Archived What do store side TMs think about AP?

[gsa4lyfe]

AP and TPS are the same to me, in that i dont know the difference. They're cool at my store. But since I don't see the work they do, it's pretty easy to think they just do nothing all day. I have seen seen them burst out of the AP office to catch someone at the exit though so that was awesome.

Well a TPS is AP (Assept protection) but I assuming your referring to not knowing the difference between APTL and TPS or APS and TPS.
There are four levels of AP depending on your store theft level.

AP-ETL: everything APTL does plus being a key carrier, salary, and occasionally LOD shifts although most groups/districts have gone away from that since they are usually needed doing AP things.

APTL: They are everything AP related from apprehending, tracking metrics, coming up with plans and working with APBP to deduce shortage and most certainly catch internals. Occasionally plain clothes but typically in red/khakis

APS: 100% plain clothes and typically their only purpose is to apprehend and get numbers. Usually only high theft stores have them.

TPS: this can very depending on your district and AP team but they either assist the AP ETL/TL with all things AP related or they’re a door guard that checks receipts and does inventory counts. This position can either suck or be awesome.

Full disclaimer: I don’t know all things AP and I know there is a ton more that all positions do and I respect all AP positions but this is just my opinion on what each position is like.

 

[idkwhattodo]

We all love our ETL-AP. Our APTL and APS are cool as well. I’m definitely not as close with them as a lot of tms, but i always say hi. Mainly I never know when is a good time to say hi the undercover APS. I don’t want to get in his way.

Our TPS guys have always been chill with most tms. One switched over from being a cashier, so everyone knew him beforehand and our others are alright. We don’t really treat them any differently than any other tms.

 

[BullseyeBlues]

I miss our old ETL AP. He was awesome, basically the store dad. If somebody was late or something he called to make sure they were okay and hadn’t been in an accident or anything. One of our old TPS was actually a police officer in a different county or something looking for some entertainment (he was a major prankster). Another TPS I knew from college because our criminal justice classes overlapped. He was probably the biggest prankster the store had seen, eventually left for a police job somewhere else in the county. Last few APTLs have been guys about my age. When they’re in plainclothes I just treat them like any guest unless I can tell they’re seriously pursuing someone, in which case I pretend they’re invisible. They’ve been damn good at what they do, considering we’re considered a low threat level store, because the local police practically use our booking room as another office since they’re swinging by so much.

 

[SDTMsg]

My AP is amazing. We both use to work in the same department before coming AP. (TPS)

APS is extremely cool, always undercover and the store loves to partner with APS because they like the satisfaction of helping give info to AP if it ends up leading to a apprehension.

ETL AP is cool, kinda blunt so it’s a like/hate at first meet type of guy. But I’m cool with him so that’s all that matters.

 

[restroomFollowUp]

I for one think AP does one of the most interesting jobs at the store, watching them catch bad guys while I'm just at the boat is kinda cool. But it gets kinda sad when employees are the targets of their investigations. It all makes sense and obviously if someone is stealing they should be let go but it's just really sad to all of us when it happens.

 

[can't touch this]

I for one think AP does one of the most interesting jobs at the store, watching them catch bad guys while I'm just at the boat is kinda cool. But it gets kinda sad when employees are the targets of their investigations. It all makes sense and obviously if someone is stealing they should be let go but it's just really sad to all of us when it happens.

I'm sure they would much rather go after an employee vs. a random subject because TMs are much less likely to get violent and come at you with a knife when confronted

 

[SugarSugar]

Depends on who it is, but I find when tm switch to AP, they tend to be more serious and not as talkative to reg. tm's. They rarely smile anymore. I read somewhere that AP shouldn't be too friendly with tms because of conflict of interest, but I feel its also hurting them.

If tm's are intimidated by AP, you think there gonna call out a suspicious guest? Less likely.

Also, we had 1 TPS who was a huge asshole, you think I ever reported a suspicious guest for him when I should have? Hell no.

 

[itsajob]

I liked the AP leader we had and I am sorry that they got rid of him after he helped a COP a little too much during his first bust. On a bright note workers comp will have to pay his medical bills and I would think that he can get workers comp, as well for his lost pay.

itsajob

 

[IWishIKnew]

Mainly I never know when is a good time to say hi the undercover APS. I don’t want to get in his way.

Ours told us at orientation to greet her like we would any other guest.

 

[Tessa120]

Ours told us at orientation to greet her like we would any other guest.

I tried doing that once, and the APS quickly disappeared among the racks. My guess is that doing anything to focus attention on him, even as a guest, is detrimental to being undercover. Now I ignore him.

 

[Stuff2]

A lot of TMs kinda view them as snitches to the leadership and/or think AP is really bossy, telling them how to do their jobs, etc. The ones that don’t are usually the people who understand what all AP does to look out for the store’s safety and the team’s safety, and probably have at least some interest in criminal justice. Basically, most people’s opinions of AP will closely mirror that of their views of the police. I’ve trusted everyone we’ve had as AP (something like an ETL AP, 2 APTLs and three TPS over the years from what I remember) knowing they’re just doing their jobs and protecting the store’s bottom line as well as the team but I’m probably an outlier.

My views of AP and cops really don't match at all. I keep cops at arms length, while I would touch base with AP at least once a shift. I used to work in a liquor store in a high crime area that skimped on security. When I have security, I value it, and I was an Electronics TM at both my stores, so I was reporting things to AP, or being given heads up by AP, on a shiftly basis. I'd rather have them intervene than deal with shit alone. I also don't see why a store wouldn't have AP to keep an eye on us when I've seen employee theft happen before.

Cops I tend to be somewhat cold towards. I think they're necessary, and I don't hate them, but I can't trust them, either. I'm painfully aware of just how little accountability there is for any cops behavior where I live, and how many bigots are on the force. Yea, the individual cop I meet might well be a great person who takes their duty seriously. Such cops certainly exist. Problem is, when bad apples do bad shit, the system usually covers for them, and the bad apples know this. They can largely do what they want without repurcussions. I can't distinguish between good and bad apples until I'm on the wrong end of somebody's temper. Lots of cops are good people, but I don't know if I'm talking to a good person or not. So I minimize any interaction with cops, because I don't feel safe around them.

 

[can't touch this]

At my last job as a night cashier I had to call the cops on a fuck ton of demonic tweakers lurching around the store hissing like zombies. It was times like this that I almost wished the cops could actually do whatever they want (not really true) so that they would happily oblige my requests to pop a cap in they ass. Alas, no asses were capped.

 

[Black Sheep 214]

I tried doing that once, and the APS quickly disappeared among the racks. My guess is that doing anything to focus attention on him, even as a guest, is detrimental to being undercover. Now I ignore him.

I agree. I would talk to AP off the sales floor or on the sales floor if they were in red and khaki. I wouldn’t speak to undercovers on the sales floor unless they spoke to me first. That’s what I was taught to do back in the day to maintain their cover.

 

[garbage]

I can’t speak for regular TMs but when I was working at Target (as a TPS) the TMs loved the AP team. Managers hated us.

 

[2nice2people]

We love our AP. It might be different for us though, ULV so I only know of 3-5 TM getting fired but who cares? They were stealing. I'm not doing anything wrong so I have nothing to be suspicious of!

 

[Leo47]

I love my AP team. All of them (ETL, 4 TPS’s and 1 APS) are attractive and hilarious, easy-going people that I love being around. My ETL-AP recently started focusing more on GS and having our back with scammers and fraudulent returns unlike literally everyone else. I love them <3