timilehin007:

Are u sure

Acidosis:


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.

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

naijacutee:
This is actually a very interesting topic because I’m currently reading a book about psychology and business at the moment that addresses this issue.

According to this book, when it comes to honesty and human psychology, it is easier to prevent people from stealing at the beginning than fix the problem later. He conducted experiments on groups of people and found that when people were asked reminded of their moral obligation by reading the 10 commandments before the temptations, they stole less.

Also, if you prep the psychology so that they know that they have the feeling being watched and you tell them the consequences of stealing before they start, they will perform better.

Here are my suggestions:

1. Sack all the stealing cashiers. They are already corrupt and it is easier to start afresh than to fix a corrupt mind (don’t ask me what this means for our country.)

2. Rehire on a good salary that they can live on

3. Install CCTV cameras or dummy cameras, including ones facing the till. Tell staff that the camera images are backed to the cloud and that images are stored elsewhere and can be accessed by you in teatime on the internet even if you are abroad.

4. Sounds crazy but put a poster of Jesus face or the 10 commandments behind the till or cash register where only the cashiers can see.

5. Accept payments primarily by card and have 2 - 3 backup card machines. Ask your bank for Global Accelerex card machines because their engineers come out to fix them in 24 hours if faulty. There’s post here that covers getting a POS terminal in Nigeria: http://www.mrpepe.com/banking/how-to-get-a-pos-terminal-for-your-business-in-nigeria/

6. Employ someone to reconcile account each day and query staff on the day if any fraud is detected.

Please let us know how you get on!

timilehin007:

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

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.

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

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

frenzyduchess:
hahahhhahah, I know of someone who said he stole infront to the CCTV and it wasn't detected, forget o, except the person nor mean you. I was shocked,till today na so I dey look the bros with one kind eye, except she adds electronic invoicing(which I know they will still find a way to bypass sooner or later )

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

naijacutee:
This is actually a very interesting topic because I’m currently reading a book about psychology and business at the moment that addresses this issue.

According to this book, when it comes to honesty and human psychology, it is easier to prevent people from stealing at the beginning than fix the problem later. He conducted experiments on groups of people and found that when people were asked reminded of their moral obligation by reading the 10 commandments before the temptations, they stole less.

Also, if you prep the psychology so that they know that they have the feeling being watched and you tell them the consequences of stealing before they start, they will perform better.

Here are my suggestions:

1. Sack all the stealing cashiers. They are already corrupt and it is easier to start afresh than to fix a corrupt mind (don’t ask me what this means for our country.)

2. Rehire on a good salary that they can live on

3. Install CCTV cameras or dummy cameras, including ones facing the till. Tell staff that the camera images are backed to the cloud and that images are stored elsewhere and can be accessed by you in teatime on the internet even if you are abroad.

4. Sounds crazy but put a poster of Jesus face or the 10 commandments behind the till or cash register where only the cashiers can see.

5. Accept payments primarily by card and have 2 - 3 backup card machines. Ask your bank for Global Accelerex card machines because their engineers come out to fix them in 24 hours if faulty. There’s post here that covers getting a POS terminal in Nigeria: http://www.mrpepe.com/banking/how-to-get-a-pos-terminal-for-your-business-in-nigeria/

6. Employ someone to reconcile account each day and query staff on the day if any fraud is detected.

Please let us know how you get on!

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

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

JONNYSPUTE:
. Very positive. But don't let them know you have installed CCTV camera. Not even your manager should be aware.

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