catching a thief...

I work at Lowe's, and at Lowe's you will find that the loss prevention people there are the most paranoid you'll ever meet. So paranoid that they expect anyone cashiering to open up all boxed items regardless of how well sealed they may be.

So today a customer comes up to my check out with a giant boxed bath tub, an item that cost around $600. Usually in these circumstances a cashier wouldn't bother opening a box this size as there usually factory sealed and when opened are extremely hard to seal back up. However today my loss prevention manager was on the prowl, so i figured keeping him of my back was worth the inevitable ear-ache I would get from this customer.

The usual drill when your about rip open someones boxed item is as such; you say, "sir/madam I'm gona open your box and make sure that everything's in there, it's store policy I'll get in trouble if dont." If your lucky, the customer will yield to your request without too much resistance but often rather than not they will bombard you with a bunch of protesting remarks like; "I don't understand why this is necessary?!", "I want to speak to the manager!", "no your not opening these boxes!, I want them sealed its a gift for someone!" and the ever so famous"this never happens at home depot!"

This customer gave all these protests a try, but my mind was already made up. This box was getting opened. As a took out my box cutter and was about to slash away, this customer exclaimed in a very desperate voice, "C'mon man don't open the box dude, please I'm beggin you..." I saw that this guy was looking really worried and it was at this point I new i was going to find something in the tub. I opened up the box and low and behold, I was looking at a plumbers treasure chest. Galavanized ball valves, copper coupling and piping and sheets of aluminium. The items in the tub nearly were as expensive as the tub itself.

I looked hard at this guy, he was absolutely, distraught. He looked at me with his eyes watering up and he said softly "please". I could see the raw fear in his eyes, I said out loud. "sir it looks like somehow during the packaging process these items accidentally found there way into this tub, I'm afraid there not actually part of the product so I'm going to have to take them out." Without speaking this guy, knowing that i had caught him trying to steal just nodded, paid for his bath tub and gave me the most sincere "thank you" I think I ever heard.

Although this guy was obviously trying to steal, and there are consequences of such actions, I like to think that the way i dealt with this individual will making him reflect and become a better person from here on in.