Security Tags On Clothes That Make a Shoplifter Think Twice

September 2, 2010 by

Retail theft is a part of the retail store business. The retailer’s of the past used to just except theft as a part of life. It is a fact that retail theft drives the cost of merchandisehigher. The key to dealing with shoplifting is controlling it to a level that is acceptable (if there is such a thing). So how do we make shoplifters think twice and go somewhere else? Clothing alarm systems!

When you start talking about clothing security it gets even trickier to catch the shoplifter because many clothing thieves wear the shoplifted item out of the store as if it were their own. The good news is that retail can fight back against this type of shoplifting.

Clothing alarm systems are simple for the retail stores and their employees to use. The systems are also powerful enough to stop the criminals while being cost effective. There are many useful features and benefits to using clothing alarm systems.

Here is how these systems work: Clothing alarm tags are attached to merchandise and the antennas at the doors detect the tag when the shoplifter tries to exit. This system sets off an audible and visual alarm which alerts the retail employees.

Keep in mind this is only one of a clothing security systems many advantages. Features, like people counters, analytics, alarm management are now available. These systems are designed for one thing: reducing shoplifting!

A clothing alarm system makes it easy on the good guys and hard for the bad guys. It is not unusual for a system to reduce shoplifting by 60% or more.

Contact us at clothing security or call 1.770.426.0547

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Employee Theft…Management Is Creating It?

September 1, 2010 by Leave a Comment

Employee theft also known as internal theft causes close to 50% of retail business loss. In the thirty years of conducting employee theft investigations it still shocks me what a poor job most businesses do in common sense prevention. A good example of this is an employee theft investigation I did where $5000 in fraudulent business checks were cashed. It turned out that the back stock of checks were unsecured in a storeroom with office supplies. Janitor’s stole twenty some checks from the middle of the stack waited a month and them began to cash them. Those checks should have been secured under lock and key with strict access. The checks should be issued and logged out to the person that processes them.

Every day we drop our guard because it is more “difficult” to do it the right way. Doing it the right way prevents employee theft. That is the key, “prevention”. Or we say, “oh I trust that person, they would never do that”. Those words get more businesses in trouble. When a management person says that they are basically saying that they have no business common sense.

Another employee theft investigation involved employees that stole hundreds of thousands of dollars in product from a distribution center they worked in. They were given keys to the facility that had millions of dollars of merchandise in it. The alarm system was not set up to log opens and closes. So coming back at night and loading up a truck was not a problem.

Employee theft or internal theft lurks around every corner. You have to be proactive to prevent it. Internal theft will not go away or stop on its own. In fact, it will get worse. Get your policy manual off the shelf, dust it off, update it and make sure people understand that this is your “business bible”, live it and enforce it. That does not mean that it never changes, far from it. As your business changes your policy and procedures should change. If you don’t then make sure you budget for employee theft investigations.

For more information, contact us about internal theft or call 1.770.426.0547

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Are YOU The Cause Of Increased Shoplifting In Your Retail Store?

September 1, 2010 by Leave a Comment

Me? Prevent shoplifting? Studies show that a lack of deterrence efforts by retailers will encourage up to 75% more shoplifting in a retail store. It makes sense, do nothing and you leave yourself wide open. Not only will a shoplifter hit you but they will come back time and time again. And to add insult to injury they will tell their shoplifter friends. Suddenly your store is “shoplifting central”.

Shutting down shoplifters is not rocket science. A “good” program to prevent shoplifting consists of employees that have been trained and are comfortable in customer service tactics that deter shoplifters. It’s simple really; Approach any suspected shoplifter as you would a customer. “Hello, how can I help you?” This type of simple greeting will shut most impulse shoplifters. They will not shoplift in your store during that visit.

A “great” program to prevent shoplifting takes more. You must know the techniques to shut down amateur and professional shoplifters. This takes a bit more skill and knowledge. In addition to prevent shoplifters from cleaning you out you must also understand that they know your store as well as you do. They will select a time of day when your employee to customer ratio is the lowest. Since you are busy it makes it easier. To compensate you must use an Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) system. EAS systems like a Checkpoint system give the retailer an equalizer in the fight.

Aggressive and positive customer service that is appealing to customers and very unappealing to shoplifters can only be achieved with training. But the key is that once your people are trained you as the leader must reinforce it. We have all put programs in place then walk away feeling great. We solved the problem! However, six months later we are no better off. That’s because we did not keep it a priority with our employees.

Do not be the cause of your shoplifting problem. Prevent shoplifting every day, day in and day out.

For more contact us at prevent shoplifting or call 1.770.426.0547

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Get control of retail shrinkage

August 31, 2010 by Leave a Comment

What puts many businesses out of business is the inability to get control of retail shrinkage.  There can be a stumbling block to recognizing the reality that all retailers experience employee theft.  Many retailers, especially boutique types, have “good repeat customers”.  They may be shocked to know how many of those “paying customers” are actually great actors and professional level shoplifters that are cleaning out the store bit by bit.

Other areas that are a problem smaller retailers have a hard time looking at is that there is a good potential that they are experiencing some retail shrinkage due to vendor fraud.  Long term trusted vendors are often waved by through the receiving line and invoices are signed blindly.  One shorted item per visit can add up to a significant side business for unscrupulous vendors.

So how does the retailer get control of retail shrinkage?  There are many ways to do that and they can be divided into two areas, installed solutions and consulting solutions.

Installed anti theft devices such as Checkpoint Systems will not only deter shoplifting and keep shoplifters out but will also actively watch for theft and alarm personnel in the event product is being stolen.

Loss Prevention consultants can survey your store, procedures and issues and offer a plan that can be scaled into phases or implemented all at once to knock out  retail shrinkage.  This method will provide a detailed look at what is going on and can help avoid investing in a good solution to a problem you do not have.

For more information go to: retail shrinkage solutions

 

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SECURITY TAGS ON CLOTHES…..WHAT’S OUT THERE?

August 31, 2010 by

Did it ever cross your mind while you are in the dressing room of a large department store, “I wonder what types of security tags on clothes  this store uses?”

Well purely for fun and trivia, we should talk about security tags.  OK, first the most unusual security device I have ever seen is a security tag for a liquor bottle!  Yes, I said a liquor bottle.  It has never occurred to me to steal a liquor bottle from a store so I guess that is why I never thought about theft prevention.  Take a look at the picture below.

Bottle Lock

Liquor bottle security device.  It fits right over the top of the bottle so even if you steal it, you gotta break the bottle to drink it!!

Ok, so let’s get back to the discussion of security tags on clothes.  What types are there?  Well, after investigation it seems there are LOTS!  Let’s start with delicate clothes.  If you have a pretty piece of lingerie or a silk blouse, you need a “delicate” type of security device.  The mini security tags work well for those types of garments.  See Below.

Mini  

Here are two different types of “mini” security tags.  Each of these is quite a bit smaller it seems than your traditional security tag.  Most retailers appear to sell these in lots of 1000.
What types of security tags on clothes do you use if you have belts or shoes, etc?  One type of anti-theft device used for those types of garments is a security tag with a lanyard for easily attaching to a belt or accessory.

 As you can see to the left, these types of tags attach and remove differently from traditional tags that attach with a pin through the garment.

And many retailers’ favorite type of security device is the infamous ink tag.  Ink tags have been around for a long time and the purpose is to guarantee that if someone does abscond with a garment, when they try to remove the tag it will spew ink all over the article.  Potential shoplifters are even warned that they are going to get “ink spew” but often it still does not deter them from attempting the theft.  See the example below:

 The picture depicts a typical ink tag.

For more information about security tags on clothes, please contact us or call 1.770.426.0547.

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Do you Know Whom you are Hiring?

August 31, 2010 by

Years ago, most employers had no use for pre-employment screening because they had a pretty good idea of who they were putting on the payroll.  The applicant might be personally acquainted, be a relative of a friend, or come highly recommended by a colleague.  Populations tended to remain static and close to home, and also stayed at one job much longer than they do today.  After a couple of phone calls or letters of reference, the employer was ready to make a decision.

Today’s employees are highly mobile, ready to move to almost any city for an opportunity.  Today’s workers also spend less time at a company before moving on to greener pastures.  The current economic environment has mad it much more likely that what you see is NOT what you get when it comes to applicants.

These facts have made pre-employment screening an indispensable part of the hiring process.

Whom do you eliminate with a good background check process?  Criminals, resume padders, unqualified and undereducated candidates, and those who live beyond their means, not to mention embellishers and underperformers. Plus those prone to violence and dangerous drivers.

Some may say that these things are none of the employer’s business, but you don’t have to let your potential employee’s past become your future.

Use pre-employment screening to help you make your hiring decisions.

Call 1-770-426-0547 for a free consultation with a background check expert.

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Not All Clothing Security Tags Are Created Equal

August 30, 2010 by

Clothing security tags are a popular line of defense for retailers in the battle against shoplifters and there are many options available.  Not all clothing security tags are created equal though.

Checkpoint Systems is the world’s leading manufacturer of EAS (Electronic Article Surveillance) systems, which use radio frequency technology to detect security tags and labels on merchandise via sensors installed at doorways.  As with any industry the leader is always followed and there are many  clothing security tags and label copies manufactured overseas.

But buyers beware.  These slightly less expensive tags and labels do have negatives that need to be understood.  The most popular Checkpoint tags are the mini hard tags and the barcode labels:

 

The issues with the cheaper copies are something the average retailer would not really notice at first unless they did some extensive testing.  For example, 25% of the cheaper copies can be dead out of the box / will not set off the alarm.  The reason being there is no quality control on the imported cheapies…QC is an expensive process which affects the cost.  Checkpoint goes so far with their quality control that they actually test every label before it leaves the plant.  Any dead tags are marked with a red dot so that the customer knows to skip that label.  (All rolls of labels are guaranteed to have a minimum of 2,000 good labels).

The copycat mini hard tags are easy to spot.  First all Genuine Checkpoint products have their logo embossed on them.  Also, the fit and finish is very noticeably different.  The copies have a manufacturing seam that you can stick a small screwdriver or knife into and break open in seconds.  The Checkpoint seams are so tight they look like a molded one piece unit.

Just like anything else, you get what you pay for and  clothing security tags are no different.  For more information go to: clothing security tags or visit Loss Prevention Systems for continental US systems installations.

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Employee Theft Investigations…What is your policy?

August 28, 2010 by Leave a Comment

No matter if your business is big or small; you should have a policy for employee theft investigation.  There are many definitions of employee theft; stealing, falsifying documents, theft from possessions of customers, embezzlement.  According to the US Chamber of Commerce,  employee theft is costing American businesses $40 billion dollars annually.  Yes, that was BILLION with a B!!

Employee theft investigations can be tricky. The first precaution is always using a third party investigator.  But how will your employees know if they are breaking the rules?  You should always have a WRITTEN employee theft POLICY.  This policy will outline disciplinary actions and also define what stealing is!

Then you should have a written policy outlining how the employee theft investigation will be done.  For instance, have the policy outline things such as how personal articles would be searched in the event of an investigation.  Also outline how things such as lockers or company property should be treated and used.  Even misuse of a company computer can be considered employee theft, but actions such as these would be very hard to terminate based on that if a policy is not in place.

Lastly, always ensure that your management team leads by example.  If an employee theft investigation is underway, but management has never led by example and always violates the written policy, you may not have any leg to stand on to prosecute or terminate.

For additional information on employee theft investigation, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547.

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SECURITY TAGS ON CLOTHES….MY AMAZEMENT

August 28, 2010 by

There are all kinds of security tags on clothes that prevent shoplifters from helping themselves.  Some tags beep, some that spew ink on the garment and some tags that are just plain inconvenient to remove.  And yes, I do realize this is irritating when you make a purchase, get home, put on the garment and wham you have a big pretty ink security tag on your new purchase that the store forgot to remove.

But consider this everyone, without those security tags on clothes to try and prevent people from stealing, it would increase every consumer’s cost of purchasing any type of retail item.  So yes, tags can be frustrating but very necessary.

Imagine my amazement when I goggled “security tags on clothes” this week and found at least 100 websites, instruction videos, photographs and blogs on “how to remove security tags on clothes.”  My goodness consumers, these things are here to help you.  We should not be teaching criminals how to go into a dressing room and remove the stupid things so they can steal stuff!

One website, which will remain nameless of course, even outlined what tools to purchase and took step by step instructional video on how to take security tags on clothes OFF the clothes!!

Here is my thought.  If you purchase something, look at the garment before you leave the store.  Don’t get all mad because the security tag is still attached when you get home.  You were there when you purchased it.  You were there when they DIDN’T remove the security tag.  So take just a smidge of responsibility for the mistake, and just by chance, if the retail outlet you frequent does leave the security device on the clothes, GO BACK TO THE STORE AND GET IT REMOVED.

For information on where and how to use security tags on clothes for your store our retail outlet, contact us or call  1.770.426.0547.

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Employment Criminal Background Checks…Necessary?

August 27, 2010 by

Is an employee criminal background check really necessary? As a former Police Officer I came into contact with people every day that were not fit to be in the same community as the good people in society. This included individuals that caused serious injuries to others. They used weapons to harm, kill, rape and steal. The list goes on and on. I learned quickly that these people cared about themselves ONLY and most had no remorse even when caught.

Then as a loss prevention professional for several major businesses I have personally investigated over 2300 employees for mainly employee theft. I found that many of those same people are in the workforce. I guess the primary impression I have come away with from that is this: These types of employees WILL steal from a business and smile while they are doing it. The only remorse that the majority had was that they were caught. This applies to all ages, sex, race, religion….

Now add this to the fact that many different studies over the years conducted by many different organizations boils down to this: Approximately 20% of the work force has stolen from their employer. This is one in five of the people in the work force today and that work for you! You may not wish to believe this but it is FACT. And we are only talking about theft. This does not include other crimes.

Is an employment criminal background check necessary? It is not just necessary it is an absolute requirement, no compromise. Unless you do not mind wasting money, time, labor and loss of your cash and merchandise to learn the hard way.

Oh, by the way if you hire someone that is violent or prone to it and they injure, kill or harm in any way another employee or customer you will be held liable. Saying I didn’t know does not hold water. The courts lean towards the fact that you should have conducted a criminal background check because they are readily available at low cost.

I forgot to mention, I have seen hundreds of managers and business owners that have said something to me like “I know people, I don’t have people like that working for ME”. They are the ones that are really at danger because their ego out weighs their business sense. Remember one in five!

Don’t compromise on employment screening!

For more information on employee background checks contact us or call 1.770.426.0547

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