Uncategorized — Page 161

Reactively Prevent Shoplifting

January 2, 2011 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

The first time a shoplifter is caught, he or she will undoubtedly claim that it’s the first time they’ve ever done anything like this, will truly be embarrassed, will offer to buy the item or items, and will swear that they will never do it again. In some cases, it may be true that this experience will prevent shoplifting from occurring in their lives again; for others, the experience may be only a small inconvenience.

This is just opinion, but I believe that very few retail thieves get caught the first time they give it a try. The first time, they are generally very nervous, very suspicious, and extra careful to avoid detection, checking closely for one-way mirrors, CCTV cameras, security tags, or employees in the vicinity. It’s only after they become more comfortable and confident that they let their guard down enough to be caught.

But what reaction should a storekeeper or owner have that is likely to prevent this shoplifter from repeating his actions?

First of all, the experience and embarrassment will probably keep a small percentage of shoplifters from stealing again. But for others, letting them walk is only an invitation to suffer future losses from this shoplifter and others who hear that your establishment doesn’t prosecute for theft.

Is prosecution always the best course to take to prevent shoplifting? Not always, but usually. The crime of shoplifting is a serious one, costing retailers billions of dollars every year. The courts are generally the best place to take care of shoplifters as they get the benefit of experiencing first hand the consequences of their illegal activities. The storeowner doesn’t really know, when a shoplifter is caught in his store, if it’s the first or fiftieth time the person has been caught. The court will know at least know if there have been any previous prosecutions and deal with it accordingly. First offenders are usually given deferred judgment which means that the offense will not remain on their record forever, unless they fail to meet the terms of their probation or are arrested on another charge. Repeat offenders receive harsher and harsher penalties.

A shoplifter is responsible for his own situation.

To discuss this and other ways to prevent shoplifting, call 770-426-0547 or click here for contact information.

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Clothing Security Tags Taken To The Next Level

December 31, 2010 by Staff Editor

Clothing security tags are not a new innovation. They have been around for some time now. The tried and true Checkpoint security mini hard tag is the most popular in the market. The proof of this is how many knock offs there are of it. However, the problem with mini hard tag knockoffs is the same with any knockoff. They look the same but rarely work as well.

In the case of Checkpoint systems mini hard tags the knock offs leave a lot to be desired. Rough edges that snag and damage clothing. The very merchandise they are supposed to protect. Many are not put together well and come apart, which is great for the shoplifter to easily remove them. But even worse is the detection. Poor quality control and design leave a lot to be desired when coming to detection.

Checkpoint systems does not want to be associated with these knock offs any longer. In fact we have had retailers call about the poor quality of their min hard tags just to find out that they were not genuine Checkpoint Systems. Checkpoint has release a new mini hard tag. It is the 3G Hard Tag. This hard tag takes clothing security tags field to a new level.

Visually it is different. The size is the same but the color is completely different. It is white and beige. The design’s seam is concealed and fused. A shoplifter will have a terrible time trying breaking it apart. The color blends in much better with clothing thank the gray. It has a raised ring around the pinhole to resist prying and has a hole that allows the 3G to accept a flex string.

Another huge difference is that the 3G clothing security tags are available for use with a standard detacher or a super detacher for additional security strength.

If you would like a free sample of the 3G Hard Tag or any other Checkpoint systems tag or label please contact us at clothing security tags or call 1.770.426.0547

Backgound Checks vs an Honest Face

December 31, 2010 by Staff Editor

Theft… Fraud… Embezzlement… Litigation… Poor Performance… Traffic Tickets… Drug Use… Dishonesty… Violence… Alcohol Abuse…

A quality employee background check can help employers avoid discovering the traits listed above in their employees.

An “honest face” just doesn’t get it anymore. There was a time when employers could hire someone based on reputation, their family, or the school they attended. Today’s labor force is far more mobile and getting more desperate to find employment in the current economy. There are far more applicants that there are positions to fill.

How can an employer be certain that he is finding out all he needs to know about an applicant? Has the applicant been convicted of a crime? Graduated from college? Actually held a position at a large company? Served time in prison? Been terminated from a previous employer for theft?

Again, an employee background check conducted by an experienced investigator can go a long way in avoiding problems with an employee in the future by screening out undesirable candidates who lack the skills, integrity, and experience to perform the job and meet or exceed the employer’s expectations.

To use an old cliché, “You don’t know what you don’t know.” As an employer, you are entitled to know everything about your candidate that can be revealed in an employee background check, because it’s your business that’s on the line, and you need people you can trust.

Eliminate the obvious and not-so-obvious applicants from consideration with a thorough and complete employee background check.

For further information about background checks, call 770-426-0547 or click here.

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Signals that indicate internal theft – Part 8 – Atlanta Georgia

December 30, 2010 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Signals that indicate employee theft or internal theft of goods or money

Purchase orders, usually with round figures, which in contrast to the majority of the purchases are normally odd numbers.
Over the counter sales often, against the rules, made against cash receipts so that because of the lack of a customer’s name or specification, cannot be properly checked.
The sale of surplus company goods, damaged product, old metal, pallets and rejects by one employee without any records kept.
Income from repairs kept out of the books because of the relationship with the client or for ease: “Just give me …..”
Exchanged articles insufficiently administered and possibly used for the system ‘two old ones make one new one’. The income is divided between the employees concerned.
Self-loading by clients or external drivers without checking.
Unauthorized deliveries by company or external drivers.
Unwarranted high cash balances.
Lack of daily balance of till or safe.

Keep in mind that these signals of internal theft may be present in one or more employees. Employees may be stealing in collusion with each other or on their own. We have investigated companies where many employees were stealing and each had their own little kingdom. They knew others were stealing but they stayed out of each others business of employee theft .

Employee theft is a situation that every business is susceptible to.
Watch for more parts to come in future blogs!

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

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Prevent shoplifting: Anticipate the theft before it occurs

December 30, 2010 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

I can be anyone – someone like your kids, your mother, or your neighbor. I am a shoplifter but I don’t have a certain description, and I don’t wear a name tag that says “shoplifter.” How are you able to identify me – before I steal your merchandise?

Businesses that successfully prevent shoplifting within their stores have sound loss prevention measures in place. A business owner cannot take for granted that his or her customers will not steal. As much as we’d like to trust our fellow man…our business loss prevention sense has to prevail in order to have the most profitable business possible. Low shrinkage and high profitability is the goal – not enabling shoplifters by being an easy target.

One way to prevent shoplifting is to recognize the signs that a customer that may be thinking of shoplifting. Then react appropriately to prevent the crime from occurring. Train your employees to watch how customers act. A person that is considering shoplifting will be looking around, watching the employees. He or she will probably find a secluded area with few employees or other customers. And the shoplifter may have a means to leave the business with the merchandise, be it in her purse, under his jacket, or another means of concealment.

Another best practice to prevent shoplifting is to provide excellent customer service, aggressively, to those who may be acting suspiciously. Attention is not what the shoplifter is looking for in your store.

You can also prevent shoplifting by keeping your employees informed. When you keep good records of your inventory, you can recognize what items are being stolen most often. Let your employees know which items are considered high theft in your business, so that they can pay extra attention to that area of your store. Additionally, if your employees know that you recognize quickly what items are being stolen, the employees themselves may think twice before stealing from you, their employer.

For more information contact us: prevent shoplifting or call 1.770.426.256.

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A Loss Prevention Investigator for your major case – Atlanta Georgia

December 30, 2010 by Staff Editor

If your business is experiencing a major loss, of merchandise, assets, cash, or all of the above, you may need the expertise of a loss prevention investigator .

A loss prevention investigator is a trained professional that knows how to look at the various aspects of your business and figure out what the loss is that you are experiencing. The first step in an investigation of this type is to determine if there is an issue, and what specifically that issue is.

Once the type of loss has been identified, research can be conducted to figure out the extent of the loss your business is experiencing. More often than not, there is an initial red flag that alerts you to a shrinkage issue in your business, and then once research is conducted it is discovered that the extent of the loss is much more far reaching. This is not what a business owner would like to hear – that the problem is even worse than originally anticipated.

This is why a loss prevention investigator is an excellent resource to utilize in these types of investigations. The investigator is trained to dig deep into your business and document the shrinkage issues into a workable case file. Once the investigation is complete, the investigator can refer the case to the proper authorities for prosecution, if that is desired.

A loss prevention investigator , after identifying the problem, will interview witnesses and other employees to gather more information. Once this is complete, the investigator will interview the suspected employee.

Investigators are trained to conduct these types of interviews and interrogations that are appropriate for a retail environment.

When your business experiences an employee theft case, bring in an expert – a loss prevention investigator . Your business’s profits will thank you and grow as a result.

For more information about loss prevention consultants, loss prevention consultants contact us: loss prevention investigator or call 1.770.426.256 – Atlanta Georgia

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Background Checks Include Professional Licensing

December 30, 2010 by Staff Editor

Background Checks Include Professional Licensing

Maybe this doctor’s office didn’t conduct background checks before, but they are likely to do so now.

A woman working as a Registered Nurse in a Connecticut doctor’s office was sentenced to serve nine months in prison for practicing without a license. The doctor himself filed a complaint with the State Health Department in 2009 that the faux nurse acted unprofessionally. The ensuing investigation determined that the woman had never been licensed as a nurse.

While employed by the physician, the woman “injected patients with medicine, wrote prescriptions, and gave medical advice to patients”.

In 2008, the woman received a “Nurse of the Year” award from the “Connecticut Nursing Association.” As it turns out, the organization doesn’t exist and the woman paid over $2000 from her own pocket to stage the dinner.

The award was one of the reasons the doctor’s office believed the woman was legitimate.

View the entire article here.

On a side note, how many of the doctor’s patients have now consulted attorneys to see if they might have a claim for damages. This is another case that plaintiffs are going to claim that the doctor’s office “knew or should have known” that the woman was unqualified based on background checks conducted on all employees… or were they?

Professional licenses, certifications, and credentials should be verified as part of every company’s policy on background checks. A small oversight can lead to large headaches.

Questions about background checks? Call 770-426-0547 or click here.

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The Criminal Background Check and Expungement – Atlanta

December 29, 2010 by Staff Editor

The Criminal Background Check and Expungement

Because of the current national employment situation, more and more jobseekers are attempting to clear any derogatory information from their past so that previous arrests or convictions will not show up on a criminal background check.

The process of sealing, blocking, or erasing a criminal record is called expungement, and all states have a way to exclude minor crimes from being reported to anyone but law enforcement and some government agencies. The conditions of expungement vary from state to state, but most have some sort of youthful offender program, or first offender program, or some other means of delaying judgment in a criminal case, and possibly avoiding the stigma of a criminal conviction. Usually some terms must be met by the defendant, such as completing a probationary period, before the case “goes away.” In many situations the defendant must file a petition with the court in order to change the disposition from “first offender” to “dismissed.”

A criminal case that originally received a conviction may be sealed or expunged by petition if it was minor in nature and a sufficient length of time has passed with no further instances evident. Convictions for felony crimes, however, are usually there to stay.

There is a problem that happens when a person applying for a job is under the impression that a crime he for which he was convicted has been expunged, but the arrest still shows up on a criminal background check.

This can happen in several different ways. The case may show as “dismissed”, but the arrest still shows on the record. This will continue to be reported this way for seven years, unless it is truly expunged.

Commercial database searches marketed as a criminal background check may show an expunged record long after it should have been removed, because although the record automatically gets onto the database, it has to be manually removed, and only when it brought to the attention of the database operator.

Employers should treat the criminal background check as a part of the overall assessment of a candidate’s suitability for a particular job.

Questions about a criminal background check for your business? Call 770-426-0547, or click here.

Disclaimer: We are not attorneys and nothing in this blog should be considered legal advice. If you need legal advice, consult an attorney.

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Tips to Prevent Employee Theft – Atlanta Georgia

December 28, 2010 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

One of the biggest threats to the success of any small business is employee theft . Small businesses rarely have the resources to devote to preventing theft and therefore suffer disproportionately when it happens to them. Luckily, there are a few tips that any small business can follow which don’t cost any money but can end up saving a company a great deal in the long run. The first thing you want to do is to create a positive work environment. This encourages employees to follow established policies and procedures, and act in the best interests of the organization. Written job descriptions, clear organizational structure, comprehensive policies and procedures and employee recognition programs will all help reduce the likelihood of employee theft .

Next, implement internal controls; these can ensure the effectiveness of operations, compliance with laws and regulations, safeguarding of assets, and accurate financial reporting. Separate the duties; no employee should be responsible for both recording and processing a transaction. It simply gives one individual too much power. Access to physical and financial assets and information, as well as accounting systems, should be restricted to authorized employees only. Develop policies to determine how financial transactions are initiated, authorized, recorded, and reviewed. These internal controls will reduce opportunity for employee theft.

Lastly, take the extra steps necessary to ensure that you’re hiring honest people. Sure, the best of us can always be fooled by a good con man, but by simply making potential employees submit to a pre employment background screening you can greatly reduce your chances of working with that con man in the first place. Check their criminal history for crimes involving violence, theft or fraud; their civil history for any lawsuits, collections or restraining orders, and their employment verification to ensure that they’re qualified to do the job you’re hiring them to do. Follow these simple tips and you’ll make great strides to preventing employee theft .

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

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The facts about retail loss – Atlanta Georgia

December 27, 2010 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Retail loss comes in many forms. From the associates taking merchandise to distribution center mis-ships or mis-directs, losses occur. However, one form of retail loss that many companies seem to overlook is that of vendor fraud. Especially for those of you that sell food items. In my career, I have seen many instances where for years store management has disregarded the fact that vendors do contribute to losses in their stores, whether intentionally or unintentionally.

As an example, a general merchandise store I worked for always seemed to have an issue with the items they sold in the cooler section of the store. This includes a variety of sodas, soft drinks, beer and other beverages. Retail loss being huge in this particular store and this area contributing the most retail shrinkage , I looked at it closer.

The manager on duty, against the company’s policy, was simply blind receiving shipments of beer into their store. The vendor delivering the merchandise showed an invoice for 200 cases of beer, the manager would simply sign the invoice and send the vendor on his way. Talk about retail loss exposure. The next visit from this vendor, I did an audit. 25 cases of beer were missing from the shipment. I walked out with him to his truck, and literally found 25 cases sitting in the back of the delivery truck, almost as if he intentionally set the beer aside.

Deliveries in and out of your stores pose a huge potential from retail shrinkage . It is vital to the success of your business that you inspect every shipment of merchandise from vendors coming into your stores.

Later, after inspecting the cooler box, we found several empty beer cans contributing to retail shrinkage . We installed a covert camera, and within two weeks time, this same delivery guy was caught on camera guzzling a couple cans of beer after he stocked the shelves.

For more information about retail shrinkage visit us at retail loss or call 1.770.426.0547 – Atlanta Georgia

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