Uncategorized — Page 62

Did you get a thorough background check?

January 21, 2013 by Staff Editor

Background checks are important, but they should never be the only tool you use to determine if a candidate is a good fit for your business. Comprehensive pre-employment screening should include many aspects beyond just sending their information into a background check company. Criminal background checks, drug testing, reference checks, and an extensive interview process should all play a part in your pre-employment screening process. When you use a vast array of screening tools you will be able to find the best candidates to fit your needs that will be loyal and work hard for your company.

Criminal background checks will allow you to identify potential employees that have been convicted of a crime. From those results you can decide if the candidate is someone you wish to pursue or if you will decide to look elsewhere. This should not be where the screening stops.

Drug testing can help you to identify if the possible employee is involved in any illegal drug activity. Reference employee background checks will allow you to discover if the person is lying about their previous experience and will hopefully help you to get a good idea of the person’s character. The key here is asking the right questions of the right people. If the reference person that the potential employee gave you seems to be giving staged or fake answers, call back and ask to speak to another manager.

Lastly, the thing you can always count on is the interview process. Make this meeting count. Be sure to research the right questions to ask and how to effectively interview. Open ended questions can be your best friend; you would be surprised how much someone will open up with just a little probing. Using a background check company can tell you a lot about a potential employee, but it takes a lot more to make sure you are hiring the right people.

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

Don’t let the hard times deter you from protecting your bottom line!

January 18, 2013 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Small business owners are having a tough time in this economy but this is no time to forget about protecting the bottom line. In fact, retail security is more important than ever because when times are tough people will do what ever tey need to get by, including shoplifting.

When I am hired to do lp consulting for small business owners I have an uphill battle to help them spend money to save money. Most of these businesses are retailers selling a variety of products. My first pitch is an EAS system. Unfortunately many of the EAS systems are expensive and fall outside the price range these small businesses can afford. As the economy started to recede and the trend of small businesses to spend less on retail security increased I realized I needed to conduct additional research to see if there were any other companies out there who were making affordable retail anti-theft devices.

I found a company called RBC Security Solutions and realized that for every bump in the road in the economy there are very intelligent people who are constantly looking for innovative ways to manufacture quality products in more efficient ways to be able to offer them at a more inexpensive price. I could not believe the variety of retail anti-theft devices RBC offered such as cheap labels and cheap tags. Retail Security is a tricky business that is never cookie cutter or one size fits all. A business has to be fully evaluated from its administrative practices to its employees to its sales performance to its demographics and finally its physical location. Once that evaluation is complete a shrink busting strategy including anti-shoplifting tools can be implemented. RBC had a full compliment of inexpensive retail security devices that fit nicely into the owners strategy to control shrink in his store.

RBC has become a much needed ally to the retail world and to loss prevention professionals who are trying to find new inexpensive ways to protect their company’s assets. One thing I learned from RBC Security Solutions that has become a mantra of mine is “Inexpensive does not mean cheap!”. Even though this company boast cheap tags and cheap labels, once you see the quality of the product that RBC security solution sells you will realize there is nothing cheap about the quality.

Visit RBC Security Solutions for Checkpoint Compatible retail Anti-Shoplifting or retail Anti- theft Devices that can help you with your Retail Security needs like Cheap Tags and Cheap Labels. Our Electronic Article Surveillance or EAS Labels and Tags are not cheap they are inexpensive and made in the U.S.

For more information on how you can use retail anti- theft Devices in conjunction with your Electronic Article Surveillance or EAS system to help you prevent retail theft in your business with products like Cheap Tags and Cheap Labels contact us.

Click here for your Free Sample of these new Checkpoint Compatible Cheap Tags and Cheap Labels for your Retail Security and retail Anti-Shoplifting needs!

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Anti-Shoplifting, anti-theft devices, Cheap Labels, Cheap Tags, Retail Anti Theft Devices, retail security

Internal Theft Involves External Forces

January 14, 2013 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Not every employee theft investigation is going to be the same. Sure the excuses rarely change flavor: “I needed the money”, “I have a gambling problem”, “I just thought I could get away with it”, “I didn’t think anyone would notice”, but the methods involved tend to vary enough that such investigations hardly ever follow the same pattern.

Because more and more employees are becoming aware of the so-called ‘eyes-in-the-sky’ and our constant focus on employee theft many have begun to try more complex and determined tactics to fleece their companies of goods and currency. The trend that is truly taking off is using outside help to accomplish illicit goals.

In one particularly recent employee theft incident I caught someone free-bagging goods with the help of a friend. The employee and friend had met up towards the rear of the store and were chatting when I spotted them. It was hardly conspicuous until I noticed the two women discussing in some detail the items in the friend’s basket. After about ten minutes the employee went up to the front of the store to a register which was unnecessary as she was only a back-up cashier and there was no line. Then the friend went to said register to ‘check-out’. Here was where it got interesting. The total sale for all of the products came out to around $45.00 and the friend handed over a fifty dollar bill. The cashier then handed her back three ten dollar bills as change. When the drawer was clocked at the end of the night there was only the $30.00 discrepancy which they couldn’t rectify to any single transaction until I brought my employee theft investigation to light. When later confronted in interview the employee stated “I didn’t think anyone would notice that”.

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

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

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

Keeping your Equipment Up to Date can Actually Save you Money!

January 14, 2013 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

It is a sad fact that in today’s job market and national economy a lot of us in the Retail Security or Operations field end up having to move about quite a bit. More often than not the reason is that the company you were working for didn’t have the budget to keep you (or even your whole department) on the payroll. I understand fully the need for corporations to ‘trim the fat’ in order to survive but the area they certainly shouldn’t be skimping on is Retail Security or a fairly current suite of retail anti-Theft Devices.

A few months back I fell victim to the budget cut goblins at a certain retail firm but was quickly picked up by another company looking to completely rebuild their Loss Prevention department from the ground up. They had a lot of great ideas as they pertained to retail Anti-Shoplifting setups and deterrence over apprehension but there was one major problem; not a single piece of their retail Anti-Theft Device inventory was younger than twenty years old. In fact most of it was much older. The problem with this arises when you get a shoplifter that knows how to defeat out of date equipment. There is a reason that Anti-Shoplifting devices have evolved over time and it is important that retailers understand this when considering their anti-shoplifting methods.

If you have a store that is trying to cut back on spending but not on Loss Prevention make sure they consider all the retail Anti-Shoplifting alternatives so you don’t feel like you are fighting high-tech, computer savvy thieves with old-fashioned, pre-calculator equipment.

Click here for your Free Sample of these new Checkpoint Compatible Cheap Tags and Cheap Labels for your Retail Security and retail Anti-Shoplifting needs!

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Anti-Shoplifting, anti-theft devices, Cheap Labels, Cheap Tags, Retail Anti Theft Devices, retail security

Our Shoes were Walking out the Door!

January 14, 2013 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

In one of my stores there is a problem that isn’t exactly unique to them but is somewhat of an epidemic. They are constantly losing shoes to theft.

In their efforts to prevent shoplifting in their store they have tried every way possible to battle this issue, but in spite of their efforts their total shrink in that department is astounding. They have done everything from ensuring one hundred percent tagging standards to twenty-four hour surveillance of the area, but still they get beat.

The problem seems to be that the retail anti-theft devices they were using had been beaten and the local thieves seem to have spread the word on the methods to do it.

After researching the problem we have come up with a somewhat unorthodox use for a different type of retail anti-theft device which so far has seemed to confound the culprits. Now the department is required to use 2 Alarm locks on all footwear in the store, specifically running the cable through the eye-loops of the footwear itself or attaching it to a structurally sound part of the item. Also, if possible, they are to run the 2 Alarm units through BOTH pieces of footwear, thereby ensuring that the pair is kept intact and should anyone attempt to defeat the 2 Alarm piece it will simply sound off alerting associates to possible purloining of product.

Visit the Loss Prevention Store for Alpha 2Alarm, Alpha 3Alarm, Alpha Fashion2, Alpha Jewel Lok, Alpha Jewel Lock, 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: 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

Did you realy think you would get away with that?

January 14, 2013 by Staff Editor

I never fail to see something new in my internal cases. Sometimes it makes me laugh. Sometimes I think about how much more productive they could have been if they had only used their cleverness for good instead of evil. Sometimes I just look at the employee and sigh. That’s how this last case was, one big “did you really think you could get away with that” sigh.

Clothing security is a huge focus in our stores. A lot of inventory loss has been avoided because of our diligence. We do a great job using Checkpoint tags to coincide with our clothing alarm. With security tags on clothes, the losses we do incur are easier to track. This is where this particular employee messed up.

I was reviewing our report for clothing alarms that happened before and after hours. One incident had shown up. When I reviewed on our CCTV system, it showed an employee leaving with one of our brand new jackets and a pair of pants on. I reviewed her during the day and saw that she had come in to work with a different outfit on, and no bag. When I reviewed for a purchase, there wasn’t one.

This employee had stolen a brand new outfit for her date that night. She said she was going to return it, which is why she didn’t bother to take the clothing security tags off. This employee simply thought it wasn’t a big deal to “borrow” clothes from work?!? If it hadn’t been for the clothing security tags, the clothing alarm wouldn’t have gone off. It was an easy case; you just followed the obvious trail she left behind.

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

Everyone needs a background check, even seasonal help!

January 14, 2013 by Staff Editor

Pre employment screening is important for many reasons. One of those reasons is to prevent internal theft. Background checks help to weed out the bad eggs that may have otherwise slipped through the cracks.

We see a significant spike in this sort of scenario during the holidays. There are plenty of people out there who are looking for a job in retail for no other reason than to steal from the retailer. These types of people know that companies are desperate to hire seasonal help and may not be taking the time to carry out detailed interviews, conduct criminal background checks and check references on potential employees as much as they do the rest of the year.

I have conducted many internal interviews after identifying employee theft and you wouldn’t believe the number of times I’ve heard them admit that their sole reason of getting a job with us was to steal. It is always their first time getting caught stealing, so they usually tell us everything we want to know in hopes of getting off with a warning.

We conduct employee background checks on all new hires, and nothing comes up on their background checks when we hire them, but next time they won’t be so lucky. Now that we have caught them in the act, criminal background checks conducted by retailers in the future will stop them in their tracks. We know for a fact that pre employment screening has helped prevent us from hiring convicted shoplifters. When we receive the results from the background check company we are able to see when a shoplifter attempts to get a job with us. We always listen to the background check experts and deny employment in order to protect our assets.

When in doubt, use a background check company and look to background check experts to give you solid advice on employee background checks.

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

EAS Towers are Great for Restrooms!

January 11, 2013 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Among the more perfidious methods of theft in retail environments, is a shoplifter taking their selected items into store restrooms. There are often very exacting requirements to adhere to before executing any shoplifting apprehension involving a restroom concealment and it creates a great deal of pressure and stress for us within the Loss Prevention community; so much so that nine times out of ten we avoid going after such suspects as the risk of making a bad stop is too high.

The way around this is to create a problem for the shoplifters before they even get to the ‘safe zone’ of the restrooms. Since the vast majority of items taken into restrooms already have retail anti-theft devices in place it is simply a matter of establishing compatible retail security towers just before the restroom entrance. That way, should anyone try to get a tagged item into said restroom alarms would sound just as if they tried to exit the store with the same items.

Furthermore, in some jurisdictions the attempt to take unpaid product into a store restroom is akin to walking out the front doors with it and a stop can be made (with cause) when the alarm sounds. Of course you need to verify with your state and company retail security policies but if you have the ability, use it.

Click here for your Free Sample of these new Checkpoint Compatible Cheap Tags and Cheap Labels for your Retail Security and retailAnti-Shoplifting needs!

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Anti-Shoplifting, anti-theft devices, Cheap Labels, Cheap Tags, Retail Anti Theft Devices, retail security

Employee Theft can be committed by Anyone!

January 7, 2013 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Employee theft is the most pervasive threat faced by any company. As a company you rely on your employees to generate the goods and services needed to make a profit and pay their salaries. However, as we in the Loss Prevention profession are aware, we cannot implicitly trust every single employee completely. In a perfect world we wouldn’t need to concern ourselves with employee theft or needing to conduct employee theft investigations but this is far from a perfect world.

Everyone in the employ of your company, from the cleaning crew that shows up early in the morning every other day to the kindly retiree grandmother who works part time or the twenty year veteran manager is capable of, and has likely committed an internal theft at one point or another. Employee theft is so common that there are entire branches of Loss Prevention dedicated to conducting employee theft investigations and terminating or prosecuting the culprits. It is so common that there are dozens of tracking metrics used by every company with a product to sell or money to move to find who is stealing what or embezzling funds from where.

How do we stamp out this incredibly massive threat to our means of making a profit? We don’t. There is no way to completely eliminate internal theft. Just like shoplifters who make their living by stealing from our respective companies if an employee WANTS to purloin something from your company they will find a way to do it. They may even get away with it the first few times. The only way to stop them is to conduct thorough employee theft investigations, to be vigilant, and to make an example of those you catch so that others who may consider taking something that isn’t theirs will think twice before trying.

For more information on internal theft, employee theft investigation or employee 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 Internal Theft and Employee Theft problems and help with your Employee Theft Investigation.

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

Anti-Theft Devices aren’t just for Merchandise!

January 7, 2013 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

One of the things that happens to plague most retail companies is employees “accidentally” going home with a piece of equipment in their pockets. The items range in size and scope from pens and memo pads to pricing guns, mag-keys, and walkie-talkies.

The truth is that a lot of the time, it is simply a matter of an employee forgetting to turn in their gear at the end of their shift but what it does is creates issues when too much equipment has walked out the door leaving only a handful or no usable equipment left in the store to conduct necessary business.

By managing a log of who is assigned certain pieces of equipment a store can certainly lessen the impact of these disappearing items. But to be certain the more important pieces don’t go for a stroll you should look into attaching a retail anti-theft device that will sound the alarm when something crosses the threshold that shouldn’t. A set of Cheap Labels can cover most walkie-talkie units without lessening their effectiveness. Same goes for mag-keys (as long as they are applied to the correct side). As for price guns a Cheap Tag attached via a loop or around a part of the handle works just fine. I have even seen labels and tags attached to pens at the cash wrap so that customers don’t accidentally walk out with them.

Though things like pens and walkie talkies won’t do much for an actual thief outside of the business, making sure to use a cheap label on your removal keys is a great way to guarantee that your employees aren’t using your detachers and keys to remove items form other retailers…

Click here for your Free Sample of these new Checkpoint Compatible Cheap Tags and Cheap Labels for your Retail Security and retailAnti-Shoplifting needs!

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Anti-Shoplifting, anti-theft devices, Cheap Labels, Cheap Tags, retail security