I busted a shoplifter today

[skygazer]

I kinda feel bad, too, though I know I shouldn't. The thing is, she's a little old lady who's been shopping in our store forever and she's very sweet. I'd feel really bad if I thought she was poor but I know she's not. Also, I'd feel bad if it was food she was stealing but it's not.

I've noticed for a while that I'm always finding the little four-packs of wine (they have bottles the size of one glass of wine) with one or two bottles missing. It's annoying because they're not supposed to be sold separately and when a 4 pack is broken like that, I'm stuck with these little bottles that I can't sell. I've told the checkers not to sell them like that and they all claim they don't - well, today I caught the old lady putting two bottles in her purse.

I came around the corner behind her and said, "Hi," and she jumped out of her skin. She had her purse open in the cart and the bottles poised above it. I said, in a friendly way, "You know, I don't sell those seperately" and she said, "You don't?" and put them back. And hustled off.

Sad thing is, I noticed a pack of cigs in her bag, too (her cart was empty) and one of the other women at the store told me she'd seen this lady help herself to a pack when she came in. :( I didn't find that out until she was gone so she got the cigs. Makes me sad that now I'll have to keep an eye out for her. ~sigh~

[Blue Gardener]

1. At least you didn't call the police

That was kind of you. Maybe she'll stop if you keep an eye on her.

[Crazy Dave]

3. Ya' beat me Blue Gardener

:hi:

[Crazy Dave]

2. I'm glad you didn't call the cops

If you keep watching her I'm sure she'll get the message. Remember, any lost revenue, a little here, a little there, can hurt profits, salaries and benefits.

Be careful though if it's somebody that can cause you harm :)

[skygazer]

7. We're fortunate that we don't get too many

Not like some stores. Mostly it's kids stealing small stuff. We almost never call the cops when we catch them - just tell them not to come back. It's a small store so that generally works pretty well.

Every once in a while you get someone you have to call the cops on - people who are agressive or threatening. I think you're right - she'll get the message that we're on to her. I just find it sad and wonder what makes a person steal when they don't have to.

[Crazy Dave]

11. Me too

Like that "runaway bride" in Georgia. She was a privileged child, (as seen by the traffic ticket like fine and punishment), mommy and daddy's little angel but when she didn't get enough attention or whatever, she'd go out and shoplift.
I always feel bad for the small stores that can sometimes just barely get by. Last week a young boy drove off, saying he was going to get more money out of his car, for a quart of beer, left a dollar on the counter and then drove off. I gave the girl working the counter the $0.25 so it wouldn't come out of her pocket.

Oh yeah, the kid didn't even have a tag on his car.

[RevCheesehead]

4. We have an old lady klepto at our church's mealsite.

We literally have to follow her around the building, because she steals stuff, like toilet paper, soap, and anything else that happens to be laying around.

Just a reminder: Assholes get old, too - and age doesn't excuse stealing.

(and before anyone says it, NO - she's not in dire circumstances. She steals because she can.)

[trof]

5. All our stores have cigs behind the counter.

Customers can't get to them.
Some under lock and key.
Sad about the old lady.
You did right.

[skygazer]

8. Yes, ours are too

She went behind the counter and got them and the woman who saw her didn't think much of it because she's a regular and we all know her. Didn't know her that well, I guess. :(

[trof]

14. Wow. Pretty brazen.

I hope you scared her enough that she cuts it out.
Ciggys are now a BIG TICKET item.

[skygazer]

16. It's not really as brazen as it sounds

Several of our regulars have been known to do it and though we're not supposed to let them, the people who work the customer service booth where they're kept tend to be pretty lenient about it (something I've brought up more than once - I used to know a guy who was a professional booster and cigs were his main target. Easy, portable and simple to sell). The thing is, there's not always someone there to get them for the customer and if it's a regular, they sort of turn a blind eye. So it wasn't an unusual occurrence but I think it will be now because our assistant manager wasn't real happy to hear that she'd done that.

I know I scared her - she really jumped and that's good. She had to know that I knew what she was up to and she will find that I watch her like a hawk every time she's in the store now. So we'll see.

[richmwill]

6. "Keep an eye out for her"?

You should never let her enter your store again! Throw her out next time.

[skygazer]

9. Yes, keep an eye out for her

Everyone in the store is familiar with her and they all now know that she can be light-fingered. If it continues to be a problem, we may have to ask her not to return - until we know that, we are not going to toss her out. I don't believe in zero tolerance policies and I do believe in second chances. Call me a bleeding heart if you like (I'll thank you for it).

[trof]

18. You're a BHL*. Yer welcome.

*Bleeding Heart Liberal.
;-)
I don't believe in zero tolerance either, and if it weren't for second chances my life (and career) would not have been nearly as plesant as it was.
I believe in cutting the maximum slack.

[Ikonoklast]

10. When I worked in a supermarket

Some of the worst shoplifters were the older customers.
I know that some here will say that they were poor, and hungry, but for the most part that was not the case. Many of them I even knew who they were and drove newer cars and had nice houses. They also stole stuff that wasn't exactly needed for survival, sometimes the weirdest stuff. It was sad sometimes when some of them were caught, they were more embarrassed than anything.
The next biggest group was the women shopping with small children. One woman in particular that I remember would come in with her three screaming kids and immediately go to the cookie aisle, get a package of Oreos and feed them until they stopped screaming. She would then proceed with her shopping and hide the half-empty package on the back of a shelf, or in the frozen section. It took forever to figure out who was doing that, until one of her kids puked Oreos all over the place one day.
I could tell stories after 24 years in retail.
Loss control affects every consumer as those losses aren't absorbed by the retailer, but passed on to the other consumers that pay.

[Call Me Wesley]

12. I'm with RevCheesehead,

just being old and sweet looking doesn't mean they're all angels.

Keep a close eye on her; just let her know that you know.

[skygazer]

13. Oh, absolutely

I guess I feel kind of bad because she's a regular, she IS nice (just because you're a thief or a crook doesn't mean you can't be nice) and it really disappointed me. Yeah, that's what it is - it disappointed me.

I don't really think she's ripping us off every time she comes in and I do think our being aware of her and keeping close tabs on her will make her realize that she's busted and needs to lay off. And of course, if needs be, we'll throw her out.

[ScreamingMeemie]

20. and sometimes you're not a thief or a crook in the sense that you

are mentally ill, or starved for attention...or any number of things. You are a good person skygazer.

[bigwillq]

15. I wouldn't let her into the store anymore.

That would end the situation.

[maveric]

17. My Nana was arrested for boosting silly things she didnt need from K Mart

when she was getting up there is age. Its not like she was poor. My Grandfather left her pretty well off. She would just walk into K-mart and steal things like salt n pepper shkers, ashtrays (she didnt smkoe at the time), and ice cube trays. They caught her and took her to the precinct where they called my Ma to take her home. The local K-Mart never prosecuted though.

[LeftyMom]

19. My stepgrandfather woud steal things like that

He'd take things like chapstick, aspirin, etc. He could afford those things well enough (he had a pretty good pension as a retired Teamster) but as somebody who grew up during the depression (he was a dustbowl migrant to CA) he never really adjusted to having everything he needed and he'd steal because he was really afraid he was going to be desparately poor again any day.

It was sad. :(

[Shine]

21. Sounds like you handled it perfectly, skygazer. Good for you.

:thumbsup:

It IS sad, that it happened, though. Sigh...

[jpgray]

22. You're telling the story wrong

When you confronted her she pulled a gun, and after you gracefully executed a classic Mannix disarm--doubtless saving the lives of dozens--she claimed all the liberals and Democrats had ruined the country to the point where she needed to shoplift, and that they, in fact, had caused her single-glass wine bottle alcoholism. Then you calmly recited six reams of facts which she politely listened to, following which she saw the light in an instantaneous, Biblically orgasmic (you heard me) revelation, and your customers and employees chaired you through the city in an impromptu celebration of your wisdom, forbearance and utter greatness.

That's how you tell a story about your own actions on this board. :P

(sounds like you did the right thing! :hi:)

[BikeWriter]

24. I like your version, too.

[JVS]

23. You should have tasered her theiving ass!

Do you hate America or something?