A loss prevention agent can be an employee of your business that is out on your sales floor, watching for shoplifters.  They can be a valuable resource in your efforts to reduce shrink.

Agents should be trained to know what specifically to watch for when they are looking for suspicious activity.  Agents should never profile based on the way a customer looks, their gender, race, etc.  Shoplifters do not fit into a specific category and can be anyone – young or old, wealthy or poor, male or female.

Some customers that come into your business may not realize that their actions appear suspicious.  I have seen customers put $100 worth of small merchandise right on top of their open and empty purses, just to go to the register and pay for it all.  Some customers will conceal items in their coat pockets, then later take it out and pay for it at a register.

These customers know that they are honest, so they do not take into consideration that their actions appear dishonest.  A loss prevention agent will encounter this type of behavior, and must learn how to differentiate between it and the actual shoplifters that will come into your business.

A loss prevention agent must be completely sure of the acts that they have witnessed fall within your policy of detaining shoplifters.  The agent must know that the merchandise is from the store, is unpaid for, and is not going to be paid for.  A loss prevention agent should detain a shoplifter only past the last point of sale, to rule out the possibility that the customer will pay for the merchandise.  The agent must also maintain constant surveillance of the suspected shoplifter after he or she has concealed the merchandise.  If the agent does not, there is the chance that the customer actually went to a register and paid for the concealed merchandise.

A loss prevention agent can be a valuable asset to reducing shrink in your store, as long as policies and guidelines are followed so customers are not unlawfully detained.

For more information about loss prevention consultants , loss prevention investigator contact us: loss prevention agent or call 1.770.426.256 – Atlanta Georgia

Are you a business owner looking for loss prevention consultants to help you identify losses?  Let me shed some light on these professionals.

Loss prevention consultants were hired recently at a small chain of hardware stores. The stores had been experiencing some severe shrinkage, as identified through the results of a recent inventory cycle. Wanting to help keep the small company profitable, the loss prevention consultants offered advice.

First, the store was recommended a loss prevention agent . For the past year, the stores have seen an increase in shoplifter activity and in many instances these shoplifters have taken very expensive equipment. The consultants detailed the loss prevention agent program and put together a plan of attack. To help the loss prevention agent increase his/her productivity and to additionally help the stores protect their assets, the recommendations to install CCTV equipment at the point of sale, at entrance and exits and in the receiving department.

Next, the loss prevention consultants reviewed the potential for internal theft. They noticed that in the evenings, the management was less involved with store employees and sometimes seemed to be non-existent on the salesfloor. Knowing that evenings are a very important time in the retail world, the consultants recommended bringing in a loss prevention investigator . A loss prevention investigator would be assigned the task of employee theft investigation. Although the management felt their employees would never steal, the consultants knew employee theft investigation could turn large results.

The loss prevention investigator was tasked with performing store surveillance in the evenings and at odd hours. Additionally, the loss prevention investigator was to report any and all finding to the consultants for documentation. The loss prevention investigator was also given access to the stores electronic journals to review transactions in the store and over CCTV.

The management agreed to the recommendations, and the loss prevention program was rolled out. Immediate results were produced by the loss prevention agent . Shoplift activity slowed. The loss prevention investigator also turned in positive results and uncovered several employees including one manager involved in merchandise and cash theft.

For more information visit us at loss prevention consultants or call 1.770.426.0547 – Atlanta Georgia

Internal theft is a nuisance. It is never ending, it is omnipresent.  Loss prevention consultants agree on one thing and that is employees steal merchandise from their employer’s everyday of every month of every year. It is nonstop.

Take a look around or listen to what your employees are saying. They can tell you what is going and in most instances wanna do the right thing and report their co-workers activities. Put your pride away for a week. Talk with your employees openly and directly about theft.  If the need be, consider hiring a loss prevention investigator . A loss prevention investigator can do a thorough review of your store and conduct the necessary investigation to prove theft. Internal theft is not going to simply disappear, it’s gonna take some work.

Consider this; recently I took part in a loss prevention related webinar. Statistics for internal theft were released. In the US alone, this specialist estimates 43.7% or $17.2 billion of losses in these businesses were directly related to employee theft, (Source: The Global Retail Theft Barometer 2010). These numbers are amazing when you really think about it. What does this really mean? It means employees are taking your business to the cleaners and your business is not immune to internal theft.

The solution to this problem: I recommended hiring loss prevention consultants to do a complete survey of your store(s). Loss prevention consultants can make the recommendations to boost your profits and protect them in the future. Loss prevention consultants can and should in most cases recommend a loss prevention agent . Have a loss prevention agent work your stores can help impact the morale aspect of your stores.

When you have a shoplifting problem and management is doing nothing about it because they can’t or won’t, your business will suffer with poor employee performance. Their morale can really be negatively affected by shoplifters.

For more information about loss prevention agent or loss prevention consultants contact us at loss prevention investigator or call 1.770.426.0547 – Atlanta Georgia

Loss prevention consultants offer a variety of services, but most importantly they provide a piece of mind.

A business in the southwest was experiencing numerous problems hitting their bottom line. Shoplifters had taken over the store, employees were stealing, and accidents were on the rise. The management felt helpless and the corporate office was uninformed. They were on the brink of collapse.
The company decided they needed help and looked into loss prevention consultants . Over the next few weeks, the loss prevention consultants reviewed the business. Identifying the main areas of concern and executing their plan of action, the outcome looked hopeful.

First, they worked internal investigations and identified several dishonest employees at multiple locations. Interviews of these dishonest employees lead to the recovery of several thousands of dollars in merchandise. While the investigations continued, the consultants recommended the hiring and placement of a loss prevention agent. The loss prevention agent worked different hours and spent most of his time in hardest hit parts of the store. Over the next several weeks, he made several apprehensions. An additional loss prevention agent was hired and the apprehensions of shoplifters continued.

Over the next few weeks the team of loss prevention professionals working the stores were able to significantly impact losses and provide the business with what it had been lacking over the last few months and years,  ATTENTION.

The loss prevention consultants also looked at the rate of accidents in stores. Seeing a dramatic increase in employee injury cases and customer slip/trip and falls, the store was hurting. Quickly implementing new safety recommendations and training, the stores saw improvement. Workers compensation claims were down and positive employee attitudes were up.

Today, this chain of supermarkets has grown from 5 to 25 in the last 10 years and has a very positive outlook.

For more information about loss prevention agent or loss prevention investigator visit us at loss prevention consultants or call 1.770.426.0547 – Atlanta Georgia