Evaluate Your Inventory- Clothing Security Tags

April 23, 2013 by

It should be no secret that you need clothing security tags to protect your merchandise. What you might not realize is that it is also not a secret as to which specific items need clothing security.

The first place is to start looking at your last inventory report. You are conducting inventories at least on a yearly basis right?

If you aren’t, you need to start. How will you ever know that you have a problem if you don’t have any way to manage or quantify your inventory losses?

If you have inventory items that you still carry that are still seeing losses of, these are the ones that need Checkpoint tags first. If these items caught your eye, then you are probably missing either high dollars or high quantities of these items. These are your top shrink or your high shrink items.

Analyze your reports further and you will find which other items are on the list of losses. These are the items you need to make a decision regarding whether they will benefit from security tags on clothes.

If you find an item that you had shrink in, but you no longer carry the item determine if you have a comparable item. If so, you may consider using clothing security tags to be proactive in reducing your shrink.

A clothing alarm system will pay for itself in approximately 5 ½ months.

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

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Stealing of your profits – employee theft

April 22, 2013 by Leave a Comment

The most sought after item that dishonest employees like to steal is cash. Unlike merchandise, cash can be used anywhere and cash is often the easiest item to steal.  It is small and easily hidden, employees handle it all day, and cash has no sensor tags applied.

Do you know if internal theft involving cash is taking place at your business?  What are you doing to uncover this distinctively challenging form of employee theft and put an end to it?

There are a variety of situations and circumstances in which employee theft involving cash is likely to occur.  There are also a number of considerations when conducting the employee theft investigation around these losses.

The most uncomplicated scheme is simply taking money directly from the drawer.  The effect of this style of internal theft is blatantly obvious the next day when the accounting department discloses that money is missing from the drawer.

It is most effective to begin the investigation by reviewing “No Sale” functions when conducting an employee theft investigation.  Most associates do not take cash during an actual transaction because of the witnesses (i.e. the customer) present.

Instead, the employee waits until it appears that no one is observing to conduct a “No Sale” function, and then pockets the cash.  The employee wrongly believes that the absence of witnesses enables him to hide his or her actions.  In reality this type of theft is usually quite simple to pinpoint.

Another scheme to take cash is conducting voids.  This is more difficult to apprehend, but it can be accomplished with due diligence. The dishonest associate will void a transaction and take the cash in this particular form of employee theft sting.  Because the register now assumes the sale did not happen, it will then not show short since the cash “should not have been there” according to the register.

Prevention and discovery requires that the employer routinely watch for associates conducting a lot of voids followed by “No Sales”.  Since they voided the transaction the cashier has to use the “No Sale” function to open the drawer and make change for the customer.

The employer can also pull random voids and review the video to see if the merchandise stays in the store or, if in fact, the customer takes it out of the store.  The cashier is stealing from you if the customer takes the item out of the store.

There is no easy solution for internal theft; however, a thorough employee theft investigation helps eliminate problems and prevent future loss.

For more information about employee theft, employee theft investigation and internal theft please contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 – Atlanta Georgia.

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You cannot keep criminals out of the work place without pre-employment screening

April 22, 2013 by

It can often be a daunting task for any employer to find the right person for the right job.  Pre-employment screening equips you to identify the best candidate so that you do not waste precious time and resources on a new hire that has the potential to do more damage than good.

It is the belief of background check experts that keeping an unqualified person out of the workplace is vital to protecting company assets. Employers are required to follow their state’s pre-employment screening laws.  The background check company is also governed by overarching Federal regulations.

I once worked for a company that conducted pre-employment screening on all new hire associates as part of our shortage mitigation program.  We outsourced to a background check company all employee background checks and reduced our liability.  We also required each prospective employee to complete a consent form authorizing the background checks during the hiring process.

We conducted criminal background checks for every candidate that would have access to cash or restricted areas.  The background check experts returned all background checks in a timely fashion and we were equipped with the information to make an informed hiring decision. 

It was surprising to discover how many of our prospective new hires had been convicted of shoplifting.  A significant number of prospective new hires also had a felony conviction that would have gone unchecked had we not conducted a background check.

Your business is vulnerable to infiltration by career criminals and thieves without adequate information to make an informed decision. Criminal background checks enabled us to keep criminals out of the workplace. Without a doubt, the first line of defense to protect assets and profits is pre-employment criminal background checks. 

For more information about background check experts, background checks, criminal background checks, employee background checks and pre-employment screening please contact us at the background check company or call 1.770.426.0547.

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Door Guards as retail anti-theft devices

April 16, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Larger stores sometimes have the luxury of an employee only entrance which utilizes some type of door guard or watchman.  This system offers a huge advantage in the ongoing battle to mitigate and control internal theft. These watchmen are hired to inspect bags and check refunds as well as to sign off on employee purchases. They are also alert to retail anti-theft devices that may have accidentally (or otherwise) failed to be deactivated.

It is not that easy for most of us. Although there might be an approved entrance and/or exit, there is always a back door which is normally used for trash and receipt of deliveries.  Any security measures used at the back door are designed to prevent employee theft and not to prevent shoplifting.

This back door area offers a huge opportunity for employee theft to occur unless someone is watching this door.  Unfortunately there are many employees who are looking for opportunities to sneak merchandise out the back door.

This is where a device like Nano Gate is the perfect solution. The design is compact enabling it to hang discreetly on a wall and out of the way of damage. The big bulky EAS towers are not conducive to receiving a truck full of boxed-up merchandise. The Nano Gate is a much better fit.

Employing this extra alarm creates one more barrier that an employee attempting to steal must thwart. They are now prevented from sneaking EAS tagged merchandise out the back door and attempting to deactivate tags in the privacy of their own home. A Nano Gate absolutely reduces or eliminates high dollar items walking out the back.

Visit the Loss Prevention Store to purchase retail anti-theft devices used in conjunction with the Electronic Article Surveillance or EAS system that can help prevent shoplifting for your business.

For more information on how you can customize retail anti-theft devices and Electronic Article Surveillance or EAS system to absolutely deter or prevent shoplifting please contact us or call 1.770.426.0547. 

 

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Bleeding Profits – Employee Theft

April 15, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Unfortunately employee theft (also known as internal theft) is a reality when operating a business of any size.  More than half of all retail industry shortage is a result of employee theft.  Every business owner needs to be aware of this and take the appropriate actions to confront this reality.

Employee theft frequently manifests through internal collusion or assisting the theft by an external party.  Most often though internal theft is the primary form of employee theft that impacts businesses.

Internal theft happens in a variety of different ways.  Most retail businesses have cashiers and, of course, these cashiers have access to many assets.  Retail cashiers have access to the register funds.  This access and the level of direct supervision frequently create an environment that is conducive for internal theft.

It is critical to remember that each employee is a potential avenue to loss.  Every employee in an organization has access to assets.  This means that not only the business’s cashiers present the possibility for loss.   The stock workers have access to your inventory, the facilities’ staff often work unsupervised and after hours, and the management staff has direct access to the safe and reserve funds

If employee theft is suspected, the next step should be to initiate employee theft investigations.  As soon as an owner or manager notices that loss has occurred, the employee theft investigation is indicated – it should also become a routine measure to uncover loss yet unnoticed and to serve as warning as well.

The goal of employee theft investigations should be to uncover and address internal theft issues.  An CCTV systems, personnel surveillance, and controlled auditing.

The goal should be not only removing the guilty party, but also identifying any control or supervision issues.  An employee theft investigation also can support the course of correction that might be indicated.

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

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Employee background checks: An ounce of prevention

April 15, 2013 by

Because criminal records are just one of several indicators that facilitate determining the suitability of a job candidate, performing criminal background checks is only one component of a comprehensive pre-employment screening program. I have listed several examples which will help you better understand how effectively pre-employment screening with criminal background checks protects your company.

Example #1:  Let’s say you are charged with hiring a truck driver that will deliver drugs for a healthcare facility. If a background check company returns unfavorable employee background check results which indicate the candidate has two previous drug related convictions, you have just saved yourself and countless others untold misery and loss.  You could have easily given the keys to a drug locker to a known criminal with a history of drug abuse without conducting employee background checks for all potential new hires.

Example #2: Let’s say you own a shuttle service and one of your employee assaults a customer while in transit to any given destination.  After the incident it is discovered that the employee has a history of violent crime. If you have not conducted a criminal background check; the record will reveal that you, as the employer, have not done everything possible to make a good hiring decision before the suspect was extended an employment offer. 

If the victim later sues your company using public information that can be found on the internet and a law firm uncovers the suspect’s criminal history, your argument is not going to stand up in court.  An incident that could have been prevented by hiring a reputable background check company has the potential to bankrupt your company and possibly destroy your reputation in the community.

I hope this blog has helped you understand the significance of performing background checks on potential new hires.  Background check experts possess the expertise to conduct background checks that can save you a lot more than money. This is a small investment to make to protect your income, reputation, employees and customers.   

For more information about background check experts, background checks, criminal background checks, employee background checks and pre-employment screening please contact us at background check company or call 1.770.426.0547.

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Shopping Bags and Retail Anti-Theft Devices

April 9, 2013 by Leave a Comment

I have seen it all after 10 years working in the field of loss prevention.  I have seen shoplifters enter a store with not a single bag and leave with multiple bags full of merchandise. This means that they not only left the store with stolen merchandise, but that they also stole the shopping bags in which they put the merchandise.  Many stories can be told by someone who tries to prevent shoplifting.

One thing continues to be true time and time again – shoplifters always go for the easy stuff. The merchandise not protected by retail anti- theft devices is considered the easy stuff. I observed that the majority of shoplifters detained in my stores shoplifted the unprotected merchandise more often than any other merchandise in the store.

Often times the shoplifter admitted during the interview and processing that the merchandise taken was not the merchandise the shoplifter originally planned to steal. They admitted that when they saw a security tag; they would quite simply find something easier to shoplift.  They also stated that they found retail anti-theft devices impossible to remove without damaging the merchandise or injuring themselves.

Shoplifters are not as cooperative as one might think and often they do not give up without resistance.  Because I wanted to prevent shoplifting in the store as well as prevent the dangerous confrontations I had been having, my observations led me to consider that I could likely prevent shoplifting throughout the other areas of the store by increasing the use of security tags.

I began placing the retail anti-theft devices on more and more merchandise in the store in an effort to prevent shoplifting and injury to myself. My plan worked.  I experienced a decrease in the number of shoplifters as well as a tremendous decrease in inventory shortages.

Prevent shoplifting in your business by visiting the Loss Prevention Store to purchase retail anti-theft devices and reduce or eliminate your losses from theft. For more information on the use of retail anti-theft devices to reduce or prevent shoplifting, please contact us or call 1.770.426.0547.

 

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Should Integrity Shops be part of an Employee Theft Investigation?

April 8, 2013 by Leave a Comment

There are numerous instances in business when it is necessary to perform the employee theft investigation.  The fact is – employees steal … a lot!! – this is the distressing reality. Research reveals internal theft (also called employee theft) accounts for 50-70% of retail shrink.

One of the most difficult aspects of investigating employees is the trust factor – we want to trust our employees.  It is especially troublesome to accept that one or more employees are stealing from you. Conducting an employee theft investigation is imperative when money and merchandise start missing in order to uncover internal theft.

There are several things to do during the employee theft investigation.  Reviewing reports is first on the agenda.  Many losses can be solved by tracking cash over and cash shorts, reviewing refund and void trends, and researching ordering and inventory change histories.

Cameras are great instruments for catching and verifying employee theft. We turn to cameras if reviewing reports does not produce results.  Either by standard cameras on the sales floor or covert cameras in offices, cameras can indisputably verify the identity of the thief.

Unfortunately, there are times when none of these methods work.  I have found myself at wits end on several occasions with strong suspicion of an employee, but no actual proof.  This is where an Integrity Shop can be of great benefit.

The employer can create a circumstance or set of circumstances providing an employee the opportunity to “do the right thing” in order to assess a suspected employee’s integrity; thus demonstrating integrity or lack thereof.

One may put extra money into the till or drop a gift card by the register and then watch cameras to see what that employee does with the money or gift card.  The employee should turn in the money or gift card since it does not belong to him or her. The employee proves whether he or she can be trusted by what they choose to do with the money or card.

If the employee keeps the money or card, they have given the employer the leverage needed when confronting the dishonesty as well as the other shortages in their work station.

For more information about employee theft investigation, employee theft, and internal theft please contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 – Atlanta Georgia.

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Background Checks: Always a good idea

April 8, 2013 by

Conducting background checks is a good first step to safeguard your company’s security; however, it is critical that your company conducts the appropriate level of criminal background checks and employee background checks. This process assures successful pre-employment screening.

One of the most excellent means of preventing an aspiring thief from working a company is a rigorous pre-employment screening process which includes multiple interviews and pointed questions regarding employment and education history.

Companies with excellent intentions regarding successful pre-employment screening strategy all too frequently fail as a result of not hiring a qualified background check company. They frequently do not encompass the appropriate areas where crimes may have been committed because they muddle about and conduct random, haphazard criminal background checks without the expertise of background check experts.

Ultimately this leads to a false sense of security that often produces devastating results.  Another issue that companies frequently overlook is the employee background check because they mistakenly believe that a couple of phone calls to companies written on a job application will be sufficient.  Again they risk a potentially costly mistake.

An in-depth employee background check requires a significant amount of research and background check experts know precisely how to conduct this investigation.  A good background check company will also verify an employee’s education history as well as job and personal references.

Companies that utilize a reputable background check company have access to background check experts who have worked in every category, size and structure of business under the sun. The most suitable background check expert is matched to the company and a custom pre-employment screening strategy is designed to fit the business like a glove.

This tailored process usually includes working with human resources and loss prevention, as well as the legal department. Strategy is implemented only after the company’s policies and procedures have been reviewed in detail.

A potential employee fills out a very detailed job application, provides a complete resume, and signs a release form for the background checks.  The potential employee will then go through a multi-level interview process conducted by different executives at each level. The employee will then answer any and all questions that have surfaced as a result of the completed background checks.

Any points in question at this point from the criminal background check which have not been addressed in the initial job application will effectively disqualify the applicant from being hired at the company.

Finding the best background check company to devise an all encompassing hiring process that protects your company requires an investment of time; however, in the end it will protect your company from losses caused by hiring dishonest and/or unqualified applicants.  Every company has a responsibility to protect its most important assets – employees and profits – and this safety net begins with effectively screening potential employees.

To find Pre-Employment Screening or for more information about background check experts, background checks, criminal background checks, employee background checks or pre-employment screening please contact us at the background check company or call 1.770.426.0547.

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Your friend – Checkpoint Tags

April 5, 2013 by

Our store recently apprehended a shoplifter in what we thought was a relatively routine case. A man walked into the men’s wear department, picked up a shirt, and headed toward the fitting room.

He walked out of the fitting room with the shirt within a few minutes and walked into a far corner of the store. We watched him as he removed the shirt from the hanger, rolled it up tightly, and carefully placed it under his arm thinking no one would see it.

The clothing alarm sounded as he was leaving the store as we expected it would. Because we knew he had not paid for the shirt, we assumed we would find the clothing security tag on the shirt.

I picked up the shirt to catalogue the item number and description after we got him back into our office for processing. I looked for the price tag to get the information needed, and as I turned the shirt around in my hand, it struck me that the shirt didn’t have the Checkpoint tag anywhere on the garment.

The suspect became adamant about going to the bathroom which set off an alarm in my head. As it turned out, he had also stuffed a pair of jeans into his jacket unseen. The jeans had alerted our clothing alarm with the checkpoint tag.

Without a tag on the jeans, not only would we have never discovered the jeans, but the alarm would not have sounded at all with the tag missing on the shirt. Bottom Line: it is much simpler to accost a thief with an alarm as well as to assure you have found everything upon discovery.

Visit the Loss Prevention Store to purchase clothing alarm and clothing security tags as well as the Electronic Article Surveillance or EAS system.

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

 

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