Dishonesty among staff members is one of the worst things employers have to deal with. Checkout theft prevention strategies in the retail sector save money and stock.
You might imagine that till rolls and computer technology would eliminate a lot of theft at the checkout. But with determination and expertise someone intent on theft can often achieve it when in a position of trust.
Theft from Asda
Nothing highlights this point more than the recent conviction of Tracey Crowley, who stole over £34,000 in just 8 months from the Marple Asda, near Stockport. She not only stole cash from the end of day total checkout money but also from the self-service tills.
Employed on an annual salary of £14,500 Crowley sometimes stole £1,500 per day in her role as Service Section Leader. Handling, controlling, supervising and cashing up of money were all part of her responsibilities. The theft began when she got into debt. She managed to hide her crimes by falsifying accounts on the store’s computerised system.
Identifying checkout theft
Naturally if the till doesn’t balance at the end of the day the people working on that till will be suspects. However, finding out which one of them stole from it may be more difficult if you haven’t got security cameras. Alarm bells should ‘ring’ if there are lots of refund or no sale transactions. These often feature heavily in cases of stealing from tills.
The first step is to interview each member of staff individually, asking them for their assistance in resolving the matter. Requesting their help won’t put them on the defensive, whereas accusing them will. Those who are innocent may offer important information or observations that you hadn’t thought about.
Checkout theft prevention through employee screening
More and more of the larger supermarket chains are choosing to include lie detector tests in the recruitment process. Together with a perfect CV, clear criminal background check (when applicable) and passing a polygraph examination the integrity of an employee is not in doubt.
Investment in diligent employee screening saves you both time and money, knowing you are employing trustworthy and ethical people. The likelihood is that employees who have gone through the screening process will also stay longer, which saves on training costs.
If you would like more information on Checkout Theft Prevention or polygraph examinations to enhance your recruitment process contact us. Our highly qualified examiners will be pleased to share their experience and knowledge with you.
