J.CREW: KILL 'EM WITH KINDNESS

nutshell: I never thought I'd like working retail as much as I do. Today, I had one of them feelings, when you realize, Retail really has some fabulous moments: when you become a pro-active sales associate, on the prowl, to stop potential SHOPLIFTERS. Now read by debrief on: "Shoplifting? Think again -- Kill 'Em With Kindness."

Time and Place of Crime Scene: J.CREW @ The Grove L.A. - Friday 5/2/03 - 6:00 PM on a Drizzling Evening

Crime Scene Situation: On the Retail Sales Floor: Threee Suspicious Teens demonstrating signs of potential 5-finger-ing, 2 Sales Associates practicing fabulous LOSS PREVENTION surveillance from the registers (Trisha and myself), and 1 FABULOUS MANAGER who located the suspicious perpetrators.

What Went Down: Manager noted that these 3 girls are frequent visitors of the store who always show traits of potential "winona" tactics. AKA 5-finger ganking. Manager has to leave for a moment to help a customer, but signals me to "keep tabs" on "3 girls in the front of the store." Jess slyly floats over to the front of the store and acts like she must find "some shelf she can't find, to put a pair of flip flops back into" and "re-fold an entire table of tank tops"... that.. *gasp!* just happen to be in the vicinity of the 3 girls.

Situation: 3 girls float around the front of the store: 1 in puffy jacket with umbrella aka Puffy, 1 in puffy pullover with big pockets aka Pullover, 1 in regular clothes with an umbrella aka Diversion. Puffy, Pullover, and Diversion float around and then Puffy picks up a pair of $48.00 white beach pants off the table by the front, the three walk over to the right side of the store and "chitter-chatter". As I focus intently on "finding the shelf that doesnt really exist" I watch for any suspicious activity. Puffy goes over to a table filled with Polo shirts and a tray with straw flip-flops. She picks up 1 $24.00 Tan Polo and 1 pair of straw flip-flops. The trio continue on the right side of the store, slightly huddled together, chatting away as I float around them to see if they are doing anything fishy. Puffy asks me, "Can I try these on?" I say: "Sure, right this way! Let me take those to the room for you" I open a fitting room for her, and place each individual item of hers down: A. White Beach Pants - Size M, B. Tan Polo - Size S, C. a pair of straw flip-flops. I ask for her name, and she says its BLANCA, I tell her kindly, "Blanca, my name is Jessica. Lemme know if you need anything else!" I leave the fitting room and ask I turn the corner onto the sales floor, Diversion comes up to me and takes me to the POLO table and asks, "Do you have a XS in the white polo?" I reply: "Lemme see if we do. I look through the table quickly. No XS. I tell her, "Lemme go ask the manager." I go ask Manager, manager says no. I return to Diversion and tell her we don't and so, Diversion and Pullover continue floating around the right side of the store and the front of the store.

I decide that it's been a few minutes, so I go and check up on Blanca.
Jess: "Blanca, how you doin' in there?"
Blanca: "Oh, I'm fine. Thank you."
Jess: "Ok, lemme know if you need anything."
(jess leaves to go help another customer with a fitting room. Jess comes back to Blanca's fitting room and Blanca comes out of fitting room with Tan Polo on and White Beach Pants in her hand)
Blanca: "Do you think you could get me a M in the Polo? And these Pants are a bit too long."
Jess: "Yes, of course. I'll go get you the shirt." (Blanca hands pants back to Jess, Jess gets the shirt for Blanca)
***now because the Manager had warned Jess of the potential shoplifters, Jess decides to peek into the pants, to see if Puffy had cut off the PRICE TAG and/or the SEWN-IN SECURITY SENSOR TAG.****
**drumrolll* Low and behold, Jess finds that the PRICE TAG and SEWN-IN SECURITY SENSOR TAG had be... CUT OFF!!! Jess hurries to tell the Manager of the situation.
Manager: "Jess, go check up on Blanca again and I'll keep an eye on the posse."
(Jess goes into fitting rooms)
Jess: (specifically said with enthusiasm) "Blanca, how is the Medium Polo fitting? And how are those slippers?"
Blanca: "Oh, they are great. I think I'm going to get both"
Jess: "Great!"
(Jess goes to find manager)
Manager: "Get her out of the room" ( As soon as manager says this, Blanca comes out of fitting rooms and goes to register, passing by Manager and Jess. Blanca walks over to register where sales associate sees that Blanca is a bit-sweaty and alert. Trisha: "Are you OK!?!?!?"
Blanca:"Yes." (not confidently, as she goes on to buy the polo and slippers)
**At this time Manager and Jess huddle closer to the front of the store and the door to keep tabs on POSSE and to see if they attempt to drop "sensor tags" in the store or steal. As POSSE is around the door area, customers are coming in, and to alert POSSE that "they are being watched", Manager and Jess great customers LOUDLY, "Hi, welcome to J.CREW!!!!!"

POSSE of Puffy, Pullover, and Diversion leave. Sans any J.Crew Merchandise. =)

AFTERMATH: After they left the Sales team searched the store to see if the SENSOR TAGS could be found, and BLANCA's fitting room was swept for any tags. No tags were found, but.........

LESSON TO BE LEARNED: ...evidence shows, BLANCA was indeed, a PERPETRATOR, along with her supporting cast of THUGS, attempting to STEAL WHITE BEACH PANTS, but because of the AMAZING sales team of J.CREW, the crime was thrwarted. And Justice prevailed. The Sales Associate team "KILLED 'EM WITH KINDNESS." Show 'em great customer service, let them know nicely that you are aware of every piece of merchandise they have with them and the perpetrators will.. RUN FOR THE HILLSSS!! If you ever think about shoplifting at J.CREW, think again. We will kill you with kindness, and have you running for your life. We're watching. =)