An associate sees a customer put a shirt in a shopping bag without paying for it. Which action is appropriate?

• A. Notify management or security.
• B. Confront the customer.
• C. Follow the customer.
• D. Ask another associate for help.

Answer: (A)

When you suspect a customer has not paid for an item, the safest and most appropriate course is to involve trained professionals who handle these situations. Notifying management or security is the right move because they know the proper procedures, can assess the risk, and can take the necessary steps to preserve safety and evidence. This keeps you out of a potentially dangerous confrontation and helps ensure the incident is handled correctly and legally.

Confronting the customer or shadowing them can escalate the situation and put you at risk. Asking another associate for help is reasonable if it aligns with store policy, but it doesn’t replace the need to involve management or security as the primary action.