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Look At Your Policies, Cash Flow, Deposits, Cash Drawers. Are You Setting Yourself Up For Theft? Either By A shoplifter Or An Employee?

January 31, 2017 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

What policies do you have in place concerning cash handling, deposits, cash flow and preventing theft by a shoplifter or employee? If you have policies when did you last review them? If you don’t have set procedures and policies you are putting your store at risk for theft and potential robbery. Below are a few suggestions that can be used to create policies or strengthen polices already in place.

CASH FLOW

Starting with your cash office, there are things your cash counter, managers/supervisors and you can do to maintain cash flow integrity. At the start of the day the cash office employee should set up your money bags for registers with a set starting amount for each one. A manager should put the money in the tills and verify the tills are correct. I prefer money bags be used to move cash from the cash office to the registers with each bag being numbered to match a corresponding register. Some locations have the cash counter set up the tills and the tills are carried to the check-lanes. A rolling cash cart with a drop slot and locking door can be used to move the money bags to and from the cash office keeping cash secure. When a cashier is done for the day the money from their register can be placed in a money bag and dropped into the cart and rolled back to the cash office by a front end supervisor. A log should be kept requiring each person entering the cash office to write the time they entered, the date and their name and the time they exit. Money should always be locked in a safe and never left out on a counter in the cash office.

DEPOSITS

Deposits can be done in one of two ways. Some small stores have a manager take deposits to the bank or get change from the bank when the need arises. The second method is to contract with an armored car company to pick up deposits and bring change orders. This is the safest method and my recommended method for deposits. However, it is an expense and may not be in the budget for a small business. IF your managers are making the deposits, there are several safety precautions to take. NEVER go at the same time of day, it establishes a pattern for a criminal who may be looking for an opportunity to rob the manager. Likewise, NEVER take the same route to the bank every time, change up the direction even if there are only a couple of ways to get there. Always have someone watch the manager from the exit doors as the manager walks to their car and be ready with a cell phone to call 911 if a robbery takes place.

CASH DRAWERS

Train cashiers to never allow a customer to reach over the counter and get near the register drawer. IF someone reaches towards the drawer the register should be shut. Registers should be closed immediately following a transaction. If a cashier is sorting through the money or “straightening” they could be slipping money out and pocketing it or dropping money, then putting it in their pocket. Don’t “exchange” bills for patrons, there are some shoplifters who also engage in short changing and confusing cashiers and steal money using this method. Others will argue they did not get the right amount of change and start reaching in the till. If there is a dispute over change a manager needs to conduct a till audit with a partner, in the cash office. If there are enough registers in the store, limit one cashier to one register, when the cashier is done for the day, their money goes in their bag with a supervisor present and the supervisor drops it in the cash cart and rolls it to the cash office. Keep large bills under the till, if they are on top they are easy to see and easier for a grab and run. Consider purchasing locking till covers for registers that have money in them but are not currently in use. There are traveling shoplifting rings and till tap rings that have register keys and will open drawers if no one is paying attention. Till covers prevent someone from getting to the cash even if they open the drawer. Finally, when a register has too many large bills or excessive amounts of money, do a skim and take the excess to the cash office.

Cash handling policies can make your business safer and more profitable. Establish them and then periodically review them to ensure they are being followed.

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Tips To Secure Your Home And Family

December 29, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

This magazine is dedicated to helping you, the business owner/manager secure your business from threats to your bottom line. However, since the holidays are over, I want to help you with some tips to secure your home and family. I live, eat and breathe this kind of stuff. It is another of my long term experiences.

We tend to look for solutions from technology but in many cases we need to get back to basics. Here are a few quick items to review:

Light-When someone is looking to do no good to your property, they feel more secure if it looks like no one is home. The key is to confuse them and make them feel unsure. Remember, most burglars are lazy. If they are not sure about your house, they will move on. So you should have at least two light timers (three is better) set up and running seven days a week. These should be in different areas of the home and should come on and off at different times. Use the random or security feature found on most timers. This will vary the on/off time every day just a little in case someone is watching the house for a pattern.

This also has another benefit. It is an elegant look for a home. It also is convenient. For example, if you have a small table lamp in your foyer or stairway, you can have that lamp come on in the evenings until past the time you go to bed normally. The light does not need to be really bright. Maybe just a 40 watt bulb. Or use an LED bulb in these lamps instead. Your energy consumption will be almost nothing in the overall picture.

Sound-You may want to hook a timer up to a TV or Radio. A TV’s changing screen/light and sound will cause someone that is outside your home and maybe close enough to hear to have pause. This works best if the window coverings are closed or it is on the second floor. You may not want this option on all the time but it is a great idea for when you are on vacation or gone for a few days.

Mail/Newspaper/Flyers/Trash cans left at the curb-NOTHING says “I am not home” like these accumulating. Have a neighbor pick them up or put them away DAILY.

Safe-Mount a small in-wall-safe in the master bedroom closet behind your hanging clothes and below shoulder level. You can pick up a good little safe for around $100. These safes are mounted between two studs. They only require that you cut the sheet rock (usually a paper template is supplied) and screw the side into the studs on both sides. This allows you to keep cash, jewelry and more, secured and very well hidden.

Water-This really does not have anything to do with security. But if you are going to be gone for a few days or more, shut off the water supply to all toilets, sinks, washing machines and outside faucets (if possible). The average washing machine hose has a life span of five years. You really do not want to come home to a flooded house and an astronomically high water bill.

Alarm Systems-On the higher tech side a basic home alarm system is a great investment. When you have a system, you should cover every outside door and the door from the garage to the inside of the house. Install several motion detectors in areas such as hallways. You do not need to overdo it. What you are trying to do is create a trap effect. The bad guy should not be able to move very far without tripping a motion detector.

Basic alarm monitoring for your home system should be no more than $19/month. If it is more, you should shop around.

I strongly suggest that you have your alarm control send its signals to the Central Station via cellular not over wired phone lines or the internet. Most troubles with an alarm system are usually as a result of wired phone line problems. Cellular (GSM) resolves most of that. Also there is no wire for the burglar to cut. There will be an added monthly cost for monitoring for GSM (cellular).

Newer alarm controls have the ability to be connected to your PC or hand held smart device. This can only happen if your alarm control is connected with GSM (cellular). This is a very nice feature. It allows you to do almost anything remotely that you can do at the alarm keypad in your home. Arm/disarm, bypass….. This feature will also add to your monthly cost.

Cameras-Several cameras mounted around the outside of your home give you the ability to check in via your PC or smart device at any time. This used to be costly with traditional CCTV systems. Now you can put up Wi-Fi cameras that have long life batteries by yourself for a very reasonable cost. Shop around for quality units. A few things to consider when purchasing:

Battery life should be measured in years. You do not want to be on a ladder any more than necessary.
Is there a battery low indicator that will be emailed to you? The last thing you need is a dead camera when you need it the most.
Get cameras that have Infra-Red (IR) illuminators. This allows you to see in total darkness.
Be realistic on what you want to see. No camera is as good as the human eye. Two cameras may be needed to see what you want to see in one area.

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Suggestions On How To Improve Inventory

December 29, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Each year retailers take inventory of their merchandise, counting what they have in the store, reconciling that information against sales receipts, vendor credits and receipts and markdowns. Usually the result is some amount of shortage or merchandise shrink due to merchandise that cannot be accounted for and losses due to certain markdowns and damaged products. I have in rare instances seen overages, but those are usually the result of offsets from prior year shortages often attributed to paperwork errors. The store objective each year should be to improve upon the prior year inventory result. Certainly the best case would be to have zero dollar shortages every year, but that is not a realistic expectation. I try to explain to employees that if one package of gum were to be stolen during the year, you have incurred shortage. There are steps a store owner or manager can take to work towards that yearly improvement and shoot for a zero dollar shrinkage year.

The first step to improve inventory is to look at merchandise protection strategies in the store. Are retail anti-theft devices being used to prevent shoplifting as well as employee and vendor theft? A theft prevention system includes having an electronic article surveillance (EAS) system installed. This would encompass EAS antennas at entry/exit points, EAS soft tags, labels and hard tags on as many pieces of merchandise as possible and deactivation pads and detachment tools at checkout lanes. By protecting merchandise with retail anti-theft devices, shoplifters and potential dishonest employees are deterred from trying to steal. EAS protected merchandise also activates alarms if a shopper forgets about an item on the bottom of the shopping cart that has not been paid for and a tag is not removed or deactivated. Remember, if merchandise hasn’t been paid for, regardless of the intention of the customer, it is shortage.

There are other things that a store can do to improve inventory results from one year to the next:

Consider offering incentives to employees who deter a theft through great customer service. Employees on the sales-floor are your first line of defense against shoplifting. If they are walking their areas offering assistance, they will walk upon a customer attempting to conceal merchandise, remove items from packaging or tamper with EAS tags. Offering assistance, remaining in the area and communicating with managers is an effective method of deterrence without accusing someone of stealing. An incentive for reporting this type of activity may be the purchase of a drink or putting the employee in for a weekly or monthly drawing for a $5 gift card. Be creative.
Education/Training – Make sure employees know what your inventory results are and how much was lost in the last inventory. I always made it a point to share that information and celebrate it when we had good results. Let your employees know that they make a difference. Employees also need to know how to properly respond to EAS alarms and recover merchandise without making accusations. When training is not continuous employees become complacent and begin to wave people out the door who set off an EAS alarm. Eventually that complacency turns to ignoring the alarms altogether and the system is rendered useless. Alarm activations also need to be recorded so managers can review for trends and ensure there are no malfunctions.
Make employee receipt checks and bag checks mandatory for EVERYONE. Managers should be the first to show their purchases to an employee for verification. When employees see that no one is exempt, they will not mind doing it themselves. Accountability helps prevent theft.
Have a program in place for marking merchandise that is purchased for store use. If you have to get a pack of pens from your sales-floor for office use, purchase it or account for it through a ledger and then keep the package and mark it with a date and write “store use” or put a sticker on it. It is easy for merchandise to start being used and not accounted for and it will accumulate in offices from the sales-floor. Account for EVERYTHING, even a paperclip if it is store use.
Small, independent stores may not have corporate markdowns sent to them. These stores need to evaluate their merchandise and if it isn’t selling, mark them down, but do it incrementally. Start at 10 or 15% and see if you can move it. You don’t want to lose profit margin.

Improving inventory is not an impossible task. Utilize EAS technology to deter and prevent theft. Educate and train employees and empower them with knowledge on shortage issues and how they impact it. Profit from reduced shrinkage!

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: Alpha 2 Alarm, Alpha 3 Alarm, Alpha High Theft Solutions, Alpha Jewel Lok, Alpha Nano Gate, Alpha Security, Alpha Spider Wrap, Anti-shoplifting training, anti-theft devices, anti-theft tags, anti-thefts devices, Background checks, EAS Devices, employee background checks, Employee Theft, Georgia Alarms systems, Georgia shoplifting prevention, Georgia shoplifting systems, loss prevention, Loss Prevention Seminar, Loss Prevention Training, Prevent Shoplifting, prevent shrinkage, racial profiling, Retail Anti Theft Devices, security devices, shoplifting, Shoplifting Prevention, shoplifting statistics, shoplifting violence, surveillance

In An Economy Predicted To Improve Here Are Some Things You Can Anticipate

December 29, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

After a long and contested election cycle, a new president will be inaugurated and with this result, some experts are predicting the economy will begin to improve significantly. If the rebound is as strong as these experts are predicting retailers will be one of the beneficiaries, with an increase in customers and sales. Likewise there may also be more shoplifting activity that takes place. An increase in sales would seem to make sense given that there would be more people with jobs and potentially more money in their pockets, but why would there be an increase in shoplifting? There are a couple of possible explanations, for example during those periods when the economy is slumping retailers tend to order less merchandise. The result is shelves may stay empty longer or there may be fewer high ticket goods available for criminals to steal. Less product displayed can translate to less opportunity and opportunity is one of the necessities for a theft to take place. There is also the chance that with fewer customers in a store, employees are more readily available to offer customer service to shoppers and this is certainly a deterrent to shoplifters. One of the first recommendations I always make for improved shortage results is for a store to focus on customer service.

Along with increased sales and the potential for more shoplifting, what are some other things you can anticipate with an improving economy? You may find you are in need of more employees to help in your store. Cash stands that may not have been very active could start to see new life as lines begin to increase. Customers don’t want to wait for service so it is important to have enough staff to meet the demand. Sales floor coverage will likely be stretched thin again impacting shopper perception of wait time. Hiring could be crucial and in an improved economy you could be fighting for talent. Don’t settle on a warm body, ensure you conduct pre-employment screenings so you can be confident that the person you hire is the right fit for your team and has no hidden skeletons in the closet.

An improving economy means more transactions and that means cash registers have more money in them and credit card swipes. Make sure credit cards are the only thing being swiped and then only during the customer transaction. More cash in a register is a tempting target to an employee who may be experiencing a personal financial crisis. Make sure your front end or cashier supervisors are doing random cash drops at the registers, taking most of the money and leaving enough in to continue ringing sales. Watch for cashiers who may be tempted to swipe a credit card and forget to hand it back to the customer. If you see credit cards lying beside a register, question where it came from and pick it up and retain it in a lost and found.

Anticipate the need to replenish shelves more quickly. During slow economic times merchandise doesn’t always sell quickly and so filling empty spaces on shelves and fixtures may have been able to wait until the next truck load of freight arrived. If sales improve as predicted it is important to have plans in place to address “holes” more quickly. Prepare to monitor for out of stocks during the day and get it refilled from your stockroom quickly. If you are selling a lot of vendor supplied product, such as soft drinks, bread, cereals and snacks, etc., partner with your vendor representatives to increase deliveries and representative visits.

If you require an increase in floor replenishment, don’t forget to protect product with retail anti-theft devices before it gets to the selling floor. Remember I mentioned there could be increased shoplifting with an improving economy. It is easy to overlook the protection of merchandise as it flows from the stockroom. I should note that I would prefer to see merchandise protected as it arrives to the store, but some stores do wait until it gets sent to the sales-floor before applying Checkpoint tags and labels.

The potential for growth in sales is exciting for retailers. Don’t miss the boat by not being prepared for it. Have a plan to meet the needs of an expanding customer base. Be ready to fill your sales-floor and don’t forget to prevent shoplifting by protecting your merchandise before it gets to the floor. Going green will take on a whole new meaning in the coming years!

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Can An Improving Economy Lead To A Case Of “Keeping Up With The Jones’s” And An Increase In Employee Theft?

December 29, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Have you been keeping up with the news? It appears the stock market is on the verge of breaking new records. People are gaining confidence now that some economists are expressing optimism that we are about to see a jump start in economic growth. Does that mean EVERYONE is going to benefit? Unfortunately, the answer is no. There are many people who will continue to work in their current jobs and experience little personal benefit in their own eyes. What do I mean, “In their own eyes?” Just this, there are some people who are not satisfied with their job, or financial situation, or any number of things in their life and do little or nothing to try to change that. What they WILL do is get jealous when they see others who do well. It may be a co-worker who gets a promotion, a friend who has received a pay raise, a relative who has purchased a new car, there are lots of things that people can get jealous over. Sometimes this jealousy turns into an attitude of “Keeping up with the Jones’s” and can result in someone engaging in dishonest activity so they can have new things too. Frequently those who steal because they haven’t gotten that raise or promotion will try to justify their actions by rationalizing that they deserve it and aren’t being recognized for their contributions.

So what does this mean for the employer? You are excited about increasing sales, selling more merchandise, perhaps hiring more people and even expanding your business. First, you have to be alert to the people you currently have working for you. You should also include involving your supervisors in this since they may be closer to your workers and more likely to hear scuttlebutt than you will in the various work areas. If you have an employee who has been passed over for promotional opportunities make sure you explain to them why they were not chosen and provide feedback and even create a professional development plan with that employee if they express interest. If they don’t want feedback and don’t seek input on their development, they are probably not really interested and may be looking for a promotion for the sake of a promotion. Often this is the employee who will go back to their work center and complain and gripe. You must address this quickly and if the behavior continues get rid of this type of worker, they can create a negative work environment and it does influence others who may normally be great workers.

Watch for employee theft, especially from the disgruntled workers. There is a tendency to see themselves as victims and deserving of something, even if they have to steal it to get it. You may start to see extra money in your registers in an improving economy. You could have a disgruntled cashier who sees that money and since they only received a 2% pay raise on their last review, they decide they are going to give themselves a raise. Watch for all cash shortages, some stores make a minimum of $5 missing before it is addressed. In many instances I had cashiers who stole two or three dollars for lunches for quite a while before moving up to greater amounts of cash theft. If you start to see any trends, you need to address it early.

Then there is the employee working in the electronics department (as an example) who sees friends or acquaintances buying new televisions, laptop computers, or the latest techy gadget. This is the employee who gets green with jealousy because they aren’t making “enough” and can’t afford these goodies. It is unfortunate but it happens and I have apprehended employees in very similar circumstances. When it came down to the bottom line, after all the excuses were done it was usually a case of, “I just wanted it.” Employee package checks and receipt checks and the use of Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) retail anti-theft devices often discourages much of this behavior. I would still suggest you have a discussion with an employee if you hear them complaining or get word of it. You may get a better feel if it is just idle chatter or a potential problem waiting to happen.

An improving economy is exciting for store owners but watch out, those Jones’s may have what your employee wants and that could come at your expense. Make sure you spend time with your employees and listen to what they are saying. Your investment of time may save you headaches in the future.

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Partnership With EAS Technology And Policy

December 5, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

If you are reading this, chances are you are experiencing a shoplifting problem. Shoplifting takes a toll, not only on your stress level, but your bottom dollar. When people have a problem, they research a solution. One way to prevent shoplifting is having an electronic article surveillance system installed by a reputable company. Searching for such a company can be daunting. Shoplifting is an issue that needs to be addressed and resolved quickly. Why would you choose Checkpoint equipment from Loss Prevention Systems Inc. (LPSI?)

Checkpoint has been paving the path for EAS systems and building RF technology for over 40 years. All equipment is new and installed by factory trained technicians. Checkpoint and LPSI never sell refurbished equipment. The founder and owner of Loss Prevention Systems Inc., Bill Bregar, has over 30 years of experience in loss prevention. The small retailer may not have the resources for a loss prevention department. Our background and expertise in Loss Prevention sets us apart. Over the decades, Bill has taught and created successful Loss Prevention policies and procedures for the small retailer to send shoplifters elsewhere. Both companies partnership provide a path to decrease shrink and increase profit.

Checkpoint offers several different types of EAS systems for different situations. A favorite antenna system for small to medium retailers is the P10. This system is known as a workhorse. As part of the EVOLVE line, it has people counting capability and remote access. With an internet connection, a trained technician can access the system remotely to perform preventative maintenance and typically resolve potential issues. With its strong frame and Evolve capabilities, it will last a long time and is “future proof”.

What tips and suggestions can the small to medium retailer apply to their business? Compliance and enforcement. Create, implement and abide by policies to keep the business on track. Loss of compliance equals loss of control. Employees need a reliable example and understand what is expected of them. It’s up to you to enforce the process and standards of your business.

Combine your Checkpoint technology, people and process to prevent shoplifting. Having and EAS system is only as good as the people using it. With the right people following the right process, the technology will do its job.

Protect your business with qualified staff, effective procedures and the latest EAS technology. Take control of your success.

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: Alpha 2 Alarm, Alpha 3 Alarm, Alpha High Theft Solutions, Alpha Jewel Lok, Alpha Nano Gate, Alpha Security, Alpha Spider Wrap, Anti-shoplifting training, anti-theft devices, anti-theft tags, anti-thefts devices, Background checks, EAS Devices, employee background checks, Employee Theft, Georgia Alarms systems, Georgia shoplifting prevention, Georgia shoplifting systems, Loss Prevention Training, retail security and monitoring, shoplifting, Shoplifting Prevention, shoplifting statistics, shoplifting violence, surveillance

TIPS TO PREVENT A ROBBERY

December 5, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Can you believe we are in December already? This year has flown by and we’re in the home stretch. For many, many small and large businesses alike, this next month is crucial to profitability. Often times, the 4^th quarter can mean you stay open for another year, or it could mean that you didn’t make enough to pay your vendors. If you think that’s not a reality, do you remember a little electronics company by the name of Circuit City? So it becomes even more important to do every single thing you can to retain as much profit as possible. That means having the right product, providing the best service and definitely making sure your money makes it to the bank.

Holiday time brings an increase in sales, which in turns leaves you with a little (or a lot) more cash on hand than you normally would. This is great. We love to see money, right? Well, there can be a downside to all this extra green hanging around; a robbery. No one likes to think this can happen, or will happen to their store, but the reality is that it can. Criminals know this time of year means more cash in stores and it’s no secret that robberies tend to happen more frequently during the last few weeks of the year.

Last year, one of my stores were targeted very early in the morning. Thankfully, we were not open for business yet and none of my team members were hurt, but it exposed some holes in what we believed was a fool-proof procedure to deter these acts.

The first lesson is being vigilant. A good manager will always drive the perimeter of building when they first arrive. You should look for any signs of breach, or anyone who doesn’t belong in the area. If something stands out, don’t hesitate to call the local police. Better to be nothing than to walk into a robbery. Also, safety is in numbers. Managers should wait until all morning team members arrive before entering the store. This way, the store can remain locked and a manager isn’t opening the door several times throughout the morning.

Prepare for the worst. You don’t want it to happen to you, but it can. Train you managers, as well as your store team on what they should do in case of a robbery. You don’t want any heroes and you don’t want anyone to get hurt. You should constantly stress the importance of complying with the robber’s demands and getting them out of the store as quickly as possible. The very last thing you want is to have a hostage situation because the police responded while the robber was still inside. Remember, do what they say, give them what they want and get them out.

In my many years in LP, I have never seen a robbery happen in the middle of the day. Each one that took place in one of my stores happened either early morning, or late at night. At closing, a manager should head to the front of the store about 15-20 minutes prior to closing. Take a look at the parking lot. Are there any suspicious vehicles, or people hanging around? Once the last customer has exited, and it’s closing time, quickly lock your doors.

Try to avoid having team members leave the store at different times. If possible, schedule every to leave at the same time each night. That way, everyone can leave at once. You want to avoid opening/closing the door as much as possible. Robbers will stake out your store for days, or even weeks before hitting their target. If they know you open the door several times after close, you could set yourself up for a robbery attempt. By leaving all at once, in a group, you make the robbery less appealing to the criminal.

There’s no secret formula or magic wand that can be waved to completely prevent a robbery. You have to assume that at any time, it can happen to you. The best thing you can do is to work robbery prevention into your daily routine and most importantly be prepared for it. The last thing you want is to have your team faced with this reality and not know what to do. A simple conversation about expectations can very well be the difference between life and death.

(SOME MORE) TIPS TO PREVENT ROBBERIES

December 5, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

In the previous article, I gave some great tips on how to prevent and prepare for a robbery. Like many things, it’s impossible to provide a solution that is all encompassing. After I penned that article I couldn’t help but think that there was more that I could share; more that I should share. I draw on over a decade’s time spent in the LP field and this is one of those topics that I just can never stress enough to my store managers. So, what else can you do to limit a robbery and/or cash loss?

When do you (or do you) conduct a cash drop? I know, some of you may be scratching your head after reading that. What’s a cash drop? Most stores have a safe where money from the day is stored prior to it being picked up by the armored carrier/dropped in the night deposit at the bank. When a cashier has so much money in the till, some cash is taken out, and then stored securely in the safe. Think about it, would you want any cashier to have several thousands of dollars in cash in their till? It’s December and Christmas is right around the corner. A few grand in cash in one till is not out of the realm of possibility.

If your store, or company does have a drop policy, then make sure your cashier leadership is following it. For the company I work for, we set the threshold at $500. Our cashiers start with a bank of $200. Once they have $500 above their original bank, they are required to get a supervisor to drop the additional funds. You should also monitor this throughout the week and coach those cashiers that are failing to meet the expectation. If by some chance, you don’t have this practice, I suggest implementing this yesterday.

Not only does this prevent a criminal from robbing a cashier, you also prevent yourself from being exposed to a quick-change artist. You may know them by a different name, but this guys and girls can quickly scam a cashier out of hundreds of dollars. The basic scam has them pay a small ticket item with a large bill ($100 mostly). After the cashier gives change and before the drawer is closed, they begin confusing the cashier by asking for different change. A quick palm and some sleight of hand later, you’re out a few hundred bucks.

Again, training and policies can help you to avoid this. First, as mentioned above, make sure to keep the amount of cash in the till at a minimum. Second, train your cashiers to immediately close the till once change is given. I see cashiers let their tills linger open far too long quite often. As soon as the change is removed and before they tear the receipt off the spool, that drawer needs to be closed. The criminal needs the drawer to remain open to steal your money. You can easily beat them at their own game. Second, forbid your cashiers from even giving change. That’s how it is at our stores. If a customer needs change, we’ll be more than happy to oblige, but they must walk to the service desk where a supervisor assists them.

Cash drops are an important tool to fight against a robbery attempt. They take away that added liability of excess cash in the drawer and help protect against quick change scams. Remember, they most important thing you can do to prepare for a robbery is to prepare for it, every day. Prepare by training your managers to open and close as a team. Prepare by teaching your staff to comply with a robber’s demand. Prepare by dropping excess funds in your safe. Prepare by training your cashiers to do something as simple as closing their drawer quickly. By taking a few simple steps, you can shrink the size of the target on your store.

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: Alpha 2 Alarm, Alpha 3 Alarm, Alpha High Theft Solutions, Alpha Jewel Lok, Alpha Nano Gate, Alpha Security, Alpha Spider Wrap, Anti-shoplifting training, anti-theft devices, anti-thefts devices, EAS Devices, Georgia Alarms systems, Georgia shoplifting systems, Loss Prevention Seminar, Periodic inventory, Prevent Shoplifting, prevent shrinkage, racial profiling, Retail Anti Theft Devices, retail security and monitoring, security devices, Shoplifting Prevention, shoplifting statistics, shoplifting violence, surveillance

TIPS TO SPOT A POSSIBLE DISHONEST EMPLOYEE

December 5, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

It’s official folks. It’s December and the year is almost over. It also means that you’ve probably hired some additional help around the store. Whether they be temporary, part-time or full-time employees, they all have one thing in common; they have the potential to steal from you. I hate to sound so cynical, but I’m a realist. With December historically being the biggest month for internal theft, I’d thought I’d share some of my tips on how to spot a potential dishonest employee.

Are they in their assigned department?

Just recently, I worked an employee theft case that I caught on to after seeing this warehouse worker spend a little too much time in the clothing department. Turns out, he was layering clothing in the fitting room stalls when no one was around. While a good manager will always encourage cross-training and the learning of other areas of the store, an employee that is always somewhere they shouldn’t be may be a red flag that their intentions are less than honest.

Break the rules much?

Do you find yourself always telling this one employee to tuck their shirt in, or put away their cell phone? Do you find that you have to keep “reminding” them of the store policies that they continue to break? While there is much to be said about the work ethic of some of today’s youth, sometimes this could be an indicator of a potential thief. I think back to every internal case I’ve ever worked and they all have the same thing in common. During the interview, when I ask do they know why they are talking to LP, most of them start rattling off the copious amounts of policies they’ve violated. People who can’t follow company rules can easily slip into theft without so much a thought. Always address store policy violations and weed out those who can’t seem to follow the rules.

Let’s talk work ethic

Now this one can really go two ways. First, the obvious; if you have a lazy employee, you have someone with the potential to steal from you. If they aren’t happy about their job, if they resent you or the management team, or they are simply not satisfied with life, it will show in their job performance. Poor performers almost always lead to internal theft. They couldn’t care less about anything, so why would they care if they steal a few hundred bucks worth of goodies, right?

Without sounding like I’m talking out of both sides of my mouth, I’ve also found that there are some occasions where a star employee is also doing a fantastic job of stealing from you. Everyone has that one employee that will give their heart and soul to the store. They stay late, come in early, work their off days, volunteer for projects, run the bake sale, clean the toilets and mow the lawn… granted, this is how some people are. I’m one of those people. I have often seen this trait in employees that operated some of the most sophisticated, complex and downright amazing internal theft schemes. I’m not saying that all your bad employees are thieves, and so are all of your good ones, but merely that this trait, along with any other inklings should be looked at.

Who cares when I get to work?

Poor attendance is also a great starting point when looking for dishonest employees. While some people just have a problem with being on time (present company INCLUDED), attendance falls right in line with work ethic and following the rules. Pay attention to those employees who just can’t do what’s expected.

No Money, Mo Problems

You have that one employee. You know the one. Every single store has that one employee. The one that constantly talks about how little money they have, how little hours they get and how they just can’t keep up with their bills. Everyone has financial trouble every now and then, but these employees take it to the extreme. You say, “Good morning, Susie” and Susie responds with, “well it would be good if I had more money…” Every time I have missing money in a store, I immediately have the management team point me in the direction of this employee.

Look, you could have an employee that exhibits all five of these traits and guess what? They may not steal so much as a bag of chips from you. Unfortunately, there is no loss prevention inspired crystal ball that can predict with certainty what employees will steal from you and which ones’ wont. As a manager, it’s up to you to know your employees. It’s up to you to spot those inconsistencies and raise those red flags yourself. It’s your merchandise and ultimately your profits at stake. Don’t let an employee theft ruin your 4^th quarter.

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How The Changes To Shoplifting Laws Affect You

November 3, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

We have begun to see a breakdown in the protection we used to be able to depend on. Recent decisions in California and other areas are basically decriminalizing shoplifting.

These changes in the law by out of touch Legislatures are having a devastating impact on retailer’s and society as a whole. Law makers are not addressing the real problems, only the results. People are able to get away with crime and this will have a further reaching impact on future generations and our society as a whole.

But today it is causing shoplifting in those geographical areas to rise substantially, impacting the retailer’s bottom line and the consumer’s pocket book.

What are we to do? We can no longer depend on the criminal laws to protect us. The politicians have lost their nerve, their minds and the understanding on why they were elected. But the real problem is that the brave and highly skilled Law Enforcement Officers that are there to protect us all, are barely able to contain violent crime let alone shoplifting. Budget cuts, Democrats, Republicans…… are all to blame.

But you have solutions. The first is as professionals, we know that we can only depend on ourselves. So let’s solve this like any other business problem we face on a daily basis. The real solution has three elements. The good news is that you do have control of all three.

1. How vulnerable have you made yourself?

Step back and take a hard look. Or better yet ask someone you trust to do that. A friend, another business owner…… they really do not need to have any special skills. You should look at your store from the prospective of the shoplifter. If you were going to steal, how would you do it? Do you have dark areas, high shelving, hidden spots that would make the thief comfortable? Is your store unkempt, dirty and not stocked in an organized way? Shoplifters are attracted to these environments. If you are presenting that look, then the shoplifter probably knows you are not able to keep up or simply do not care. This will also breed more shoplifting as word gets around that YOUR STORE is an easy mark.

2. Equipment

I am not going to hit this one hard. You know that we sell and install the finest Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) equipment made worldwide. Checkpoint Systems must be part of your strategy. That is why you see it in almost every major retailer.

3. Your Staff

Are they asleep at the switch? Do they care? Have you trained them how you want the shoplifting deterrence program in your store to work and what their roll in it is? This is not something you can put off. It’s like saving money in an account. You got to start. If you are one of Loss Prevention Systems Customers already, then you know this. That is why we conduct live, personalized shoplifting prevention and loss prevention training for our customers. We do this as reasonably often as you need it, free of charge.

These three elements put and keep YOU in control. But you have to start now before it gets worse. And if the trend continues, it will.

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