Staff Editor — Page 134

Evaluate Your Inventory – Clothing Security Tags

May 8, 2013 by Staff Editor

It should be no secret that you need clothing security tags to protect your merchandise. What you might not realize is that it is also not a secret as to which specific items need clothing security.

The first place is to start looking at your last inventory report. You are conducting inventories at least on a yearly basis right?

If you aren’t, you need to start. How will you ever know that you have a problem if you don’t have any way to manage or quantify your inventory losses?

If you have inventory items that you still carry that are still seeing losses of, this is where a clothing alarm can come in handy and are the ones that need Checkpoint tags first. If these items caught your eye, then you are probably missing either high dollars or high quantities of these items. These are your top shrink or your high shrink items.

Analyze your reports further and you will find which other items are on the list of losses. These are the items you need to make a decision regarding whether they will benefit from security tags on clothes.

If you find an item that you had shrink in, but you no longer carry the item determine if you have a comparable item. If so, you may consider using clothing security tags to be proactive in reducing your shrink.

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

Wrap Your Head Around It – Alpha Spider Wrap

May 7, 2013 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

What is the single biggest reason why employees find discarded packages? Shoplifters were attempting to eliminate the EAS tags. Most of the experienced shoplifters and professional thieves are aware that EAS tags are kept inside product packaging.

The next question- is there retail anti theft devices, which will effectively keep the product inside the package until it was purchased?

Lucky for us, there is.

Alpha Security makes the Alpha Spider Wrap.

I know that sounds like a complex series of web like strings intricately wrapped around product packaging. It sounds also like a potentially complex process to attach and detach when a customer buys the item.

In reality, The Alpha Spider Wrap is two bands that interlock around a box or other packaging that is susceptible to theft. There is a center disk that connects them and easily secures itself and detaches with the proper equipment.

Hardware stores are starting to use them extensively for power tools. That’s where I first stumbled across them. They have many more applications than just big boxes of power tools though. Just apply them to any boxes that you are having an issue with someone taking the product out of the box.

Most of the common shoplifting groups need a visual deterrent to prevent shoplifting. These retail anti theft devices also create an audible alarm within themselves. The audible alarm sounds when a shoplifter tampers with the Alpha Spider Wrap.

Visit the Loss Prevention Store for Alpha 2Alarm, Alpha 3Alarm, Alpha Fashion2, Alpha Jewel Lok, Alpha Nano Gate, Alpha Shark Tag, Alpha Spider Wrap and other retail anti-theft devices from Alpha Security to use in conjunction with your Electronic Article Surveillance or EAS system that can help you prevent shoplifting in your business.

For more information on how you can use Alpha Security retail anti-theft devices and your Electronic Article Surveillance or EAS system to prevent shoplifting contact us or call 1.770.426.0547

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Alpha Fashion2, Alpha Jewel Lok, Alpha Nano Gate, Alpha Shark Tag, Alpha Spider Wrap, Fashion2, Jewel Lok, Nano Gate, Prevent Shoplifting, Retail Anti Theft Devices, Shark Tag, Spider Wrap

Valentine’s Day in May – Employee Theft

May 6, 2013 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

In the world of employee theft investigation, a sweetheart deal does not refer to a Valentine’s Day sales event. It refers instead to employee theft in which an employee gives away product or unauthorized discounts at the point of sale. Sweetheart deals are also referred to as pass offs.

When we are reviewing or conducting surveillance during employee theft investigation, there are common scenarios we are looking to discover. A straight pass off happens when a cashier gives away merchandise to a friend or relative and no sale generated.

A variation occurs when an employee pretends to ring up the transaction. They may scan the items and then later void them out. They might also print out a receipt that shows an estimate of the product, but no sale is actually conducted.

Sometimes employee theft involves only partial payment for the contents of their friend’s shopping cart. The internal theft occurs when the employee rings up a few low dollar items, but slides the expensive ones. I once conducted employee theft investigation discovering that the dishonest cashier would “forget” to ring up the large items on the bottom of her boyfriend’s cart.

While this list is not exclusive, these distinctive employee theft situations occur regardless of retail niche or product sold. In general the techniques are unchanging although we may occasionally discover a creative twist to employee theft.

Since the inception of employee theft investigations, sweetheart deals have been a constant in the execution of internal theft by employees.

Visit the Loss Prevention Store to purchase CCTV Systems that will help end employee theft or internal theft challenges and facilitate employee theft investigation.

For more information about employee theft or employee theft investigation and internal theft please contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 – Atlanta Georgia.

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

Undoing the Damage – Background Checks

May 1, 2013 by Staff Editor

There was an interesting article in our local paper last week. One of our city commissioners had been sent a 1099 form from an employer in a different state. Her first thought was that it was clearly a mistake. Shouldn’t a background check be enough to clear the matter up?

She first contacted the company who sent her the 1099. As it turned out, this “employee” had been working there for about five years before they left. Because a driver’s license is not required anymore, there was no picture identification to be able to match up, or use to dispute her claim.

She had not consulted with a background check company or any background check experts to conduct criminal background checks and employee background checks. The credit reports she had run never showed up anything suspicious. Her social security number, luckily, had not been used to open any accounts or apply for any credit or utilities.

So there were no other leads to follow up on whom this mystery person was, and more importantly how they got a hold of her social security number.

It could have been a random input of numbers. It could have been stolen from a database and sold. No telling how many other people have had access to her social security number and what damage they might do!

No telling how many more hours and dollars will be spent to clear her name.

This is another reason why pre employment screening and background checks are needed. There is often more damage than just making a bad hiring decision.

Consulting with a background check expert through a background check company to assist with criminal background checks and employee background checks can help ensure you are getting accurate information.

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

Visually Appealing – Clothing Security

May 1, 2013 by Staff Editor

Security tags on clothes are the front line of defense to reducing shrink from theft. A visual deterrent that only needs to be applied once, they are efficient and cost effective for both big box retailers and the small business owner.

One of the questions I am asked regarding clothing security tags is “What merchandise should I Tag?”

While the obvious decision would be to tag everything, that would end up being inefficient, expensive and unnecessary. Having too many Checkpoint tags is a distraction for you, your employees and mostly for your customers.

We shop with our eyes- especially when it comes to clothing. We are looking for the items that are visually appealing to us. We want pieces that can express our personality, or fit into an aesthetic appropriate for a certain event.

What we don’t want when we are clothing shopping is visual clutter. Clothing security is important to protecting your investment in inventory, but should not distract a paying customer.

You want your customers to be paying attention to what they are buying, not on what clothing alarm is going off at the front of the store. When too many false alarms are going off your customers start imagining not what they will look like in the new clothes they are going to buy. They start to visualize how they will look when a false alarm goes off at the doors.

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

Didn’t Do It Right The First Time – Clothing Security Tags

April 30, 2013 by Staff Editor

I was first introduced to the idea of a clothing alarm using clothing security tags in the shoe department. As I walked through the stock room, you could see the carnage of old Checkpoint Tags thrown around; missing pieces, blue ink splatter on the ground. It was not a pretty sight.

Even worse, the reason we were there to begin with was from the number of customer complaints because the security tags on clothes had been put on the shoes with the bulky part on the inside.

Our customers could not try the shoes on without the tags being removed first. This was not the deterrent our store was looking for. This was not supposed to be a deterrent to our paying customers.

Our store manager quickly called us into action. We needed to undo all of the checkpoint tags and put them on correctly. That meant that all of the hard tags had to be reversed on almost a hundred pairs of shoes.

It was a very time intensive task. Once we were done, we knew we needed to train the department so it never happened again.

Loss prevention is frequently called “sales prevention” because too often the quest for clothing security overlooks the needs of the customers. It is important to remember that whatever policies and procedures are put into place, they must not stand in the way of the customer’s positive shopping experience.

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

Keep Shoplifters at Bay with Spider Wrap

April 30, 2013 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Spring is well under way and so are many home improvement projects for homeowners. The beginning of April through the Fourth of July weekend is the busiest time in the home improvement industry. Memorial Day weekend is often compared to Black Friday or Christmas. If stores fail to make their sales during these times, the entire year’s projections can be shot.

For many years I have managed loss prevention in home improvement stores to prevent shoplifting. I have learned that just as these busy seasons see an increase in sales, there is also a corresponding increase in shoplifters and shoplifting attempts.

Spider Wrap is one of the finest retail anti-theft devices that I have ever used to prevent shoplifting. Every store would greatly benefit from the use of spider wraps. They are criss-crossed wires with a center disc joining them as they wrap around a box. Spider Wrap holds the contents of a box inside the box and sounds an alarm if anyone attempts to tamper with the box.

Shoplifters are frequently not well prepared. There is no easy or simple way to deactivate the alarm when a shoplifter comes across Spider Wraps. It is the perfect deterrent because the last thing a shoplifter wants to do is draw attention. Keep it under wraps and your shoplifters at bay.

Visit the Loss Prevention Store to learn more about retail anti-theft devices used in conjunction with Electronic Article Surveillance or EAS system which can help prevent shoplifting for your business.

For more information on how you can utilize retail anti-theft devices, Electronic Article Surveillance or EAS system and prevent shoplifting please contact us or call 1.770.426.0547.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Prevent Shoplifting, Spider Wrap

Proper Documentation – Internal Theft

April 29, 2013 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

While it does happen, it is very rare that someone who does not work in your store causes issues with cash shortage. If you have a cash shortage problem, then you probably have an internal theft problem.

One of the first things that should be done is to maintain a daily cash over and short log. It is the first at a glance look at what is going on with your cash. You have to have a handle on when and where you are missing your cash, as well as tracking any overages.

To be accurate, you need to create a chart that lists the sales date and the dollar amount (short or over). You might decide to only track discrepancies over a certain dollar amount – say plus or minus five dollars.

Next mark an X by the employees who had access to that register on that day. They could be cashiers, or managers that might have a key to the drawer, or someone who reconciles the drawer either at opening or closing.

Now that you have your chart made, you need to document all of your cash discrepancies. Over time you should start to see a pattern emerge. If the same cashier is working on every day there is a discrepancy, or maybe there is a pattern (cash shortages on Fridays when there isn’t a paycheck) you probably have an issue with employee theft.

In order to find out if you have a theft issue or a simple training issue, you will need to conduct an employee theft investigation.

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

Free to a Good Home – Anti-theft Devices

April 27, 2013 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

There are few things more frustrating than trying to accomplish a task, at home or under the guise of retail security, where some small overlooked detail throws a wrench into the process.

I have tried to help friends move couches that are two inches too big for the doorway. After several hours of flipping the couch around to try every imaginable angle, it is left out on the curb – free to a good home.

How about trying to use a ladder that is a foot too short to reach what you need. It is a headache to have to drag the ladder back and to find a new one.

So how about trying to use anti-shoplifing devices when part of the tag is hanging off of the product? That doesn’t work very well for anyone involved except the shoplifters. It is all too easy to be torn off and invalidate having a cheap tag or cheap label on it in the first place.

Having the right size anti-theft devices makes all the difference in the world.

Visit RBC Security Solutions for Checkpoint Compatible Anti-Shoplifting or Anti- theft Devices that can help you with your Retail Security needs like Cheap Labels and Cheap Tags. Our Electronic Article Surveillance or EAS Labels and Tags are not cheap they are inexpensive and made in the U.S.

For more information on how you can use Anti- theft Devices in conjunction with your Electronic Article Surveillance or EAS system to help you prevent retail theft in your business with products like Cheap Labels and Cheap Tags contact us.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Anti-Shoplifting, anti-theft devices, Cheap Labels, Cheap Tags, retail security

What Do You Need? – Bottle Locks

April 26, 2013 by Staff Editor

Do you have very minimal or non-existent bottle security?

Do you suspect that maybe one of your own employees is taking advantage of you?

Are you worried about your high dollar liquor and wine sales not being accounted for?

Are you missing bottles of alcohol that cannot be explained?

Or do you simply have an abnormally high inventory cost that you cannot explain away from the most obvious reasons?

Whether you own a restaurant or a liquor store, there are questions that are not only interrelated, but also have a very simple solution. You need Bottle Locks. More than likely you have an employee that is taking advantage of the lack of liquor bottle security in your place of business.

There is a simple solution to wine and bottle security. Alpha security bottle locks provide product denial to anyone who does not have a key or detacher.

Preventing access to the contents inside, the EASy bottle lock is a cap that fits over the top of your wine or liquor bottles without harming the bottle’s caps or corks. By limiting the keys or detachers, you provide enhanced bottle security from not so honest employees.

Whatever the problem is, having a plan and procedure in place that enhances your liquor bottle security greatly reduces your risk and exposure to those unfavorable elements.

Visit the Loss Prevention Store to purchase EASy 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