Staff Editor — Page 132

In the palm of your hand- Liquor Bottle Security

June 3, 2013 by Staff Editor

Having bottle locks on your merchandise will protect your inventory from outside theft. When you experience theft, you suffer a two-fold loss. The first loss is that of your inventory and the dollars. The second loss comes from the loss of customers that come to your store.

Bottle locks in the Alpha Security line provide product denial to anyone who does not have a key or detacher. EASy bottle locks are bottle caps that fit over the top of your wine or liquor bottles without harming the actual caps or corks, preventing access to the contents inside.

Product denial is one of the added bonuses of using a bottle lock for liquor bottle security. It allows you to maintain control over your merchandise. No one can come in and “sample” your wares without your knowledge –and approval. It also helps you to avoid potential problems with your employees.

Employees who have drinking problems may work for you without your knowledge of their problem. Blocking their access to your alcohol with a bottle lock may save you so much more than just your inventory in the long run.

Liquor bottle security is easily maintained with the use these bottle locks. Once the lock is placed, it is near impossible to remove without the proper equipment. The secret to your success will literally be in your hand with the EASy Bottle S3 or hand key detacher.

Visit the Loss Prevention Store to purchase EASy Bottle bottle locks by Alpha Security and your Electronic Article Surveillance or EAS system.

For more information on Alpha Security, Bottle Lock, Bottle locks, Bottle Security, EASy Bottle or Liquor Bottle Security and how they can work with your Electronic Article Surveillance or EAS system contact us or call 1.770.426.0547

Filed Under: Security Tagged With: Alpha Security, bottle lock, bottle locks, bottle security, easy bottle, liquor bottle security

Into Thin Air – Employee Theft Investigation

June 3, 2013 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Back in my early days of management, I had a significant cash shortage. In fact, it was most of the day’s cash sales. This was well before I knew anything about internal theft.

I had worked the morning shift, and my closing manager called me when she counted down the till for the night. We were several hundred dollars short and she couldn’t figure out why. After recounting several times, we were convinced that we had an employee theft situation.

I called my district manager. He started to go over some basic procedures that we were not currently using. One of them was a sign-on and off for our registers. We let one person sign on and then everyone used their log in to ring sales for the rest of the day. The other was that we would often not have anyone up at the front counters to see what was going on in our shop.

Since we had no cameras or exception/ tracking reports, it was useless for us to conduct an employee theft investigation. The money was simply gone.

After we started using the sign-on and logging off after we were done, the issues stopped. Months later, I had an employee tell me that he had seen the old assistant manager come into the store and go behind the counter when no one was around. We suspected then that he had been coming behind the counter and opening the drawer while no one was looking because we never logged off the register.

For more information on employee theft, employee theft investigation or internal theft contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 – Atlanta Georgia

Visit the Loss Prevention Store to purchase CCTV Systems that can help you stop Employee Theft and Internal Theft problems and help with your Employee Theft Investigation.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: employee theft, employee theft investigation, internal theft

Not Elaboratem Just Effective – Stop Shoplifting

June 2, 2013 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Having Checkpoint tags are still one of the most effective deterrents to stop shoplifting. This visual cue tells the potential thief that the merchandise is not an easy target. Checkpoint systems used for anti shoplifting will sound the alarm, alerting every one around of what is going on. No shoplifter ever wants to be noticed!

Retail theft prevention is often overcomplicated. Elaborate plans and programs are dreamt up and put into place only to fail time and time again. The plans could require more personnel that what payroll hours will allow.

These plans might require complicated validation procedures that impede or offend the real customer and miss the actual criminals. There is nothing worse than holding up a real customer in the front of a line to validate a price or a receipt. The customers end up walking away feeling violated and embarrassed. The other customers in line are often held up too.

No customer wants to be stuck in a checkout line for any length of time, especially because a manager has to be called over to validate something.

There is a reason why Checkpoint tags work so well for retail theft prevention after all of these years. Simply put- it is because they work to stop shoplifting.

Visit the Loss Prevention Store to purchase Anti-Shoplifting devices and your Electronic Article Surveillance or EAS system from Checkpoint Systems to stop shoplifting in your store.

For more information on Anti-Shoplifting, Checkpoint Labels, a Checkpoint Security System, Checkpoint Security Tags, Checkpoint Systems, or Checkpoint Tags and how they can work with your Electronic Article Surveillance or EAS system contact us at Retail theft prevention to Stop Shoplifting in your store or call 1.770.426.0547

Filed Under: antishoplifting Tagged With: Anti-Shoplifting, Checkpoint labels, checkpoint security system, Checkpoint security tags, checkpoint systems, Checkpoint tags, retail theft prevention, stop shoplifting

Making Friends – Liquor Bottle Security

May 31, 2013 by Staff Editor

There were problems with numbers not matching up and high inventory costs. While the owner was suspicious that the manager was just inept at his job, I saw more. I saw that the manager was probably keeping secrets for a reason. I knew that this manager had a drinking problem. I think that was my first clue that we needed more bottle security in our bar.

I also know that this manager did not have a naturally dynamic personality and was always stretching to make friends. The reality was that he was giving away drinks to trying and make friends in addition to feeding his own drinking problem.

The manager was having a hard time explaining inventory and sales figures and tried to keep things under lock and key as much as possible – especially from the owner. The owner didn’t want to believe that this manager could be stealing or giving away drinks when he was working.

This was a more complicated problem than just needing to implement bottle security. This was a problem with an employee keeping detrimental secrets.

I knew that we would never really be able to provide the evidence needed to convince the owner that the manager was stealing. What I could do was change the bottle security in the bar and hope that the manager would catch on that we were hot on his trail.

So we purchased Alpha Security EASy Bottle locks and told the entire bar staff that there was a theft issue. This was just the first of many steps to block the perpetrator from stealing and we were in the process of collecting our evidence for prosecution. It scared the manager enough that he quit the next day.

Visit the Loss Prevention Store to purchase EASy Bottle locks by Alpha Security and your Electronic Article Surveillance or EAS system.

Filed Under: Security Tagged With: Alpha Security, bottle lock, bottle locks, bottle security, easy bottle, liquor bottle security

After The Fact – Background Checks

May 30, 2013 by Staff Editor

I ran into an interesting situation the other day involving employee background checks.

We had an associate found guilty of employee theft. It was a pretty open and shut case. We followed our company procedures to the letter, and the end result was that we terminated this employee. She was not prosecuted, but we did require restitution to be paid to us to make up for the losses she incurred.

We didn’t think much else about it. In an unrelated matter, or so we thought, a few months later we were in the process of promoting one of our employees to a management position. They would have keys to the building, safe codes and alarm codes.

As per our policy, we ran a background check before the promotion was to go through. One of the points on the employee background check is address verification. The employee’s current address was different than the one we had on file from his application.

While this was not unusual in and of itself, there was more that this background check revealed. On the list of known residents of that address was our previous employee that we had terminated for theft.

Had it not been for the background check, we would never had reason to question this employee or his motives.

This is just one of the reasons why running an employee background check has different advantages and looks for different criteria than a pre-employment screening might. Because his move was recent, the pre- employment screening would not have turned up the connection with this employee.

To purchase Pre-Employment Screening Services or for more information on background check experts, background checks, criminal background checks, employee background checks or pre employment screening contact us at the background check company or call 1.770.426.0547

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: background check company, background check experts, Background checks, criminal background check, employee background checks, pre employment screening

The Price of Peace of Mind – Clothing Security Tags

May 29, 2013 by Staff Editor

With so many benefits to using clothing security tags, it amazes me how many shops still have no visible signs of Checkpoint tags. I think the most common reason against using security tags on clothes is the start up price.

When profits are down it is hard to even think about spending more money. So when you are trying to protect your dollars, a clothing alarm seems like a counter productive use of funds. How would you even know if they work?

You can look at other indicators on a daily basis, if you don’t want to wait for something like a yearly inventory count to take place. You can look to see if you see more or less evidence of price tags being torn off of your merchandise. These loose tags are an indicator of theft in your store. A reduction would mean there are less attempts at theft due to your addition of clothing security tags.

Having a clothing security system in place isn’t just about a quantifiable reduction in theft or theft attempts in your store. It is also about having the peace of mind that you are being proactive in stopping the existing theft as well as preventing future thefts from happening.

Visit the Loss Prevention Store to purchase Checkpoint Tags, a Clothing Alarm, Clothing Security or Clothing Security Tags to put Security Tags on Clothes and an Electronic Article Surveillance or EAS system.

For more information on Checkpoint tags, clothing security, clothing alarm, or clothing security tags how they can work with your Electronic Article Surveillance or EAS system contact us at security tags on clothes or call 1.770.426.0547

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Checkpoint tags, clothing alarm, Clothing Security, clothing security tags, security tags on clothes

Prevent Shoplifting without locking everything up

May 28, 2013 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

At one time, many retailers who were baffled with finding a system that would prevent shoplifting simply started to lock their small, high dollar, and/ or high shrink items away. This method undoubtedly dramatically reduces shrink; but at what cost in lost sales?

From a customer service standpoint, this system is terribly ineffective AND costly. It is not surprising that this style of loss prevention is often referred to as “lost sales”.

There have been times as a consumer that I have needed to purchase an item that has been locked up. In today’s meager payroll world, spending time to track down an associate, wait while they find another associate who has the key, and then wait for the item to be unlocked for purchase is highly frustrating and time consuming.

Most consumers in this “culture on the go” either don’t have the time or willingness to spend the time waiting for this process. I have no doubt that I am not the only customer who has walked out of a store without making the purchase because the process was simply taking too long.

Good customer service demands that you are able to simply ask an available sales associate to get whatever product you want into your hands without the drama. Successful retailers are rethinking this strategy and implementing the many versions of retail anti-theft devices designed for better customer service and sales.

Visit the Loss Prevention Store for retail anti-theft devices that can be implemented along with Electronic Article Surveillance (or EAS) system that can help you prevent shoplifting in your business.

For more information on how to install retail anti-theft devices as well as Electronic Article Surveillance or (EAS) system to prevent shoplifting please contact us or call 1.770.426.0547.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Prevent Shoplifting

The Unsung Heroes – Checkpoint Labels

May 27, 2013 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

I would like to focus on what I like to call the unsung hero – Checkpoint Labels.

Even though there are many components of Checkpoint systems, each doing their own special part to stop shoplifting, most people are more familiar with their counter part – Checkpoint tags. Because Checkpoint tags are a visible deterrent to help stop shoplifting, people notice them whether they are trying to steal or not.

Checkpoint labels, on the other hand, are not meant to be visible. They are a much more covert part of Checkpoint systems components for retail theft prevention. Checkpoint labels are commonly found embedded in a price or manufacturer’s tag. They are an inexpensive way for retailer’s to protect their product because many vendors will put these embedded tags on at the point of distribution. This is called source tagging.

Other manufacturers are putting these labels actually inside of articles of clothing. There is a major shoe and clothing brand that puts these labels inside the lining of their shoes so thieves cannot find them to remove them.

Lastly you can order rolls of labels to put on merchandise at your own discretion based on your store’s needs. It’s not always about being in the front lines to be able to play your part in retail theft prevention.

Visit the Loss Prevention Store to purchase Anti-Shoplifting devices and your Electronic Article Surveillance or EAS system from Checkpoint Systems to stop shoplifting in your store.

Market Yourself – Pre-employment Screening

May 23, 2013 by Staff Editor

For some companies, it is a critical part of the decision making process to perform pre-employment screening. Even potential litigation or other liabilities can be prevented through an employee background check.

Much of the criteria in an employee background check can point an employer in the right direction in a hiring decision.

As an employer, I need to make sure I have more to go on than just a hunch, or gut feeling. I need something tangible and measurable to say that my potential new hires will do me justice for years to come. If I don’t do my due diligence and run criminal background checks as part of my pre-employment screening, I really don’t know what I am potentially going to discover after I hire someone with a questionable past.

As a smart employee, I understand just how invaluable it has been for me to ensure my pre-employment screening not only shows up clean, but also in exemplary standings. I want to be the best potential candidate for a job in all aspects, which includes the ones on paper.

With so many applicants in the job market, it is imperative to stay marketable. One of the best ways to be able to market myself is not only speaking to my skill set; it is in being able to speak to my ability to pass a background check.

I would expect nothing less from my job applicants.

To purchase Pre-Employment Screening Services or for more information on background check experts, background checks, criminal background checks, employee background checks or pre employment screening, visit our website or contact us at Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. or call 1.770.426.0547

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: background check experts, Background checks, criminal background check, employee background checks, pre employment screening

Add It In – Liquor Bottle Security

May 23, 2013 by Staff Editor

My husband is a district manager for one of the smaller discount chains. Every day he comes home and tells me stories of how he stopped a shoplifter in one of his stores. Since this company sells mostly general merchandise, they don’t have a lot of security systems in place. Things have progressively gotten worse since they started selling alcohol with no Liquor bottle security.

If he were in his own store where he could call the shots, I have no doubt that he would make a different decision that would help him and the rest of his employees reduce the number of shoplifters in his stores. It has been statistically proven that the mere addition of a security system greatly reduces a store’s losses from theft within the first year. Probably sooner, I would imagine!

I really wish I could simply hand him a spec sheet for the bottle locks made by Alpha Security and tell him that the simple investment of the EASy Bottle would make a world of difference in his stores. Unfortunately, the decision is not in his hands. That is one of the downsides to working for a chain retailer. There are many other hands in the decision making pot.

For now, my husband can only continue to stop the losses as he sees them. He can document them and report them to those who make the decisions, and hope that they will see the need to do something different, and maybe add in some liquor bottle security.

Visit the Loss Prevention Store to purchase EASy Bottle bottle locks by Alpha Security and your Electronic Article Surveillance or EAS system.

Filed Under: Security Tagged With: Alpha Security, bottle lock, bottle locks, bottle security, easy bottle, liquor bottle security