Dear Nairalanders,

A very good morning to you all. Please I'd like your expert on an issue that is affecting my business. I have a big cosmetic shop which by God's grace fetch me money. But the problem is that my sales boy/girl steal heavily from me.


I have tried to checkmate them but all to no avail. Whenever I'm in the shop, I do checkmate them. But most times, I'm always out of the country doing business. Someone suggested getting a machine which can be used to issue receipt on any sales made but the problem is that I don't know it's functionality. Also, another friend suggested the use of CCTV to me.


Dear Nairalanders, kindly enlighten me on what to do as the issue is affecting my business. Thanks in anticipation.


From a friend.


Mods, kindly help give a wider coverage.

We blacks and Africans should utilise our own very science











Go mbaise carry one very fairly used juju of 6k keep there










If they steal from you again make thunder fire me

Then sack them and employ someone that is honest and reliable!! All these boys wanting to reap where they did not sow.

Liliyann:
Then sack them and employ someone that is honest and reliable!!
All these boys wanting to reap where they did not sow.

Someone honest you say? There's no such thing as a 'honest person'. Opportunity makes a thief if you don't know.

Evathyst:
Dear Nairalanders,

A very good morning to you all. Please I'd like your expert on an issue that is affecting my business. I have a big cosmetic shop which by God's grace fetch me money. But the problem is that my sales boy/girl steal heavily from me.


I have tried to checkmate them but all to no avail. Whenever I'm in the shop, I do checkmate them. But most times, I'm always out of the country doing business. Someone suggested getting a machine which can be used to issue receipt on any sales made but the problem is that I don't know it's functionality. Also, another friend suggested the use of CCTV to me.


Dear Nairalanders, kindly enlighten me on what to do as the issue is affecting my business. Thanks in anticipation.


From a friend.


Mods, kindly help give a wider coverage.

Cc:
Lalasticlala

Did you steal from anybody?

Use CCTV and try to always b at ur shop, also always take stock all d time.

FortifiedCity:
Did you steal from anybody?

I'm not the owner of the business o. I'm just posting on someone's behalf.

And to your question yet, I've never stolen from someone yet, but I plan doing so soonest.


Happy?

Evathyst:
I'm not the owner of the business o. I'm just posting on someone's behalf.

And to your question yet, I've never stolen from someone yet, but I plan doing so soonest.


Happy?

...and suddenly she's not the owner of the business

Liliyann:
Then sack them and employ someone that is honest and reliable!!
All these boys wanting to reap where they did not sow.

Did u see the boys/girls in the post
Read well next time

You can only minimize theft, it's almost impossible to eliminate completely.
Get a functional CCTV
As much as possible encourage POS
Monitor stock, make sure every pin is in the system (if you get this right, you would have succeeded to a large extent).
Make sure customers are issued electronic invoices, not the paper type. The person issuing the invoices must be different from the one receiving cash and their accounts must balance at the end of the day.
If possible barcode all your items, some malls install devices that alert them if any one tries to leave with an item that has not been processed.

FortifiedCity:
...and suddenly she's not the owner of the business

Can't you see where the OP wrote ' from a friend', that you even quoted personally.
smh for some Nairalanders!!

We have lots of overgrown babies with adult bodies on this forum.

So many irresponsible comments on a serious issue. Someone asked for tips on how to manage her store and secure it from corrupt elements and some people can't even get their words together.

Yet these overgrown babies are always the first to rubbish Nigeria's anti-corruption fights. How can these babies (so called youths) manage a nation when you can't even manage a small shop? We flex muscles on talks that concern Nigeria's high profile criminals yet we can't offer any sensible tips to protect a small store from the hands of two salespersons.

@OP, please listen to Nnamdi.. He has mentioned nearly everything you need to do.

sorry

it's difficult to checkmate them when you are not there. you can find a way to computerize their sales

Install CCTV

Computerise your sales/operations

Take stcok at intervals

Pray. Include in your prayers with the staff: "anybody that does not wish this buiness well or steals from this business may they be cursed forever except they confess.

Too bad

Use technology

NnamdiN:
You can only minimize theft, it's almost impossible to eliminate completely.
Get a functional CCTV
As much as possible encourage POS
Monitor stock, make sure every pin is in the system (if you get this right, you would have succeeded to a large extent).
Make sure customers are issued electronic invoices, not the paper type. The person issuing the invoices must be different from the one receiving cash and their accounts must balance at the end of the day.
If possible barcode all your items, some malls install devices that alert them if any one tries to leave with an item that has not been processed.

Thanks a lot for this! It is well received! As for those people throwing tantrums up there, I'm used to them jare.

Install CCTV cameras,
Issue receipts electronically,
Take opening and closing stock records daily.

If you don't have time to do all these by yourself, employ someone to do it.

To those saying honest people don't exist, I'm not surprised, since they are not themselves.

Acidosis:
We have lots of overgrown babies with adult bodies on this forum.

So many irresponsible comment on a serious issue. Someone asked for tips on how to manage her store and secure it from corrupt elements and some people can't even get their words together.

Yet these overgrown babies are always the first to insult rubbish Nigeria's anti-corruption fights. How can these babies (so called youths) manage a nation when you can't even manage a small shop?

I can feel ur pain bro. No vex .

But you didn't proffer a solution to the op na

And to the op I think bar coding ur products to issue automated receipt is ur best bet to mitigate the stealings .

You have poor control system in your super market. Hence they will steal from you, no doubt. Your friends have given you reasonable advice, which is get system to checkmate pilferage and theft. CCTV is good and can be used as evidence. You also need it for customers not just for only staff. You also need to carry out regular/periodic inventory count and cash reconciliation should be done everyday before the close of business. The cash must be equal to sales for the day. Even if POS was used for payment, the sales should be traced to the credit entry in the bank account. If the reconciliation is not complete, nobody should go home till it is complete (this should be your supermarket policy).

You also need a dependable supervisor. Someone you trust and very reliable to carry out supervisory control and review the activities of the day and likewise watch other staff. This should free you up to conduct other activities aside your supermarket

debolayinka:
Install CCTV cameras,
Issue receipts electronically,
Take opening and closing stock records daily.

If you don't have time to do all these by yourself, employ someone to do it.

To those saying honest people don't exist, I'm not surprised, since they are not themselves.

cctv is the most important - remote monitoring if possible and solely under your control
then a proper inventory system
finally, severe penalties to anyone caught
employees must have a surety/guarantor

prosecution must be adopted and followed through

Buhari again

Evathyst:
Dear Nairalanders,

A very good morning to you all. Please I'd like your expert on an issue that is affecting my business. I have a big cosmetic shop which by God's grace fetch me money. But the problem is that my sales boy/girl steal heavily from me.


I have tried to checkmate them but all to no avail. Whenever I'm in the shop, I do checkmate them. But most times, I'm always out of the country doing business. Someone suggested getting a machine which can be used to issue receipt on any sales made but the problem is that I don't know it's functionality. Also, another friend suggested the use of CCTV to me.


Dear Nairalanders, kindly enlighten me on what to do as the issue is affecting my business. Thanks in anticipation.


From a friend.


Mods, kindly help give a wider coverage.

Cc:
Lalasticlala

I read through ur story, it's amazing how people especially some big shops still operate in an analog way. Go digital and see the result. It will only cost you once but u get the reward. I am talking about cash register for taking records, which you may decide to add CCTV later. Then you take stock on certain days. I can do this for if interested. Gracia

When you shop at some supermarket, and the security man at the exit checks your receipt when going out. Most times they check to be sure the money entered the registry not to know if you paid for what you got. if not they will have to compare each item in your bag with what is in the receipt.
If what they steal from you can pay to get a good security, then go for it. Security can be CCTV, security officers and so on. Anything security is what you need

debolayinka:
Install CCTV cameras,
Issue receipts electronically,
Take opening and closing stock records daily.

If you don't have time to do all these by yourself, employ someone to do it.

To those saying honest people don't exist, I'm not surprised, since they are not themselves.

There are honest people but it is not advisable to plant or run your business on integrity/honesty. Reason is simple: you can't measure integrity, but you can measure CSFs (critical success factors) and industry best practices.

The owner of the shop will run at loss if she/he continues to search for someone with "integrity" to manage the shop. Adopt industry best practices (e.g. electronic invoicing, POS, CCTV, etc.), and everything else will fall in place. Run your business in such a way that even if you employed Nigeria's biggest criminal, it would be difficult to steal from you.

Install CCTV in your shop. Have a manager who will take responsibility of your shop,have a cash register,keep records of both the items purchased and sold with dates,then finally try taken stocks every two weeks. Note it won't stop it but will drastically reduce it. Gudluck.

alakara:
Use CCTV and try to always b at ur shop, also always take stock all d time.

I swear this is less effective....am talking from personal experience...I know most people here will say I'm typing trash...but by the time ur million naira worth of goods is reduce to 7 thousand tiri fifty u will know that u over depended on what is not.....I've seen where a lady, with cctv in a place of work as sales girl lived a very flamboyant life and she worth 20 million plus when she was bursted after 7 whooping years...imagine what she would have done with the man's money over the yrs and still had 20million after 7 yrs (last yr)...

JONNYSPUTE:
Install CCTV in your shop. Have a manager who will take responsibility of your shop,have a cash register,keep records of both the items purchased and sold with dates,then finally try taken stocks every two weeks. Note it won't stop it but will drastically reduce it. Gudluck.

Are u sure u know what u are saying...u think it's iya Sarah provision store we are talking about here...to take stocks for 2 weeks..it's not that easy brethren