Archived Cash Office Question

[STLinMaking]

Does every store have a man trap? and if your store does have a man trap, what do you keep in it? or is it a "Clean" environment? WE have an ETL that wants to use it for storage, like putting up shelves and everything. Just wondering.....

 

[redeye58]

Can you describe what a 'man trap' is or are you talking about the extra door outside cash office (you go into a small room w/a another door leading into CO)?

 

[STLinMaking]

yeah the "man trap" is the room right before you enter the cash office. Sorry, my wacky terminology can thrown some people off. ;-)

 

[redeye58]

The visions that ran through my head....sorry!

Some older stores (like ours) don't have them but every newer store I was in had them.
They're 'supposed' to be empty/clean because the purpose is security. If someone got past the first door & there were supplies/items being stored there, they could conceivably be used to gain egress into CO - ie: burning photo paper to smoke out the COTM or cover the camera view, tools that could be used to jimmy a deadbolt, etc.

 

[mxrbook]

We keep the more sensitive supplies (gift cards, receipt paper, coupon paper) and valuable lost and founds (credit cards, ID, purses, phones) in the man trap. We have another GS storage room for straps, tape, photo supplies, gift registry booklets, etc.

 

[STLinMaking]

The visions that ran through my head....sorry!

Some older stores (like ours) don't have them but every newer store I was in had them.
They're 'supposed' to be empty/clean because the purpose is security. If someone got past the first door & there were supplies/items being stored there, they could conceivably be used to gain egress into CO - ie: burning photo paper to smoke out the COTM or cover the camera view, tools that could be used to jimmy a deadbolt, etc.

Exactly my point and the point I made to this ETL, Our STL is on Vacation and I think he's going to blow a gasket when he see it. He comes back tomorrow! Should be a fun morning.....

 

[redeye58]

Your ETL-AP should also make some very valid points as to why using that as storage is a really BAD idea.
If your store was going through an audit, that would raise some district eyebrows as well.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

Nothing should be store there other than the safe, desk, computer, & money counter.
2nd option server room, there is storage there before you get into that room.

 

[redeye58]

The 'man-trap' is actually an inner door to the cash office. Most (if not all) newer stores have a 2-door set-up where you may get in the first door using a keypad (or ETL key), must wait for the first door to close before accessing the 2nd door either by buzzing CO (who can see you via camera) or w/a key-carrying ETL/SrTL. COTM is supposed to deadbolt the inner door while counting. ETL is to deadbolt CO upon COTM's departure.
The desk, safe, computer, etc are behind the second door.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

I am at an old store...

 

[redeye58]

Me, too....

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

YoU tripped & bang in the office, then the door shuts behind you. No one hears you in there either.

 

[redeye58]

In CO no one can hear you scream......

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

I Didn't want to scare any newbies for the co.

 

[StaticSun]

Man trap is the storage area for HR for us. Three 4' sections of light duty shelving with 5 shelves each. Payroll/other HR related documents are kept there as it's a "secure" area. We also keep extra wheelchairs, the outdoor cart tarp, and other holiday/decoration-type things in there. I actually took some time yesterday to clean it up because it was starting to look like an actual trap!

Man trap access is controlled via keypad, which ETL/TL/HR/GSAs have access to.
Cash Office access is controlled via deadbolt (LOD key) and keypad (key carriers know the code).

 

[HardlinesFour]

We keep the more sensitive supplies (gift cards, receipt paper, coupon paper) and valuable lost and founds (credit cards, ID, purses, phones) in the man trap. We have another GS storage room for straps, tape, photo supplies, gift registry booklets, etc.

My store keeps the receipt and catalina coupon paper under a empty check lane that never gets touched. I could just imagine someone grabbing one of those rolls and printing fake receipts but that hasn’t happened yet....

 

[STLinMaking]

Your ETL-AP should also make some very valid points as to why using that as storage is a really BAD idea.
If your store was going through an audit, that would raise some district eyebrows as well.

No ETL-AP in our store :-(

 

[SuzyTarget]

We also store the same types of things mentioned above in the mantrap, except the extra wheelchairs which our store keep in the server room. Our CO has been walked a few times by corporate and they didn't have an issue with the storage. The only complaint they ever have is that they want us to keep less cash on hand in the safe.

I do have one question about our CO/mantrap though. The inside door that leads into the CO room has two peepholes in it--one higher, one lower--while the outer door of the mantrap (the one that leads into a short hallway as our CO is just off the breakroom in my store) has no peephole in it. We've always wondered why that is. What do you guys see at your stores, or does anyone know why its set up that way?

 

[redeye58]

If you have a closed-circuit TV in CO to see who's in the man-trap, I don't know why they'd also have peepholes as well...unless it's in the event of camera failure.
Weird.

 

[Formina Sage]

We store receipt/coupon paper in the nearby Control/Server room. gift cards have their own little closet right across from the man-trap. (The AP term for this room is the cash office vestibule )

 

[SuzyTarget]

If you have a closed-circuit TV in CO to see who's in the man-trap, I don't know why they'd also have peepholes as well...unless it's in the event of camera failure.
Weird.

We do have the close-circuit TV and it did need to be repaired recently.

 

[SuzyTarget]

(The AP term for this room is the cash office vestibule )

Mantrap is more fun to say:wink3:

 

[STLinMaking]

We also store the same types of things mentioned above in the mantrap, except the extra wheelchairs which our store keep in the server room. Our CO has been walked a few times by corporate and they didn't have an issue with the storage. The only complaint they ever have is that they want us to keep less cash on hand in the safe.

I do have one question about our CO/mantrap though. The inside door that leads into the CO room has two peepholes in it--one higher, one lower--while the outer door of the mantrap (the one that leads into a short hallway as our CO is just off the breakroom in my store) has no peephole in it. We've always wondered why that is. What do you guys see at your stores, or does anyone know why its set up that way?

It is so that if someone walks in and knocks on the door, you can see there face and if they are holding something in their hands (i.e. Weapon). When I was the CO Specialist i told the ETL's that if I was in the CO they better call before coming in as I would dial 911 without hesitation. But thats the reason for two peep holes.

 

[HardlinesFour]

We do have the close-circuit TV and it did need to be repaired recently.

We have two domes in our mantrap. I guess as a backup in case the first one breaks.

It is so that if someone walks in and knocks on the door, you can see there face and if they are holding something in their hands (i.e. Weapon). When I was the CO Specialist i told the ETL's that if I was in the CO they better call before coming in as I would dial 911 without hesitation. But thats the reason for two peep holes.

I've been thinking about this. How in the world would someone even rob our store? I would be worried about all the guests that would see you walking in the store and give all sorts of eye witness descriptions. Lets not forget that almost everyone has a cell phone and will call the cops..... A robbery just seems impossible to me unless it was a inside job or something.

 

[commiecorvus]

We have two domes in our mantrap. I guess as a backup in case the first one breaks.


I've been thinking about this. How in the world would someone even rob our store? I would be worried about all the guests that would see you walking in the store and give all sorts of eye witness descriptions. Lets not forget that almost everyone has a cell phone and will call the cops..... A robbery just seems impossible to me unless it was a inside job or something.

Some of this stuff is required by insurance companies, also it depends on how old your store is (pre cell phones)
There have been a few heavy invasion situation but I'm pretty sure not of Targets.
But you're right the inside job is the main concern.