Let a Background Check Company help you create the best staff for 2012.

As we enter the new year I would imagine we can all look back at the associates we hired in 2011 and in many cases ask ourselves, “What were we thinking?”.  The hiring process is a very complex process.  One large problem is that for the most part you have to rely on the person’s word that they are a good employee and you don’t get to test them out before you make an offer.  (Hint: Most people have biased opinions about their skills that may not reflect their actual ability).  To help with that you can utilize pre employment screening and background checks to help weed out the less than desirable candidates.

“Knowledge is power” – Francis Bacon.  We have all heard this quote and hopefully understand how true it is.  So then why would we give someone the keys to our success without finding out as much about that person as possible?  There are many different pre employment screening and background checks that can be performed by professional background check experts.  One type is criminal background checks.  Criminal background checks look into an applicant’s life history and searches for arrests and convictions.   Generally, you don’t want to hire a sex offender to work at your daycare or put a thief in your jewelry store.

Background check experts can also conduct employee background checks that look at a person’s education, work history and finances.  Don’t you want to make sure the person who says they’re a doctor to actually have a medical degree?  Applicants often overstate their qualifications on their resumes too.  Perhaps they were an assistant manager, but said they were the manager.  That is important.  Plus a small lie up front is usually a prelude to bigger lies down the road.   Employee background checks can help prevent a lot of headache later and is definitely worth the investment to make sure you have the best people working in your business.

 For more information on, background checks, criminal background checks, background check experts, employee background checks or pre employment screening contact us at the background check company or call 1.770.426.0547 

Internal theft how serious a problem is it really?

That is a question that I have come across many times during my career; companies that I have worked for sometimes doubt that they even have an employee theft problem in their business. The biggest time of the year where internal theft should be of major concern is during the holiday season. I conducted an employee theft investigation at one of my job sites where the store manager refused to acknowledge that he had a major employee theft problem.

The manager just refused to look at the bigger picture that employee theft is not the cause for the entire theft problem, but internal theft is a part of the problem.

When my investigation started uncovering internal theft issues, I made sure the manager sat in during an interrogation. During this employee theft investigation I interviewed the employee who had been employed by the store for over ten years. The manager was dumb founded at how easily the employee told us how the theft occurred and even named other individuals that were stealing from the company. At the end of the employee theft investigation the manager had finally come to the realization that anyone even those employee’s with long term seniority could be an internal theft risk.

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

 

Stop shoplifting this holiday season with RF technology.

With the holidays upon us there is much to be happy for as retail managers.  The economy has been picking up and we are all seeing increased spending.  I don’t know about you, but I can see the yearend bonus projection and it is looking great (finally).  One of the big things that can derail all of this joy and merriment is theft.  Retail theft can quickly diminish sales and profits and leave us all a little “Grinch-y”.  One way to stop shoplifting and reduce retail theft is by investing in RF security tags and RF security labels

 RF security tags and RF labels work on a radio frequency that is specific to the vendor who installs your system.  This goes a long way toward reducing “tag pollution” which is when other store’s deactivated EAS tags set off your system.  By using the RF security tags and RF security labels you know that the EAS alarm sounding is because someone is trying to take your product and not just another false alarm. 

 On leading vendor of RF security labels and tags is Checkpoint.  Checkpoint security tags and Checkpoint labels are very quality products, but are also affordable.  The Checkpoint labels are adhesive labels that can be placed on virtually any boxed products and can be woven into clothes (optional).  They are disposable tags and are very cost efficient.  Checkpoint security tags are hard tags that are reusable.  While they are a little more than the Checkpoint labels, they are removed at checkout and used over and over again.  In the long run they are a money saver and do a better job at protecting your products.

 Visit the Loss Prevention Store to purchase Checkpoint labels, Checkpoint security tags, and other RF labels that can help you stop shoplifting in your business.

 For more information on Checkpoint security tags, Checkpoint labels , RF labels, RF security labels, RF security tags and how to stop shoplifting contact us at RF label or call 1.770.426.0547

 

Preventing Shoplifting…It can be done!!

Most shoplifters out there are not professionals and typically are impulse thieves looking for easy targets such as businesses without retail anti theft devices.

Many small business owners spend too much time worrying about overhead that they forget that the bottom line can be affected by shrink.

  Most of the companies I have worked for understood the importance of preventing shoplifting via physical security using retail anti theft devices such as checkpoint security tags (hard tags/soft tags/ink tags/EASy bottle tags). Other such retail ant shoplifting devices are camera systems, lockable merchandise cases and lockable clothing lanyards. All of the aforementioned devices can and will have an impact to help prevent shoplifting if employed consistently and correctly.

 It is imperative that initial training of the sales staff is executed clearly before any of the http://stores.homestead.com/hstrial-RLee271/StoreFront.bok are used. Pinpointing your most vulnerable product, setting a feasible price point for tagging the product and then a daily or weekly audit of the tagged product to measure tagging compliance and proper tagging methods are the most important steps to take in ensuring your investment will prevent shoplifting at your place of business.

  I have conducted many interviews with shoplifters and the clear message from all have been that if a store is not employing tools or methods to prevent shoplifting that are clearly labeled and properly implemented, that is the place they will spend most of their time attempting to shoplift. No company who sells retail anti theft devices will tell you that their product will deter shoplifting 100%; they will explain that their product is a formidable obstacle to most shoplifters if a business properly trains their staff and implements their product consistently and correctly.

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 

Security tags on clothes are a must to protect your inventory.

There are literally thousands of clothing stores in the US and they are all fighting each other for customers and sales.  The last thing these stores need to be successful is to have to fight shoplifters for profits too.  Unfortunately, that is the cold reality that we face.  Retail theft (both internal and external) accounts for approx. 80-85% of soft line shrink according to most major studies.  To this end it is vital that stores put security tags on clothes in order to protect their inventory.

There are many different clothing security systems on the market today.  One system that is popular is by Checkpoint Security.  Checkpoint tags are time tested and Loss Prevention approved.  I have seen with my own eyes how shoplifters will attempt to defeat Checkpoint tags and then leave without stealing the product when unsuccessful.  There is no way to apprehend everyone who intends to steal, but by putting security tags on clothes you don’t have to.  The Checkpoint tags deter the theft from even taking place.

There are other clothing security tags available on the market as well.  Alpha Security has some really great clothing security tags.  They have standard hard tags and they also have a variety of tags made to fit small and delicate items.  One cool thing about Alpha is that their clothing security tags are compatible with your existing RF and AM clothing alarm.  It’s nice to know you can expand your current clothing security system to include Alpha product without having to purchase a new clothing alarm and toss your current tags.  Alpha also has a cool product called Shark Tags.  Shark Tags are disposable tags that “pinch” onto clothes.  They don’t damage the product, but the customer will have to remove them (with scissors) at home before they can wear the product.  Now if they try to return the product you can prove without argument that they product has been worn and can prevent “wardrobing” from taking place.

Visit the Loss Prevention Store to purchase a clothing alarm or clothing security tags.

For more information on clothing security, Checkpoint tags, clothing alarm, or clothing security tags contact us at security tags on clothes or call 1.770.426.0547

The Growing Trend of Resume Fraud

Everyone wants to put their best foot forward when applying for a position but when a candidate misleads a prospective employer with the hope of securing employment there is a problem.  Human resources experts argue that nearly 40% of resumes are fraudulent.  That means 2 out of 5 resumes contain exaggerations or omissions that a reasonable person would consider deceptive.  Examples of resume fraud can be anything from claiming to have worked at a job for a longer period of time to outright falsifying credentials such as degrees or professional certifications.

What can employers do?

Conduct pre employment screening and background checks. It’s difficult to spot a liar in a job interview and it’s not enough to just follow-up with references these days.  Employee background checks can help every employer avoid a bad hiring decision.  It’s not hard to write an honest resume but many applicants roll the dice and take their chances because many employers still fail to conduct employee background checks.

I believe there are three overarching benefits to conducting pre employment screening. Deterrence tops the lists because making it clear that background checks are part of the hiring process will discourage applicants with something to hide. Background checks also encourage honesty in the work place by creating a culture motivated by integrity from the start of the onboarding process.

Fact-finding is a key ingredient to pre employment screening so supplementing your initial impression of a candidate forged during the interview process with facts can help an employer make informed decisions. Employee background checks are conducted by major corporations because they can provide an added layer of protection from liability.

One bad hire could potentially cost an employer thousands in lost time or litigation costs and they may not have a leg to stand on in court if they haven’t conducted an employee background check. If you haven’t done so already, take the initiative and make informed decisions by implementing pre employment screening and background checks as part of your hiring process.

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 

 

Did you just see what you thought you saw? Yes.– Atlanta Georgia

It can be a hard fact to accept when you find out that one of your valued employees is guilty of internal theft.  Internal theft is referred to as theft by employees who are hired to work for your business.  In my experience I have found that everyone entering your store is not planning on doing a good job for you.  In fact some are actually planning on doing a number on you.

As hard as it is to conceive internal theft is very common.  Unfortunately internal theft often makes up the majority of all losses seen by retailers.  Employees suspected of theft are often hard to catch.  An employee theft investigation has to be done in a very sensitive manner and in a way that any other parties involved will also be discovered during the investigation.  It is important that an employee theft investigation capture all employees involved in committing the theft.

The damage from allowing employee theft to continue with initiating an employee theft investigation immediately can be severe.  Employee theft can result in the loss of thousands of dollars in merchandise for a retailer in a very short amount of time.  Many employees who commit theft came into the business the first day knowing exactly what they wanted to do.

Employee theft can be practically unnoticeable until it is too late.  Having the assistance of loss prevention professional that specialize in employee theft investigation is a plus.  As a loss prevention manager, I have handled hundreds of cases involving employee theft and had to interview the employees implicated in the investigation.  It has never ceased to amaze me the ways in which employees justify their crime.   I have heard employees say that they were passed over for promotion or that they were owed the money for all the work they had done.  Businesses must be proactive in the preventing employees from stealing from them.

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

Clothing Security – Irritation or a blessing

Retailers have many stumbling blocks in providing proper customer service while still protecting their assets. Security tags on clothes provide a way for retailers to protect their assets. But one of the major problems that irritate customers is when these Clothing Security tags are not removed at time of purchase. Most customers understand that Clothing security is needed and most customers don’t have a problem. The problem comes when they make their purchase and as they are walking out the Clothing alarm at the door goes off because the clothing security tags have not been removed.

This can cause a customer to feel embarrassed or even annoyed that they have attention drawn to them because the checkpoint tags were not removed from their purchase items. So to ensure that this does not happen employees must be taught to very mindful that that all Clothing security tags must be removed. Retailers count on repeat business from their customers, so delaying their exit from the store due to the security tags on clothes can have a negative impact on their overall shopping experience.

So to avoid these types of situations from happening all it takes is proper training of staff members. Clothing security tags are not supposed to make a customers shopping experience an inconvenience. So protecting company assets with clothing alarm should not forgo the customers shopping experience.

Visit the Loss Prevention Store to purchase a clothing alarm or clothing security.

For more information on Checkpoint tags, clothing security, clothing alarm or clothing security tags contact us at security tags on clothes or call 1.770.426.0547

RF labels help stop shoplifting

It’s true. When properly executed, RF security labels can help stop shoplifting. It’s no secret, shoplifter’s desire privacy and ease of action. They don’t want any witnesses nor any attention. Using RF labels takes away their privacy and makes it more difficult to get in and out of your stores un-noticed.

A former retailer I worked with had a huge problem with shoplifters. It was a small chain of drug stores selling general merchandise. They needed a way to control the amount of product loss through their doors. They initially had a manager stand at the front of the store, as sort of a customer service greeter, however, quickly found this to be a very costly and ineffective effort. The manager was constantly away from the door, dealing with customer service related issues, stocking shelves and handling administrative issues. I recommended they test out an RF label program, like Checkpoint Security tags to help stop shoplifting.

The owners were somewhat reluctant and felt the return on the investment might not be there. After more conversation, and a demonstration of how exactly RF security tags worked, they agreed. RF security tags were placed on a test class of high shrink/theft merchandise. An RF label like Checkpoint labels is a small discreet way to help stop shoplifting and can be extremely effective when used properly. Each RF label was affixed to merchandise, maintaining the integrity of the manufacturer’s label.

The design of Checkpoint security tags and Checkpoint labels is designed to not only activate the pedestal monitoring system but to be an obvious visible deterrent as well. Going back to shoplifters and privacy, when a shoplifter is confronted with visible Checkpoint labels on merchandise, the shoplifter is less likely to wanna spend any time attempting to defeat the RF label. Make no mistake; Checkpoint labels and RF security labels are effective methods to control loss.

Visit the Loss Prevention Store to purchase Checkpoint labels, Checkpoint security tags, and other RF labels that can help you stop shoplifting in your business.

For more information on Checkpoint labels, Checkpoint security tags, RF labels, RF security labels, RF security tags and how to stop shoplifting contact us at RF label or call 1.770.426.0547

 

Shoplifting and How To Prevent It.

Shoplifting has a significant impact on the retail industry.  While the true figure is debated by the leading retail industry organization, it is known that it is a multi-billion dollar business in itself.  As a result of this activity, many industry leaders have invested in resources to prevent shoplifting.

 These investments have come as direct result of the impact of shortage, which is made up of shoplifting, internal theft and operational error.  While internal theft and operational error impact the business, this article will focus on preventing shoplifting and the retail anti theft devices used.  To prevent shoplifting, a business leader needs to first identify how the losses are occurring.   Once the method is identified, the leader can then implement the use of retail anti theft devices.  These retail anti theft devices can be CCTV systems, RF tags, clothing article security tags, and remote monitoring systems.  These Retail anti theft devices can have a significant impact to prevent shoplifting.  To effectively use retail anti theft devices and prevent shoplifting, the retail leader should compare their shortage number before and after the use of retail anti theft devices.

 To prevent shoplifting the use of retail anti theft devices can act as a part of an overall loss prevention strategy.   Retail anti theft devices are so effective in preventing shoplifting, that I have seen high shortage stores effectively reduce levels to below industry and national standards within a years inventory cycle.

 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