In his Times-Dispatch column, Stu Neal, Director of the Center for Entrepreneurial Development, points out an important offshoot of customer service that is often overlooked: it deters theft.
Mr Neal notes that there are two groups of thieves: professionals and amateurs. Quoting verbatim (with permission):
Professionals. They steal products, usually expensive and high-end items, that can be quickly sold. They usually have a ready-made market for what they steal. They may even be stealing items to fulfill a "shopping list" provided to them by those who fence the products.
These pros are good, using custom-designed clothing, bags, even custom-designed baby carriages or strollers to steal.
What professional shoplifters don't want is to be noticed - they want to blend into the background. Great customer service means greeting the customer to elicit a response, making eye contact, being close at hand, and many times being overly helpful. Exactly what the pros don't want. Having been noticed (and now identifiable), they are likely to go elsewhere, where the pickings will be easier.
Amateurs. For amateurs, shoplifting is usually a crime of convenience, more than a way to produce an ongoing revenue stream. These customers might see an item and have a question on price, quality, etc. There is no one around, and when they can't get help within a reasonable amount of time, they simply lift the product. They figure that if they are not noticed by that point, they won't be noticed stealing.
Once again, great customer service is the easy fix. If someone acknowledges them, or they know someone will be with them shortly, it is simply not convenient to steal.
Read more: Great customer service is best shoplifting deterrent
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