Ever had security guards follow you round a supermarket or other store?

The bit that annoys me to the core is I work for G4S, it's an embarrassment! I have to wear my clearances at chest height at all times and these guys don't or if they do, they are inside buttoned up suit jackets or fleeces.
 
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Well DfT require us to wear our clearances at chest height AT ALL TIMES so I presume that SIA are similar or at least in arm bands like front-of-house staff, I guess!
 
Not sure if you are ex forces or police, but i reckon we all have a particular look about us, this happens quiet alot to me, i think its got something to do with always being aware of your surroundings and subconciously looking around for signs that something is wrong, and to the untrained and sometimes even the trained eye, this makes you stand out, because the person watching you probably does the same thing. Knowing this though does make me try and act normal when going through customs even though im not doing anything wrong. What do you think?

Food for thought,"FOOTPRINTS IN THE SAND, ARENT MADE BY PEOPLE SITTING DOWN"
 
I'm not either just civvie but i think after all my training i just cannot help myself you do become so much more aware of your surroundings on a daily basis, i am really bad in pubs and bars
 
Safa said:
Not sure if you are ex forces or police, but i reckon we all have a particular look about us, this happens quiet alot to me, i think its got something to do with always being aware of your surroundings .......
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So now I know why I always get stopped at airport security when I fly via the UK. However that does not explain why the idiots confiscated a part roll of packing tape but returned a roll of paracord!!!!!
 
It sounds extremely stupid and I disagree with this but the powers that be now say, where as they never used to, that masking tape and sello-tape and parcel tape can travel in the cabin of an aircraft along with para-cord, washing line and fishing line but duct-tape, etc, can't! I keep saying that if you wrap in round enough it will bound anyone.....Is it me?
 
In some companies, a retail security officer will follow anyone until he/she leaves the store, then puts it down as a "deter", ie he had prevented a theft by observation and presence. Its partly to justify their existence by offering "evidence" to the client of a number of instances where they have deterred a theft. Nonsense really.
 
Happens to me all the time, especially in B and Q. Spent 1000's in there and still the lanky gawp of a guard insists on looming up when Im in the plumbing isle.
Mate of mine chinned him once...oops shouldn't say that ;)
 
Krav said:
Hehehe this reminds of a time when I still visited techno clubs with my friends (for the nice looking women).
I was picked aside by a security guard who was thinking that I was dealing drugs while all I was doing was eating mints from a tin box (I despise drugs). I have never seen a security guard that much pissed of for not finding anything at all.
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Not the old they're only mints guv ploy.
We pulled a guy once selling Smints with an S logo on the mint and they were new out.
He was telling everyone they were a 'New Disguised Super E.' Daughter No.1. marked him, and did a test purchase.
Well we pulled him, had the police pick him up any way, as he was selling them as drugs, he was carted off and searched by all accounts, ah the joys of an internal. His time and his arsehole not my problem
 
Hi.
Almost anywhere I go I`m fine except one and only one store. Morrisons. Guard in his funny hat follows me there. Maybe it`s me, because every time I see these guys I feel sorry for their uniforms and maybe its shows?
 
Hi All good post,

I do get followed round a few shops it has to be said, ive done doors / and guarding and am currently a guard in Tesco's.

Some companys and their guards seem to be better than others, Selfridges in Birmingham employ Olympian as their in house guards, most of them are crap, ive been followed in store quite a few times, they where so obvious they might as well have text me.!! haha

the plain clothes / undercover store d's that work h&m are good though, debenhams in house uniformed and plain clothes security are also really good, i know having worked alongside them.

Another lot that are very crap is asda in birmingham, used to go in there all the time but have'nt been for months, not sure what company they have in think its Advance security, boy are they obvious, like a previous post mentioned ( peek a bo) thats certainly true of these boys..

Then again maybe we all just look dodgy, when you do talk to the guards about having their license on display, taking a close look at their tags, and start talking to them about the E.A.S system it tends to spin them out a bit ;)

Tom
 
Leo said:
This happens to me a lot, though I've never shop-lifted in my life. Maybe I just look dodgy??? I'd be interested to know if there are many people for whom it has never happened.

Incidentally it's pretty funny when it happens, it's like a game of peek-a-boo as they appear from round the aisle.
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It happend in the past to me to, being followed by plain clothes police officers or shop security... :cool:

I allways try'd to disapear and then show up next to them and asking them if they'd see anything suspicious. Usualy i then told'm that i'am also in the security bussiness (showing them my id if asked).
That will tell them most of the time why you appear so alert for security measures while nobody else is, and that off course is the thing they get triggerd on...

So be more covert and spot them before they spot you..;)

Grts Point.
 
Think Safa got it right earlier.

I'm always looking out of CCTV and security whenever I enter a shop, most times to see if I'd do it any differently, and there's few things as suspicious as some bloke eyeing up the cameras. The Mrs is always telling me to switch off from work and get on with the shopping.

Superdrugs in Brighton have gone through some great SD's. Had one following me for ages once with a small mirror in his hand. He'd turn his back to you and hold it up over his shoulder to look at you. Don't think he realised that it wasn't very subtle.
 
HAHA..funny reading here..
I must say boys and girls have you thought of how you act when shopping.
I will explain, My experience and knowledge comes from a wide perspective and I have worked much in shopping mals and stores to prevent shoplifting.
A few points, when shopping since the security guard both in uniform and plain clothes are trained to look for suspected behaviour such as:

People wearing big clothes, jackets and bags.
People who are more interested in other shopping customers, or how the sealing look like..
When someone holding a product in their hand they might be looking at complete diffrent things (I know since when I shop I cant relax really)
Security trained individuals are more open to what happends in their surroundings then the other customers..
One fun example happend to me at a night club:
4 guys all security trained where sitting down at a table all of them noticed a fight apearing before them and could advice us before anything bad happend now all of them where pretty drunk, but still reacted to small things..
When I shop I see theives all over..
So think of your behaviour next time try not to be aware, that is the key thing here..because the guards react to this..
I could go on more and more about specific things but I will not train the shoplifters on this site lol* that someone else can do..

hawk
 
I hike to my local market for goodies on occasion and instead of carrying 8 plastic bags full of food back over the 2.5 kilometer trek, I carry a pack (a Karrimor Sabre35 to be exact because of the amount of food I can stuff in it) with me into the store.

This use to upset the store staff, and even caused some confusion at the register because I would have to pull everything out of my bag that I had put in while shopping (this place only has hand baskets -no trolleys) and a few times I had pieces of personal kit I had forgot to remove beforehand.

Now the staff know me and I only get looks /hassles from other customers who think they have just caught me trying to nick a tin of beans. Probably the most excitement for them in a long time...:D
 
I've had it several times by the same guy in a supermarket in the North West.
He works for quite a well known security company, I wont name names. But I guess as a student I must still look like a shifty bugger, always looking to try and pinch some cheap immitation Hooch. Despite being licenced myself. Maybe a flash of licence would get him to stop following me. I can afford food, unlike some grotty bottom feeders of society.

Excuse the slight rant, just gets boring after a while.
 
Grynch said:
I hike to my local market for goodies on occasion and instead of carrying 8 plastic bags full of food back over the 2.5 kilometer trek, I carry a pack (a Karrimor Sabre35 to be exact because of the amount of food I can stuff in it) with me into the store.

This use to upset the store staff, and even caused some confusion at the register because I would have to pull everything out of my bag that I had put in while shopping (this place only has hand baskets -no trolleys) and a few times I had pieces of personal kit I had forgot to remove beforehand.

Now the staff know me and I only get looks /hassles from other customers who think they have just caught me trying to nick a tin of beans. Probably the most excitement for them in a long time...:D
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I can just imagine it. "We've got an exhausted looking chap. Hands on knees. Acting suspiciously, wearing a large bergen trudging up isle three. Currently eyeing Weetabix. Check it out. Over"
 
me and a fellow colleague are bit sad and do look for security at our local stores. Unfortunately our "plain clothes" security are terrible. They change them regularly, but are shockingly bad. Do "plain clothes" get additional training or selection?
Luckily they have changed the tactics and now have high profile, and additional CCTV and uniformed staff. Not blaming the guys themselves as a bit of training would assist greatly. Anyway just off for a loaf of bread.... anyone need anything from the shops?
 
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