I was once told that “what separates Abt from any other electronics store is that we take things like fraud very personally.” With that said I ventured off to talk to our security team, which has close to 40 members. When I walked into the security office it felt more like a NASA command center than an office. Everything was very organized and clean.
I spoke with Michael Lopez, manager of security, and Dave Alcozer, assistant security manager. They told stories of how they stop local fraudulent orders. It was interesting to find out they actually go out with police and catch criminals. They even collaborate with the FBI. But they not only make sure our customers are safe outside the store, they make sure that everything runs smoothly in their home base.
Abt security personnel monitoring live video feeds
“It was the day after Thanksgiving, which is the busiest day of the year for us,” said Michael. “We usually get people coming in by the thousands. Our 85,000 square foot showroom was busier than ever. A married couple desperately asked one of our security officers for help. It turned out their 4 year old son had wandered off. With a lost child at stake, our security team quickly acted and secured each door, making sure not to let any child out of the store. A large team of security personnel was sent out to sweep the entire showroom and our security office scanned the 250 plus cameras we have on site. It turned out that the child was quietly watching TV in our massage chair section. He was reunited with his family and his mother had tears of joy. They both thanked our security team for being so actively involved.”
Searching for one person in a 85,000 square foot showroom full of customers doesn’t sound that easy, especially with it being an extremely busy day. “We take pride in helping out all our customers, whether it’s helping them find their child in the store or anything else.” said Michael. Even with all the hustle and bustle of their day, they still manage to go back to the command center and water their plant. —by Victor S., with help from Brian H.
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