The Nest Doll of Theft

[NateTheChops]

Customer brings a small carrying case to my line. It's zipped up and while it was never explicitly stated in any of my training, I opened it up and looked inside. There I found another carrying case that was just a few dollars more.

"Ma'am, did you know this was in here?"

Blank stare. She's not exactly surprised but she's not denying that she thought it was in there either. She mutters that no she didn't know it was in there and I take this case out and open it. Now if I had just found the carrying case, I would have shrugged it off as a simple mistake. But inside the second carrying case were two Nintendo DS games.

All of these things were on clearance but the point is the store would have only made money on one of those items and it was the carrying case that was marked lower than the stuff inside of it.

I'm not accusing the customer herself of doing this, but after I rang up what she intended to pay for I made sure the MOD knew the register I was at and what time it was so she could inform the loss prevention officers.

[Dave1982]

Good catch.

[LillFilly]

Nice! Good job! I thought that was pretty much standard practice to look inside luggage/bags/totes at the register. Heehee, you caught her and didn't even have to make any accusations!

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Nice! Good job! I thought that was pretty much standard practice to look inside luggage/bags/totes at the register.

It is, or at least it should be, but there's always those cashiers who don't give a rip and will just scan the suitcase/tote/bag through without looking inside.

[Merriweather]

Good job, hope your manager recognizes that.

I hate how so many stores don't even bother to teach employees to check things like that, they accept theft as a cost of doing business, don't do much, if anything, to prevent it, then just pass on the cost to the customers.

[Seraph]

That's a pretty neat grab O_O

I hope they get everyone to start watching out, because I guarantee you she will try it again, or someone else will.

[Flying Grype]

I... almost inadvertently did that once. I saw a suitcase and it had a few little makeup totes etc. inside it, so I dragged it to the cash thinking that it was all part of a set. I didn't zip up the outer bag, though. The cashier took the inner ones out and scanned them (my first clue should have been that they had separate bar codes, even though there were no price tags) and I said that if they were separate I only wanted the big suitcase.

[NateTheChops]

Good job, hope your manager recognizes that.

I think this was the cherry on a cake as far as how I'm doing so far. I told the tale at the evening huddle and the mods reiterated the LISA and BOB policy.

[bainsidhe]

Nice! Good job! I thought that was pretty much standard practice to look inside luggage/bags/totes at the register.

As well as check between stacks of totes (people hide small items), check inside trashcans, pick up or bump big boxes (for example people open a dollhouse and hide "extra" goodies inside), also check comforter sets by reaching in and feeling around (people steal the matching sheet sets), etc etc etc. People suck.

[MoonCat]

Wow. I would never have even thought of any of that. It's pretty sad that so many people will try things like that.

[raudf]

Good catch!

My favorite is when they go that extra mile and not only put things in the tote.. but change the UPC for one that is for an item of a much lower price! Smart ones will look for a cashier either in the zone or doesn't care (high IPH requirements do that to a cashier) and try to wiggle the whole mass by them.

Not me. I was rather amused when the BOSE speakers that ran $150 came up as a $1.50 travel mug. And another stuffed a tote full of clothing, then got greedy and swapped the UPC for a mixing bowl. I found an "glitch with my register, let me get the CSM to fix it," excuse to let LP know. I, then caught Mr. BOSE again a week later, when he decided to go through my neighboring cashier's register.

[Rhania506]

I... the LISA and BOB policy.

I'm sorry. What?

[Kristev]

Bottom of basket policy. Consumers try to sneak things by hiding them in the part of the trolley that's under the basket but above the wheels.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

I'm sorry. What?

LISA= Look Inside All (rubbermaid totes, bags, luggage, etc)

BOB= Bottom of Basket (the part of the shopping cart beneath the basket where large items can be hidden).

[Null Requiem]

There is a sign in the break area at my store.

All cashiers watch for LISA, BOB and MITCH. (Merchandise in the customers hands)