For a year I worked as Security Camera Operator at the Hampton Dillard's (quite pleasant actually), when Dillard's decided to close that store & I was transferred to the Newport News Dillard's. Or should I say insane asylum, Dillard's.
I know some Camera Operator's are snitchy, tattle-tells for ridiculous issues like long lunch breaks, & standing at registers socializing with who-ever while customers make up their own minds what to buy, but NOT ME! That piddly stuff was NEVER my concern. That's why they assign area managers..
While external theft was usually 98-100% of my time, I was only concerned with employees suspected of stealing money or merchandise. However, my Operations Manager's ONLY concern was keeping her "highest sales associate"- (aka Miss P.) happy & content so that her store would impress Corprate. (this is the same store where an ex-employee was arrested involving a FRAUD Ring after many Customer's Credit Application information was found after police raided her home)-I was told "Miss P." was friends with the arrested.
So after numerous rumors she had been ripping off Dillard's for years. One afternoon, a register transaction being was being made by "Miss P." when I noticed some strange activity between Miss P., another associate, & a customer (later found to be a former employee). Money was changing hands in TOO MANY ways, void after void after void, & merchandise being handed off, etc. So I did what I thought was "my job" & called the Area Mngr. This manager reviewed the video & the transactions STILL taking place & chose to further investigate.
After reveiwing the register tape, evidence showed that Miss P. & the 2nd associate were accepting a Customer's payment for an employee discount card, & then handing off the merchandise to the Customer purchased at the 25% employee discount price..
Some would say no big deal, however, if Miss P. Does this over & over again as well as every other employee than the dollars ADD UP! And Dillard's will close down a store if profit is poor due to loss prevention. (I had experienced it once already!)
With our findings the Area Mngr. & I attempted to contact the Operations Manager (also my direct manager) by walking to her office located near Miss. P's. Department. My Mngr. Was is a meeting, so I chose to make a copy of the register tape at custmer service, when the Customer (former employee) came up yelling, making a huge scene, demanding a refund, & claimed she was followed by police & being investigated for theft because of her race (-Definition: A word that Dillard's is deathly afraid of after being sued many times for discrimination)."Miss P." had called the customer's Cell Phone to tell her she was being watched & her register tape had been pulled & knowing what Dillard's fears most, told her it was a because of their race.
Later I was called to my manager's office & made to sign my FIRST & FINAL WARNING that I would be FIRED if I left the Camera Room again, no matter which Manager was with me. (a policy. But not a policy printed in any manual), & as surprised as I was to be signing my first warning (aka Final Warning), I still wanted to know how they planned to deal with Miss P.'s breaking of the Associate Discount Policy printed in the Policies Manual I received upon hire.
To make a long story short. My Manager (Assistant Store Manager), was ONLY worried about Miss P. Being upset that she was watched, (experience has shown that employees who tend to FreAK out when they have been watched, are the employees who are up to NO good), & was ready to FIRE me for doing my job if thats what it took to make Miss P. Happy... Well it didn't happen right away but it eventually led to my termination.
I think that the Dillard's Corporate Loss Prevention would be interested in knowing that this Oper. Mngr. First tried denying that Miss P. Broke policy with out reviewing the video, then she lied & said the 2nd associate had a "pay as you" go employee card which did not receive the discount. (I had the same card & received the 25% off), & when her lies didn't work, my MANAGER said, & I quote "what you saw is called SWEETHEARTING. Everyone does it... And if we fired "Miss P." for it, we would have to fire the entire store"
Before I was terminated Miss P. & other associates were found "sweethearting" on other occasions by Customer Service associates who seemed to think it was a big deal..
Miss P. Still works at that store, & she continues to be TOP sales associate with an un-explainably HUGE customer following, setting aside new expensive merchandise in all sorts of hiding spots till it's permanately marked down & sold at the least profit for Dillard's, weekly, possibly even daily, giving away hers & other associates discounts, & lastly stealing her best friends customers. As soon as they turn their backs...
I am so glad I don't have to degrade myself anymore by working for a manager who's values are as depleted as the amount of human respect that is completely absent inside the working evil. Known as... Dillard's Department Store.
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