By Jewelers Mutual® Group
Among the many legitimate customers that browse your store daily, there may be a few potential thieves hiding in plain sight. In the event there are criminals casing your store, it’s important for you and your staff to be prepared.
Whether you have new employees joining your team or already have a crew of seasoned veterans, a complete review of your security procedures is essential to ensure the safety of everyone.
Neglecting security measures early on could leave your business exposed to vulnerabilities, so we encourage you to begin safety best practices as soon as possible.
To minimize the risk of theft, it’s important that your entire staff knows how to sell with security at all times.
Taking time to review jewelry store security is essential for the safety and security of your business. Use this resource to help educate your staff efficiently and effectively.
There are a lot of techniques that make a good salesperson, and secure selling procedures are one of the most important. Huge sales could be wiped away if the simple act of forgetting to lock a showcase display is neglected or other jewelry store security features are forgotten.
Your staff needs to know things like:
- Various ways to prevent different types of thefts, such as grab-and-run theft
- What to do when they suspect something suspicious, such as using a code word or phrase
- How to properly respond during a robbery
- Open and close the store with two people
- Always request a photo ID when showing high-value items
An easy way to train your new employees and refresh your current staff on these best practices is to register and assign them courses in the Safety and Security Academy.
Hold an All-Employee Meeting
The Safety and Security Academy provides beneficial education to help your employees become familiar with jewelry store security, while learning at their own pace. Having an in-person review of the procedures they’ve learned will help them become more knowledgeable on the topic and feel more comfortable selling with security.
Set a due date for everyone to complete their courses and then schedule some time to meet so the topics can be reviewed, and questions can be answered. It provides a great opportunity to show everyone how to open and close a jewelry business properly, which are the most common times for crimes to take place.
If you hold your meeting before or after normal hours, make sure your routine of setting up or taking down merchandise doesn’t interfere with the rest of the meeting. A day when you’re completely closed may work best.
Don’t forget to talk about internal theft, a topic that often gets overlooked. It’s not always about stealing from the inventory or cash from the drawer. It can extend to instances like an employee discount given to a friend or stealing time by improperly accounting for their hours worked. Have documented policies and procedures in place that cover this topic and review with your staff.
Lastly, apply what your team has learned from the Safety and Security Academy to the specific aspects of your business and the physical layout of your location. You might consider pointing out specific things like:
- Types of merchandise most likely to be targeted
- Managing the flow of customer traffic to prevent distractions
- How to identify and share information about suspicious activity
- What to do after a robbery or theft occurs
You may also want to consider a high-level overview of your physical security. Examples of this would be:
- Location and operation of surveillance cameras
- How to secure merchandise in a safe or vault
- How to arm your alarm system
- Resources to help your staff sell jewelry securely
Whether you’re a retail jeweler, wholesaler or custom designer selling jewelry online, you can benefit from educational courses on the Safety and Security Academy resource.
