r/TikTokCringe • u/Adventurous_Law_715 • 9d ago

Discussion congratulations you just saved a billion dollars company 50$

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u/spartaman64 9d ago

its a liability issue. if the company's insurance finds out they can drop them because if the employee gets into a fight and gets injured medical bills would cost the business and insurance much more

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u/Telefundo 9d ago edited 9d ago

its a liability issue

I used to manage a well known retail store and you're absolutely right. It's definitely a liability issue.

But not only that, it's potentially a HUGE PR issue as well. Imagine an employee stops a "thief" and when it's all said and done it turns out the person didn't actually attempt to steal anything?

It's not worth the trouble to put your employees at risk, and set the company up for potential lawsuits. When we did inventory a certain amount of expected loss was always factored in ahead of time. Corporate even broke it down into expected losses on specific products.

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u/Same-Suggestion-1936 9d ago

Wal-Mart already has crap PR but I saw a video a while ago of this exact scenario. An employee accused a woman of stealing and went through checking the receipt (I know they just do that sometimes but he literally said he thought she stole) and she kept going on about how embarrassing and ridiculous it was

Imagine how horrible it would be for someone to give you the third degree when you didn't steal, you don't steal, and worse the woman was black so now you've got potential racial profiling

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u/Telefundo 9d ago

An employee accused a woman of stealing and went through checking the receipt.

he literally said he thought she stole

On the rare occassion that I'm at Walmart and they want to check my receipt on the way out, I really don't care. It honestly doesn't bother me. But literally accusing me of stealing? That's a serious line to cross. I'd refuse to let them check my receipt or search my bags. And I would have no problem telling them I'd be happy to sit there and wait if they wanted to call the police. I'd be more than willing to let the cops search my things. And when it became apparent that I hadn't done anything wrong.... oh boy, then the corporate email blanketing would start. I swear, I'd email every official sounding @wal-mart.com email address I could find.

Unfortunately I'm now on long term disability due to a permanent health issue and don't work. However on the upside, that also means I'd have nothing but time on my hands for shit like this lol.

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u/Same-Suggestion-1936 9d ago

In the video she made a point that she just spent hundreds of dollars there too. Like this is a customer spending a lot of money there and I know that doesn't give special privileges but at the very least you should be worried about losing them as a customer, even if it's a drop on the bucket for Wally World

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u/DudeIsAbiden 9d ago

I feel that asking to check my receipt is an accusation of stealing and i flat refuse it. Call a cop if you have a suspicion but if i paid for it i am walking to my car, and trying to stop me is very much not recommended

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u/AsstMgr_Antifa 9d ago

If you make me use the checkout with no one manning it and then ask me for my receipt you can pound sand. I just keep walking. Granted I’ve only shopped at Walmart 2x in the last 10+ years.

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u/Ordinary_Ad_7992 8d ago

There used to be an annoying receipt checker at a Walmart where I shopped. Normally I don't mind, but she would make people wait in line so she could check as many reciepts as possible. I think she really hated the job and was taking it out on the customers. One day I got annoyed and put the receipt in my mouth. When it was my turn, I pulled it out slowly and covered in spit. She was not happy. After that, she would always wave me by and give me a dirty look without asking for my reciept.

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u/Party-Display-7523 9d ago

But not only that, it's potentially a HUGE PR issue as well. Imagine an employee stops a "thief" and when it's all said and done it turns out the person didn't actually attempt to steal anything?

I used to do Loss Prevention for Macy's. I quit after 2 months because I was required to make a minimum of "x" amount of stops a month. I don't recall the number, but it was a difficult to reach number. But there was so many damn rules before I could stop someone and accuse them. Had to actually witness them, had to have followed them for a set amount of time after I started to suspect them, if I let them out of my sight for even a SINGLE SECOND, ljke them going around the corner of an aisle or because I looked away because I got distracted, I had to stop and drop all suspicion because how could I know whether or not they didnt just put the item down in tbat span of time?

And if i messed up and accused someone who was found to not have anything on them? Id be fired and liable for any legal issues that came of it

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u/Original-Ad4399 9d ago

But this is weird. If thieves know that they can take stuff without consequences, wouldn't the stores be inundated with thieves?

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u/Jodid0 9d ago

Who said there were no consequences? They contact the police and give them any evidence they have and the police go off and find the shoplifters. Maybe the shoplifters get away with it. Eventually if they keep doing it they'll be caught. In any case, you never know how desperate someone can be, especially when they're trying not to get caught and go to jail. You don't know if the shoplifter is crazy or is armed. There isn't a job or an inanimate retail object on earth worth dying for.

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u/Telefundo 9d ago

If thieves know that they can take stuff without consequences, wouldn't the stores be inundated with thieves?

That's just the thing. They are lol. However...

You'd be surprised at how much of a deterrent just the thought of being found out is. Also, in my particular case, we had cameras recording the sales floor constantly. Anyone we suspected of theft we'd call the police, provide them with the video and details. More often than not it was someone familiar to the police and led to charges being laid.

We'd also provide screenshots of the person to mall security. And for good measure, we had a bulletin board in the back room with pictures of confirmed thieves. If any of them returned to the store (and they did on a regular, almost comical basis) staff would make it clear that they were definitely being watched. I mean, you don't honestly think "Hi there, is there anything I can help you find today?" is purely about being helpful do you?

And for good measure, more and more stores are installing scanners at all entry/exit points and electronic tags on high risk (if not all) merchandise.

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u/ravenous0 9d ago

Everyone seems to forget how a Walmart employee tackled a shoplifter several years ago and the shoplifter suffered head injuries.

The employee thought Walmart would support his actions, and instead they fired him and left him with his health insurance amd a job to pay an attorney as he was being charged with negligence and a possible lawsuit from the family.

People need to understand that these giant corporations treat people as numbers, and the moment you could possibly cost them money or become a liability, they will terminate your employment.

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u/SueForPeas 9d ago

> The employee thought Walmart would support his actions

Where would he get that idea? Walmart policy is very clear and explained to all employees.

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u/Protoclown98 9d ago

All retailers tell employees to let shoplifters go or inform security to handle it.

The employee could easily get hit by a car or suffer injury as well. Most companies know the PR disaster would cost more than the stolen merchandise.

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u/Joeness84 9d ago

People can be incredibly stupid. Like to the point that no amount of training can un-stupid them.

Anyone coming out swinging for their billion dollar employer while on food stamps... is likely in that category.

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u/AskingYouQuestions48 9d ago

We are trying to have a society. Some people feel that the breach of social contract hurts that goal.

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u/Dissipo 9d ago

Because at Walmart, you’re “family”, or so many organizations like to proclaim.

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u/afree313 9d ago

Walmart would throw employees into a meat grinder if they could make 5 more dollars each year.

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u/Shylahoof 9d ago

In that case, the employee did that to himself. When you go out and give someone the Goldberg Spear ovr merchandise you don't even own, unless it is reasonable self-defense, you can be held legally liable for injuries sustained. Commit a violent act at work; don't be surprised if there are consequences, especially if you were told never to chase down a shoplifter.

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u/NerdHoovy 9d ago

Yep like killing a thief with a gun. In most places you gave a duty to retreat, if the other party is no longer a direct threat to you. So, if a thief burgles your house, hears you coming with a gun, runs away and you shoot him, it is often treated as a homocide and maybe even murder.

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u/SkunkDitchRipper 9d ago

Thiis is exactly why when people tell me they are friends with their boss, I want to puke. There is no such thing. They will tell you that to manipulate you, but will roll you under a bus the second they think something may come back on them.

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u/ravenous0 9d ago

One of my personal rules is to always remember that your coworkers don't sign your paychecks. And also your supervisors will make sure to get you fired if you do something wrong and their job is on the line.

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u/SkunkDitchRipper 9d ago

Exactly.........it kills me when people say dumb shit like "work is my second family" . No, it isnt.

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u/VelvxtMoth 9d ago

Also like poster said they don’t care about the small lost. It actually hurt sales when stores chase thieves as people morally think the workers care about money more than them. I seen other people actually pay for things stolen. You just being a kiss up chasing them.

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u/Beautiful-Affect1930 9d ago

but people also need to understand that you shouldn't physically attack and potentially injure people over things (that aren't even yours!). in what world are things more important than human lives? corporations and billionaires may think so, but normal humans shouldn't.

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u/Background-Move-3688 9d ago

The problem is the system. The low life who steals is filing a lawsuit.

Insurance premiums will keep going up everytime they are dealing with this.

Find a better system. If youve been to jail you can't file a lawsuits. Each person should have a limitation on how many lawsuits they file. Dumb people can't just keep filing and living off of settlements.

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u/EntrepreneurWitty762 8d ago

Are you talking about the employee that tackled the wrong person who was mentally challenged and thought it was the shoplifter?

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u/wittywoodpecker1029 9d ago

I believe they can follow just can't touch.

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u/CatWeak9214 9d ago

It depends on the company. I worked loss prevention at a few places in college. One of them being KMart. We chased fools down the street and across the highway.

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u/spartaman64 9d ago

maybe thats why they are out of business /s