New Poll: Do you feel Loss Prevention Professionals.....

[gooner]

A manager's attitude toward LP is not going to be changed because I've developed a working relationship with them. If they have been doing something a certain way (for example, not locking away easily pilferable items in the warehouse) because they trust their employees, I'm not going to change their mind. Even though most know and understand that most loss goes out the back door rather the front, some managers will not see the basic problem.

Is that LPs problem? Yes. Because we get looked at when there is a large variance after inventory. Can internal controls stop this sort of problem? Yes. But the Managers have to enforce these internal controls.

[Paradigm]

G'day from Brisbane Gooner & others

In the situation you describe, the LP is left banging his head against a brick wall in frustration. In those "no win" situations the best that you can do is to cover your rear end so when the problem is finally recognised you don't get it kicked for alleged lack of action.

If it were me, I'd be submitting a written report detailing the observations made together with recommendations for suggested action and forwarding that to the manager responsible, making sure it is clear you are seeking a reply from them.

Obviously retain a hard copy of this report (and make sure it is officially date stamped) so you can produce it when the smelly substance hits the fan later.

Common sense stuff? Sure it is, but in situations such as this, you have to take care of Number 1.

[gooner]

Cheers Paradigm! G'Day...and good luck at the World Cup.

That's so true. Lilttle story...not long, don't fall asleep...

Little shop...middle of no where....no LP coverage...but we visit every once in a while.

Do a survey...tell them their problems...give them a report.

Two months later the place is broken into and LOADS of stuff taken out.

End result....we were right, they were wrong.

[kwflatbed]

My personal opinion is I think that I get more cooperation from the store managers because I am not one of thier employees and I can go around a lot of thier store policy.
They also know that I have the ear of the DM's and the cooprate office if thier
cooperation is not there for us.

[audLP]

Just a small note Home Depot does anything but throw bodies at shrink. In a high risk store I am it 40 hours a week, when my store is open about 140 hours a week. If that is throwing bodies at it, would barely staffing LP be 0 Hours a week? LOL

[kawi97]

Originally Posted by kawi97

I agree with you omni...i think we are making a difference. When I look at the total shrink for the store vs. our recovery and other LP stats I realize how much more the shrink would be without our departments effort. I just wish the store management would have this attitude too and not look negatively on us becuase we're a non-revenue generating department or because they don't like hearing what they're doing is hurting the profitability of the store.

Thank you audLP for digging this thread out of mothballs. It's kind of weird to look back a couple of years. If I were asked this question now... I would have mixed feelings. One one hand, I do think that LP makes a difference. On the other hand, I see the points that Lynch brings up (small retailer, no LP vs. large retailer, LP presence).

[VeritasLPB]

Originally Posted by kwflatbed

My personal opinion is I think that I get more cooperation from the store managers because I am not one of thier employees and I can go around a lot of thier store policy.
They also know that I have the ear of the DM's and the cooprate office if thier
cooperation is not there for us.

I know this is an old message, but I'm resurrecting it.

I think the statement above may be one of the silliest things I've ever read on a LP message board. And I have read a substantial amount of silly statements.

You get more cooperation from store managers because you "can go around a lot of thier (sic) store policy." Is that really how you get cooperation? Going around policies or circumventing the store manager?

Going to the DM or Corporate (or cooprate at your company) Office might win you grudging level of tolerance from the store manager but he will likely bad mouth you to every other operations partner he/she has. It also demonstrates clearly that you have no desire to partner with him/her but instead prefer to ignore his/her opinions, do an end run around the system and if called out, resort to using your real or perceived influence with the higher ups to intimidate your way through.

What happens when that store manager gets promoted and becomes a DM or a Regional or a VP? What is their perception of the Loss Prevention department at the company? Will they see people in your position as partners or as hinderances?

What happens when that person is promoted to a position where he/she has budgetary control over the LP department at that company?

Think about that.

[Lost-Prophet]

Still working on how I feel about the quote, and I can't speak for KWFLATBED...but here is my take on that...having that ability without the need to use it or flaunt it is a good thing. Having the ability and using it for everything or flaunting it,....seems pretty silly. So there may be some truth to it....even though it wasn't presented in the most appealing wrapper.

YES--Ideally the cooperation and partnering skills should take care of that, but I think once those are exhausted and you get to the end of the road an option #2 is a very necessary thing.

Here is a scenario for example. Hypothetically I am an LPM who answers to the store manager. I have a store manager that wants to keep an interior door next to the cash room open. As a direct report, I exhaust every attempt to get that rectified, explaining the security situation, how it impacts the business, how making the area a soft target is a BAD idea for safety reasons.

Final answer is for comfort reasons the door stays open. He wants it to stay open....what is the option? With no ability to circumvent an insane decision like this, I would walk by that door everyday and either leave it open or play the open-shut game with the powers that be..... I think when you look at it like that it makes more sense.

[Lp2006]

I was reading past posts I though I would add my two cents in. To answer the question "Are Lp Professionals Making a Difference In The Industry", I would say yes. Everyone that works in Loss Prevention is working toward reducing shrink. I think if Loss Prevention didn't exist it would be much worse than it is. In regards to the issue stated in prior posts about working with managment. I can undertstand at times it can be frustating when you have a manger that dosen't value LP. From my experience , Lp must work with managment as a team, with that said, Corporate Lp and Regional and DM's need to make it aware to the stores that LP is vital part of store day to day operations and that its a "Team" effort not US vs Them kind of scenario. Because in that case nothing gets accomplsihed and everyone goes home mad.