What would you do? (Honestly)

[tbtan]

So I have a gal that tans here 1-2x'x per week all year around. We shall call her Kay. Uses DS Black. She tells her sister and her mom to give us a try.

Sister comes in buys bottle of DS Black and 2 HP tans. We shall call her Bee.
Later same day, mom comes in buys sample of DS Black and 1 HP Tan. Awesome right?

2 months later Bee finds out she's prego, no more tanning for now. She has already used her 2 HP tans, but has most of Black bottle left.
Mom comes down to tan says Bee is prego and says I should use her bottle of lotion. She buys 3 HP tans, 5 Level 3 tans and a powershot to add to bottle of Black.
My husband is working this am as I need a break. I get to salon in early afternoon, as he calls and says something is wrong with HP bed, was making crackling sounds as mom is tanning. He thinks bulb went out.

First thing I notice when I arrive is a bottle of Black Ice (Ultimate product) is missing from counter. I am excited as this was the last bottle and I am not carrying this one anymore.

WHAT??? he says. I did not sell a bottle of Black Ice. He thought I sold it day before.
Hhhhmmm bottle missing from counter, crackling noise coming from HP room?? Fire up HP bed, no issues with lights. Again hhhmmm. Search HP room in trash, under bed, behind bed. At this point I'm thinking crackling noise is label being removed from bottle. Husband says no way. She has Bee's bottle of Black and added power shot to it. Why would she??? We find no label.

I look through appointment book to see if anyone new has tanned this day. Who knows maybe mom was unwrapping candy??
All tanners this day are people who come on a regular basis. I would be surprised if it is any of them. Think I know them well enough. Put notes in computer, keep an eye out when mom is in salon. Don't leave her by herself upfront. Chalk it up to who knows, maybe economy is effecting people in strange ways, and one of our regulars has done the unspeakable.

1 month goes by and Bee comes into salon with Kay. Please give my bottle of Black to Kay, as I won't be tanning for awhile. (Yes we keep lotion here for the regulars, and yes mom had give it back to my husband.) I say to Bee, but your mom added a poweshot to it and Kay does not like hot lotions. WHAT? I never said she could. She said she had her own bottle, and I told Kay I was going to give it to her. Kay says it's ok, I will use it on my legs. I appologize to Bee, she says not to worry mom does stuff like this all the time.

Well, 1 week ago we have HP torn apart working on it. (We keep a supply of towels in this room, rolled up in the bottom of wicker cabinet we have in there) I remove cabinet to give guys more room to work. I grab extra supply of towels out and one towel makes funny noise. I unroll towel and what do I find????? Label from bottle of Black Ice! I KNEW IT, I KNEW IT, I KNEW IT. @itch!
I am boiling at this point. I should call her up and tell her I know it was you!! Husband says no, just let it go, we still can't prove it was her. We just can't leave her alone up front. She stole this bottle right in front of my husband!

Today mom comes in to use last HP tan. The @itch has the @alls to carry the bottle out of the room in her hand. Bottle with label missing and blue cap!!!!

[Sheri]

Ewwwwwwwwww! I am mad for ya!

Its like she is throwing it in your face or thinks ur stupid?! how can people do this?!?!

I would have a hard time doing what I am about to tell u to do....BUT u risk losing THREE PLUS customers here....not just one! I would just make sure the note is left up there and she is NEVER left alone!!!!

IF u just HAD to bust her balls.....maybe ask her what lotion is she using....IF she tells u the truth....say "we use to carry that...but our last bottle was STOLEN!!!" I dunno....prolly just keep a lid on it. SUCKS!

[Sheri]

Add to it...."they also had the nerve to tan in the HP bed with it and take off the label AND LEAVE IT IN THE ROOM...WRAPPED IN A TOWEL!"

ugh!

THEN AGAIN.....keep a lid on it....dont lose the other TWO PLUS customers. Good paying ones too - I might add!

[navigatin1]

That's why you install cameras.

[Michelle N]

Well, first thing I would probably do is not allow her to tan there any longer. She says I didn't do it, but can almost prove that did with the power shot that she supposedly put into her daughters bottle of Black. I find it hard to believe that you wouldn't notice the power shot in the Black, especially if you don't like that stuff anyway.
We had a customer come in this last busy season with his girlfriend. They each bought a month in our base beds, would never upgrade either. When we were going over the lotions they were looking at a bunch of different ones and I narrowed the selection down to 2, one of which was the Tattoo w/Bronzer in it. She decided to not get the lotion at the last minute. There were several people in here at the time waiting to get into beds also. The next day, my business partner calls me up and asks me if I sold the bottle of Tattoo the day before and I told her no. It was our last one also. She said that it was gone. We knew who had taken it, but not able to prove it. They came in that day to tan and had lotion in a cup from home. We told them that they had to show us the original bottle that the lotion came from. The next day they bring in this tube of lotion.
About a week later, we never see the tube again, and he is always carrying his swim shorts with him and his bottle of Tattoo falls to the floor. My partner picks it up and and looks him in the eye and says that our last bottle had just been stolen on the same day that they signed up. He couldn't look her in the eye and didn't say anything either.
Their month has expired and they have not been in since. If they do show up for spring time tanning, we will kindly explain to them that they can not tan here. We will also explain to them further, if they question why, that the next time something is stolen from us, we will wait for them to come in to tan and then call the police and we will prosecute for a bottle of lotion.
We have a freeze on both of their accounts with notes stating that they are not welcome here.
Time to get those cameras going people. That was our eye opener!

[tbtan]

I definately won't say anthing to the daughter that tans all the time, especialy since she also told her mother-in-law to tan here, and her mother-in-laws mom, and they ALL tan in the HP bed!!!

Guess I won't be saying anthing to her either. I am not loosing 4 customers over a $75 bottle. Just keeping a closer eye on her.

[Isltan]

When she comes in the next time have a sign ready and put it up in the HP room. If she's a walk in tell her you need to clean it and take your sign. "Shoplifters will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law" put it where she will definitely see it. Then take it down when she leaves... Been there

[fabugurl]

Just ask her how she likes the bottle of Black Ice? Just say you recognize it even with the label removed.....and why would you take it off anyway? make her feel stupid.... she knows YOU KNOW (with out accusation because at this point you cannot prove it, no camera evidence) and that is hopefully enough to make her feel like a goof for the next while at least.

[kpowr82]

Originally Posted by navigatin1

That's why you install cameras.

^^ Exactly

Well, judging by your first post, her daughters know she's a sneaky biznitch. So if you called her out on it, likely the people that know her best wouldn't be mad at you.

I've had issues with clients and thought I would lose their friends/family business, but I didn't. The people closest to her know how she is. And I'm sure they'd be curious as to why she has a new bottle of lotion with label missing after she was given her daughters black.

[GeminiTanning]

Since you can't legally prove it, I would definitely make her feel as awkward as possible. If she feels stupid and never comes back- Great! I agree that the other 2 would probably stay, and knows she's trouble.

[kwalker]

We had 3 or 4 items stolen earlier this year (never had a problem before) and we had very strong suspicions on who it was but couldn't prove it. We took the advice from people here and got cameras. Caught 2 shoplifters and haven't had a problem since. Cameras are definitely the way to go.

[Sheri]

Dont do it! You will risk losing other clients! TRUST ME! She will makeup all kinds of crap on u if u let her know...that u know. She will want to stop tanning there...n turn tell her daughters that ur shop sux! and that lamps were out and all that! anything to make sure they dont go back in and risk u telling them what she did.

I know this.....bc it happened at my store with a girls CRAZY sister! Lost a good customer bc she was embarrassed ab what her sis had done!

[bjhcpa]

Originally Posted by navigatin1

That's why you install cameras.

I would be installing cameras immediately. Nothing worse than knowing someone did something but not being able to prove it.

Just becuase someone is a regular client doesnt mean they wont steal. We have had regulars that we would never have thought would steal walk behind the counter and help themselves to a bottle. You just never know.

we have cameras in every store. Very rare that we are unable to figure out where a bottle went missing.

[AFMedic43]

Agree with Sheri. Unless you have hardcore proof it is a no win situation. So sad.

[stikhors]

I have 6 cameras in my salon. Pointing at counter,lobby,parking lot down hall way. I have a monitor in back room that is hooked up to DVR.

[JaneT]

Have to agree with the cameras, such a crappy situation

[AllenJ]

It is sad that she can pay for HP sessions but not her lotion. You know to watch her and you are making good money off her tanning. I would suck it up for now and not give her the opportunity to steal in the future(very hard at times if you are the only one working the shift.) Just don't give her any discounts that others might get or any extras.Your demeanor with her and how it is different form other clients should give her an indication you know. But I do like the sign idea!

[website4salons]

Wow...... This is a business... protect your interests with available security measures... and save the drama for your mama!

[SSmith]

Ask her to see what type of lotion she is using, then advise her because the label is removed you have no idea if it is approved for indoor tanning. If she says that it is ask her where she purchased it so that you can call and check.
Then ask her if she would like to buy a new approved lotion for todays tan.

Install camera's to protect yourself and your salon, ASAP. I bet she is not the first and will not be the last if you dont.

[BronzeNV]

Good Call SSmith! If she refuses to tell you where she "bought" it, you will have to sell her a bottle! If she for some reason says she bought in on the internet, you can give her the big gross out story about what could possibly be in it, and that you cannot approve that for use on your beds either!