For years, store detectives have been out of vogue with Britain’s retailers, it is claimed.
Viewed as expensive additions to security provision, store detectives were by and large phased out. Chris Fieldhouse of contract guarding firm Securiplan, pictured, argues that retail security has become over-reliant on manned guarding as a result and is failing to use store detectives or modern technology effectively. Times are changing, he says, and the store detective is at last becoming a valued part of the retailer’s security package.
The store detective was once a common tool employed by retailers to combat in-store crime and shrinkage but as pressure to reduce operational costs increased the detective was phased out. In his (or her) place you usually see an army of security officers patrolling the average high street outlet – a cheaper but not necessarily complete security solution.
For many years now the role of the store detective has been misunderstood and undervalued. Many retailers fell foul of just looking at bottom line costs and failed to understand the impact a motivated team of store detectives and security officers can have on shrinkage levels and profit margins.
At Securiplan we provide both store detectives and traditional security offers, and such is our belief that the store detective has a vital role to play in retail security, that we gave two major retailers a free trial of their services earlier this year.
For one retailer, we placed store detectives and loss prevention officers in 13 stores and over four months they generated a 35pc to 65pc return on revenue (fee) at each store by dramatically reducing shrinkage levels.
While the second retailer was able to achieve an average return on revenue of 170pc in a one week trial in just one store, resulting in no less than 38 arrests.
So impressed were both retailers by the results and the fact that the detectives effectively paid for themselves, that they are now using Securiplan store detectives in outlets throughout the UK.
So why are our detectives so different to those used a few decades ago? We believe there are six key points that differentiate Securiplan store detectives from those historically provided by the rest of the industry.
The first is our unusual pay structure. Reflecting the importance we place on valuing and motivating our employees, we pay detectives an hourly rate plus a performance related bonus. But, unlike many other security providers, we impose financial penalties (a reduction in the size of the bonus) for wrongful arrests. This ensures that detectives are not tempted to increase their arrest rate, and so their bonus, by detaining innocent shoppers.
The second key difference between Securiplan and other security companies is our commitment to having monthly store visits. Many companies may claim to do this but in reality few deliver and, if they’re not on site frequently, it means they’re not across the changing needs and requirements of their clients and security staff feel isolated from their management teams.
Staff motivation and our commitment to continued professional development are also key factors in the success of our store detectives. We regularly move detectives from store to store to ensure they face new challenges on an ongoing basis. We also ensure that they have regular training and appraisals, and as their experience grows are given greater responsibility. Our recruitment criteria are also extremely strict. Anyone recruited for a store detective’s role must have experience of working in the security industry. They must have an interest in pursuing a career in security and essentially they must by capable of acting autonomously and taking the initiative when necessary. They must also pass the strict vetting procedures that Securiplan applies to all officers and detectives.
Once recruited, we invest heavily in training the store detective. Only by providing industry leading training that is tailored to the specific requirements of each individual client can we guarantee to provide a team of store detectives that will impact positively on our clients businesses.
Everyone, regardless of experience, gets a five day course tailored to the needs of the client and using every tool available from conventional presentations to workshops to the use of video and in-store video footage.
And last, but by no means least, we believe in a joined-up/integrated approach to security. It’s essential that one company provides both store detectives and security officers. By working as one team we are able to maximise the benefits of our operation and ensure that detectives and officers do not compete with one another but work together.
The success achieved by adopting this approach, means that the store detective need no longer be a big cost to the retailer. In most cases, so high are the reductions in shrinkage that the detectives actually pay for themselves and that’s before we’ve even considered the benefits of civil recovery.
Civil recovery enables the retailer to claim for damages against each person arrested by a store detective and convicted of theft. So the retailer not only recovers the cost of the stolen goods but also gets compensation which can be put against the operational costs of the business or specifically used to off-set the costs of store detectives and security provision.
Retailers as a result are now beginning to value the store detective. In the last few months alone, Securiplan has been appointed to provide store detectives by no less than four major blue chip retailers.
This trend looks set to continue and will undoubtedly benefit the retailer, the consumer and the security industry.
For more information ring Mike Goodman on 07747 898709.
