Security and Fence: A Retail Perspective

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At a high-risk retail location such as the one I have been working at these past three years there comes a time when you are asked to be both a security guard for the products you sell and fence for the thieves that steal them.

All-day long you are on the lookout for those that might be trying to shoplift. It's usually pretty obvious and the company expects us to thwart these no-goodnicks by simply offering them amazing customer service which is actually just direct, unwavering observation, assistance, and silent harassment. While you are attempting to thwart injustice you get called away to help a real customer and without constant observation, the thief strikes and soon, you watch them walk out and half the time they set off the buzzers at the front of the store. It's too late and they've struck again and everyone looks at each other as if we've lost another one. We have failed in our half-assed attempts to thwart the criminal from stealing the master's property. 

Secretly, but not that secretly, the masters don't really expect you stop most of the attempts. They expect the store to reach a certain amount of predictable loss (shrink) and it's more important to sell something and make money than to worry about petty theft. Even not-so-petty theft is acceptable as long as it isn't perpetrated by the employees. 

It gets so that when a man walks out with $400 worth of electronics or an entire $1000 laptop it's just the cost of doing business. The police may or may not be notified. I just hope they never pull a gun and go for the cash. Sometimes there is a ton of cash. But they know that it's a major crime to rob someone and they also know that shoplifting is such a minor offense that most folks won't try to stop them. And if you try to stop them with force you can get fired so you just have to watch them walk out with someone else's property. You think that it's your job to stop them and to protect your own job security and to protect the companies interest and if you care about the store you work in, the other people that you work with and adhere to general community ethics then you feel like it is the same as stealing from you. It could easily be you anyway.

Then, just after watching one leave another one enters. This one you haven't seen before but they certainly look the part. They look shady as fuck and walk straight to the return line and hand the cashier a bunch of random shit that was obviously stolen. Sometimes they come up with some excuse like their grandma bought the products a few weeks ago and now she just doesn't need $250 worth of Epson ink that just happens to be sitting on the shelf nearby unprotected. Your grandma spent over $200 dollars on ink she didn't need? Or the one with ten random day-planners that no one has ever purchased in those numbers before and happens to be the most expensive options when they don't look like they've spent more than $10 on their clothing, backpack, oversized coat, and two huge handbags. 

There is a rule that managers can refuse a return but managers aren't the ones at the registers most of the time. The ones at the register are typically younger, less experienced and barely trained. They don't understand the policy and since they are intimidated by both customers and managers they can't make complicated decisions about which policies to hold more strictly and which ones to break completely. They don't know how to professionally refuse the obviously douchey person trying to get money from nothing and some management teams might say to just do the return and some might say to use their best judgment.

The return policy also requires a receipt for a return except that telling someone that legitimately bought $100 purse just a day earlier that you won't give them a refund because they don't have a receipt is near suicide as they will either tell a higher-up that you were rude or they will just continue to argue with you until you just give up or they will say your racist or sexist or some other crazy shit. Dealing with an angry customer is no fun and to be avoided at all costs, for the most part. Having enough experience to understand when a customer crosses the line and demanding that they leave or you'll call the cops takes time to develop and the brand new cashier will just take the abuse most of the time until a manager steps in. 

Ultimately the policies should be straightforward. They should be easy for the customer and for the cashier. It shouldn't be a guessing game or a complicated algorithm of whether or not the customer deserves a break this time either because they are super nice or obnoxiously demanding. Managers should be able to make decisions about who is not a real customer and security should either be a priority or not. It feels like a priority but it really isn't. 

The contradiction occurs when someone thinks that the company wants to enforce laws. Companies, especially the largest companies, would rather the government never gets involved. Only when the problem becomes too costly do they resort to the police. This is due to two factors, as I see it. One is that companies and governments don't always mix well. Government's tax companies and inflict regulations that can make it difficult to do what the company wants and challenge what might make them more money. 

The second reason is that people know that the government and especially the street cops are not going to stop petty crime. They probably won't even show up. They don't have time and the cost is not worth it. It is technically a crime but so is loitering, littering and public indecency. The "man" doesn't have the men to enforce all the laws. Companies have security systems but those are not usually reactive and some companies have a security guard and if it is really important they will have more guards and real guns but balancing the cost a human guard and the liability involved is complicated. It isn't usually worth the fight when it comes to petty theft. 

When you work in an area that has extreme poverty and crime is rampant, especially petty crimes you see the stark difference between those vagrants and the majority of folks that are decent enough not to steal from you or show up too drunk and don't do hard drugs in the bathroom. These are the people to give great customer service and should be the real focus of the team but it is very distracting to have to judge all that come into the store in an effort to work as a deterrent to the baddies.  

It is demoralizing and confusing to be expected to be both the security guard and the fence. To watch people walk out with product just to have them or someone that looks like them bring it back and put it on the counter and lie to you makes you feel the opposite of empowered. They say that they bought the product but you know they didn't and you were always taught that lying and stealing are bad and that heroes stop criminals and the right thing to do is to expose liars. Well, too bad. Just ask them for their ID and don't cause a ruckus and the corporate masters will deal with it in their way. Just go back to selling and signing people up for harassment emails and giving people undeserved discounts because they say the word "coupon" in some configuration that passes as a sentence and trying to explain how shit works to people who don't give a shit about how it works, they just want it to work.

Working with the general public can be a frustrating mess and most people do not understand the hardships that the lowly floor staff deal with on a daily basis. The main goal of a business is to make a profit and in that pursuit, they need to maintain a positive reputation. This means erring on the side of the customer and not doing things that lead to negative press or legal action. This means that associates take on the complicated task of representing a companies interest even if the ones who make the rules never know who those associates are.  

Don't Get Caught Up: A Retail Perspective

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Don't get caught up in other people's emotions. Customers and coworkers will often times act as if they are in the midst of an emergency when they are not. Or they will act childish or rude. Or they will act as if you are the only one who can help them. This is almost never an accurate depiction of their situation. They might be trying to manipulate you into giving them a price break or, worse, they simply have no control over their emotions. Having empathy and sympathy is helpful in understanding and communicating with customers but getting wrapped up in their emotional states means that you stop being in control of your own autonomy and you can unconsciously take on their emotions. If this happens you can find yourself anxious, angry, fearful, hyperactive or otherwise mirroring someone else's emotions unnecessarily. 

When you're in an emotional state that inhibits your ability to look at a situation rationally you will not be able to think around the problem and solve it. Many times there might be no immediate solution available and you end up wasting a lot of time attempting to calm someone down or explain something when you really need to move on in a way that is direct and professional. Sometimes it is important to restart the conversation by explaining what is happening in an effort to regain control of your own participation in the interaction. Being honest about what you think they are expecting or what you think you can do for them can help stop the momentum of an interaction in an effort to lead it back on track to finding a resolution. 

This reminds me of the leadership principle of detachment from the book "Extreme Ownership" by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin. The concept of detachment is very important in retail as you represent a company that's goal is to sell products and create loyalty; not to have emotionally driven conversations with people who aren't interested in buying products or who think that it is appropriate to spew their problems onto you because you're obligated to interact with them.

If you have self-respect and maintain a professional demeanor you will not allow situations with customers to get heated or derailed too far. If a customer or coworker becomes abusive or disrespectful then it is up to you to hold them accountable and let them know that you do not accept that kind of behavior. 

I remember a time when I had to stop a customer from yelling at me and assert myself in order to regain control of the situation. I was working at a movie theater and part-way through a screening the projector malfunctioned and the speakers started making a loud screeching sound, disturbing many of the customers. I was a manager at the time and as I started issuing apologies and raincheck tickets I had an older man start to scream at me about how the sound hurt his ears and how angry he was, which was obvious. I listened for a few moments and then had to respectfully but assertively explain to the customer that I would not be able to do anything for them unless they stopped yelling. I told them that I understood that they were upset but that I would not allow them to continue to berate me. My tone and demeanor must have communicated my seriousness as the man stopped screaming and I was able to issue them compensation. 

One of the best things one can do in a situation where others are being excessively emotional is to be calm and to listen. Allowing someone to vent for a moment can be instructive but at a certain point, you must reestablish your authority and explain what you will do next. As an employee of any business, you are in charge of dictating what will and won't, can and can't happen for someone that is having an issue. Sometimes, this means explaining that you are not the best person to help them, which is another reason to not let a conversation linger too long without interrupting. Upset customers become more upset if they find that they stood in the wrong line or ranted and raved to the wrong person. By listening and remaining calm you can get straight to the matter and come up with a solution. 

It is also important to explain the process that you are using to solve a problem. If you come up with an idea to solve a problem you should not just enact the solution without letting the customer know. By explaining step by step what you are about to do or what you think will help you allow the customer to join you in the pursuit and show that you are on their side. Leaving them in silence or without knowing what you are doing creates confusion and may lead to them thinking that you have abandoned them. If they think this or think that you are incompetent then they will look somewhere else and usually with more fuel for their anger. 

All of this does not mean you should not have fun conversations with customers and coworkers, but even when you are generating rapport you should be able to detach and get a sense of whether you need to complete the sale or if you have time to continue the conversation or if you need to address something else. There might be something going on that requires your assistance. You may be able to simply tell a nearby customer where a product can be found. Taking a few seconds to check out your environment can help you stay detached and make you able to react to new situations.

Stay calm and pay attention. This is not easy and it takes a certain amount of discipline and control to maintain. It requires observing yourself in the moment and recognizing what is happening, both inside yourself and in the environment around you. It also means looking back at your decisions with criticism and objectivity. There are times when I have failed to maintain my composure or made a bad decision and it is in those times that I look back and try to prepare for the future. By accepting failures, owning them and looking to others for guidance I have grown better at dealing with the ups and downs of life, in and out of the retail environment. 

Smiling: A Retail Perspective

This is not attractive

This is me relaxed

I suffer from permanent bitch face. I look serious and mildly annoyed when my face is at rest. A few weeks ago I decided to make a conscious effort to smile more while at work. I never liked the idea of smiling for other people. The idea of pretending for the sake of other's comfort always seemed inauthentic and dishonest. I just told myself that I'm not a "bubbly" kind of person. I provide good customer service through expertise, not emotional positivity.


I decided to try an experiment though, not for others' sake, but for my own sake. To utilize smiling as a tool and the goal was to provide better customer service, attract people instead of repelling them, and to see what kind of effects a simple smile might produce. The effects were immediate.

The first step was to practice smiling in the mirror and when no one was around. I tried to think of something funny or pretending that I just heard a joke. This technique works very well. Instead of just looking like I'm squinting or grimacing or trying too hard. By smiling with the eyes and just a little bit of an upward grin creates a subtle and convincing smile.

After beginning to employ this new tool I found immediate results. It doesn't seem like it should be surprising but I was genuinely surprised that when I was smiling and someone looked at me it seemed that most people couldn't help but smile back. If I added a bit of eyebrow raise they couldn't help but engage with me as I approached them asking if they needed any help.

My interactions started off positive instead of neutral or dismissive. Even if someone wasn't particularly excited to interact they usually would put on a quick fake smile and politely say no thanks. There are still those that do not care much about interacting regardless of a positive face but the vast majority of people respond in a positive way to someone smiling and looking happy to help.

The second thing I noticed was more subtle but undeniable. The words that came out of my mouth while I was smiling sounded happier and more enthusiastic. When I don't smile and simply ask someone if they need anything it just sounds like an unemotional statement but when I smiled the words took on a more upbeat tone and I think a slightly higher pitch. I think that this comes across less threatening and more approachable. This effect even works over the phone. Smiling while talking changes the inflection to a more positive expression.

This looks genuine and positive

Another positive effect is that the more I smile the more I become emotionally more positive. I have heard of this effect from somewhere before so it might be an expectation bias but it certainly seems to be true. Smiling on purpose and more often seems to have a feedback to the brain convincing it that things are better off making you genuinely happier. This makes sense in that when you do things that add to your sociability you attract more positivity and engage in better interactions with others. This is highly desirable for social creatures that depend on others for success and our biology seems to reinforce this behavior.

Another positive effect of smiling is creating a bit of positive attention from females. When I smile at females many of them smile back which reinforces confidence in my ability to interact with attractive women. I come across as more approachable and confident with women and because I sound more friendly the interactions are more personal.

Also, when employing a smile it seems easier to add jokes or personal stories as the entire interaction is more friendly. If the customer responds well to the smile then it allows them to be more personal and tell me what they need as well.

Too much and it looks sarcastic

After about a week of practicing this technique at work, I started to find myself smiling when I wasn't at work and I found that the same results took place. When I would just walk around a store smiling people would smile back. I think when a person gives eye contact with a smile it comes across as both confident and attractive. People wonder what you might be like or why you are happy. Positive people want to be around positive people and negative people secretly want to be positive so you represent a kind of ideal when you smile and display confidence with eye contact.


What I have learned after doing this is that you don't want to smile too much which is also true of eye contact. Too much smiling, especially if the topic turns serious comes across as disconnected or unempathetic. The same is true if the topic turns fun. If you don't smile when someone says something they think is funny you can come across as unemotional, dismissive and unempathetic.

This is not a cure-all for customer service interactions. Some customers do not care at all that you are happy and I imagine that some of them are annoyed that you are happy as they are not. Body language is a very powerful communication device and understanding the effects of different behaviors helps one get the results one wants from social interactions.

I am reminded now of a Ted Talk about body language about not being your authentic self (below). When your job is to interact with others coming across as unapproachable will not lead to positive results so consciously altering your body language might not be completely authentic but it is a form of self-control that can help you better get along with others and get better results in life.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zpf8H_Dd40