Archived Being AP friendly

[LilMissVO]

So, even though I'm not technically part of my store's AP team, I try to do what I can to help them keep track of frauders and thieves to the best of my ability. I saw on another post that some team members use code phrases to communicate with their AP team without alerting the "guest" that they're on to them.

That got me curious if there are set phrases that AP like to use or if they differ from store to store, team to team.

Without giving out sensitive AP tactics, are there preferred methods to commuicating and helping to keep a step ahead of scammers?

 

[On6]

Set phrases not really.

However since most AP people are trained at the same store in my district the terminology we all use is pretty common. That could be a district to district thing though.

As for preferred method of communication the best advice I can give is learn who your AP team is and their names. We like our people to call us just by name and not even mention AP over the walkie. Also don't broadcast what the situation is over channel 1. Go to a different channel first.

 

[NitroKing2110]

My district has preestablished "AP phrases"

Zone assist-Sketchy person
Register skim-Scammer/needs assistance at register
Damaged fixture-Immediate assistance required at whatever location for a potentially escalated situation

As On6 said, just call AP by their names, unless your store insists on doing things differently. My store is also super anal on internal theft now (TPS required to spend 1 hour per day looking at register footage) because we had a big problem with that, so cashiers are not allowed to K5-K1 essentially at all, and the only reason I manage to get away with it is I play nice for the cameras and clear my hands ala poker dealer (instructions given from the TPS)just to put a big bill under the drawer.

 

[Jill of All Trades]

cashiers are not allowed to K5-K1 essentially at all, and the only reason I manage to get away with it is I play nice for the cameras and clear my hands ala poker dealer (instructions given from the TPS)just to put a big bill under the drawer.

1. Why are you putting big bills under the drawer?
2. Why aren't you doing it when the drawer is open anyway?
3. If you must, why not use the slot on the front of the drawer intended for that purpose?


edit for content:

We don't so much have catch phrases as we have an etiquette to how you call for assistance.

"Hey hardlines 4, can you swing by guest services when you get a chance, no rush?" means "I have something to tell you in person but it's not urgent." or "something sketchy happened but the guest already left."

"Hardlines 4, please come to guest services for assistance" means "there is a sketchy guest here now, I could use backup"

"Hardlines 4 I need help at guest services" = "run please."

 

[NPC]

We don't have any code words or phrases at my store, though I would love it if we did. I just inform AP of incidents as soon as they happen. I'm pretty bad at calling them by their name though. Half the time I'm not sure who's the AP for the day, so I just call "AP" over the walkie and then switch to a different channel.

Despite using different channels, I had a guest overhear TM's talking about him over the walkie. I was in Guest Service when this man came to the desk asking why they were talking about him over the walkie. The conversation wasn't on Channel 1, so I had no clue what he was talking about. I just told him, "I don't know, I haven't heard anything." After that, he removed a bunch of merchandise from his pockets (trial size deodorants and such), and then left the store. I thought to myself, "WELL MAYBE THAT'S WHY!!!"

Anyway, just partner up with your AP and just ask what you can do to help. If I can't inform them right way, I write myself notes of exact times, locations, and what happened so I can tell them later.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

http://www.thebreakroom.org/index.p...sets-protection-thread.29/page-20#post-203870

 

[On6]

We don't have any code words or phrases at my store, though I would love it if we did. I just inform AP of incidents as soon as they happen. I'm pretty bad at calling them by their name though. Half the time I'm not sure who's the AP for the day, so I just call "AP" over the walkie and then switch to a different channel.

Despite using different channels, I had a guest overhear TM's talking about him over the walkie. I was in Guest Service when this man came to the desk asking why they were talking about him over the walkie. The conversation wasn't on Channel 1, so I had no clue what he was talking about. I just told him, "I don't know, I haven't heard anything." After that, he removed a bunch of merchandise from his pockets (trial size deodorants and such), and then left the store. I thought to myself, "WELL MAYBE THAT'S WHY!!!"

Anyway, just partner up with your AP and just ask what you can do to help. If I can't inform them right way, I write myself notes of exact times, locations, and what happened so I can tell them later.

You just got yourself a PMR. Hope you let AP know so they could document it.

 

[NPC]

You just got yourself a PMR. Hope you let AP know so they could document it.

What's a PMR?

 

[BadWolf4531]

No unique terminology where I'm at, besides the typical "Have you seen Bob/Lisa today?" that we will ask the cashiers.

There are times that our TPS requests we not call her by name over the walkie. We've had regulars in the past that picked up on her first name and thus knew when she was in the building.


In terms of calling:
If I ask for Hardlines 4 and wait for a response, it means it's not that urgent.

If I say "Hardlines 4 to (insert area), Hardlines 4 to (insert area)," it means MOVE YOUR @SS! Lol

 

[NitroKing2110]

1. Why are you putting big bills under the drawer?
2. Why aren't you doing it when the drawer is open anyway?
3. If you must, why not use the slot on the front of the drawer intended for that purpose

I do, but we have some TMs in electronics who refuse to, so I fix it. I also like to (partly because of me, partly because I want to make it easier for CO), bank face my bills.

 

[commiecorvus]

I do, but we have some TMs in electronics who refuse to, so I fix it. I also like to (partly because of me, partly because I want to make it easier for CO), bank face my bills.

I was trained to always bank face my bills but I was also trained to count up the change.
Big difference in learning how to work a till twenty years ago and now, I guess.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

What's a PMR?

Ok, I feel dumb, but what does PMR stand for?
PMR is productive merchandise recovery.

 

[mrknownothing]

How do I help AP? Unlike the majority of the team, I actually follow my store's procedure for reporting empty packages (scan it in the PDA, note it on the clipboard, and put it in the AP bin) instead of just throwing it into my re-shop cart like most of the team does. I also check for spider-wraps on certain high-value items when I'm zoning and call AP if any are missing.

To my knowledge, we don't have any codes other than Hardlines 4, 239, and 209 (the AP office). I remember reading elsewhere on here that one poster's store used Softlines B instead of Hardlines 4.