Anyone Up For Some Civil Disobedience?

[elwesso]

i think if we we want to break this down to the very root, heres what we are getting at. The guy who wrote the article basically thinks that because he doesnt steal, no one else should be hassled.... So because hes a good apple, there should be no other way to weed out the bad apples...

I think the article comes down to wether or not you think mankind is inherently good or bad.... The guy writing the article seems to think that the general population is inherently good, and I think hes right.... Im not talking in a philosophical sense, but in a realistic sense (because i think those are 2 completely different things)... Dont read into this too far, but my point is that most people arent going to shoplift... Obviously, retailers are going tend to take the other side of the spectrum...

I think that guy needs to take a chill pill. I dont really think anyones time is that valuable to be inconvienced by 1 minute.... If you had to stand there for 10 mins (which you may in some instances), thats a little difference.... If it was, you wouldnt have gone to the store yourself, you would have had someone else do it for you. I think Americans need to slow down and not think they are the top sh*t and their time is the most valuable thing in the world.... yes, your time is valuable, but if it was really that valuable, why arent you complaining about sitting in the drivethru for 5 mins to get your cup of coffee??

Despite my driving habits, i really never consider myself in a hurry to get anywhere......... I like driving fast, but that doesnt mean im in a hurry.

[Florida240sx]

I laugh when the sensors go off and never stop. Unless it is just one item, and I wave the package at the clerk and say " You forgot didn't ya" with a smartass tone

[ceningolmo]

I am the general manager of a retail store... I can discuss specifics about my company off line if you would like. As a publicly traded company, they are a bit touchy about expressing personal opinion with their name attached to it. (Speaking of which... Chopp, I edited your post. Sorry!)

Retail "loss" (read theft) will break in to three basic categories. First is external theft (burglary, shoplifting, etc.). Second is Internal theft, meaning any intentional theft by an employee of the company including fraudulent pay issues, excessive discounting, assisted theft, product switching, and bunch more. The last category is "paper" loss, including missed items when ringing sales, incorrect change, improper shipping/receiving procedure including concealed shortages and who bunch more stuff.

Industry standards typically break the three categories of "loss" (thus the retail term of "loss prevention" rather than anti-theft) as 60-70% of total loss coming from internal theft and the other 30-40% being split evenly between external theft and paper loss or shrink.

[ceningolmo]

Ross, where'd you go for your MBA?

Grand Valley State University, Seidman School of Business

[bobotech]

This thread is way to long to read quickly but I will state this (and its probably been already stated) but places like Costco and BJ's can revoke your membership if you don't feel like complying with their checking of the ticket.

Just be warned about that before you decide to ignore the sales tag checker at the door of Costco.

Places like Walmart and so on, dont' worry about it, but heed the Costco checker.

[Bumnah]

i agree, the queue to the receipt check is dumb, but in the end i gotta say the 2-5 mins this guys saves from being a jerk, is probably wasted else where anyways like this pointless article.

secondly. being a total jerk about this thing not only effects the retailer but others in line. lets say you listen to his advice and go through every item line by line at receipt checkout. you're wasting the receipt checkers time, and the other customers inline. never mind the fact you multiplied your 30 second review for a 10 minute review.

do it everytime, and eventually you'll be kicked out of the store. i dunno, i like shopping at best buy, and I don't feel like taking on a battle that is pretty pointless. it's like getting upset about having to wait inline to checkout.

in the end the article read like an ignrant persons rant.

/rant

[Florida240sx]

Being flat out rude to the person is uncalled for. That's their job. Why should you really be mad about it if your innocent??? Because you'll catch the traffic light??

[frapjap]

Retail "loss" (read theft) will break in to three basic categories. First is external theft (burglary, shoplifting, etc.). Second is Internal theft, meaning any intentional theft by an employee of the company including fraudulent pay issues, excessive discounting, assisted theft, product switching, and bunch more. The last category is "paper" loss, including missed items when ringing sales, incorrect change, improper shipping/receiving procedure including concealed shortages and who bunch more stuff.

You missed one of the biggest forms of internal theft. The one thing that can't be seen and can't be touched. TIME! All to often I've had my employees try to pull fast ones and clock their buddies in, swipe their cards, key in their number, write in their time sheets, etc. THAT was my biggest contributor to my expenses.

Some companies move to whole hand or thumb clock in methods. To bad Adam and Jamie showed us that a photocopy of a hand or thumb is completely useful to open "the most sophisticated of keyless door locks."

As far as the article writer...bring it to mgm't. Don't complain to people who may support you but ultimately wont get off their bums either. The only way you'll ween down the waiting time for a receipt checker is to make a point of speaking to someone of power who can get another person (or even two) on the door to expediate the process. Even if its during peak hours or days. Simple.

As for Wal Mart....eff them. Keep walking.

[ceningolmo]

...intentional theft by an employee of the company including fraudulent pay issues...

Dude! You missed it... I said it!

[MaximA32]

[NSR_s30]

When the Walmart things go off, I usually stop. Doesn't bother me too much...

[frapjap]

Dude! You missed it... I said it!

Ah, I thought you were going for Jo Jake in accounting got $2,000 more than he was supposed to in his weekly because someone in accounting flubbed the wrong key. Go me.

[PantherRacer]

I think Americans need to slow down and not think they are the top sh*t and their time is the most valuable thing in the world.... yes, your time is valuable, but if it was really that valuable, why arent you complaining about sitting in the drivethru for 5 mins to get your cup of coffee??

I'm not American, but I am the top ****, the cream of the crop, the best of the best, I'm cool, fly, and the ladies love me. My time is extremely valueable, and no one should even begin to try to think about contemplating taking it away from me or wasting it.

and I don't spend time in a drivethru for coffee, but when I spend time in a drivethru, it's because I choose to wait. And I would go somewhere else if that drivethru would take too much time.

People would rather choose to sit and wait on a line than be forced to wait on a line.It's like having to wait in traffic and choosing to wait on a line for a roller coaster ride. Don't even need to explain that one.

[skylndrftr]

I tend to agree with the author for two reasons

1)maybe 10% of the time i see the alarms go off does anyone actually bother to check a receipt beofre letting the person go

2) the receipt checkers take maybe half a second peek...and to gather the same items on the same receipt you would have to walk a cart full of items past cash registers or out the entrance.

if the retailers took the policies seriously i have no problem. We take our policies where I work seriously and enforece them to a T and have very few problems. Our region has never lost a lawsuit in the over two years I have worked there (there have been over 30)

[yelnatsch517]

i think if we we want to break this down to the very root, heres what we are getting at. The guy who wrote the article basically thinks that because he doesnt steal, no one else should be hassled.... So because hes a good apple, there should be no other way to weed out the bad apples...

I think the article comes down to wether or not you think mankind is inherently good or bad.... The guy writing the article seems to think that the general population is inherently good, and I think hes right.... Im not talking in a philosophical sense, but in a realistic sense (because i think those are 2 completely different things)... Dont read into this too far, but my point is that most people arent going to shoplift... Obviously, retailers are going tend to take the other side of the spectrum...

I think that guy needs to take a chill pill. I dont really think anyones time is that valuable to be inconvienced by 1 minute.... If you had to stand there for 10 mins (which you may in some instances), thats a little difference.... If it was, you wouldnt have gone to the store yourself, you would have had someone else do it for you. I think Americans need to slow down and not think they are the top sh*t and their time is the most valuable thing in the world.... yes, your time is valuable, but if it was really that valuable, why arent you complaining about sitting in the drivethru for 5 mins to get your cup of coffee??

Despite my driving habits, i really never consider myself in a hurry to get anywhere......... I like driving fast, but that doesnt mean im in a hurry.

Agreed. Americans really need to rethink their positions. The person who wrote the article makes it sound like his time is so valuable, which in reality it isn't. If he was such a big shot, why the F!@$ does he shop at places like Costco and Walmart? His time is worthless and he is an insignificant being. He needs to get that through his head. The only reason he does this is because he wants attention and wants to feel superior.

Stores have their policies just like forums have their TOS and rules. They may not be legally binding, but participating in anyway means you agree to the rules. If he doesn't like the way a store does things, then he shouldn't go there. In a forum, not following the rules will result in a ban. The only reason he gets away with what he does is very few people do what he does and he is loss in the masses. I can guarantee that if everyone starts doing the same, things will just go down the **** hole. You think the security now has no power, just wait till things go wrong. Money is power in this world and I can guarantee that stores like Walmart and Costco have a hell of lot more than people like him. If push comes to shove, if they want, they can get legislation to pass in their favor.

I'm not American, but I am the top ****, the cream of the crop, the best of the best, I'm cool, fly, and the ladies love me. My time is extremely valueable, and no one should even begin to try to think about contemplating taking it away from me or wasting it.

and I don't spend time in a drivethru for coffee, but when I spend time in a drivethru, it's because I choose to wait. And I would go somewhere else if that drivethru would take too much time.

People would rather choose to sit and wait on a line than be forced to wait on a line.It's like having to wait in traffic and choosing to wait on a line for a roller coaster ride. Don't even need to explain that one.

As far as choosing to wait in line. Think for a second. No one is actually "forced to wait in line." It is a package deal. If you think that whatever you are in line for is worth the wait, then you wait. No one forces you to be stuck in traffic. Go to a parking lot and take a nap. The same logic applies to waiting in line for drive thru. You aren't forced to wait in line either, you just feel it is worth the wait. Similary, the logic applies to shopping. If he doesn't want to wait, then he shouldn't go.

Just walking out the door, who the F!@# does he think he is? That is the same as cutting in front of everyone in a drive thru (not even sure if its possible), in line waiting for a ride, or anywhere else. He isn't better than everyone, let alone anyone. If I were in line and I see someone do that, I would clothes-line his sorry ***.
Modified by yelnatsch517 at 8:18 PM 11/29/2006

[elwesso]

Yeah, chosing to wait is different, but heres the thing... This person doesnt HAVE to shop at these stores that he OH SO despises!!! He could buy stuff on the internet, NOT pay sales tax, and have the items shipped to his door.. no extra time wasted in driving to the place, walking in the store, and having to pay for it. Since his time is so valuable and he obviously knows exactly what he wants, he would be much better off sending someone else to shop or buying from the internet, becaues then while its being shipped he can do something so much more valuable with his time.... This guy is the kind of person that doesnt give a rats arse about anyone else but himself and doesnt care if he ruined 5 other peoples day with one action!!! I dont know about the rest of you, but I dont like it when I walk into an establishment and the employees look and say "oh, its that guy again "....

By him chosing to shop there, he choses to wait! Technically, anytime we wait for something it is due to some decision made, usually on our part... We dont have to wait at a traffic light, we could go right through if we wanted, or just get out of the car and walk through the intersection... Attempt at your own risk!!! But what stops you?? Technically, nothing, besides its simply crazy to do so...

My point is, we are constantly hassled by equally meaningless things all the time, yet we dont make a big deal about them.... So why make a big deal about something that takes 1 minute... Like I said, if it was something that took 10-15 mins (and it may in some places), it might be worth complaining about, to either get rid of the system during peak times, or have more "checkers" during peak times....

[elwesso]

Agreed. Americans really need to rethink their positions. The person who wrote the article makes it sound like his time is so valuable, which in reality it isn't. If he was such a big shot, why the F!@$ does he shop at places like Costco and Walmart? His time is worthless and he is an insignificant being. He needs to get that through his head. The only reason he does this is because he wants attention and wants to feel superior.

Stores have their policies just like forums have their TOS and rules. They may not be legally binding, but participating in anyway means you agree to the rules. If he doesn't like the way a store does things, then he shouldn't go there.

As far as choosing to wait in line. Think for a second. No one is actually "forced to wait in line." It is a package deal. If you think that whatever you are in line for is worth the wait, then you wait. No one forces you to be stuck in traffic. Go to a parking lot and take a nap. The same logic applies to waiting in line for drive thru. You aren't forced to wait in line either, you just feel it is worth the wait. Similary, the logic applies to shopping. If he doesn't want to wait, then he shouldn't go.

Just walking out the door, who the F!@# does he think he is? That is the same as cutting in front of everyone in a drive thru (not even sure if its possible), in line waiting for a ride, or anywhere else. He isn't better than everyone, let alone anyone. If I were in line and I see someone do that, I would clothes-line his sorry ***.

Brilliant post!!!

[Kalok]

You guys COMPLETELY miss the whole point of this guy's civil disobedience.

You think that he is doing this because he thinks he is better than everyone else and that his time is more valuable than everyone else's. You are incorrect.

He is *IN FACT* doing this because he is tired of the stores treating their customers like they are criminals and thieves. The time factor is COMPLETELY secondary. The SOLE reason that they are doing this is for supposed "stop loss" measures. This is probably one of the LEAST effective methods of "stop loss" enforcement that there is. Instead of being a hassle to the ACTUAL thieves it is REALLY only a hassle to the legitimate customers that aren't stealing anything.

THAT is this guy's point.

[elwesso]

Well if thats the guys point, he obviously is very anectdotal and I never really got the impression that he gives a crap if the store loses $5 or $500,000....... If that was the guys point, he gives no real evidence other than his anectdotes that he finds mildly interesting... No where did he ask if these security people actually caught someone trying to shoplift or anything else along those lines....

Would be a different story if this was just an exerpt and we dont have the section that says "all this proves is that the system isnt working........" Clearly he writes this for mearly selfish motives.... Unless, of course, we are missing a portion of this....

Look at the very last line

Quote »I hope that my story will be the catalyst for a quantum shift in consumer habits. [/quote]He is clearly not talking about the retailers flaw in the system, he is trying to make everyone else act like a dillweed like he is.

Consider this line

Quote »I contacted management at Wal-Mart, Costco, and other retailers to get some comments for this article about their respective policies. Long story short, no one is budging, and some retailers are downright proud of those policies.[/quote]This implies (at least how I see it) that he contacted them to get rid of these (in his opinion) stupid policies....

So in short, if that was indeed his point, he did a terrible job of making that his point AND making himself look like a jerkoff too.

[Cold_Zero]

I gotta disagree.

The Fry's Electronics next to my house does people the SAME way.

It's a cattle call to check out, waiting in a long line until you get to the register. They ask for your phone number, which I refuse (I make one up). THEN, you're in another long line for ONE poor moron to "check your receipt". I'm not doing it. Period.

If that poor person doesn't like their job, here's a news flash: GET AN EDUCATION AND GET A BETTER JOB.

It's no different than being a telemarketer.

Should I be polite and nice to them and listen to their schpiel JUST because "they're only doing their job"? No way.

Don't like checking receipts? Quit.

Can't stand the smell of fish? Don't work at Long John Silver's.

Afraid of fire? Don't become a firefighter.

That's what's so great about America. We have the freedom to walk right out of an establishment without complying with some stupid policy, and the employees charged with enforcing that ILLEGAL policy have the right to quit and get a different job.

Greg,Agreed about Fry's. I wrote a check there for a Johnny Cash CD and they hassled me about it. First the cashier let out a big sigh when she saw my checkbook. She then informed me that it would be a long and complicated process to verify my check and that she would have to call my bank. Probably an attempt to discourage me from writing the check. She rang up my purchase and I filled out my check, writing on my check my phone number.

She then went back to a counter and grabbed a phone book (I assume to call my bank, which was closed at 8:30pm). Two minutes later, I get a call from my wife asking why a strange woman was calling asking if we wrote a check. I should have written my phone number on the check and then had a conversation with her while standing at the register (I would throw in a complementary wave). She finally comes back to the register and completes my sale. Wow, I guess that is why I go to Compusa and Best Buy.

My wife and I also get hassled at Walmart when we write checks for groceries. We shop every two-three months for food and stock up. Usually our bill is over $300 and they have to call a CSM to verify our check. I ALWAYS point out to them that I write checks to them 3 times a week and they always cash my checks. I also point out that Marsh and Kroger have their registers hooked up to a computer system that remembers all the checks that I have written and their status. I had a problem with Marsh not excepting one of my checks and the clerk at the front desk pulled up my check number and the list of checks went on for two pages. Seeing that I constantly do business with them, they quickly honored my check with the store manager punching something into to the register. The problem with Walmart is that most people dont really like their job there and they dont really care if you shop there or not.

My favorite part of the article was this, "Or just tell them to call a cop. If you’re the theatrical type, adopt a German accent and repeat loudly that your papers are in order (with the same accent you can do the old Berlin Wall bit and say that you have friends at the central committee)."

I nearly pee'd my pants reading that. I am so doing this at Walmart. I am going to keep a small journal on me with a pen and ask for their name, title, time clock number and their supervisor's name, in my german accent. I am going to turn the interrogation back on them.

[DriftingJesus]

I read all of the story (I think, had to do it in stints as I'm at work), but none of the responses. Here's my opinion anyway:

Entertaining, but that guy is just another prick that thinks he knows better than everyone else -- how rare.

I agree the mandatory receipt-checking is innane but not having the common courtesy to wait an extra 10 seconds for kid to disarm the tag that set the alarm off or check that you paid for your stuff, is along the same lines as people who change lanes without signaling, to me.

I have to agree

Although I understand his contempt towards the corporate policies, it's futile to think that anything will change by giving an employee a rough time. If you really care you'll take to grievances to the corporate offices instead of being a prick to some kid (usually a retired old lady) at the exit.

You guys COMPLETELY miss the whole point of this guy's civil disobedience.

You think that he is doing this because he thinks he is better than everyone else and that his time is more valuable than everyone else's. You are incorrect.

He is *IN FACT* doing this because he is tired of the stores treating their customers like they are criminals and thieves. The time factor is COMPLETELY secondary. The SOLE reason that they are doing this is for supposed "stop loss" measures. This is probably one of the LEAST effective methods of "stop loss" enforcement that there is. Instead of being a hassle to the ACTUAL thieves it is REALLY only a hassle to the legitimate customers that aren't stealing anything.

His methods on are on par with those of the retailersDon't be a d!ck an harass an employee, take it to the top

[DuaneG]

I read over half this thread and just felt like posting this..

To everyone with the arguement "They're just doing their job"..'I know another group of people that were just doing their job, they made the jews wear flair"

Off quote from Clerks and Office Space combined becuase I can't remember the exact one from Office Space, hehehe.

[StrangeLove]

Yup, it seems that nearly everyone has missed the point.

Lets all complain about Martin Luther King Jr drinking from a white water fountain, what an arrogant prick.

[DuaneG]

I don't really have a stand point..When you have to stand in line for 10 extra minutes, eh, bye.. But being a prick when the nice old lady at the Wal Mart Garden Center asks for my receipt and I'm the only one there unless my car is on fire and I just bought a fire extinguisher or I am on the way to the hospital or something like that I'm not going to be like "NO **** OFF YOU CAN'T SEE MY RECEIPT".I agree that if it's a GREAT inconvience, otherwise, 10seconds of your life isn't going to make you miss your opporunity to get the winning lotto ticket. If it does oh well, you suck at life and shouldn't have had it in the first place.

[audtatious]

Personally, I have no issues with loss prevention. My issue is when the implemented loss prevention mechanism only works 60% of the time. If a retail store is going to use security tags, then you had better make damn sure they are disabled in the checkout line. Having to constantly deal with having your bags checked is total BS.

This is the biggest issue I have with Wal-Mart and why I don't shop there. My wife loves their prices, so she is inclined to go. Of the 8 times I have gone with her, three times the damn alarms went off. I know they have triggered on her numerous other times as well. Every time it is due to some device not being disabled. When you buy a buggy load of items and you have to wait for someone to start pulling stuff out and swiping it to disable it, it is not only annoying and somewhat embarassing (my wife hates it when people stare), but it is wasting MY time on an internal store issue.

I have never had this problem at Meijer, Target, K-mart nor any other store I frequent. Just Wal-Mart. I'd rather pay more at Meijer and avoid the "Wal-Mart Experience"

[MinisterofDOOM]

I see the guy's point, but there's a difference between being an *** and making a point. This guy is being an ***. If he wants to make a point, he needs to do something that affects someone who CARES. The old dude who checks the receipts doesn't care! He's underpaid, overworked, and probably hates his boss more than Civil Disobedience Man does. My grandpa used to work at Walmart. He was treated like crap, but he's the kind of guy who refused to quit purely out of pride. If someone had fought the receipt checking with him, it would have pissed him off, but do you really think he would go mention it to his manager? Do you think he'd say "Oh, by the way, the customers aren't happy with our loss prevention measures, maybe we should re-evaluate them?"He'd just come home and complain to his wife and then that'd be that.

There's a store near me (Sam Goody) that treats it's customers very poorly, and I've had some recent issues with them that really made me mad. They have the mag-sensor theft-prevention dealies in the doorway. But theirs are broken. Or, actually, their theft tag disabler must be broken. Instead of simply swiping the merchandise to disable the theft tag, the manager or salesman walks with you to the door, and they won't let you carry your merchandise, THEY carry it and hand it to you once you're outside. The alarm goes off on everyone who leaves with a purchase. It is very loud and can be heard halfway down the mall.The fact that they won't let me take my merchandise that I've paid for out the door myself pisses me off. If they know what's in there, and they know the tags are busted, they should know the beeping is false. But instead, they choose to distrust EVERYONE. Sends a great customer-loyalty inspiring message, doesn't it?This is also one of those stores where they watch you like a hawk. I went in one day to buy some new music. I didn't know what I wanted. I was just browsing for anything that looked interesting. I was there for several minutes, walking back and forth down the aisles. Employees were quite obviously watching me to see if I was going to steal anything. They made no effort to hide it.And yet, amidst all this distrust for customers, the store places high-risk (and highly-attention-grabbing) items on endcaps right inside the door. If you're so afraid I'm going to drop something in my bag on the way out that you have to carry my stuff for me, why don't you just move your pricey merchandise out of my path leaving the store? You can't have your cake and eat it, too. Either trust people, or don't.

The SOLE reason that they are doing this is for supposed "stop loss" measures. This is probably one of the LEAST effective methods of "stop loss" enforcement that there is. Instead of being a hassle to the ACTUAL thieves it is REALLY only a hassle to the legitimate customers that aren't stealing anything.

This is a very good point. I hate it when the "solution" to a problem only hurts the law-abiding people, while the people it was designed to stop simply circumvent it.

[DuaneG]

Grr, quote is not working right. Minister, your first paragraph is very accurate and a very good point. He probably did not think of that, just like 99% of people wouldn't have. But it is very true and can "rain on someones day" pretty badly just becuase one guy wants to "STICK IT TO THE MAN" but is a dumbass and is not doing it correctly.

[yelnatsch517]

This is a very good point. I hate it when the "solution" to a problem only hurts the law-abiding people, while the people it was designed to stop simply circumvent it.

It sounds like you have a better idea. And no, getting rid of the system is not a better idea. I don't see anything wrong with people assuming common shoppers are shoplifters. They stare at you like a hawk, who cares? The only people who should feel guilty are the people who are devious. If you are completely innocent, why would you care what they think of you?

No system is completely perfect. The best the stores can do nowadays, as limited by our current technology, is the current impletemented system. It might bug you a little bit or even annoy you, but if it keeps businesses from losing money they worked hard for, I simply couldn't give a rats butt how annoyed you might get.

As far as the alarms going off, the people who blame it should take a closer look at themselves. More often than not, if an alarm rings for the same person more than a few times, it is the person's own fault, not the systems. Just to give you an example: Try buying a wallet with a electronic tag (those small white thin paper ones). Leave it in and walk around the mall. I guarantee more than half the alarms will go off, but not all (happened to my friend and just like a normal person, he didn't bother to take responsibility and question himself first, but instead he blames the system). What I'm trying to say is, yes the system might not be perfect, but it works well enough if used properly. If you think you get tired of hearing the alarms, think how the workers feel. If the alarm is really broken, I am quite sure they would get it fixed as soon as possible.

PS. If you haven't guessed already, my stance is pro business and probably always will be. Anyone who has owned a business should know where I'm coming from.

[MinisterofDOOM]

It sounds like you have a better idea. And no, getting rid of the system is not a better idea. I don't see anything wrong with people assuming common shoppers are shoplifters. They stare at you like a hawk, who cares? The only people who should feel guilty are the people who are devious. If you are completely innocent, why would you care what they think of you?

Yeah, I have a better idea, I already gave suggestions to the alternative in my previous post. And while getting rid of the entire loss prevention system certainly won't help matters, getting rid of the parts that do more harm that good will absolutely help. I'm sure you'd maintain your "pro-business" attitude if you alienated all your customers by making them feel suspect in your store. They'd find somewhere they could shop comfortably and take their money with them. You catch more bees with honey than by stepping on them.

This is exactly what happened at a hardware store in a town I used to live in. You couldn't go anywhere without being hawkeyed. Eventually, the very small population of the town got sick of it and started driving much farther to go to a decent store. The crappy store went out of business. I guess no one will be stealing from them anymore...so maybe the loss prevention strategy did work.

That point of view isn't "pro-business", it's "anti-customer" and in case you as a business owner haven't noticed, you really need customers to survive as a business.

[Kalok]

Yeah, I have a better idea, I already gave suggestions to the alternative in my previous post. And while getting rid of the entire loss prevention system certainly won't help matters, getting rid of the parts that do more harm that good will absolutely help. I'm sure you'd maintain your "pro-business" attitude if you alienated all your customers by making them feel suspect in your store. They'd find somewhere they could shop comfortably and take their money with them. You catch more bees with honey than by stepping on them.

This is exactly what happened at a hardware store in a town I used to live in. You couldn't go anywhere without being hawkeyed. Eventually, the very small population of the town got sick of it and started driving much farther to go to a decent store. The crappy store went out of business. I guess no one will be stealing from them anymore...so maybe the loss prevention strategy did work.

That point of view isn't "pro-business", it's "anti-customer" and in case you as a business owner haven't noticed, you really need customers to survive as a business.

Precisely why I never shop in Dillards any more.

About 6 years ago, when I worked for a job making about $60k a year, I would ALWAYS get followed by store security when I went to shop in Dillards.

Finally, one day I decoded to confront the security goon. Keep in mind, at this time, I had long hair and a beard and mustache, HOWEVER, I was wearing a $60 shirt and a $60ish pair of pants and a $200 pair of sunglasses. Anyhow, I confronted this goon and said, "Dude. Why the hell do you guys always follow me around this damn store whenever I come in here to shop?" He said, "Because you fit the profile of a shoplifter, so we follow you around to make sure that you're not going to steal anything." I replied, "Go get me your manager and come right back here please."

The manager arrived and I explained to him what the security guy just told me and he confirmed it. I replied, "You just lost a regular customer for both your store and Dillards as a whole. My income is probably twice what yours is a year and yet you have me followed like a common thief. Goodbye." I then proceeded to exit the store amid his protests of not meaning to offend me.

I haven't set foot back in a Dillards since. Which is a shame because it's hard to find shirts with as small a neck as I have with as long of sleeves as I need. Dillards always had them.