I'm a retail employee. I was watching a customer and watched them shoplift an item from the store. I waited for the person to leave the store before I confronted them. Once outside the store I asked the person if he/she would like to pay for the item and when he/she denied taking anything, I asked if I could check his/her bags. I touched his/her flowers completely forgetting that it's a no-no to touch a customers belongings. Is the person able to take legal action against me for touching his/her belongings or defamation? Can he/she claim defamation/humiliation due to the conversation being overheard? I did not mention the term "steal" or any words relating to it. She also came into the pharmacy to completely empty her bags on to the counter and he/she was throwing it all over the place so some items I had to stop from dropping on the ground etc. She was also very upset and crying. In the end I was unable to see the shoplifted item and she left the store.
2006-12-01 17:03:09 · 12 answers · asked by Gleich ^ 1 in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
Your store doesn't have a policy that you take the shoplifter to the loss prevention room and wait for the police to come? That would be the safest way to CYA....Cover Your A......
2006-12-01 17:07:23 · answer #1 · answered by UNI Panther 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Call the police to report the incident and your company should have their own incident report, if they have their policy and procedures in place? A police report will add validity to what you witnessed. Does you store have cameras? You mentioned that the woman went to the pharmacy and emptied her purse, usually if you have a pharmacy, you have cameras. When you approached her, after exiting the store, you did the right thing, verbally, but could she have dumped the merchandise outside (garbage can? under a car?) and was anyone with her? Always call police. Usually, depending on your local laws, the police have probable cause to search suspected shoplifters and most of the time they find other merchandise stolen from other stores. Should the $$ amount of merchandise stolen be equal or over $1000.00, it's a felony. Your crying is exactly what a thief wants, to intimidate the employees. A "rude" customer is a sign, they want to intimidate you into leaving them alone. Don't cry, your approach was verbally legal and call the police. Even if the thief has left your store, the police will be on the look out and I would call local merchants to worn them and give a description. Tis the season for shop lifters, good luck!
2006-12-02 01:29:23 · answer #2 · answered by nanna 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
She could lodge a complaint with the store, or possibly seek some form of legal action...but I'd say that either are unlikely. At most, I can see her complaining to management.
You may want to look up the policy your store has in place for shoplifting. I know all stores have loss prevention, and I don't think your method of dealing with it would be considered acceptable by any standards. Educate yourself so you don't risk losing your job over a silly mistake.
2006-12-02 01:13:00 · answer #3 · answered by Sativa 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
An employee of a retail store has every right to ask a suspicious person to come back into the store or empty his or her shopping bag or purse. How else would you catch these people? If they refused you should have called a security officer or called the police. Every store allows their own policy however, and even if the shopper has enough money to take you to court, you would only explain your suspicion, and as long as you did her no bodily harm, and it was an innocent mistake, you can only apologize. However using unnecessary force or touching her in a harmful manner, is a No No!
2006-12-02 01:13:17 · answer #4 · answered by bpember744@sbcglobal.net 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It's a standard ploy. They bring a bag full of s*** (my abbreviation, not Yahoo's) and continue to fill the bag up. Just don't let them back into the store. There is not much else you can do at this point.
And next time, QUIETLY take them upstairs to have your conversation. She made a chump out of you with her performance of bag emptying on the pharmacy counters.
2006-12-04 01:06:08 · answer #5 · answered by jloertscher 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The question is, if someone did not do anything, then why don't they just politely show you the items and reciept. I say she is guilty because she refused to show you proof of purchase. You should have asked her to come inside to the office to check the items. She can whine all she wants, and you'll have to control your temper as well. You cannot touch them or their belongings. That is the hardest thing not to do.
2006-12-02 01:15:16 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It sounds like you're taking your job W-A-Y too seriously. Seems like this should be left to security. If you're not trained by your company to confront shoplifters and provided with a policy that the store will back up, you need to leave it alone.
2006-12-02 01:12:52 · answer #7 · answered by Ms. Switch 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Personally, she will not take any action against you or the store, as the question of her potential guilt in the incident comes into play
2006-12-02 01:07:54 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
If it was me I would sue the suspect for putting me in a situation that has caused me a considerible amount of mental anguish. By forcing me by the actions observed to confront the suspect causing my blood pressure to be elevated.
SO there !
2006-12-02 01:53:05 · answer #9 · answered by caciansf 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If no one saw you touch her things, deny it.
I'm inclined to think you won't be hearing from her at all because she knows she's lucky she wasn't arrested.
If she was innocent she would've been mad and demanding to see the manager. But if she was upset and crying, she just wanted to get out of there.
2006-12-02 01:13:28 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋