Saving Money Can Kill You

I didn't realize that "Save money. Live better." was Wal-Mart's trademarked motto until I went to their web site the other day. This was just after I read an article by security expert J.R. Roberts (Disclaimer: Roberts is one of our clients) that seems to explain why sites like http://www.WalMartCrimeReport.com/ and others have appeared. Saving money is great, but it does not always go together with living better.

Target: Wal-Mart describes an interview Mr. Roberts had with an inmate convicted of raping and murdering a woman in a Walmart parking lot. With a long criminal history, the killer preferred Wal-Mart parking lots for one simple and now obvious reason: No security. It seems that to make the parking lots safe for customers and staff in Florida in 1994 would cost "...Wal-Mart $45,000.00 dollars per year per store."

Well, I have a suggestion for Wal-Mart that may be useful: Get rid of the useless "greeter" that accosts you when you enter the store. Instead, build a small building out in the parking lot. Not at the edge near the store, but in towards the center of the lot perhaps 10-20 parking spaces. Make this a remote customer service / security office and equip it with security cameras. Put more cameras in important lot locations and install remote alarms that can be use by customers if there is an emergency. And consider installing hidden cameras that can record the occupants of every vehicle that enters and leaves the parking lot.

 

If you want to not only make the parking lot more secure but also provide better customer service, you could allow customers to make simple product returns there and have a drive-up for buying small things like gift cards. For that matter, you could have a long covered walk-way and put his new building out near the center of the parking lot. It would give you more spots to mount cameras and also give customers a sheltered walk to the main building.