It’s a sad-but-true reality no matter where you live: Crime happens. And as we all know, the nature of convenience stores can make them a magnet for many types of crime. Being open late or 24 hours, only having one or two staff members on duty, and easy public access all put our industry at high risk.
Does this mean crime and violence are inevitable in your c-stores? Not at all. Prevention is key, and possible.
As leaders in the c-store industry, we all have a responsibility to make the safety of employees and customers a top priority. The best way to do that is through a crime prevention strategy based on three fundamental steps: awareness, risk reduction and training.
Awareness
When you think of crime in c-stores, robbery is probably the first thing that comes to mind.
While that’s certainly a risk, it’s not the only one. Confrontations related to shoplifting can put employees in danger. Arguments between patrons can turn violent. Domestic violence involving customers or employees can spill over into your store in dangerous ways. Active shooter incidents can happen anywhere.
You certainly don’t want to scare employees away by overstating the risks they might face on the job, but you can make your stores safer by heightening awareness of potentially dangerous situations.
Risk Reduction
Some violent-crime incidents are random and out of your control. But many crimes are planned by people who are looking for easy targets. Not being that easy target is something you can control.
Physical deterrents are your first line of defense against crime. You can make your store less appealing to would-be criminals with security cameras, good visibility and vigilant cash-management procedures. These measures alone won’t eliminate your crime risk, but they will likely reduce it.
Training
Your staff is the most powerful tool you have for preventing crime and violence in your store.
Your employees must be trained on what they can do to prevent crime and what to do if it happens despite everyone’s best efforts. Cover these training points at a very minimum:
- Your procedures on opening and closing the store and using the drop safe.
- The importance of greeting each customer who enters the store—not only is this good customer service, but it also lets prospective criminals know they’ve been noticed.
- Red flags that may indicate the potential for a situation to become violent.
- De-escalation tactics that can prevent a difficult situation from becoming a dangerous one.
- How to handle suspected shoplifting.
- What to do after a robbery or other violent crime.
Specific to robbery, you can help keep your employees safe by making sure they know what to do if it occurs. Every store will have specific steps they want employees to follow, but the most important points to make are these:
- Stay calm.
- Comply with the robber’s demands and follow their instructions. No amount of money is worth risking a life.
- How and when to use the panic button or call 911.
Providing effective training lets employees know you have their backs. They need to know you value their safety and that they should never put themselves in harm’s way to try to stop a robbery or other violent situation.
How you provide that training is up to you. An online program will provide a solid foundation, but it’s not the end-all, be-all. Blended learning strategies reinforce your message, increase retention and improve application. These can include any combination of on-the-job manager checkpoints, mentoring and realistic role-playing.
Don’t wait for news of a violent situation or a close call at one of your stores to train your employees. Protect your employees and your customers; train now and train often.
Jeff Kahler is the CEO of Ready Training Online. Reach him at jkahler@readytraining.com.
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