THE SILENT CRIME

[Music] no he works in my department I wondered why he'd been absent the last two days read what it says Mr maramman is said to have accumulated more than $60,000 worth of merchandise during the 18 years of his employment the judge in sentencing him several years imprisonment stated that he had hoped to find cause for leaning but that such ballf faac stealing had earned the full penalty of the law oh Tom isn't that sad it's terrible poor guy and only two years from retirement a pension but he was a thief let's face it and he got caught but it's so tragic he was a nice man oh I feel so sorry for him and his wife you know when Mr merman helped himself to the merchandise that didn't belong to him he he risked everything and now he's lost everything it's too bad you know sometimes Temptation can be very difficult to [Music] resist temptation is a fundamental factor in merchandising a appealing advertisements and attractive displays are designed to lower sales resistance letting the buying public know what you have to offer is inherent in free enterprise but to some free enterprise means anything accessible is fair game anything that's loose is free for the taking to the Shopper the department store offers a wide variety of merchandise to buy to the shoplifter the department store offers great opportunity to steal the ideal situation for the shoplifter is for the merchandise to be in the open Within Reach without a clerk in sight and to be left alone that shoplifters have plenty of opportunity to steal is shown by the evidence that American stores lose billions of dollars annually from theft who are these people the shoplifters well if we knew exactly the problem would not be as great as it is they are people of any type you can imagine they may be well-dressed they might in fact be welltoo because there are many reasons in addition to economic why people shoplift they might be ordinarily honest Housewives who want something they simply can't afford to buy defiant teenagers who want to see what what they can get away with giggly girls on a lark with no thought of the consequences a man who finds the Temptation too great and the opportunity too easy a woman who feels she is entitled to the best no matter how [Music] then there are the professionals these are particularly difficult to deal with because they enter the store with a plan they know what they're going to do if conditions permit okay help you sir no thank you I'm just window shopping fine just make yourself at home thank you the pros will make themselves at home all right if you let them they'll make off with everything you've got [Music] the professional shoplifter is practiced and clever the professional shoplifter is especially effective when working with a partner or as a team so when your approach to a customer is may I help you no I'm just looking oh you have played right into the hand of the shoplifter who simply goes about her business of surveying and planning what she is is going to [Music] steal the professionals know how to take advantage of Clerks who are busy too occupied to keep an eye on all the [Music] merchandise the professionals operate best when the store personnel is most inattentive [Music] they make the most of meal hours when the Personnel is thinned out they reap a harvest from the confusion and distraction of closing time the losses from shoplifting not only cut into the profits of the store and the profit sharing of the store employees they must be passed along to the customer in the form of higher prices the best defense against shoplifting losses is good service good morning I see you're interested in some night gun you're about a size 12 aren't you no I'm a 14 well here we have some this is all the new different shades this would be your size isn't that pretty any intentions the customer may have had to steal are now necessarily set aside by the alertness and courtesy of the sales lady we must never leave leave a section unattended here is a shopper who has decided to buy but can't find anyone to sell to her what does she do we have encouraged her to put the article in her bag and walk off not only disgruntled but dishonest even when the salesperson is busy she can let another waiting customer know that she is aware of her presence and will wait on her as soon as she can good morning I'll be with you in just a moment I think you like those spring gloves in this section this attention lets the customer know that she has been recognized and is being observed a courtesy that can be discouraging to a shoplifter attention and good service are particularly important where fittings are part of the buying process this will include an accounting of the number of garments given customers to try on in fitting rooms and discourage their theft if you do not keep track of the number of items submitted to customers for their consideration they may not all be returned while as merchandisers we display our Goods with maximum sales appeal we must do so in such a way as to discourage theft putting things under glass and Out Of Reach is helpful arranging merchandise and geometric patterns as counter displays also discourages passing customers to help them themselves it then becomes quite obvious when an article is missing when someone is seen taking Goods the salesperson must never accuse or apprehend excuse me a moment please she must first assume the customer to be honest you made a lovely selection there ma'am would you like to charge that or pay cash I was just looking at it the alertness of the sales lady has forced the customer to commit herself in any event it's save the loss of the merchandise if the shoplifter gets away after stealing the salesperson serves best by notifying the store's Security office or detective of course it is always better to protect the merchandise and prevent theft if possible acknowledgement of the customers's presence and prompt service are the best means of doing this I'll be with you in just a moment I'll see if I have that size we are also under moral obligation to the community to deter shoplifting so that any tendency toward the criminal life is discouraged here are two high school girls who took some nail polish from the store this morning made bold by the undetected theft they have returned to steal something else lipsticks this time [Music] girls you're both old enough to know that stealing is against the law oh it was only a little lipstick that's not really stealing taking property that does not belong to you is a crime don't don't tell my mother please it hurt her so much both of these girls are from good substan Cal families they just thought it was a cool idea to get away with something they had the money to pay for what they took it's lucky for everybody they have learned their lesson early but some people never learn good afternoon that would make a very nice gift wouldn't it yes it [Music] would security there's a woman in men's accessories she's wearing a black coat carrying a brown leather bag and wearing a flat black hat I think somebody ought to keep an eye on her right having become suspicious of the woman Shopper the clerk has called the security office which in turn informs the nearest guard or store detective okay I'll take care of it [Music] the shock and shame of being caught is quite severe and whether it's a first offense or not you almost always he I don't know why I did it I just don't know why never done this sort of thing before wanted to get my husband a birthday present just couldn't afford it the store has to decide if it wishes to prosecute it is said that eight out of 10 people will take things that don't belong to them if the conditions of need and opportunity are present [Music] [Music] as employ employees we have an obligation to our customers and our store to protect Potential shoplifters from themselves and to keep shoplifting losses to a minimum if employees let other business keep them from acknowledging the presence of a customer they are giving a person with larous intentions an opportunity to put them into practice courtesy and salesmanship are the the store's way of showing that the customer is the most important person in the store if she is inclined to buy your service will encourage her if she is inclined to steal your attention will discourage her items out on display should be grouped geometrically or by number in a neat orderly fashion so that any removal can be quickly spotted expensive merchandise should be kept in a display case taken out for showing and put back the temptation to pocket such small valuables must not be aroused by easy access all items must be accounted for especially when they are given out to customers for their inspection or fittings some people tend to assume that anything lying about or not nailed down is fair game therefore anything given out for a Tryon must be returned to the department Rack or purchased or it might as we say turn up missing keeping fitting rooms cleared of merchandise is good insurance against such loss in the perilous game of shoplifting everyone loses the nation to the tune of billions of dollars of property a year the companies from whom the property is taken the shopping public in the form of higher commodity prices the store employes by way of less profit sharing and other benefits our livelihood depends upon this store and this store depends upon your alertness to help prevent shoplifting by adhering to these 10 basic rules report icious Shoppers to the security department offer immediate service so that the customer won't be tempted prompt acknowledgment of the presence of a customer even if you are waiting on someone else take the time to give a respectful sales demonstration always be alert and show courtesy to the customer never leave your section unattended be sure to account for the number of garments taken into a fitting room never leave merchandise in the open without a clerk present expensive merchandise should be kept in a display case never make a specific accusation yes American retail stores lose billions of dollars annually from left can you do something about it of course you can let's all start today [Music]