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By Tony DeMasi, editor
ationally, shoplifting has become quite an epidemic. It’s so
large that the National Retail Federation refers to it as “organized
crime.” How is it in your store? And, what are you doing
about it?
Ask representatives from your local police department and your insurance
company to visit your store and go over security measures with you and the
staff. You cannot have too much security.
Shoplifting comes from many sources, including employees. Be strong and
be safe. Remember no criminal is too young, old, poor, cute, friendly, etc. to
get away with shoplifting. Shoplifting is stealing… stealing from you.
The courts are well aware of this growing problem and are taking various
methods of handling it. I give a lot of credit to a judge in Attalla City, Ala.,
who gave a shoplifter two options after she was convicted of attempting to
shoplift at a local Wal-Mart Supercenter. She could go to jail for 60 days or
stand outside the store for four hours on two consecutive Saturdays with a
sandwich board sign that read: “I am a thief; I stole from Wal-Mart.” The
criminal took the sign duty to avoid the jail time. She claims that a number
of shoppers had expressed empathy telling her they thought the punishment
meted out was “cruel.” However, the manager of the store reported, “The
only comments we’ve heard so far have been positive. Most of them thought
it was a good thing.”
The manager noted that the public saw how embarrassing it could be for
a shoplifter to have to be put on public display and hoped that in the future
shoplifters would “think twice” before attempting to steal from his store or
any other.
A major report on shoplifting appears on page 166.
About Your Employees
Research firm Harris Interactive® has launched a groundbreaking research
solution that identifies the linkage between employee attitudes and loyal customer
behavior. The solution, called Employee Ambassadorship, allows companies
to calculate current levels of employee commitment and provides
actionable direction on how to better manage employees to become more
committed and active brand ambassadors. I’ll give you more information on
this as it becomes available. In the meantime, Harris divides the employees
into two groups:
• Employee ambassadors, the employees who are most committed to a
brand. Ambassadors represent employees who are strongly committed to the
company’s brand promise, the organization itself, and its customers. They
also behave and communicate in a consistently positive manner toward the
company, both inside and outside.
• Employee saboteurs, the employees who are the least committed to a
brand. Saboteurs are active and frequently vocal detractors about the organization
itself, its culture and policies, and its products and services. These individuals
are negative advocates, communicating their low opinions and unfavorable perspectives both to peers inside the company
and to customers, and others, outside the company.
Divide your employees according to those definitions.
How many are “ambassadors,” and how many
are “saboteurs?” And, what are you going to do to
change those saboteurs into ambassadors? It’s possible
that you are an unintentional saboteur and that
attitude is spilling over to your staff. Be honest
about it. If you are a general grouch how do you
expect those around you to act? Assuming you are
not but perhaps an employee is, do something about
it. Giving her or him a new task, or just a few words
of praise, could make a world of difference.
Lots of Show
There are still plenty of trade shows to be had this
month and next. Take advantage of everything they
offer. That includes seminars, discounted travel
rates, and, especially, special promotions from vendors.
More than ever vendors are offering show
specials in merchandise and/or shipping. These
perks cans save you a lot of money. If you go to a
show a see something you might want to buy later
but the vendor has a show special, talk to the vendor
about getting the special even after the show.
Chances are the vendor will be cooperative since
you made first contact at the show. It doesn’t hurt
to ask.
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