If you have worked in retail, you have come in contact with this customer: The disgruntled, agitated receipient of a hideous sweater that they were unfortunately not given a gift recepit for. Oftentimes, said customers can be irritating, but generally there is no cause for alarm. Simply make sure the tags are still attached, and make sure there is no damage (the article of clothing might be so hideous, this is all the damage it needs) and give the customer a gift card for store credit. Sometime later, the customer returns, looking slightly happier, carrying a new possession that they have deemed more attractive. They extract the gift card and make thier purchase, leaving in slightly higher spirits. I am not writing all of this to explain to someone how to do a return. No, I am writing this because I believe there is a devestating flaw in the system, and I say this from an employee standpoint.
Let us make our customer a bit, unscupulous, shall we say? The customer simply grabs an article of clothing off a messy rack, gives it to the cashier, and asks to return it. The unknowing cashier performs the "return" administers a gift card, and our customer walks away with store credit after doing absolutely nothing. Those who have not worked in retail, may be thinking that each item has its own barcode, this is not possible. Oh, but it is. I have had customers come in, despairing because they have lost the tags to their clothes. If I knew where the item was located in the store, I would simply locate it, make a duplicate tag and attach it to the item being returned. Every item of a particular type has the same number. I have thought this through long and hard, and I am convinced that this could be a major problem. But I know I must not be the only realatively intelligent person who has had a job in retail. Am I missing something here? I worked at Mervyn's by the way. Not so you all can go stealing from them, but because policies likely vary from store to store.
I was actually a supervisor at a prominent retail store and we had TERRIBLE loss prevention policies. Anyone can return something without a receipt and get a store credit for the lowest selling price. Also, if we saw someone shoplifting, we were able to do nothing but try and deter them with great customer service. Great customer service only goes so far with people who are bent on making a living through stealing. There are many flaws in some retails store policies, I definitely agree. It ends up putting employees in a bad position too I believe.
that is ridiculous trying to deter a shoplifter with good customer service. I'm guessing they really don't care about customer service, they are more interested in whatever they are trying to steal. Luckily I never found myself in that kind of situation.
I used to work retail too.
Technically, we weren't allowed to do anything but "customer service" people either.
I never followed the policies. I don't know why I took it so personal when someone stole from us; I think it's because I thought "how do you think you're going to get away on my watch?!"
The only shoes I didn't get back were the ones that I didn't see leave the store.
I never followed the policies. I always got my shoes back.
And it's funny, because I could have gotten fired for saving the company all that money. :))
Oh well. If you're trying to switch out your old raggedy slippers for brand new Lugs, I'll catch you... I'll say something and tell you to come put your slippers back on.
Watch out ;-)
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If You Swear That There's No Truth And Who Cares, How Come You Say It Like You're Right? [Bright Eyes]
http://progressiveu.org/143541-how-to-survive-the-2008-elections
I work at The Children's Place, and, sadly, it's the same. We can be almost positive that an item was stolen, yet we can't do a thing unless we witness the shoplifting: What was taken, where it was placed, etc.
I don't need drugs - I have genetics.
At I work at Target, where, due to a varied selection of items, we require more strict policies. Our return policy sometimes frustrates guests, but it saves the company tons of money, allowing prices to be lower. Any return without a receipt must be less than $20, and when you make such a return, your ID is scanned and entered in the system. You are only allowed 2 non-receipt returns in one year.
Also, we do deter guests with "customer service" in the form of addressing every guest we see with an established company slogan (Can I help you find something?).
Just today I had an issue with guests trying to steal headphones from our iPod area. By merely asking the question (which they ignored), they were deterred. Also, when the guest returned to the area, I was able to call our Assets Protection department immediately to alert them and prevent any more possible theft.
The biggest problem we incur on this topic is a disgruntled guest who really didn't steal the merchandise!