Thankfully, in my 14 years in retail, I’ve never had to hit one, but I know people who have and they attest to the speed and effectiveness.Īs a retail professional in the watch or jewelry industry, it is very wise for a store to have staff trained, and one of the best resources is the local police department. These panic buttons send a silent distress signal directly to 911 as a store robbery in progress, meaning the place will be swarming with police officers within moments. Virtually every store has a panic button every ten feet or so behind the counters and under desks. The same can’t be said if someone gets hurt. The reason being is that stores are insured and will get reimbursed for lost product. I personally tell guards to be there to protect the people in the store, not to prevent the taking of product itself as the priority. In the case of the robbery described above, it was the security guard who wrestled the perpetrator and caught him. Just about any watch store (or jewelry store that carries fine watches) has one or more trained guards on hand. If you’re looking to rob a store, be aware that your face has been on camera at the scene of the proverbial crime. Thieves might be wearing masks, but most of these idiots have been in their target stores within the previous 24-48 hours to case the joint. These cameras feature both onsite and remote recording, which can be saved for months. I am currently consulting for a store that is about 2,200 square feet and has no less than 30 cameras in and around the building. Let’s face it: once you walk into a decent watch or jewelry store, you’re on film. Here are 6 reasons why stealing watches (aside from the obvious) is a really bad idea and those who try probably won’t get away with it anyway.

I am very happy to say that I texted Frank immediately and he replied with, “We’re all okay here.” Reports explained that the victim would recover.

That said, let me provide details as to why I say that somebody has got to be an idiot to steal watches.Īt around lunchtime on Decemmy mobile phone started buzzing with text messages and phone calls from industry friends asking, “Did you hear that Tourneau in Roosevelt Field got robbed?!?” and “Is Frank okay?”įrank Rosado is an old friend and ex-colleague of mine who now manages the Rolex section of that store, a Tourneau that got held up by some idiot during which a mall employee got shot. Hopefully I didn’t offend you personally by saying that, but chances are I didn’t because somehow I don’t imagine Quill & Pad’s readers as thieves and murderers. Seriously, let’s face it, criminals are flippin’ stupid!

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