U.S. Luxury Retailer Reduces Employee Turnover with Emergency Response Training

50%
decrease in employee
turnover
280
employees trained in
Emergency Response

10

high-risk locations
addressed

The Challenge

A U.S.-based luxury retailer with stores in all the major markets was experiencing a 40% increase in employee turnover. As a result, the retailer struggled to staff all of its shifts. In addition, there were several recent external theft incidents involving large groups of individuals.

The turnover caused significant stress for store managers, store employees and the human resources (HR) support team. To help determine the cause of the increase, the retailer contacted AMZ Risk after a referral from an existing AMZ Risk client.

The AMZ Risk Solution

HR consultants from AMZ Risk performed exit interviews as well as employee sentiment and feedback surveys to understand the cause of the turnover. Exit interviews revealed store teams did not feel safe at work. Aggressive theft incidents, hostile customers, and a perceived lack of training from the employer were the primary drivers of the turnover.

AMZ Risk developed an Emergency Response Guide to address the issues employees were facing. The guide included verbal de-escalation training, steps for handling theft incidents, as well as training on natural disasters and building evacuations.

With the guide in place, the AMZ Risk team held in-person training for over 280 store employees across 10 of the retailer’s highest-risk locations. AMZ Risk also hosted local law enforcement resources at each location to introduce them to the management team and ensure more frequent visits during the day to make the teams feel safe.

The AMZ Risk consultants also developed LMS modules covering the same topics so the organization can now train all new hires to the same standard as those who were in attendance for the initial training. Furthermore, AMZ Risk performed a “train the trainer” session with the retailer’s district managers to ensure they can train and coach their own teams going forward.

The Results

Shortly after the training sessions, the retailer noted that employees were successfully handling incidents, and there was a sharp decrease in turnover. HR conducted follow-ups at the 3-month and 6-month marks to measure results. At the six-month mark, the retailer recorded a 50% drop in employee turnover at their highest risk locations.

Through its work with AMZ Risk, the retailer also gained valuable connections with local law enforcement that it can call on for future concerns.

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The AMZ Risk Difference

AMZ Risk Management & Asset Protection Consulting is a full-service risk management firm working exclusively in the specialty and luxury retail world, which includes designers, suppliers and retailers. Our sole focus on this area of the retail industry has given us deep expertise and an extensive network of consultants and strategic partners we can leverage for your brand. Our team includes seasoned specialty and luxury retail veterans with hands-on experience, so you can be confident we understand your organization’s unique needs and challenges. In addition, we have extensive relationships with law enforcement networks and a comprehensive understanding of the legal and regulatory landscape.
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