Store detectives (old thread 2.aug.2006)

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legend99

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Had an experience last night in a large store.

I was clearly being followed by a store detective by 20 minutes. Just to check it I went down a number of aisles and doubled back and each time he bumped into me. He wasn't very good at not standing out. At least 6 times he bumped into me in a store of 20,000 square feet or something.

I flipped and went straight to the manager and demanded to know what the issue was. He first off flatly denied they had a store detective. I told him not to insult my intelligence. He then switched to saying he wouldn't know what the store detective was doing and I pointed out that as he was the manager he could call him over and ask him.

Eventually he did and the detective denied even noticing me. I just told him not to be stupid and to admit he was following me but he persisted in saying that I 'happened' to be walking the same route. This in a store that size, and after my doubling back to check. I asked the manager to call the guards and he started backing off then.

I want to know where I stand cause I'm furious. What insulted me even more was this guy persisting in denying he was trailing me when it would stand out to a blind person that he was.....do I let it go or write an extremely extremely angry letter to someone more senior.
 
Re: Store detectives

Whats the problem, they have a right to protect their premises from shop lifting.

What about all the cameras in shops, do you feel equally annoyed by having them track you around the shop?

The guy was doing his job.
 
Re: Store detectives

They have to follow random people, you werent being picked on or anything.
They cant just follow a "dodgy" looking person.

He was really just doing his job.
 
Re: Store detectives

momomo said:
They have to follow random people, you werent being picked on or anything.
They cant just follow a "dodgy" looking person.

He was really just doing his job.
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I'd have to aggree with this. While it may have insulted your sensibilities he was quite within his rights to do what he did, no accusation was made of any improper activity.
 
Re: Store detectives

Something similar happened to me in a well known sports shop - the store detective actually followed me to the door of the changing rooms and waited outside with the female assistant. I was really upset about it and spoke to the manager, at this time he apologised and then showed me a picture which was up behind the till. The picture was a cctv still of a girl who was my absolute double, turns out she was a well known shoplifter and banned from a lot of the shops in this particular shopping centre. The shop gave me a little present of three pairs of sports socks as I was leaving. Most shops realise now that they have to be very careful with defamation cases etc hence the little presents - and this is perhaps why they denied following you. I think what happened to you was annoying but at the end of the day, the guys are just doing their job, the management however handled it badly. I would put a complaint in writing re handling of the situation and send it to head office, but don't take it too seriously!
 
Re: Store detectives

what annoyed me the most and has made me put up this post was the denial that I was being followed when it was simply ridiclously obvious that i was being tailed. I said that to the manager, that all I wanted was an admission of this and the detective suggested that I was being paranoid.That obviously hasn't helped my mood as I reflect on it.
 
Re: Store detectives

Very frustrating that he couldn't admit it but again this comes down to defamation cases. There have been payouts of €20,000 plus for very simple things like shops assistants not taking the electronic tags off clothes, the individual then claims that they were humiliated etc when alarm went off, or like you people being followed around the store, very often people work this to their advantage so I would imagine that shop owners would deny everything to protect themselves from having to pay out. There is always someone out there waiting to make a claim!.
 
Re: Store detectives

i asked him to call the guards if there was an issue and at that stage i did get an apology and an offer of a cut price purchase. I said I had no interest whatsoever in a cut price purchase as my issue wasn't anything to do with trying to save money or catch them out and I paid in full for the goods I had arrived to buy.
 
Re: Store detectives

If this incident upset you so much why on earth did you give them your business?
 
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I think if guy apologised and offered discount this is probably all he could do and there would be no sense in taking it any further.
 
Re: Store detectives

ney001 said:
...would be no sense in taking it any further.
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Tend to agree.

Really they didn't do anything wrong. While it may have been annoying or uncomfortable for you, they technically didn't infringe your rights. Management should probably have handled it a little better to ensure they kept a customer happy (and kept future custom)... but even with the offer of a discount etc. it sounds like the people skills could have been better.

I can't see any benefit of writing the letter, but if it helps you vent then why not.
 
Re: Store detectives

i cant see any benefit in not taking the discount from the store if you did buy the goods.
Id have rathered the money in my pocket then in their till:confused:
 
Re: Store detectives

ClubMan said:
If this incident upset you so much why on earth did you give them your business?
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It was very near closing time. I needed something specific that I could get in one other store but they would have been closing at the same time and I wouldn't have made it over there in time to buy it and I needed what I was buying 100% for last night.

Declined the discount cause it was nothing to do with trying to make a fast buck. Anyway, it was only something small but as I said something I needed 100% last night.

And as I said earlier, what insulted me was him denying following me when he was clearly lying.
 
Re: Store detectives

It is very difficult to prove to a third party that he was following you. It is impossible to classify this as some sort of defamation or slur on your character. I doubt that there's any point in pursuing this matter. Better to move on and, if you so choose, to avoid shopping there again or recommending the store to others.
 
Re: Store detectives

In future you can get him to carry stuff for you. Sure if he's following you around anyway, he might as well carry some shopping bags.
 
Re: Store detectives

Not wanting to fuel the fire I imagine that once you recognised that the store detective was following you your behaviour and actions probably changed and appeared unusual and (dare I say it) suspect. This probably only encouraged the store detective to follow you even more!!!

The point I am trying to make is that by trying to catch the store detective out you probably brought more attention to yourself and created a vicious circle.

It isnt a nice feeling being followed or watched by a store detective but at the end of the day its a necessary evil in today's society. They are employed as a preventative measure to discourage and prevent theft and at the end of the day the 'cost' of theft is passed on to the consumer in increased prices etc so the presence of a store detective should be a comfort.
 
I was followed around by a store detective once in a supermarket. I was scruffy in my work clothes and I didn't have a huge amount of money with me. It made me feel very uncomfortable and guilty. Even though I wasn't guilty of anything.
I didn't report it because I was feeling a bit vulnerable at the time.
 
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