A loss prevention consultant is someone who works with one or more businesses to assess and help with various loss prevention issues. These consultants use a variety of procedures, including mystery shopping and running background checks on potential employees, as well as investigating theft and conducting employee interrogations. While major corporations and large companies frequently hire loss prevention associates and have full-time loss prevention employees, smaller businesses cannot always afford full-time loss prevention pay. A loss prevention consultant will typically work with these businesses to provide the protection and services of a loss prevention department without the need for full-time employment.
A loss prevention consultant’s methods and services will typically differ from one company to the next, and are determined the needs of the company seeking a consultant. Loss prevention is a business function that focuses on preventing profits from being lost due to theft, customer dissatisfaction, internal employee misconduct, and product loss. This is frequently linked to company shrinkage, and major corporations frequently hire employees who specialize in loss prevention. Smaller businesses may not be able to afford these types of employees, so a loss prevention consultant can be hired to help.
A loss prevention consultant can provide a wide range of services, but most of them are focused on reducing shrink and ensuring customer satisfaction. Mystery shopper programs are a popular way to assess how well employees perform their jobs and interact with customers. These programs employ a loss prevention consultant who poses as a customer but is actually observing employees to see if they are meeting various job requirements, such as providing friendly service, asking specific questions, and behaving appropriately around customers.
Management can also bring in a loss prevention consultant to investigate theft incidents in a store. This can include outside theft or employee theft, as well as reviewing surveillance materials and walking through a store to identify areas where potential thieves might hide from management or employees. Background checks are another service that consultants can provide, and many companies hire consultants who are licensed private investigators. A loss prevention consultant can also look for ways to increase a company’s efficiency, as well as identify and eliminate dangerous environmental factors in the workplace that could lead to lawsuits.