Archived Pushouts and what can you do?

[cobycord]

i have a question, when it comes to guests pushing items out, what can you do? I had a first push out at least $700 worth of stuff the other night and despite yelling at her while she was walking to her car to show me the receipt I didn't know what else I could do. It was my fault she got out the door because when I asked to check out she flashed me a random receipt but after getting a bad feeling I started following her and asking her to see it but she was already tossing everything in the get away vehicle and all I could do was write down the number and send an email to AP so he could read it when he came in. What are the restrictions when it comes to stopping someone? Pretty much what I'm asking is how far can you go before YOU get in trouble for stopping someone?

 

[Firefox]

i have a question, when it comes to guests pushing items out, what can you do? I had a first push out at least $700 worth of stuff the other night and despite yelling at her while she was walking to her car to show me the receipt I didn't know what else I could do. It was my fault she got out the door because when I asked to check out she flashed me a random receipt but after getting a bad feeling I started following her and asking her to see it but she was already tossing everything in the get away vehicle and all I could do was write down the number and send an email to AP so he could read it when he came in. What are the restrictions when it comes to stopping someone? Pretty much what I'm asking is how far can you go before YOU get in trouble for stopping someone?

Are you AP? Because as far as I'm aware, only AP and the LOD are supposed to receipt check. Assuming that you aren't AP, all you can do is alert the LOD and AP about the issue. There is nothing you can do as a team member to prevent a push out aside from providing presence, but if they know you can't do anything then there really is nothing that you can do without an APS/APTL/ETL-AP present since nobody can authorize a stop on the guest and only AP can participate in the stop. I'm not AP though, so I may have gotten something wrong here.

 

[ElectronicsTM]

What are the restrictions when it comes to stopping someone? Pretty much what I'm asking is how far can you go before YOU get in trouble for stopping someone?

Unless you are an assets protection team member you cannot do anything in that situation other than make notes of what you see to give to AP. Doing anything at all like pursuing them (especially into the parking lot to their car) or asking for a receipt opens you up for disciplinary action.

You might as well ask if you can help load the stolen merchandise into their car.

 

[cobycord]

Are you AP? Because as far as I'm aware, only AP and the LOD are supposed to receipt check. Assuming that you aren't AP, all you can do is alert the LOD and AP about the issue. There is nothing you can do as a team member to prevent a push out aside from providing presence, but if they know you can't do anything then there really is nothing that you can do without an APS/APTL/ETL-AP present since nobody can authorize a stop on the guest and only AP can participate in the stop. I'm not AP though, so I may have gotten something wrong here.

Ugh that's so STUPID. They've told us TECHNICALLY only AP and ETLs can ask to see a receipt but if a GSA or GSTL does it then they wouldn't say anything about it. The fact that I have to let someone walkout with so much merchandise makes me mad. When the incident happened I asked my ETL if I could call the cops because I was literally watching them toss all the merchandise in the back of the truck but he said no.

 

[ElectronicsTM]

I had two people preparing a cart for a pushout the other day. They loaded it up with our expensive speakers, some blu-ray players, and more that pushed it well into the range of a felony. They were planning to stage their vehicle outside the fire exit near the back side of the building, push the cart through and load up. While the driver moved into position the second guy was doing a sweep of the area to make sure there was no one nearby to stop them. The moment he left sight of the cart I swooped in, grabbed it and took it to the electronics boat.

The confused look on his face when he returned to the aisle to see the cart was missing and his search of adjacent aisles for it was absolutely priceless.

 

[garbage]

It sucks, but Firefox is right, you cannot do anything. Also, NEVER EVER follow anyone, AP team isn't even allowed to do that. Next time they come in, alert the LOD and provide close guest service. That's about all you can do.

 

[JimmyTarget]

It sucks, but Firefox is right, you cannot do anything. Also, NEVER EVER follow anyone, AP team isn't even allowed to do that. Next time they come in, alert the LOD and provide close guest service. That's about all you can do.

False. AP can, and does. The people pushing out don't know who is or isn't AP. So why not make them uncomfortable and guest service them. It works about half the time. Make it look like you are following. Although I only recommend this if you are a team lead or above.

 

[cobycord]

I TECHNICALLY on the books went out to help the Cart Attendant get carts right by the corral they were parked by.....

 

[Retail Girl]

Yeah, you can't receipt check. All you can do is make your presence known. If they want to plow past you, there's nothing you can do, but remember as much as you can and write it down.

And most LODs aren't going to deal with calling the police and I suspect they are discouraged from doing so.

 

[emayf]

Ugh that's so STUPID. They've told us TECHNICALLY only AP and ETLs can ask to see a receipt but if a GSA or GSTL does it then they wouldn't say anything about it. The fact that I have to let someone walkout with so much merchandise makes me mad. When the incident happened I asked my ETL if I could call the cops because I was literally watching them toss all the merchandise in the back of the truck but he said no.

It's deftinely frustrating watching people steal things openly, but shop lifters can be dangerous/armed so it's best to let management and assets protection handle it

 

[anathema]

There's gray areas you can work around. Aggressively insisting you help a guest find a lane to pay for their merchandise is really the only one a TM can use. Boosters will plow right through you, though, petty thieves are usually deterred by phrasing your guest service in a way that you know the merchandise isn't paid for instead of just asking if they need help or if they paid for the merchandise. You could also send a cart attendant outside to "incidentally" see the license plate and have AP review. Only LODs and AP can receipt check, but depending on your store, this is overlooked all the time.

Never pursue into the lot, even to obtain information on the vehicle. It sucks having your stuff stolen, but at the end of the day, it's Target's merchandise, not yours.

 

[Catfish Rita]

Yeah the folks over in the AP forum actually helped me out with situations just like this at my store. I don't receipt check anymore, but I do "guest service" people like crazy when need be, and occasionally have my presence right at the front door. If someone pushes crap out, oh well.

What kills me though is how Target, in a way, is OK with $700 pushouts, but I can no longer give out $3 apology coupons. Whatever.

 

[targettom92]

Lods are not supposed to call cops unless directed by ap

 

[NPC]

Yeah the folks over in the AP forum actually helped me out with situations just like this at my store. I don't receipt check anymore, but I do "guest service" people like crazy when need be, and occasionally have my presence right at the front door. If someone pushes crap out, oh well.

What kills me though is how Target, in a way, is OK with $700 pushouts, but I can no longer give out $3 apology coupons. Whatever.

I think incidents like that are covered by insurance.

 

[garbage]

False. AP can, and does. The people pushing out don't know who is or isn't AP. So why not make them uncomfortable and guest service them. It works about half the time. Make it look like you are following. Although I only recommend this if you are a team lead or above.

I mean follow outside, because op said "It was my fault she got out the door because when I asked to check out she flashed me a random receipt but after getting a bad feeling I started following herand asking her to see it but she wasalready tossing everything in the get awayvehicle"

 

[Infinim]

Ya there is a big difference between following someone to their car, and apping someone right out side the doors.

And target isn't ok with just losing 700 dollars. The employee getting hurt or killed over 700 dollars is a lot worse. So making blanket ignorant statements like that is irresponsible. There is video, there is proof. The AP make a police report and they track the people down and do what they need to do. So why risk people getting hurt for 700 dollars? If you don't know the AP side of things and how things work, stop making up accusations about the process. Your safety is the number one priority over any merchandise.

 

[Bosch]

i have a question, when it comes to guests pushing items out, what can you do? I had a first push out at least $700 worth of stuff the other night and despite yelling at her while she was walking to her car to show me the receipt I didn't know what else I could do. It was my fault she got out the door because when I asked to check out she flashed me a random receipt but after getting a bad feeling I started following her and asking her to see it but she was already tossing everything in the get away vehicle and all I could do was write down the number and send an email to AP so he could read it when he came in. What are the restrictions when it comes to stopping someone? Pretty much what I'm asking is how far can you go before YOU get in trouble for stopping someone?

We had a TM ask to do a receipt check, she didn't know the person who had the TV(purchased in electronics) was a TM who only works morning early afternoons and was extremely pissed she was accosted by this TM. Who was acting like you. Blocking and following out into the parking lot. The TM doing that receipt check? Doesn't work for spot anymore. Another reason to not be AP. They weren't given a CCA, it was a straight term. We are told when we are hired and when the subject comes up, let them go, note what you see but LET THEM GO!

 

[On6]

Following someone out of the building during a theft can get anyone (including AP) in trouble. Don't do it.

I'll say it again. Don't do it.

 

[BadWolf4531]

Receipt checks should only be performed by AP or ETLs.

Situation: A guest is pushing a cart full of comforter sets into the exit vestibule. A GSA is at the doors and asks "Can I see your receipt for those bedding sets?" Guest says his wife has it (LIE), leaves the cart, walks out to the parking lot, and leaves. Is that GSA going to get in trouble for performing the receipt check and recovering the merchandise? Probably not.

But had the situation escalated (guest becomes argumentative, accuses GSA of profiling, guests starts to get physical, etc.), that GSA is not necessarily trained in de-escalation techniques nor certified in Non-Violent Intervention, as AP and ETLs are. That's when the coachings, CCAs, and terminations start happening.

The AP Directives are in place for a reason. Just like any set of rules, they do get bent or broken, depending on the situation. But if you decide to ignore those established guidelines, you are opening yourself up to the potential consequences and (in severe instances) the company to litigation.

 

[On6]

Receipt checks should only be performed by AP or ETLs.

Situation: A guest is pushing a cart full of comforter sets into the exit vestibule. A GSA is at the doors and asks "Can I see your receipt for those bedding sets?" Guest says his wife has it (LIE), leaves the cart, walks out to the parking lot, and leaves. Is that GSA going to get in trouble for performing the receipt check and recovering the merchandise? Probably not.

But had the situation escalated (guest becomes argumentative, accuses GSA of profiling, guests starts to get physical, etc.), that GSA is not necessarily trained in de-escalation techniques nor certified in Non-Violent Intervention, as AP and ETLs are. That's when the coachings, CCAs, and terminations start happening.

The AP Directives are in place for a reason. Just like any set of rules, they do get bent or broken, depending on the situation. But if you decide to ignore those established guidelines, you are opening yourself up to the potential consequences and (in severe instances) the company to litigation.

Pretty much spot on. I'll add that SR TLs are also allowed to receipt check. And if we are getting really technical only the LOD at the time can actually do a receipt check.

 

[Catfish Rita]

Omg I need those de-escalation techniques for my frequent flyer couponing guests.

"No, ma'am, we cannot accept these black and white copied coupons. Especially since the register literally just said "invalid coupon"".

 

[Makeshift TPS]

i have a question, when it comes to guests pushing items out, what can you do? I had a first push out at least $700 worth of stuff the other night and despite yelling at her while she was walking to her car to show me the receipt I didn't know what else I could do. It was my fault she got out the door because when I asked to check out she flashed me a random receipt but after getting a bad feeling I started following her and asking her to see it but she was already tossing everything in the get away vehicle and all I could do was write down the number and send an email to AP so he could read it when he came in. What are the restrictions when it comes to stopping someone? Pretty much what I'm asking is how far can you go before YOU get in trouble for stopping someone?

Only AP and the LOD can conduct receipt checks on guests. The best you would be able to do as a floor TM is provide guest service to the guest before they exit the store, and NEVER accuse them of attempting theft. Though you're probably right, it isn't worth risking your job, and a multi billion dollar corporation like Target would sooner fire you than risk a law suit. This is even true of AP, which is why we are restricted to guest service when conducting PMRs, and why we conduct APPs less frequently than most other major retailers.

That being said, as a floor team member it's better that you don't scare the "guest" off. If you see something, alert AP. They will save a picture of the subject and hold it for later. The next time the subject enters the store, they know to watch them and, if they push out, will apprehend them. Peoples who do miscellaneous merchandise push outs tend to be local and WILL return if they think they're getting away with it. I know the waiting sucks, but they all get caught eventually.

 

[anathema]

Do you know anything of the rate of other retailer's apprehensions? I'm curious to how Target matches up, especially considering our district is suffering this year so far. New directives, smaller budgets, and restrictive guidelines = more apps according to them.

 

[Bosch]

Our Apps went up when we got someone who is damn good at what she does.

 

[Rock Lobster]

Do you know anything of the rate of other retailer's apprehensions? I'm curious to how Target matches up, especially considering our district is suffering this year so far. New directives, smaller budgets, and restrictive guidelines = more apps according to them.

The goal is to improve inventory results. Apprehensions have little to no impact on inventory in the grand scheme of things. The leader in Target who came up with that as the solution deserves the same fate as Tina. Apprehensions being the solution to Inventory is the equivalent of the Vibe being the solution to Sales. Not only is there not a strong correlation between the two in both instances, but there is no change in resources to impact them in the first place. I feel bad for the ETLs who are in AP right now, because I consider the entire position a joke as is... Keep playing cop and robbers and saving the store a few grand (while we pay you 52-65K this year to do it). The ETL-LOG and Food who know what they are doing will save the store's inventory results literally 20-30x over and actually run a business too. ETL-AP is a waste of money IMO with the scope they are being given and I am not afraid to say that