Staff Editor — Page 161

The Perfect Easter Egg hunt

October 22, 2012 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Working Loss Prevention for over 5 years you see a lot of employee theft. There is always a good thrill in catching shoplifters but the real challenge is the internal theft. I have seen all kinds of clever ways associates steal from their companies. As many cleaver ways associates find to steal, loss prevention has just as many cleaver ways to catch the internal theft.

Catching internal theft is really similar to an Easter egg hunt. You know they are out there; you just have to hunt for them. Are they taking cash? Are they stealing merchandise? Are they misusing or abusing their associate discount or company coupons? Are they taking gift cards or merchandise credits? Statistics say that 1 in 4 employees will steal from their employers. So out of the 130 employees I currently have I should have 32 case files for an employee theft investigation going.

(Yeah right I wish).

It’s kind of funny how sometimes you can sit behind a computer screen running exception reports for hours looking for employee theft and come up empty handed. You will scratch your head because you know someone somewhere is doing something but you just can’t put your finger on it. You dig and dig but yet you still can’t find something to add to your employee theft investigation. Other times they just jump right out at you. Its almost like the employee wants to get caught sometimes.

Employee theft makes up about 30% of a company’s shortage. Most of the internal theft comes from things that won’t show up on an exception report. You need to get out there and get your hands dirty. What empty packages or tags are you finding in your stockroom or near your trash compactor? What bags are your associates or janitors walking out with? The most cleaver “Easter egg” I have found so far is a janitor bringing in and out his own vacuum. It was something odd however not exactly out of the ordinary. We later come to find that he was filling up the bag with merchandise throughout his shift and walking out with it at the end of the day. Sometimes that “Easter egg” is hard to find and other times its right there in front of you to find. Just don’t let any of those eggs sit too long, they will rot.

For more information on internal theft, employee theft investigation or employee 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

Employees that live together, steal together

October 22, 2012 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

One of the biggest ‘no-no’s in most every company handbook I have ever read was that employees are not allowed to cohabitate, date, sleep with, or be related to any superiors or subordinates within their home store. When such an event occurs it usually results in the transferring of one member of the party to another department or location if not outright termination. However I have noticed quite a few companies turning a blind eye to violations of this policy and all I can say is that it spells trouble.

In one of my stores I have five employees who are all inter-related through blood or marriage. Two are supervisors and directly oversee the work of the other three. The company is aware of this and has done nothing to correct the issue. I myself have scrutinized all their actions closely as their working together provides the whole group ample opportunity to commit to employee theft. With the supervisors in play they could circumvent LP schedules and systems to allow for untold amounts of employee theft and without a carefully and discreetly implemented employee theft investigation I would be none the wiser to any wrongdoing. As of this writing their situation has not bore any fruit of the internal theft tree but just because it hasn’t happened doesn’t mean it won’t happen.

Just with any other employee theft investigation, if the warning signs are there, no matter how long you may have to watch the subjects you are better off doing so then letting them go without being observed. I have come across plenty of cases where a married couple or dating duo that working together got away with thousands of dollars of cash or product just because an employee theft investigation wasn’t vigilantly carried out.

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

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

Clothing Shotput

October 22, 2012 by Staff Editor

Over a span of a decade, I’ve seen a lot of weird things working loss prevention. You always have your boosters that come in and try to pop off anti-theft devices like they are on some sort of Olympic time trial, or a door hitter that grab as much as they can and could care less if clothes are tagged. The entertainment, however, lies with shoplifters who are caught off guard by those pesky little cheap tags.

It was a typical day, strolling around the women’s department, when I saw an older woman acting suspicious. She was selecting multiples of the same item, taking clothes off hangers, your typical shoplifting signs. I stood back as she concealed multiple items into a shopping bag and headed cautiously towards the exit. She hit the front door, the EAS system alarmed and the look of panic came across her face. I stepped in front of her and attempted to ID myself, but had to duck out of the way as she heaved the shopping bag a good twenty feet across the mall floor and attempted to hightail it. Although I was laughing hysterically, I quickly caught up to her and someone else picked up the bag she tried to throw away. After all the paperwork was filed she admitted she thought she only took clothes without any anti-theft devices so she panicked when the alarm went off. Out of curiosity, I asked her why she threw the bag like a shot put rather than just dropping it? She said she really wasn’t thinking clearly… that much was clear.

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

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Filed Under: clothing alarm Tagged With: Cheap Labels, Cheap Tags, Clothing Security

Your Employees and Liquor Security

October 19, 2012 by Staff Editor

While no one ever plans on having an employee steal, it is an unfortunate reality of the retail environment. Take a look at the following suggestions. There are no sure fire ways to avoid theft. Implementing some of these strategies will reduce your exposure to the criminal element.

First, are you running background checks on your employees? That will help reduce the bad apples from the start.

Next, understand that the honest employees you do hire may not always remain so. Be watchful of signs of financial stress or alcohol abuse. Both situations could lead to cash or liquor theft.

The next part is to implement some form of liquor bottle security. Alpha Security has a truly comprehensive line of products specifically for bottle security. Their EASy Bottle liquor bottle lock is a quick fix to prevent theft. It is a cap that is placed over the top of a bottle that has an embedded alarm tag. This cap will alarm your Checkpoint Systems if it gets too close to the doors without being removed.

Keep in mind that liquor Bottle locks are great to guard against both employee theft and external theft (shoplifters).

If you can, include some camera equipment at your store. Common points of view would be over the registers and at the entrance/ exit doors. Make sure that your cameras are visible to anyone who enters. As a general rule, people are less likely to do something bad if they are aware of being filmed.

This is a great start to protecting your employee’s good name and your good profits. Keep your eyes open and your employees will be more likely to stay honest.

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 Locks, Bottle lock, 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

Repeat clothing returns

October 19, 2012 by Staff Editor

There is a tactic among the more seasoned shoplifters where one will legitimately purchase clothes and then go to another store and steal the exact same items to return them for a refund on what they had paid for the original ones. It is so common a practice I probably witness it at least once a week. Many companies have taken steps to counter this fiendish practice which includes a return tracking system which informs sales staff when an item has already been returned prior to the current attempt to do so. This system is not without its flaws and on more than one occasion I have seems store management override said system to “make the customer happy because it might have been a mistake”.

I’m not saying it’s outside the realm of possibility that someone messed up but more often than not it’s a repeat returner trying to pull a fast one. Unfortunately for those dealing with clothing security there is little we can do except enforcing adherence to these policies and training our staff for the tell-tale signs that a returned item was stolen in the first place. Things like spotting rips in the fabric where anti-theft devices were forcibly removed or where said anti-theft devices might still be in place.

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Filed Under: clothing alarm Tagged With: Cheap Labels, Cheap Tags, Clothes, Clothing Security

Retail Anti-Theft Devices are well worth the Investment

October 17, 2012 by Staff Editor

Would you rather see your clothes leave the store paid for or unpaid for? Clothing security is an essential component to maximizing profits and minimizing loss. Some store managers are scared off at the idea of spending money on little plastic clips that may damage clothes. That is a huge misconception. Retail anti-theft devices are inexpensive, will not damage merchandise, and have an enormous return on investment.

I have been doing loss prevention now for five years and I can tell you that thieves tend to stay away from merchandise that is protected. Cheap tags come in all different sizes and types to fit the needs of your business. Cheap labels can also be purchased to add further visual deterrence by providing warning to potential shoplifters.

Buying cheap labels, cheap tags, or other retail anti-theft devices will be 100% beneficial to your store’s clothing security initiative.

Visit RBC Security Solutions for Checkpoint Compatible Clothing Security Anti- theft Devices that can help you protect your clothes and prevent retail theft in your business with products like Cheap Tags and Cheap Labels. Our Electronic Article Surveillance or EAS Labels and Tags are not cheap they are inexpensive and made in the U.S.

Click here for your Free Sample of these new Checkpoint Compatible Cheap Tags and Cheap Labels for your Clothing Security needs!

Filed Under: clothing alarm Tagged With: Cheap Labels, Cheap Tags, Clothes, Clothing Security

Tips for implementing your new Checkpoint system

October 15, 2012 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

So you have a brand new Checkpoint security system and all the security tags one could ever need for a store but still question how to implement it all.

The important thing to remember is that any anti-shoplifting system will likely stop shoplifting by all but the most seasoned thieves in their tracks so you need to know how you might consistently confound their efforts long enough to spot them and call the cops.

One thing to consider would be the placement of individual tags. You always want to make the tags visible enough so your staff knows where they are to remove them, but in such an awkward and unnoticeable spot that they prove difficult to remove otherwise. I have seen a lot of winter jackets with tags placed at the very edge of the sleeves where there is little fabric for the tag to hold onto making it extremely easy to simply pop them off. Instead I must recommend a point such as the base of the collar or even the armpit area of the jacket. That way there is a decent amount of clothing in the way to conceal the tag, but also making it nearly impossible to illicitly remove the Checkpoint Security tags without causing severe damage to the clothing itself.

The other thing to consider is the Checkpoint systems towers. These noticeable, unmistakable pieces of equipment sit at your doorways waiting for some tagged item to pass through them before emitting a loud and irritating alarm for all to hear. It does no good without tags on your products so make sure all the items you are looking to protect have the appropriate tags on them.

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: checkpoint security system, Checkpoint security tags, checkpoint systems, retail theft prevention

Tips on implementing your new Checkpoint system

October 15, 2012 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

So you have a brand new Checkpoint security system and all the tags one could ever need for a store but still question how to implement it all.

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.

Filed Under: antishoplifting Tagged With: checkpoint security system, Checkpoint security tags, checkpoint systems, retail theft prevention

Protecting your Most Valuable Asset.

October 15, 2012 by Staff Editor

To start a business you will need a location and merchandise. You will need to put a name on your building, you will need racks and shelves and electricity, but the most important thing you will need is people. They will do the work needed and they will drive your business. They will interact with the customer day in and day out. They will need to be hired, trained and monitored for quality. This will cost money and time. It will be your most expensive investment by far. They will be your most valuable asset. That having been said, it is important to get the right people from the start. One way to ensure that this happens is to do background checks. You can do some of this yourself by calling past employers, but this will only give you so much info. Having a background check company perform the check may be more thorough. They are the background check experts and can perform criminal background checks and other types of Pre-employment screening that can prevent you from hiring a bad seed. Employee Background checks should also be done on present employees. I have done this in the past and have been surprised at what has come back on a background check.

Background check experts or a background check company can also verify things like address, credit history and bankruptcy records, which can help if trying to hire someone that will be handling a lot of cash such as at a bank or someone who works in your cash office. At minimum you should perform pre-employment screening on key positions like security officers or management. Running at least these people through employee background checks will prevent you from putting a criminal or scam artist in a position where they may have unlimited access to your funds and merchandise.

One company I worked for used employee background checks in the top 5 highest shortage areas. They felt that they wanted their most trusted employees in those problem areas. The areas where we did not perform criminal background checks soon became the problem areas for employee theft as well as shoplifting. We soon realized that by performing background checks we were getting a better quality hire and had weeded out the people we didn’t need through the pre-employment screening.

In my career I have been used primarily to fix the stores that are broken as far as shortage goes. The first thing I do when looking at the stores is to take a good look at the employees. Making use of a background check company who are the background check experts often will identify where or better yet who the problem is and is the beginning of fixing the shortage problem of the store.

Make use of these criminal background checks or at least basic employee background checks to protect your biggest investment… your employees!

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 checks, criminal background check, employee background checks, pre employment screening

Keep Kids Off Booze

October 15, 2012 by Staff Editor

According to a 2011 study on underage drinking conducted by the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, shoplifting has become an increasingly popular method used by minors to illegally obtain alcohol. Underage drinking has an effect on the community as whole, and it’s the duty of schools and parents to reduce opportunities for unsupervised parties and home access to alcohol. But what responsibilities are left to retailers?

Legally, in most jurisdictions expectations of retailers extend to asking for identification and training their employees on spotting fakes and counterfeits. Socially, however, shouldn’t we be making it harder for the youths in our communities to illegally consume alcohol?

Based on the findings of this study, a national campaign called We Don’t Serve Teens is being promoted and sponsored by the Federal Trade Commission. This campaign stresses the role retailers’ can play in reducing underage alcohol access and consumption. The commission recommends that retailers not only take steps to decrease overall theft in their establishment, but especially theft by minors. One of their suggestions was for stores to have a more open floor plan to make it easier for store personnel to monitor their alcohol stock.

The commission also recommended retailers to increase their liquor bottle security and significantly reduce not only underage alcohol theft but all liquor shoplifting, by investing in bottle locks; anti-theft devices that are secured over the cap of the bottle and removed after the item is sold. Not only do these devices serve as visual deterrents, they physically prevent someone from accessing the bottle’s contents while secured on the product. Not only do they help retailers with their problems of bottle security, but they help make them more socially responsible and responsive to the needs of their community by preventing underage alcohol theft.

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