How do they stay in business II

[Beeman]

I was in one of the big box home improvement centers, looking at tools for my Christmas list and talking to the salesman who was in his late 50's early 60's. He was apologizing for all of the drills being mounted so you couldn't pick them up. Said they're walking off with everything not nailed down. He said tool dept alone lost 70k in last 6 mo. Then got to the cashier who was also mature. The automatic door was broken and stuck open and she was right in frt. of it, cold day wind blowing. I asked why she was at that register when there were others out of line with the door. She explained she was a head cashier and had to be in frt. of the door to watch for theft. She explained how besides walking out the frt. door with merchandise they had another scam. They would come in the store and shop with a buggy for an hour or so. As they made the up and down of the aisles they would watch the frt. If there was no one at the frt. They would then ease over to the return desk and return all of the merchandise in the buggy for a store gift card, no cash without a receipt. Since there was no one to dispute that they walked in with the merchandise they would refund them the value. She said they would then go and sell the card for cash. She said the phone was tied up all day witrh people calling inquiring the value on the cards. They had to stop giving the value over the phone.

[Old Vet]

Originally Posted by Beeman

I was in one of the big box home improvement centers, looking at tools for my Christmas list and talking to the salesman who was in his late 50's early 60's. He was apologizing for all of the drills being mounted so you couldn't pick them up. Said they're walking off with everything not nailed down. He said tool dept alone lost 70k in last 6 mo. Then got to the cashier who was also mature. The automatic door was broken and stuck open and she was right in frt. of it, cold day wind blowing. I asked why she was at that register when there were others out of line with the door. She explained she was a head cashier and had to be in frt. of the door to watch for theft. She explained how besides walking out the frt. door with merchandise they had another scam. They would come in the store and shop with a buggy for an hour or so. As they made the up and down of the aisles they would watch the frt. If there was no one at the frt. They would then ease over to the return desk and return all of the merchandise in the buggy for a store gift card, no cash without a receipt. Since there was no one to dispute that they walked in with the merchandise they would refund them the value. She said they would then go and sell the card for cash. She said the phone was tied up all day witrh people calling inquiring the value on the cards. They had to stop giving the value over the phone.

They make you pay for the stolen merchindise by useing higher prices. If they had no theft or other scams runing the price would drop imensily.

[mylala]

Originally Posted by Beeman

I was in one of the big box home improvement centers, looking at tools for my Christmas list and talking to the salesman who was in his late 50's early 60's. He was apologizing for all of the drills being mounted so you couldn't pick them up. Said they're walking off with everything not nailed down. He said tool dept alone lost 70k in last 6 mo. Then got to the cashier who was also mature. The automatic door was broken and stuck open and she was right in frt. of it, cold day wind blowing. I asked why she was at that register when there were others out of line with the door. She explained she was a head cashier and had to be in frt. of the door to watch for theft. She explained how besides walking out the frt. door with merchandise they had another scam. They would come in the store and shop with a buggy for an hour or so. As they made the up and down of the aisles they would watch the frt. If there was no one at the frt. They would then ease over to the return desk and return all of the merchandise in the buggy for a store gift card, no cash without a receipt. Since there was no one to dispute that they walked in with the merchandise they would refund them the value. She said they would then go and sell the card for cash. She said the phone was tied up all day witrh people calling inquiring the value on the cards. They had to stop giving the value over the phone.

No in store video to check if they know this is a problem?

[tab]

Sounds like Home Depot. Some of the managers never argue. Some of them have a brain and tell a "customer" to go away.

[Ken Scharabok]

I suspect a lot of it is employee theft also.

[georgiarebel]

Originally Posted by Old Vet

They make you pay for the stolen merchindise by useing higher prices. If they had no theft or other scams runing the price would drop imensily.

+1 - It never ceases to amaze me how people can take something from someone and not have any remorse about it. As if, they think they are entitled to it somehow.

[Beeman]

It amazes me how they would rather lose merchandise then staff the store enough. I noticed the other Home Improvement store had a door greeter to prevent the return scam like Wal-Mart does.

Employee theft is probably a tremendous problem also which is why they seem to be hiring older workers.

I doubt prices would drop it would just allow profits to rise.

[mnn2501]

Originally Posted by Beeman

He said tool dept alone lost 70k in last 6 mo. .

$70K in 6 months is $388 a day. Assuming they are open 12 hours a day and they pay their employee's $10 an hour, they could have 3 extra employee's walk the tool area every hour of every day and still not spend all $388.
Think 3 extra sets of eyes would cut down on theft? I do, and it would employ more people while saving the store money.

There's an old British saying I that have not heard in a while that fits here "penny wise and pound foolish"

[YuccaFlatsRanch]

No brains - No headaches.

Home Depots 'throw away" in excess of $1000.00 a day anyway. Mark it down to zero and in the trash it goes.

[clovis]

I was at Home Depot yesterday, and was having problems with the self scan checkout lane.
The assistant manager, and two cashiers tried to wave me thru the line, and I had to explain that I hadn't even paid yet.
Because of the Black Friday sales, and the huge crowd, the employees were doing everything they could to clear the checkout lanes.
It would have been easy to steal over $200 worth of items if I would have wanted to be a thief.