Staff Editor — Page 210

She Was Given a Chance

February 24, 2012 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

There are never enough words to describe the betrayal of trust from an employee who is stealing from you. I recently concluded an employee theft investigation regarding one of my store managers. This one was pretty rough considering all we had done for her.

I am convinced that this employee’s theft did not begin until about a month ago, when her husband lost his job. She started out great as an assistant. She talked all the time about how much better she could be as a store manager. She would give examples of how she could improve a store. So we let her have her chance.

After a few months, her new store’s performance started to slide. After many conversations, she was finally put on an action plan. I guess about three weeks later her husband lost his job. Maybe that was the last straw. She was clearly over her head.

We started to notice a severe lack in following procedure in her store. An associate was eating a snack at the register. When asked if it was paid for, they told us that the manager said to go ahead and eat she’d ring it up whenever she had the chance. This was a common practice.

We then started our employee theft investigation. Turns out that the associates were eating, a lot, and not much of it was being rung up. The manager was also carrying a new BIG purse. We started to run our reports, and sure enough there she was. This wasn’t just a case of employee theft; she was also doing fraudulent refunds.

The end result was that she thought that she could take advantage of the trust we had given her. When times were tough, she just helped herself. She gave the rest of her store loose reigns, so they wouldn’t notice her own violations.

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

Tools You Know

February 22, 2012 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

When you look at common tactics for retail theft prevention, you might only think of a few ways. Customer service has and always will be the number one theft deterrent in retail stores. When it comes to anti shoplifting tools and resources, the list is actually as varied, as there are methods to steal.

Checkpoint security systems can start with their integrated use of towers, antennas, and checkpoint security tags. Tags and labels are placed on merchandise, some are visible, and some are concealed. When they come within the RF field generated by the towers, an audible alarm sounds. This notifies associates to respond with customer service to deactivate purchased merchandise.

Checkpoint security systems go beyond just the use of Checkpoint security tags and labels. They have electronic and digital recording devices for camera systems. Closed Circuit TV (CCTV) systems can also provide a deterrent, as anyone who enters a store knows their actions are being filmed and recorded. Note that some states do require signage on the front of your store stating that recording device is in use.

In conjunction with your CCTV, Checkpoint systems also have public view monitors. Public view monitors (PVM) are screens that can be placed in high theft areas that show what the camera in that area is recording. It reinforces the message that a retailer is aware of theft in that area and is doing something about it.

Checkpoint does a nice job of staying on top of current theft trends. They are constantly coming out with new anti shoplifting devices.

Visit the Loss Prevention Store to purchase retail anti theft devices from Checkpoint Systems.

For more information on Anti Shoplifting , Checkpoint Security System or Checkpoint Security Tags contact us at Retail theft prevention or call 1.770.426.0547

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

Background Checks: A Business Owner’s Best Friend!!

February 22, 2012 by Staff Editor

One of the toughest things for a small business owner to do is spend money, especially when there is nothing tangible they can hold in their hands as a result of the expenditure. That is exactly the challenge I had as a lp consultant when broaching the subject of background checks. Small business owners very rarely take into account the pre employment screening process when they start the search for employees. There are many things to discuss as a consultant with a new business owner regarding loss prevention but the number one concern is ensuring the business secures a reputable background check company that employs background check experts with a wide array of experience. It is not merely enough to conduct criminal background checks you must also conduct employee background checks as well. Trying to pull an owner from the belief that a mere review of a job application and an interview is enough of a pre employment screening to the full understanding of what background checks can achieve is a monumental task.

A very tough example was the owner of a small clothing retailer with five locations located within a largely populated city. This owner had two speeds fast and stop. Trying to get him to sit down for a consultation was tough enough even though he was the one who contacted me for a LP consultation overview of his business. The main problem he had was shrink and he could not determine the source or sources of the bad inventory results. I took about a month to review all aspects of the five locations including interviewing all of the employees and management. What I found was staggering. Essentially there were five locations running five different businesses doing whatever each store manager felt was right for their own store. This included the pre employment screening process. The hiring ranged from a job application and a five minute interview to a store manager who at least conducted two interviews and called for reference checks. There were no criminal background checks, no education checks and no employee background checks. In fact no one including the owner of the business ever entertained the idea of hiring a background check company to conduct background checks for the company.

I reported my results to the owner which included my thoughts on how the losses where occurring as well as the potential solutions to the shrink problem. I told him that his losses were mostly internal and that an in depth investigation would be required to pinpoint the problem employees. There were some minor administrative issues that were easily rectified but the staffing problem was not going to be so easily put to rest. I explained to the owner that before he went and started replacing employees he needed to retain a company that employed true background check experts that would help him choose the right staff. I explained to the owner the cost of hiring and training an employee and that seemed to get his attention since he would now be losing several employees, the cost of hiring and training them and now have to hire additional employees and invest that training cost once again. We narrowed the choices down to one reputable background check company. This company offered criminal background checks from local to federal levels, educational background checks as well as employee background checks with very reasonable pricing. I was also impressed with the transparency of the company to reveal the backgrounds of their background check experts. This openness put the owner at ease to take the necessary step to put a proper pre employment screening process in place.

It took the owner about six months to sort out his employee theft issues as well as at the same time successfully implementing the new hiring process. He called it a labor of love that in the end kept him from losing his business. He is now one of the biggest proponents for small business owners to implement good hiring processes that screen potential employees before they are allowed to take position of employment.

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

Feeling the weight of winter on your inventory? Clothing security can help.

February 22, 2012 by Staff Editor

Winter coats can be expensive. Shoppers know it, retailers know it, and most of all the shoplifters know it. Because of their high cost, coats can easily become a target for retail theft. From boosters to thieves of opportunity, coats are a quick option. I have seen many instances where shoplifters come into the store and target coats, specifically those lacking clothing security tags. By using security tags on clothes and coats you can have a huge impact on winter shrink in your store. There is a wide variety of clothing security tags available to fit your needs, and the use of a hard tag can do wonders in deterring theft.

Sometimes the simple solution of placing security tags on clothes can solve your problems; other times you need to take more drastic measures. Alpha Security CableLoks are a great clothing alarm product that I have used to effectively deter and identify theft activity in my store. These devices have provided great clothing security for high theft merchandise above and beyond that of what a hard tag can do. Alpha Security CableLoks can provide heightened clothing security to your merchandise by not only notifying you that someone has attempted to leave your store with unpaid merchandise, but can also provide an ongoing alarm on the device to alert you to the location of the merchandise once it has left your store.

The Alpha Security CableLoks clothing alarm is easy to install and even easier to remove with an Alpha Key. I have had great success with very little training to get my team using this product. Simply run the cable through one of the arms of the coat or other clothing item you wish to secure and clip the cable back into the unit. Unlike hard tags, this clothing security device is non invasive and does not penetrate the merchandise in any way, which is perfect for that high dollar merchandise you want to secure.

To purchase a variety of clothing security tags or a clothing alarm please visit the loss prevention store.

For more information on clothing security , clothing alarm or security tags on clothes contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 – Atlanta Georgia

Filed Under: Security Tagged With: Alpha Security

It Takes Two

February 22, 2012 by Staff Editor

There are two types of liquor bottle security: Passive and Assertive. When one starts to look at how to protect the investment of liquor and wine inventory, it is important to take a dual approach. While there are many different components to passive and assertive theft prevention, here are a few examples of each one.

A passive form of bottle security is one that leaves an impression in someone’s mind that there is more to your liquor bottle security program. It can be as simple as taking inventory on a daily basis. That doesn’t mean you have to count every bottle every day. It could just mean you pick a select grouping to count. Anyone who is watching (employee or customer) will have the impression that if something is missing, you will know immediately. They will be less likely to steal.

An assertive form of bottle security would be the use of an anti theft device such as the EASy bottle by Alpha security. This is a product that attaches over the mouth of a bottle. It prevents the contents from being consumed prior to purchase. The EASy Bottle Bottle lock will also sound an alarm at the doors if the lock gets too close.

These bottle locks are visual deterrents against shoplifting. It is a more in your face approach, as anyone who enters your establishment will take note of their presence.

Being passive and assertive in your shrink reduction will lend to consistent levels of profit. Taking a dual approach will strengthen your rate of success.

Visit the Loss Prevention Store to purchase EASy Bottle bottle locks by Alpha Security.

For more information on Alpha Security , Bottle Lock , Bottle locks , Bottle Security , liquor bottle security or EASy Bottle 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

If the Shoe Fits

February 22, 2012 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

I have a friend who loves shoes. Anytime we go out, she spends more time checking out the shoes going by than anything else. Heaven forbid that we go past a shoe store without stopping. She is a die-hard shoe fanatic! She often jokes about how a pair of shoes would be great to have, but she would only wear them once. Maybe she should just get them and return them.

Now, my friend has always put the shoes back on the shelf. She works in retail also and would have a serious moral breakdown if she ever even came close to wardrobing. Unfortunately, we both know that there are plenty of people out there who would not have such a moral dilemma and would buy the shoes for a one-time event, and then return the shoes.

Checkpoint isn’t just about how to prevent shoplifting. They have retail anti theft devices that also apply to these sorts of situations. The Shark Tag is a clip that attaches with a pin to a garment. It is designed to be removed at home. The Shark Tag may not fit on every pair of shoes, but could be attached onto thin straps of dressy shoes.

While there is no EAS on the Shark Tag (like a hard or soft RF tag), it s still a visual deterrent that unless you are planning on paying (and keeping) this product, you should just keep on walking.

Visit the Loss Prevention Store for retail anti theft devices that can help you prevent shoplifting in your business.

For more information on how you can use retail anti theft devices to prevent shoplifting contact us or call 1.770.426.0547

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Prevent Shoplifting, Retail Anti Theft Devices, Shark Tag

Internal Theft: The #1 Cause of Loss in Retail!

February 22, 2012 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Many small box retailers find themselves centering their full attention on shoplifting as their main cause of inventory loss. This is a very dangerous thought process that can lead to a business crumbling. Internal theft is the largest cause of inventory loss period. I worked for, at the time, a small retailer which sold video and PC games. The business has grown exponentially since then and I have to believe that their success in part was because of their ability to change the overall thought process of how shrink occurs.

When I first started I was brought into the corporate office as a loss prevention administrator. I was dumbfounded to learn that my boss, the director of loss prevention had not one bit of loss prevention experience. In fact she told me that she was a store manager before being promoted into the Director position. My job duties were limited to reviewing daily store paperwork and pulling credit card slips for chargeback disputes (when a customer disputes a charge the retailer has to show a copy of a signed/imprinted credit card slip to win the dispute). There was no talk of employee theft investigation; in fact it wasn’t until my second week on the job until I heard anyone mention internal theft. That conversation was troubling since my boss was telling district managers on a conference call that employee theft is so minimal in the company that they should instead focus on anti shoplifting methods to control their losses.

This lead to many district managers scratching their heads but they pushed forward using ideas given by my boss. They “gutted” all their inventory, placing the games in locked drawers behind the register as well as in the stockroom. This process took the stores about two months to implement. My boss had even suggested to the district managers that once the product was secured they could cut back on their daily inventory counts since the losses would most assuredly stop. District managers who brought up the idea of conducting employee theft investigations were met with indifference. There most definitely was a slight improvement in inventory loss in some locations, however in many locations and areas of the country not only did the losses not stop, they shot through the roof.

Employees were given the access to the product in the stockroom, they had keys to the lockable cases, the product was already gutted and easily concealed, there were no bag checks conducted at the store level. Employee theft ran rampant and my boss was clueless. Fortunately I had made a few friends in the inventory control department as well as sales audit and started some employee theft investigations to nail down some of the larger internal theft cases. I was able to work closely with the district managers sharing loss trends, having them do surveillances and then surprise bag checks which ended up catching a few real time employee theft cases. I was able to successfully phone interview the suspects’ real time and obtain large dollar admissions which translated to prosecution and restitution. After about ten of these cases my boss left her position with no notice. To this day I have no idea where she went but it took at least two years for us to put together a real loss prevention team and to gain the respect of the operations sales team. Once the focus was put on employee theft as a primary cause of loss and district managers were properly trained to aid in employee theft investigations were able to cut the company’s shrink by half, which surpassed anyone’s expectations.

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

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

How To Choose A Hard Tag

February 20, 2012 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

It’s easy to say that you are anti shoplifting. Not many people out there are FOR shoplifting. Putting that mantra to use in your retail establishment may be a very different story. Without a concrete plan for retail theft prevention, losses of merchandise can (and usually will) occur at a staggering rate.

The first step is to choose a reliable company to assist you with your new retail theft prevention plan. Beginning with something like the Checkpoint security system will help on many facets. They will help guide you through any questions you have. They also carry a wide variety of interchangeable tools and resources designed specifically for anti shoplifting purposes.

Once you have your Checkpoint security system in place, you will need to decide which hard tags to use. Checkpoint security tags come in multiple sizes and shapes for multiple applications. Some questions you might want to ask to determine which Checkpoint security tag is right include:

What type of packaging does it have (box, bag, hanger, hang tag,)

What type of product is this (shirt, pants, shoes, bag)?

What type of fabric is it made out of (stretchy, delicate, leather, denim)?

Is there a way to attach a pin or a lanyard (shoe eye, purse strap, button hole)?

Once you answer these questions you can start to narrow the selection of Checkpoint security tags. If you have any questions about the appropriateness of a tag for a specific application, there is always help available.

Visit the Loss Prevention Store to purchase retail anti theft devices from Checkpoint Systems.

For more information on Anti Shoplifting, Checkpoint Security System or Checkpoint Security Tags contact us at Retail theft prevention or call 1.770.426.0547

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

How pre employment screening is pivotal for building your workforce

February 20, 2012 by Staff Editor

It is a sad sign of the times that companies are practically required to perform background checks on every applicant submitting a resume. Unfortunately, no matter how depressing such a fact may be, it is a necessary action to protect your company from people who would pose a serious threat to the future of not only your company, but the livelihoods of all who make an honest living in it. They may not be convicted thieves or acquitted murderers, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t have skeletons in the closet that should be brought to light.

Most applicants aren’t going to be so honest and forthcoming to tell you they were terminated from a previous job because they were caught stealing, or perhaps they were embroiled in some scandal involving bigotry or racial slurs. Thankfully, that information is available through the use of employee background checks perpetrated by trained background check experts. The process is as thorough as you need it to be; and of course the deeper you wish the background check to be, the longer it takes for the information to be gathered and compiled. But of course the extensiveness of pre employment screening is entirely a prerogative based on the position you are trying to fill. You wouldn’t want someone who had been arrested for sale and possession of stolen goods to be working in a distribution warehouse, would you? That’s why we have things like criminal background checks. They are not meant to embarrass or harm a person’s future; whatever bad history a background check reveals is the result of said person’s previous actions and possible current disposition. Why should you risk them bringing such harm to you and your company when you can so easily afford to avoid it?

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

State Stores: Privacy Please!!!

February 20, 2012 by Staff Editor

As of late I have been contacted by a few potential business owners who are eyeing up the latest trends by states to get out of the state run liquor store business. These potential business owners contacted me as a lp consultant to go over a way to move from a government run entity to a privately run business. We all know that the private sector is more conscious of protecting the bottom line.

My initial move was to go to a few of the proposed state run locations to see what bottle security measures, if any, they had in place. Besides CCTV I did not see any additional liquor bottle security. I was troubled at the lack of urgency to secure the inventory. I spoke to a couple of the managers regarding my research into their loss prevention techniques and they confirmed that the only bottle security measures they had in place was their inventory counts and CCTV.

My second step in the process was to research any company that touted liquor bottle security as one of their fortes’. I came across a company called Alpha Security. I was duly impressed with Alpha Security’s EASy Bottle system which employed an alarmed bottle lock as the key to its success. There were several different types of bottle locks offered within the EASy bottle system. All of the bottle locks were alarmed and if tampered with would render the product in-consumable. My only concern was that the bottle lock would be too cumbersome for proper marketing and storage. I was delighted to see that not only were the bottle locks not too big or gaudy but that they were in fact lean and aesthetically pleasing while clearly denoting its purpose to deter theft.

Armed with this research regarding Alpha Security’s EASy bottle system I sat down with several of these potential business owners. Liquor bottle security was the topic of discussion. They were duly impressed with the dual purpose of the bottle lock, excellent bottle security and storage/marketing capability. The business owners saw the weakness of the government run facilities attempt at loss prevention and the strength of Alpha Security’s solutions to those loss prevention opportunities. An overall strategy was formulated that I believe will give these business owners a fighting chance to facilitate a seamless change from the government sector to the private sector.

Visit the Loss Prevention Store to purchase EASy Bottle bottle locks by Alpha Security.

For more information on Alpha Security, Bottle Lock, Bottle locks, Bottle Security, liquor bottle security or EASy Bottle 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