How secure is your business?
Perhaps the one act I can least tolerate
is when someone steals from me. That is, someone whom I
trusted.
Thieves have been around since time began.
We all have adjusted to that “fact of life” and we
have learned to be vigilant. I tend to be somewhat sympathetic
when someone steals if they or their family are hungry, through
no fault of their own, but I have little tolerance for all
other acts of stealing, no matter what the circumstances.
 | ||
I’m not talking about the office
employee who goes home with a dozen pencils or a staple gun or
few rolls of scotch tape, or even the ones who continually come
in late and leave early or take a nap on the job (they are
stealing time and just as bad).
What I’m most concerned with is the
trusted employee, the one you have always been fair with, and
the one who has won your trust, and allowed you to relax,and
permitted you to continue to keep your guard down.
To be successful in our business, we have
to wear many hats (write for a free copy of my article,
“My Dad’s Only A Drycleaner!”) and while
doing so we tend to overlook an undocumented partner, the route
driver who goes his own way with your customers, or who has a
theory, “Two for the boss and maybe one for
me!”
When you discover you cannot make money
and pay your bills, do you bother to investigate just where and
how the $$$ keep going out? It can’t be your trusted
help! You’re too good of a boss. How could anyone steal
from you, when you have a fail safe computer system
that’s on 24 hours a day?
I’m amazed at how resourceful and
devious are the ways, which leads me to believe how naive and
trusting I am!
I’ll never forget the sweet little
old counter lady who was fired for devising her private system,
which I just couldn’t believe, since she received bonuses
and pay raises periodically.
It seemed she had this system in which she
simply pocketed the entire receipt and transferred and matched
up the same receipt to a dead order in the rack that was never
called for. The Boss took periodic inventory and recorded the
receipt of the dead stock.
After failing to reach the customers, (who
didn’t want the clothes or had moved), he simply gave
them away to some worthy charity, and just recorded the loss.
I’m sure there are numerous better
methods of ripping off the drycleaner. We once had a presser
who, every few days, would bring in a large load of work to be
cleaned and, of course, finish it on his lunch hour. He was in
cohorts with the drycleaner who had a little partnership going.
He tipped his hand when we had to cut his salary, and he was
willing to work at half pay.
We brought it to a screeching halt when he
inadvertently disclosed the huge amount his little free
drycleaning business was bringing in. We chalked it up to
“live and learn.”
Can we still be fair and not suspicious of
everyone without having eyes in the back of our heads?
I liked the motion detector — not
the expensive type of TV camera that the ATM units use that all
banks operate — but the electric motion detector that
revolves with a little flashing red light and is battery
operated. There is no film being recorded (which only you have
to know). I call this gimmick the “conscience
light” because it only gets activated when a motion
passes in its view.
A key factor is that they can be purchased
for under $15 dollars in most novelty stores and installed in
minutes. They are as authentic looking as the real thing.
Is it the answer to making and keeping
everybody honest? Certainly not! But will it make everyone,
including the unsuspecting thief, aware that you realize a fact
in life, that shortages occur.
Thieves have always taken the course of
least resistance and don’t want obstacles. They’ll
strike when you least expect!
Ray Colucci, a consultant to the fabric
care industry, has revised and made available three timely
pamphlets: “Up Front Is Where It Counts” for
counter training; “Pressed for Perfection” for
finishing techniques; and the popular “Route to
Success” for complete route training. The pamphlets are
$20 each or all three for $50. Immediate delivery with all
postage paid is promised for requests sent to R. Colucci, 410
Warren Ave., Mamaroneck, NY 10543.
