Here's another one

[Mitzi]

When my son was 18, he and I were at a Christmas store and I was looking at some stuff. This clerk comes ups and says to my son and says, "Excuse me, sir, but you have to take your hands out of your pockets." He did so and she walked away but I really got mad. I said, "Excuse me, but did you SEE him take anything?" She admitted that she hadn't but she felt that he had been acting very "strangely" with keeping his hands in his pockets and it was a store policy anyway. I told her that when she SAW him put something in his pocket and then SAW him walk out the door without paying for it, she could do something about it. But, until then, she had absolutely NO RIGHT to tell a customer he could not have his hands in his pockets. She became very angry, I got angrier and the manager stepped in. He told me it was their POLICY to not let people have their hands in their pockets. I got REALLY mad then and asked to speak to the supervisor. He calmed me down and said there had to be a misunderstanding. He looked at the manager and clerk and asked the what in the h*** they were talking about. The manager told him it was a policy HE had decided to use and had said nothing to the supervisor. The supervisor became inscenced and sent the clerk and manager to an office where he said he would talk to them. He offered to give me a gift certificate. I told him there was no reason because I felt he had handled that well. He gave me a 20$ gift certificate anyway.
As I left, another clerk said, "I am so sorry that happened to you, Mam." I thanked her but I told her, if that "policy" had not be caught, they could be looking at some major legal problems. They were very lucky I'm a nice person. lol

[Snoopy1]

That was a stupid policy. I often have things in my pockets that I want while in or around the store.

It's a great place for car keys. Easier to find them in a pocket than in a purse. I have at times put my hand in my pocket just to be sure the keys were really there.

My shopping list or list of things to do that day.

Spare change. Sometimes I want to use it to pay the exact amount so I won't get another handful of change. Easier to find the correct coins in a pocket than to unzip the tiny change section of a billfold.

They would have fun with people like me.

[Silverbullet18]

lmao Snoopy1

[ 03-02-2002: Message edited by: Silverbullet18 ]

[klar]

Well I for one likes to walk around a store with my hands in my pocket playing with my change or just resting them in there. IF the store has a problem with that then maybe they would want to come and talk to me about it? But alas most people do not approach me as I scare them a little with my size and my attitude. I guess I will not get that news about that policy. Oh well I will continue to place my hands in my pockets then LOL

Klar

[InSane1]

Good for you Mitzi! I would have went Ape Sh*t! now take that gift certificate in there with a pair of cargo pants on and stick you hand in every pocket twice just to see if they freak on you again. lol.

[Jman]

You can see it now:

Clerk: "That will be $13.47"

Shopper: "Ok, but my money is in my pocket and you won't let me put my hands in my pockets. So I guess you'll just have to give me my merchandise."

Don't think that would go over very well with coporate.

J

[Joseph]

Insane1 I like your post. As long I am not stealing anything I'll stick my hands where ever I want. Spend that gift certificate.

[Mitzi]

hahaha I loved your replies. I won't go back in that store. I did one time and could tell they really are now paranoid about shoplifting. They have so many signs up with different things about shoplifting, it's unbelievable. Huge mirrors, one sign said, "YOU are being watched"....I understand all this in a way because shoplifting is such a huge problem. But, a lot of us AREN'T shoplifters either. It became obvious to me that certain "shoppers" in this store were really just people they had hired to follow people around to see if they shoplifted. (lol They were SO obvious, I saw other people watch them. They were really bad at "pretending" to be shoppers.)When I dropped something and picked it up and put it back in my basket, one of them started tailing me. That did it. I left without buying anything. They will never get my business again.

[ 03-05-2002: Message edited by: Mitzi ]

[Jeffrey]

Here in Colorado, most major retailers have policies similar to where I work (Sears electronics). As associates, we cannot approach a customer and ask them to put an item down. We definatly cannot touch them. Only AP (asset [some people drop the last two letters] protection) can stop them. The mom and pop setups are the complete opposite. When I worked at RadioShack, we just "took them down."

[Friday]

And then there are the employees, who can really take you to the cleaners! They know what the security is, where the hiding places are to stash stuff, have friends helping them, and have figured out how to scam return receipts, falsify credit card charges, mess up the cash register, and so forth.

If you want to see a security scramble, go up to a casino employee(dealer) and give him/her a hug.

My opinion from personal experience and from security articles I read, employees steal as much or more than customers!

Vote with your feet and wallet!

Friday

[klar]

Yes you are right Friday. In my experiances I have busted as many employees as well as customers. We (the security people) would go into the store after closing and move cams around and place cams inside walls with pinholes to capture employees. I rigged a rail system in one store so we could move a cam at will to be above any cash register in the store. Thios way we would be able to follow a cashier from drawer to drawer to catch them if they were thieving.

As I left sams club this past evening I thanked the exit person for treating me as a thief. HE looked surprised and did not know how to respond. I am thinking this is a good way to show how much I dislike being thought of as a shoplifter.

Klar