, I'd say it probably is just because I worked somewhere that didn't allow them either. That being said, not all companies are the same. And I'm sure that the ones that do make dressing room apps are very strict when it comes time to make one. Ultimately I believe the LPM's are mostly responsible for the "shrink" but in the same breath, I'm sure that it also rolls up hill as well!

[rmd08]

From the last company I worked at, we were not allowed to make fitting room stops. Our regional could have 'certified' us but he was unwilling to, saying there is no 'need for fitting room apprehensions.' But at the end of the fiscal year, the company still holds the LPM responsible for the shrink..What happens when a shoplifter goes into the fitting rooms w/ 15-20 DVD's? Seems like a double standard

[shifty]

I have actually heard of stories from friends of mine in the LP Department in which shoplifters were very capable of concealing items and ,to the despair of the LP's, making it look like they were going in with 'x' amount of items and coming out with 'x' amount of items. Only after did they hastily leave did the LP's find evidence of theft.
(Evidence of theft being old jeans which were switched to replicate retail jeans and extra hangers laying in the dressing room.)

As long as you maintain observation of the subject and see them selecting the merchandise, them concealing it under other items to make it looks like they are going in with less shouldn't undermine your case. It actually HELPS us, as we know that they are very likely to steal if they do that.

[PaulPasciak]

I have actually heard of stories from friends of mine in the LP Department in which shoplifters were very capable of concealing items and ,to the despair of the LP's, making it look like they were going in with 'x' amount of items and coming out with 'x' amount of items. Only after did they hastily leave did the LP's find evidence of theft.
(Evidence of theft being old jeans which were switched to replicate retail jeans and extra hangers laying in the dressing room.)

[LPAjh9558]

Take a good look around WalMart - what service desk are you talking about?

I've seen a couple where it probably wasn't an actual service desk, but more like a regular desk where they just keep materials and other things on

[Curtis Baillie]

I have yet to see anyone use the fitting room as a cover. Now the restrooms, that's a different story. As for the phone calls, yes, the fitting room attendants are the main phone operators for the store. As far as I know, this is because since they are supposed to never leave the desk so that the fitting rooms are never unmanned, they have plenty of time to answer phone calls. Maybe it's different for the rest of you, but I've never seen a line for the fitting rooms in my store, so I think that is a good use of their extra time.

A good use of their time would be recovering departments close by in their line of sight. I've been in WalMarts where the fitting room attendant was on the phone and people were just passing in and out of the fitting rooms, other times the fitting room wasn't covered at all.

[Curtis Baillie]

Come to think of it, I've seen lots of incoming phone calls being answered in the fitting room area
Wonder why that is Surely the service desks aren't so busy that all those calls get sent there....wow

Take a good look around WalMart - what service desk are you talking about?

[Izzy]

I have yet to see anyone use the fitting room as a cover. Now the restrooms, that's a different story. As for the phone calls, yes, the fitting room attendants are the main phone operators for the store. As far as I know, this is because since they are supposed to never leave the desk so that the fitting rooms are never unmanned, they have plenty of time to answer phone calls. Maybe it's different for the rest of you, but I've never seen a line for the fitting rooms in my store, so I think that is a good use of their extra time.

[LPAjh9558]

Come to think of it, I've seen lots of incoming phone calls being answered in the fitting room area
Wonder why that is Surely the service desks aren't so busy that all those calls get sent there....wow

[darkenna]

Look at Wal-mart. Do they still put the main switchboard at the fitting room desk?

Not around here... they'd get killed!




(Not literally killed... sheesh!)

[Curtis Baillie]

Look at Wal-mart. Do they still put the main switchboard at the fitting room desk?

lol Yes they do.

[N. A. Corbier]

Look at Wal-mart. Do they still put the main switchboard at the fitting room desk?

[Don of the Dead]

Being in Grocery Loss Prevention now one of the things i don't miss is Fitting Room hyjinx.

When I worked for Marshalls, it seemed every "dumb" "lazy" or "bad" employee was shipped to the fitting room. Management saw this as "getting them out of way" when in fact it made our jobs more difficult and pretty much put a "free merch" sign on the fitting room.

[NRM_Oz]

Fitting room attendants are 1 area retailers cut costs by reducing hours or using floor staff. A store may use a casual for a 5 hours a day but open for 10 hours which due to sickness may leave an area unmanned. FRA's are usually the youngest members with the least experience who basically just count off the hours until they go home. No offence, but some sales staff struggle with their own names sometimes so you rely on them for witness accounts as some S/L's sneak in other items inside clothing as well or under coats, etc.