I like Apple treatment better than almost all shops, the experience at Apple trumps almost all stores. The experience is endless how many stores treat most customers as thieves. Topic is how online shopping has me liking the non invasive treatment of not being searched and my bags open by staff (touching them and opening my bags).
Bag Search at The Shops - I Like Online Shopping
ilove on 10/06/2023 - 04:33
Last edited 10/06/2023 - 09:17 by 1 other user
Last edited 10/06/2023 - 09:17 by 1 other user
Comments
Many stores have this requirement and most of them do not touch anyway.
It would be as cringey for the searcher as it is for the 'searchee'. If ppl didn't shoplift, this valuable process would be superfluous. But guess what? Thieves everywhere & it;s a growing problem. With cost of living it will increase even more.
I got my ball bag searched once leaving Rebel sports.
Shouldn't have tried to hide it in your clothing.
Did they say anything when they only found one ball in there?
Wait, you have more than one ?
I’ve been living a lie all these years.
"Show proof you didn't steal now before leaving mmKay?"
I like Apple treatment better than almost all shops. the experience at Apple trumps almost all stores
High staff numbers, most items attached to tethers or alarm chords, and products with some of the highest profit margins in tech
Do you wish all stores followed the same operational implementations also? Or just the bag check part?
and most apple products can be remotely tracked and disabled, making them, generally, less valuable to thieves.
Not even that. Most of them are locked into demo mode.
They also have lots of security guards to tackle would be thieves, which most small retail stores cannot afford.
Oh, living in a vacuum are we?
https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/stealing-with-impu…Would you like retailers to charge entry to stores to cover their losses instead?
So why do ppl feel the need to carry a large cumbersome bag knowing full well of search requirements?
Most of the time it's not necessary. No really, it's not.
If you do, you know your obligations. FFS ppl. Why are YOU so special you should be quarantined?
Precious is the new default position. Karen is a sub species.
Talk about entitled over minuscule intrusions.I like online shopping too. It exposes me to less dummy spitting Karens out and about.
But on the ocassion I am out, and do witness ppl complying with the simple harmless request, guess what. No Karens. Or are they Karen cowards?Here's my advice. Become a share holder of the stores who search you so pervasively. Lobby for change. Go on a Current Affair,form a club,harass your local politician. Buy a wand and wave it to make the nasty regime rules vanish.Or better yet, get one of them things. Oh, what's it called? Oh yeah. A life
I don’t think it’s normal for them to touch. They can ask to look as you’re meant to open it and show them.
I don’t think it’s legal for them to touch. They can ask you empty the entire contents in there, but they can’t move things around for you
Never been a fan of bag search (obviously) but understand why JB Hifi always does it.
I'm at the stage now where I proactively walk up to the bored security guard and just show them my receipt though.
I’ve never had or seen a bag search go beyond an obligatory half hearted look.
You open the bag, they look. No contact should be made.
With how little power the security has, its theatre. Just ignore them and its not rude as many people including thieves ignore them too.
They can say you're banned but next time you go, that new 17 year old bag checker doesn't care.
You don't need to assert any rights or anything if they ask. Please don't be rude, they are just asking.
" many people including thieves ignore them too"
You give yourself away.Your entitled ( I do it because I can FIGJAM) attitude is what impacts directly on the mental health of thousands of retail workers.
How is (if required) opening the bag, smiling at the person, and saying thanks such an assault on your rights or impediment in your precious life?
Do you push past bouncers too?
Life has harmless reciprocal nuances like this.*One alternative to bag searches is CCTV on every sq mm of stores and staff monitoring the vision, linked to purchase data time.
This will come and your precious bag will be free to remain untouched by those nasty staff. But it will come at a major cost to every single consumer. Loss of privacy and a massive rise in price per unit across the board. So g'head. Resist the regime.
You don't need to assert any rights
You have no "rights"… It is private property and access to the store is set out in the terms and conditions of entry to that store that you may be asked to check your bags. If you refuse, then you have broken your end of the contract you made by entering the store and they are then within their "rights" to ask you to leave. If you fail to leave, you are then deemed as trespassing.
touching them and opening my bags
Either this didn't happen or what they are doing is illegal. They cannot touch or open any part of your bags. The search is by consent only and you are free to refuse and the most they can do is refuse you service and ask you to leave.
Also, I cannot remember the last time I was bag checked anywhere, so I dont know where you are shopping.
Or the staff accidentally brushed up against the poor victim. Sounds more like a case of never did, or -at best-'evidence withheld', as in 'I was as un-co-operative as I could be to create a scene, or force the person to need to be physically closer.
The "why make it easy for people just doing their job" movement. It's a known side affect of being exposed to too much dunny paper in a confined space.
I’m a manager at Aldi. Bag searches is one of our core duties. We would love to not have to do it because we find it can be uncomfortable as well. Unfortunately people steal. Also the cameras are checked and we do get a ROC if we can be seen not checking customers bags.
We also get “mystery shops” once a month at least where a paid customer will come through and purchase a bottle or two of cheap wine. They grade us on ID checks, nill past the till, customer service especially smile, catalogue and a bag check.
The results are reflected in our KPIs and BSC.
We legally cannot touch your bag or anything that’s in your bag. You have the right to refuse a bag check and we have the right to ban you from entering the store again.I know in this economy stealing isn’t as frowned upon as usual but you also have to understand how it affects stock on hand.
Ordering is mostly automated nowadays. Our stock levels are in the system. When it sells, or is written off then the stock level is updated. Once it gets low enough or goes off-show, the system will order more.
When that stock is stolen, the system doesn’t know. It thinks it’s on the shelf. If enough is stolen then it’s off show so customers can’t purchase any. You get pissed that it’s “sold out” but the system still thinks we have it on-show.
Until a manager goes around and enters the off-shows into our system. At the end of the night we get a print out of all the variances of stock that we should have and don’t. We then have to investigate. Then it takes a day for the system to order more in.Bag checks are a deterrent. I wish Aldi would just hire security but Aldi did a month trial of having a security guard. They ultimately decided it wasn’t worth the extra cost unfortunately.
Also, stop complaining to us about price increases. You know who else has to buy groceries? Us retail workers.
…nice insights
next time anyone tries to give me lip or give shitty service i'll hint that i may or may not be a mystery shopper!
“You just failed this mystery shop” oh my, that employee would shit bricks lol.
I've done a couple of mystery shops some time ago, you're not supposed to say or hint that you're a mystery shopper (defeats the purpose of 'mystery'). Doing so kinda tells them that you're not.
@Ughhh: Yeah I know. I was just kidding. 15 years in retail and I’ve never had a mystery shopper do anything like that.
ROC? BSC?
I know in this economy stealing isn’t as frowned upon as usual
Not sure where you got this idea… just because it might be more prevalent by those who hate based Lowe it doesn’t mean it’s encouraged.
ROC - Record Of Conversation.
BSC - Balanced Score Card. A rate of metrics on store performance and KPIs.It’s just a general sense I get from reading Reddit’s such as R/Australia and R/aussiefrungal or something like that. In hard economic times, people steal more often.
I don’t mean that it’s encouraged, more that it becomes more understandable given the economic climate.Fair enough. Yeah I think it’s more understandable too, but I personally wouldn’t encourage it.
Kudos to you. I just wish more retailers would implement the ban on w*nkers and Karens who make a song & dance about this petty issue.If ppl consider this an invasion of privacy, they they should not carry unessential 'private' crap when they visit places that 'assault their bags. It's not that hard to pack a bit of empathy in your bag when you shop. Looks like SFA ppl do these days.Easy to whinge online.
"Bag checks are a deterrent."
Imagine the loss bills & flow price increases without this deterrent.Keep up the good work. See you next time I shop at Aldi.
Thanks for the kind words. I can offer insight into what happens with the lack of deterrents. On a Sunday we ran extra tight with hours due to su day pay rates, particularly in the morning. In the morning it’s just 1 manager and 1 store assistant. As soon as I send that SA on break, I can’t leave the store because it’s a breach of my duty of care to customers. Regular thieves know this so they just walk past me while I’m on register and ignore me when I ask to check their bags. They know I can’t follow them out so they don’t care at all.
AHs. Pity the store cameras don't lead to them being pinged, later.Better photos put up at the stores across Australia and online. Desperation is one thing, but wanton opportunism like that just penalises everyone else.
(Don't need any more Aldi policy info on this discussion. The AHs already have enough opportunity.)
Go well
Yes, ALDI are religious with it. BUT i don't mind because I know and it's every time so I've been conditioned. Plus it doesn't delay me.
Kmart have tried to make me wait before, while they've been checking other peoples stuff. I've walked out without checks then. Kmart is crappy because they've forced the checks onto staff moreso as they redesigned the store to put the checkout in the centre or off to the dide at the front. Never liked the new format.I really dislike the new k mart format. I don’t understand it from an efficiency POV but I guess it makes sense to them.
Their store, their choice on their rules.
Your wants, your choice on your rules.
It is also your choice on 'their' rules.
You end all thievery, they will end the anti thievery rules.
I see different points. They are valid.
I feel for retail stores, whether big or small. Imagine if it was your business, what would you do? Suck it up as if you're a charity, increase prices to make up for loss, implement control measures to mitigate the theft?
most search bases on false stereotypes, I believe. I witnessed a case at ALDI in Melbourne CBD, they search most customers except a lady who carried a (probably faked) luxury bag. I saw the lady stole a few packages of things (I don't remember what they were exactly) and put them in her bag. she walked away without being searched.
similarly, hardly any stores search me when I leave their store when I were a nice outfit, and they searched me when I dress too casually :D. some stores don't even want to offer customer services when I dress poorly as they judge that I'm broke. they are probably right as I'm an ozbargainer :D.
I just walk straight past them.
Ninja
…no touching!!!