Walking the Hard Line in Hardware

July 9, 2012 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

This is an extremely busy time for home improvement and hardware stores. With the beautiful weather, people are anxious to get their spring-cleaning and spring to do lists underway.

There is nothing better, especially as a home owner, than to be able to throw open all the windows, open a can of paint and redo the hideous looking walls that have been staring at you all winter long.

It’s also nice to be able to head outside and start work on the garden, the lawn and out in the makeshift –garage- wood- working shops to work on whatever project takes hold of your creativity.

The down side to all of this hard work and renewal is that tools are a hugely popular theft item.

Spider wraps seem to be a reliable deterrent, which is a good thing. Before I worked in loss prevention for a hardware store, I had no idea the scope of a stolen tool. Believe me, its actually pretty lucrative.

Tools end up in pawnshops and e-bay being sold as new in box sales. They are also big on being sold at construction sites. Did you know that most contractors/ construction workers have to supply their own tools? There are plenty out there that are willing to pay less than retail with no questions asked.

As a result, retail anti theft devices have to go beyond just a soft tag. Spider Wraps seem to fit the bill. A little more complex, they are harder to defeat. I have seen just how effective a Spider Wrap on a tool is in preventing shoplifting.

Visit the Loss Prevention Store for retail anti theft devices 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 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: Prevent Shoplifting, Retail Anti Theft Devices, Spider Wrap

Opening Weekend

July 9, 2012 by Staff Editor

If it didn’t feel like summer was here before, it sure does now. Memorial Day weekend is the traditional kick off weekend for the pool season. From community pools to apartments, and public water attractions, this is the weekend we have all been waiting for to begin the swim season.

Retailers, I am sure, felt the surge of swimsuit sales over the last week. Most loss prevention employees felt the surge of swimsuit theft attempts. Clothing security narrows in on micro seasons like swim and beach season. Clothing security tags make their appearance to help protect this transitional inventory.

Clothing security is not just limited to swimsuits though. Any type of beach and water attire seems to fly out the doors. It includes anything from shoe switches (with both incoming flip flops and outgoing), to accessories like sun hats and sunglasses. Don’t forget that if you cross merchandise any sort of sun protection (lotions, oils aloe, etc,) that they can also be easily concealed in a beach bag headed out the door.

If you are unsure of what is going on in your store, keep an eye on your clothing alarms. They will be a good indicator of who is taking product out that they haven’t paid for. Watch for hurried movements, and arms tight against the body to point you in the right direction.

Visit the Loss Prevention Store to purchase a clothing alarm or clothing security tags 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

Reference Checking, it does still happen.

July 9, 2012 by Staff Editor

A few years ago I was applying for a job. It was a pretty standard application, name, education, work history, references. Nothing really seemed out of the ordinary. After a pre screening phone interview, I was called in for a face-to-face interview. A few hours after I left, I received a phone call form one of my previous supervisors. She was calling to give me an update on the glowing reference she had just given me.

Now, I always let my references know that they have been put down on an application. This was the first time (ever) that any one actually had taken the time to call my references. Since I have been out in the work force for almost two decades, it caught me off guard.

I started to think about how much information a potential employer misses out on by not running comprehensive and diverse pre employment screening.

If companies or employers are not taking the time to call a reference, are they taking the time to really dig down into a background check to find out all they can in regards to a potential new hire?

Pre employment screening is a way to drill down deeper into the lives of your applicant pool. If there is anything suspicious to report, an applicant is probably well versed in how to hide it. They are already anticipating leading questions in an interview and will d their best to deflect the question.

Background checks will filter out the deflections and reveal anything that may be a cause for concern.

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 checks, criminal background check, employee background checks, pre employment screening

An extra set of eyes and ears

July 6, 2012 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Retail security is about more than just acting like a security guard. That’s why you need all of the tools and resources you can at your disposal. Anti theft devices help keep your store in check from theft and fraud.

Anti shoplifting tools like cheap tags and cheap labels act like extra eyes and ears in side the store. Because these anti theft devices stay affixed to your merchandise you don’t have to monitor every single piece of inventory every single second your store is open.

These tags and labels will deter a shoplifter who is looking to steal an item they think no one is watching. When they realize there are EAS tags, they will often discard the item because they know they cannot get out the door unseen.

Even if they do try to remove an anti theft device, it will usually draw attention to their activity. You can hear the sounds of labels being ripped off of clothing. Hard tags take way to long to remove that someone is bound to notice them.

Visit RBC Security Solutions for Checkpoint Compatible Anti-Shoplifting or Anti- theft Devices that can help you with your Retail Security needs like Cheap Labels and Cheap Tags. 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 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 Labels and Cheap Tags contact us.

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

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

Adding insult to injury

July 4, 2012 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

When a thief steals merchandise from a retail establishment, it is called shoplifting. When the shoplifters try to return the stolen product for store credit, it is call an insult. The shoplifters are brazen enough to walk back into your store and place your inventory on the refund desk and expect that you give them money/ credit for those items.

Retail security needs to stop the problem before it comes back in your face. The losses happen at the point of the theft, not the refund. Therefore, the activity needs to be stopped at the point of theft.

Anti theft devices are one of the first and best lines of defense in anti shoplifting. Using cheap tags and cheap labels helps deter shoplifters before they even get out the door.

If for some reason you do have shoplifters coming back with stolen product. Get as much information as you can. Ask for a valid picture ID, and note any vehicle make and model and plate numbers, if you can obtain them safely.

It will help you build a case with local law enforcement to shut them down permanently.

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

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

It’s not what you know; it’s what you can prove

July 2, 2012 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

It can be very exciting to uncover a case of employee theft. For some, it can be so exciting that logic and common sense can be replaced by a case of tunnel vision.

Let me give you an example…

Back in the day, I had a cash register with a hundred dollar shortage. It was pretty uncommon to be short more than five dollars in a day. We didn’t even bother keeping an over/ short tracking log for less than five dollars just for that reason. So when I saw a hundred dollar shortage, my heart sank.

My heart sank at such a huge loss, and then I took a breath and decided it must have just been an error and I could find it with a little research.

So off I went to disprove this as an employee theft case. It didn’t take me long to realize how wrong I was. The first cash transaction showed a very clear case of employee theft, at least that’s what I thought.

The employee rang up a low dollar transaction for a customer. He handed her a hundred dollar bill. She tendered the transaction, and handed him his change and very clearly, the hundred-dollar bill back.

When I went to my manager to open up an employee theft investigation, I was shocked that she didn’t want to interview right away. The video was so clear and we had suffered a big loss.

I needed to take a step back and realize that even though the employee had incurred a loss, it didn’t mean that she was intentionally stealing. That was the difference. If we couldn’t prove that intent, we had no case of employee theft.

I watched her like a hawk for months. Not even a single penny short. Maybe she did give intend to give that hundred back, or maybe she just had a bad moment. Either way, we could never prove it was a case of employee theft.

For more information on employee theft , employee theft investigation or internal 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

Why sell yourself short

July 2, 2012 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

One of the fundamentals of consumer choice is that one product can easily be substituted in for another one. There is always a choice of products to choose from at competing or comparable price points.

You know that your customers have a choice to come in and shop at your store, so why would you sell yourself short by giving them a reason to shop elsewhere. You want the right products in at the right time for the right price.

Why would you not want the same choices when it comes to your own purchases? When you decide to invest in retail security, make the best choices and get the most for your money.

Don’t sell yourself short and get inferior anti theft devices because that’s all you think you can afford.

Get cheap labels and cheap tags that are worth something. Anti shoplifting tools are diverse in quality and content. Use your power of choice and get the ones that are worth your time, money and effort. You wouldn’t sell your customers an inferior product, so don’t buy one yourself.

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

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

Un- Stuff Your Boxes

July 2, 2012 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Recently I have been seeing a rash of box stuffers in my stores. They have been a little hard to apprehend because they are working in groups of several people.

Basically one or two of them walk into the store and head straight to our outdoor department. We sell a big cardboard box of merchandise for about $30 dollars retail. They take it across the store to where we sell some electronics. They leave the box there and then leave the store.

We then see a completely different person (or two) come in and take the product out of the box. One stands guard, while the other fills the box with electronics. After taping the box back up, they leave it back in the outdoor department.

A third person/ group comes in, picks up the box, and then tries to pay the $30 dollars for the hundreds of dollars worth of electronics hidden inside.

When you are trying to prevent shoplifting, that’s a hard scenario to beat. Because no one person follows through on all of the typical steps needed to make an apprehension, it has been tough trying to put them out of commission.

There is no retail anti theft devices on the box, but we have started to use the Spider Wraps to help compensate. Because we know what electronics they are taking, we have been Spider Wrapping those items.

So far the Spider Wrap seems to be a pretty good deterrent, as we are starting to see a reduction in the groups activity in our stores.

Visit the Loss Prevention Store for retail anti theft devices 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 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: Prevent Shoplifting, Retail Anti Theft Devices, Spider Wrap

Security Tags On Clothes: Profit’s Best Friend

July 2, 2012 by Staff Editor

I have been doing Loss Prevention now for five years and I can honestly say that clothing security is vital in preventing loss since loss prevention cannot monitor everything that goes on in a store. Shoplifting occurs when loss prevention is conducting a surveillance, or on an arrest. Having security tags on clothes aids loss prevention in its mission of maximizing profits for the store.

Clothing security encompasses different strategies but strive for the same goal. A popular example of clothing security tags are checkpoint tags working in conjunction with a clothing alarm. Checkpoint tags are the tags you see on clothing that cause a clothing alarm to make a beeping sound by the store’s exit door.

Having security tags on clothes, a number of clothing security tags on hand to protect your merchandise, and a clothing alarm to compliment the checkpoint tags will drastically increase your shoplifter deterrence capability. Moreover, reduce your store’s loss/shrink. The objective is to assist loss prevention as much as possible. That way loss prevention can catch the shoplifters, and your clothing security tactics will scare off the thieves that loss prevention may miss.

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

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

Statistically, they do not come from the top

July 2, 2012 by Staff Editor

I have spent many years working with cases of employee dishonesty, theft and fraud. Statistically, the majority of those employees were working in a non-management capacity. It was always a big deal if the case implicated an actual member of management.

Part of the commotion was that managers are expected to operate with a different level of trust and professionalism. That’s why they are mangers to begin with. The other part is because it really is a much smaller percentage of managers who are actually committing theft and fraud.

That being said, I see so much more emphasis placed on running background checks and drug tests for management positions. That could be from either in house promotions, or external hires.

To me, anyway, it seems almost like it is counter productive to run those background checks while ignoring a much larger issue. There is a lack of complete background checks run for non-management employees.

There might be arguments about the additional costs incurred by running checks on everyone. I would place the counter argument that the dollars lost from even a single case of employee dishonesty can be massive.

I have seen employee theft cases reach into thousands of dollars, some even tens of thousands. How many background checks need to be run before that total reaches tens of thousands of dollars?

Run a consistent check for all employees. Keep the bad ones out before they are even considered for management.

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