Uncategorized — Page 47

Keeping Up With the Crowd – Alpha 3 Alarm

October 16, 2013 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

I should begin by saying that our primary goal is always to recover the stolen merchandise. Of course we would really rather prevent shoplifting before it ever happens, but that’s another story.

Given the choice between recovering our product and apprehending and arresting a shoplifter, we will always get our product back first. It is purely a financial decision – we want to recover our financial loss. It was worse before we started using Alpha Security for our retail anti-theft devices.

We started to use Alpha 3 Alarm for the simple reason that it is easier to track down our merchandise. When a shoplifter steals an item, we have to wait until he exits our store before we can apprehend. Unfortunately, we now have to contend with all of the mall shoppers. If the shoplifter starts to run, they can easily get lost in the crowd. Most retail anti-theft devices only set off the alarm at the door, but nothing further

Not anymore though. The Alpha 3 Alarm gives an audible signal that lets us follow the product, even if the shoplifter discards the merchandise along the way. We can recover our product, even if the shoplifter manages to escape. The Alpha 3 Alarm continues to sound for up to 10 minutes after the retail anti-theft device has been activated.

Visit the Loss Prevention Store for Alpha 2Alarm, Alpha 3Alarm, Alpha Fashion2, Alpha Jewel Lok, Alpha Nano Gate, Alpha Shark Tag, Alpha Spider Wrap and other retail anti-theft devices from Alpha Security to use in conjunction with your Electronic Article Surveillance or EAS system that can help you prevent shoplifting in your business.

For more information on how you can use Alpha Security retail anti-theft devices and your Electronic Article Surveillance or EAS system to prevent shoplifting contact us or call 1.770.426.0547

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: 3 Alarm, Alpha 3 Alarm, Alpha Fashion2, Alpha Jewel Lok, Alpha Nano Gate, Alpha Shark Tag, Alpha Spider Wrap, Fashion2, Jewel Lok, Nano Gate, Prevent Shoplifting, Shark Tag, Spider Wrap

Increased Profitability – Employee Background Checks

October 15, 2013 by Staff Editor

Do you know how much employee turnover costs? It might be more than you think. For a lot of small business owners, spending money on employee background checks and pre-employment screening seems counter productive when you are trying to enhance your profitability.

When you take a look at a bad hire, you are going to start incurring more monetary losses than what you initially bargained for. You hire a new employee with the intention that they will be proficient in their job after an introductory training period. Once they are up and running, they should be able to complete the assigned tasks of their job description within an allotted time period that maximizes your productivity and subsequent payroll goals.

If this hire is unproductive, or even worse begins to alienate customers, you will begin to decrease the leverage you might once have had by hiring this employee. You are now beginning to lose money by having them work for you.

Unfortunately, you can’t just bounce them to the curb. To avoid litigation, you have to have a disciplinary action plan where they are given the opportunity to find out that they are not fulfilling the required expectations of the job, and are given an action plan and time frame to complete their turn around.

This action plan may be repeated up to three or four times before the employee can be let go. In the mean time, you will continue to suffer losses from this employee.

Employee background checks help reduce these incurred costs by reducing the likely hood of hiring a bad employee from the beginning.

To purchase Pre-Employment Screening Services or for more information on background check experts, background checks, criminal background checks, employee background checks or pre employment screening contact us at the background check company or call 1.770.426.0547

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

The Check is in the Mail – Internal Theft

October 14, 2013 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

I ran a store that did a thriving mail order business. It was a great way to capture sales from customers not only in the area, but also some of the tourist shoppers as well. It was a little too late when I found out that one of my employees was committing internal theft through our postal process.

I didn’t have any real indication that while it was going on that I should have started an employee theft investigation. In fact, this employee stayed so far under the radar that the only reason I had any suspicions was because of another employee.

The employee that was running the mail orders had quit to find a job somewhere else. He had gone out with one of my other employees and had confided in them how much product he had taken and how easy it was to get away with it.

He had been shipping orders out to his home address and to the addresses of his friends. These orders were never paid for. Because we didn’t do an audit on 100% of the packages, his employee theft was undetected. He would hold his personal packages behind until the mailman was about to come by. Then he would slip his packages in with everything else.

There was no record of the packages, and there was only a slight influx in postage. It would have been the perfect crime had he only kept his mouth shut.

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

Visit the Loss Prevention Store to purchase CCTV Systems that can help you stop Employee Theft and Internal Theft problems and help with your Employee Theft Investigation.

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

My Time or Yours? – Clothing Security Tags

October 12, 2013 by Staff Editor

I was watching a suspected shoplifter over the weekend. As far as clothing security goes, she knew what to look for. She was checking a selection of clothing for Clothing Security Tags. She would go through a table of shirts, for example, and see if she could find one without a tag on it.

If no one else was in the area, she would casually walk to a corner and stuff her bag with the un-sensor tagged merchandise. She would go back to the clothing area and start looking through a new section of merchandise for the checkpoint tags. Once she could fit no more in, she would make her way to the exit. Luckily for us, we were watching and were able to make the apprehension.

Unfortunately, after reviewing more video from the day, we realized that she had been in the store at least three other times. There’s no way to tell how much we lost in those stuffed bags of merchandise because the security tags on clothes were not 100% accurate.

We learned an important lesson about why we need to stay consistent with our clothing security tags. I have a story that can help remind my employees that even if they don’t have the time to properly tag, it doesn’t mean that a shoplifter doesn’t have time to look for our errors.

Visit the Loss Prevention Store to purchase Checkpoint Tags, a Clothing Alarm, Clothing Security or Clothing Security Tags to put Security Tags on Clothes and an Electronic Article Surveillance or EAS system.

For more information on Checkpoint tags, clothing security, clothing alarm, or clothing security tags how they can work with your Electronic Article Surveillance or EAS system contact us at security tags on clothes or call 1.770.426.0547

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Checkpoint tags, clothing alarm, Clothing Security, clothing security tags, security tags on clothes

In the Corral – Alpha Spider Wrap

October 8, 2013 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

We recently re-designed the tool area of our store. Because the new area is a closed off horseshoe shape, it was deemed a corral. The concept was to reduce our shrink in power tools. If the shoplifters only had one way in and one way out of the department, there would be a greater chance of them being detected. Unfortunately, this didn’t work as well as expected so we went to plan B – the Alpha Spider Wrap made by Alpha Security.

Our corral would probably have worked out well, if we had taken the time to staff it correctly. Since the right hand (who made payroll decisions) didn’t know what the left hand (our loss prevention team) was doing, it was unfortunately a doomed concept from the start.

With no one watching the area, it didn’t matter how many exits there were out of the department. What did work was the implementation of the Alpha Spider Wraps. These wraps were attached to the outside of the boxes of our high theft power tools. Now there was a means to permanently prevent shoplifting regardless of how many labor hours involved.

For more information on how you can use Alpha Security retail anti-theft devices and your Electronic Article Surveillance or EAS system to prevent shoplifting contact us or call 1.770.426.0547

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Alpha Fashion2, Alpha Jewel Lok, Alpha Nano Gate, Alpha Shark Tag, Alpha Spider Wrap, Fashion2, Jewel Lok, Nano Gate, Prevent Shoplifting, Shark Tag, Spider Wrap

Track Your Cash- Employee Theft

October 7, 2013 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

If you have a cash shortage problem, then you have an employee theft problem. While it does happen, it is very rare that someone who does not work in your store causes cash shortage.

One of the first things that should be done is to maintain a daily cash over and short log. It is the first at a glance look at what is going on with your cash. You have to have a handle on when and where you are missing cash, as well as tracking any overages.

To be accurate, you need to create a chart that lists the sales date, the dollar amount short or over, and the employees who had access to that register on that day. They could be cashiers, or managers that might have a key to the drawer, or someone who reconciles the drawer either at opening or closing.

You might decide to only track discrepancies over a certain dollar amount – say plus or minus five dollars.

Now that you have your chart made, you need to document all of your cash discrepancies. Over time, perhaps a week or maybe even a month, you should start to see a pattern emerge. If the same cashier is working on every day there is a discrepancy, or maybe there is a pattern (cash shortages on Fridays when there isn’t a paycheck) you probably have an issue with internal theft.

Start an employee theft investigation by monitoring that employee’s activities. You might find that they are stealing, or it might just be a simple training issue.

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

Visit the Loss Prevention Store to purchase CCTV Systems that can help you stop Employee Theft and Internal Theft problems and help with your Employee Theft Investigation.

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

Safety First – Checkpoint Tags

October 5, 2013 by Staff Editor

Many years ago, a famous actress was arrested stealing clothes from a high dollar retailer. When she was apprehended, there was a cut on her finger. While that little detail might not mean anything to the common observer, to anyone in clothing security, it means all the difference in the world.

There is a reason why retailers almost universally use Checkpoint tags as their preferred brand of clothing security tags; in a word – Quality. Just because you use security tags on clothes doesn’t mean the crooks will simply throw their hands up and walk away. The unskilled ones will, but there are those out there that will make attempts to defeat the Checkpoint tags.

That means your clothing security tags need to be beyond reproach. No one should be able to come in with a pocketknife or a pair of pliers and pries open the tags to defeat them and bypass the clothing alarm. Your tags should be seamless and fool proof.

That is what happened to the actress. She tried to pry apart the Checkpoint Tags. When they didn’t easily open, the knife slipped cutting herself. This action not only prevented the tag from being disabled, but it also gave the store further proof, in court, of her intent to commit the crime she had been accused of.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Checkpoint tags, clothing alarm, Clothing Security, clothing security tags, security tags on clothes

Your First Choice – Alpha Security

October 1, 2013 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

So why would you choose Alpha Security products to prevent shoplifting? One word explains it all – versatility.

Alpha Security retail anti-theft devices are created to be the solution to all of your individual inventory needs. One size fits all might work with some things, but not to prevent shoplifting. In order to truly protect your inventory assets, you need to have retail anti-theft devices that are specific to your needs.

For example, why use a conventional hard tag on your jewelry when you have options of either the Alpha Jewel Lok or the Alpha Fashion2 product? The Alpha Jewel Lok is designed to attach a retail anti-theft device onto the actual merchandise, not the accessory cards. The Alpha Fashion2 alarm is a small hard tag that will do a much better job at keeping your accessories and jewelry safe than the larger conventional tags.

Alpha Security didn’t just stop with the jewelry and accessory department. They created viable solutions in each department and also in several different types or retail. From clothing to liquor to grocery, there is a solution for almost every way to prevent shoplifting.

For more information on how you can use Alpha Security retail anti-theft devices and your Electronic Article Surveillance or EAS system to prevent shoplifting contact us or call 1.770.426.0547

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: 2 Alarm, Alpha Fashion2, Alpha Jewel Lok, Alpha Nano Gate, Alpha Shark Tag, Alpha Spider Wrap, Fashion2, Jewel Lok, Nano Gate, Prevent Shoplifting, Shark Tag, Spider Wrap

Personal Expertise? – Background Check Experts

October 1, 2013 by Staff Editor

I am quite confident in my abilities and skills that have come from years of experience; however, I am not an expert in everything. I am also quite confident to know when I need to stop and ask for help. One of those areas is employee background checks.

I have found over the years, as a result of some bad hires, that I am not an expert in employee background checks. I am good at pre-screening and face-to-face interviews. But, after a few significantly bad new hire employees, I learned a very tough lesson about the importance of finding a background check company to conduct pre-employment screening and do a thorough investigation as part of the background check process.

It’s not only about taking the time to read between the lines when you interview someone for a job. It comes down to two things: time and resources. Neither of which I have much of as a manager and small business owner.

A Background check company will have both. They have the resources to really dig down below the surface of the background checks to find out anything that might be hidden, not disclosed or had happened in another jurisdiction.

They also have the time to properly evaluate the results that they uncover in their research. They can follow-up on information that might not be readily accessible, or might require additional investigation.

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

It’s a Special Occasion – Alpha Shark Tag

September 30, 2013 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

The Alpha Shark Tag differs from most retail anti theft devices that are designed strictly to prevent shoplifting.

This is a plastic tag that attaches to the garment. It is in an obvious place on the clothes that makes it unattractive to be worn, especially in a formal setting such as a dance. It is also in a place that would be hard to hide or cover up with a wrap or jacket.

When the clothing is purchased, the tag stays on the clothes – different than traditional retail anti-theft devices, which are removed at the point of purchase.

The sales person explains that the item being purchased can be returned as long as the Alpha Security Alpha Shark Tag is left on. If the tag is cut off, you can easily deny the refund – and any potential one-time uses of your merchandise.

If you can easily deny refund on special occasion outfits, it will be less likely your customers attempt to “rent” your merchandise. In other words, they will be less tempted to purchase an item that they will wear once and then return.

For more information on how you can use Alpha Security retail anti-theft devices and your Electronic Article Surveillance or EAS system to prevent shoplifting contact us or call 1.770.426.0547