A lot depends on the store and your ETL-AP. I worked at a few different stores as a TPS and each one was different and held all the rules with different weights. For example, my first store we were in the top 3 in our group for 3 years for # and $ of apprehensions, but we also had the most relaxed ETL that could have retired at any time, so he could have cared less as long as we didn't get hurt, he would keep the bullshit off of us. While the last ETL-AP I worked for was fresh out of college and no experience and had checklists for everyone and if we didn't get them all done we would get written up. We also finished dead last for numbers by a long shot, and horrible inventory shrink. Probably because everyone was doing checklists and not watching people.
From my experience, we have had GREAT APS's that are on the floor walking around 99% of the time and good APS's that sit in front of the cameras for 99% of the time.
To get better results have a flexible schedule. If someone keeps coming in and stealing at 8:01am every other day, its time to switch your schedule until you catch the guy, don't just wait until he happens in when you are there.
You will want to follow the rules that they explain to you, but generally to get GREAT results you probably have to bend some, but know that there is a risk/reward each time. AP Team and specifically APS is by far the easiest position to get fired from, most times there is no warning, its one strike and your out.
Get friendly with the whole team, once in awhile stop and talk, help them out for 10-20 minutes before continuing your search. Its amazing what they will start blabbing about even as a TPS I have caught multiple leads on Internal theft this way. Just keep hinting that your only there to catch external bad guys not watch employees, that's just the ETL-AP, not the rest of the team, we could care less
But also help them out and be friendly because they will start calling you about suspicious people. 99 out of a 100 will be a waste of time but that one could be a giant and you don't want to miss it because your a jerk and that team member didn't care if 10 TV's loaded onto a shopping cart got pushed out the front door.
If you are low on apprehensions and just want to pad the numbers, find a good hiding spot or move some additional cameras to accessories (wallets, purses etc.) and/or lingerie Its like shooting fish in a barrel. Not high $ but you can get a couple a day if you focus on the high school age kids going into that area, and for the most part they won't fight or resist, downside is you have to deal with waiting for parents to show up if under 18.
If you are watching on cameras and see their eyes look to the ceiling, they are about to conceal within the next minute, fact!
Cosmetics items will probably be the highest theft, but the generally the riskiest apprehension since everything is so small.
Change up your patterns and what you wear. Don't keep walking laps around the store. Pretend to shop, grab a hand basket and select items, read labels, zig zag through aisles, make it look like your shopping.
Just some tips from what I remember of being in AP, good luck.
