Overt or covert, the loss prevention investigator is working to safeguard your assets and boost your profits.

The loss prevention investigator was called into a store in a hard hit area of an inner city. The store has been experiencing heavy losses. The management is pretty certain it’s not customer related, but doesn’t really wanna point fingers at any of his long term employees.

The investigator starts from the beginning. He covertly gathers information on who might be involved, what is being stolen, when was the last time merchandise was lost, where did the merchandise come from and why was the merchandise lost (was it really employee theft?) Answering these questions is gonna take some thorough work, but the answers will be found.

The loss prevention investigator sets up shop in the manager’s office. He interviews management first. Creating a list of merchandise that has been taken and a list of the employees that had access to this merchandise, the investigator narrows his list to 3 or 4 employees.

These 3 or 4 employees become the investigators job. He conducts surveillance, sets up covert CCTV equipment and monitors the activities of these employees while on the clock. After about 1 week, the loss prevention investigator believes he has the suspects narrowed down to one or two employees.

The least likely suspect is interviewed first. The investigator talks about his job with the company and explains what he has been doing over the last week. The employee quickly realizes he has nowhere to run and admits to the investigator that he is involved with the theft. He also admits to the investigator that another employee has been working with him on causing these losses. Because the investigator was diligent and left no stone unturned, he already knew the “other” employee was involved.

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

 

As a loss prevention investigator working for a new company, my goal is their goal, keep them profitable.

This store was about a 15,000 square foot selling hardline and softline goods in the specialty market. Business was good for the most part. The store was cranking out great sales. It seemed profitable. For this reason, the management team cut corners and went outside of policy in a few areas in attempts to maintain the sales momentum. In the process, they took their eye off of the operations. In a matter of days, 2 regular employees were suspected of theft.

When this information was brought to the attention of the managers, they didn’t believe it. In fact, I was told… “That’s impossible” and “No, not him, he’s just a good salesman”. As a seasoned Loss Prevention Investigator I knew the facts never lie. Initially, the managers did not want me to speak with the employees; they were worried that my actions would create a negative work environment for these employees and all of the others. Insisting, I showed each manager the evidence I had uncovered. In agreement, I sat and interviewed the first employee.

Employee #1 was asked about losses he had caused since being with the company. Initially, he denied any wrongdoing and after about 10 minutes of questioning, he stated he had been involved with at least one instance of theft. As I dug deeper, the employee admitted that over the last 5 years, he had been involved with Employee #2 in taking merchandise and cash from the store. Employee #1 went on to say he started the theft because of an unresolved disagreement he had with a manager and felt the company owed him.

Employee # 2 admitted to theft as well. During his interview, he said he got involved with employee #1 because they had been fed up with the actions of management. Altogether, these two employees caused losses in excess of $200,000 over 5 years.

As a Loss Prevention Investigator , I provide the support and position needed by companies to resolve instore loss related issues. A loss prevention investigator also provides a sense of support and well being to management and associates alike.

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

As a loss prevention investigator , I understand the needs of the business. Taking a tactful approach when conducting internal investigations was part of the job, and I knew this.

As a loss prevention investigator I was contacted by a chain of small specialty grocery stores having problems with losses in two of their 5 stores. After a recent inventory, the management was concerned about a large loss that was reported.

I started my investigation by speaking with upper management and district level staff. Many of these managers did not believe the losses were caused by the employees, and were certain their vendors were “ripping them off.” Of course, being a loss prevention investigator , you never assume anything. I knew vendors can cause loss, but not nearly as much as a rotten employee. Keeping my opinions to myself, I continued my investigation.

I met with the General Store Manager and reviewed various inventory reports and counts showing which areas of merchandise or categories suffered the biggest losses. In this case, it was clear the liquor department was hardest hit.

Working with the corporate office, I arranged a time to enter the store (on an overnight shift) when employees and management were not around. I installed covert camera equipment in the receiving department to monitor merchandise (specifically liquor) coming into the store. On the very first day of surveillance, I witnessed the relationship between the receiving clerk and a vendor delivering the liquor shipment.

Initially, their meeting looked like a meet between to buddies. After further review, I saw the vendor hand the clerk a bottle of liquor. The clerk put this bottle under a desk near where he kept his personal belongings. Later, the clerk placed the liquor bottle in his sweatshirt he was carrying and walked out of the store.

I decided to interview this employee. Subsequently he admitted to theft and spilled the beans on his vendor buddy and 2 other store employees that had been taking liquor and other products from the store regularly. The managers were in disbelief. Immediately, the recommendations were made to standardize policy on employee bag checks, and a revision of their receiving policies.

As a loss prevention investigator , I am proud of my work and always make sure my employer remains profitable.

For more information contact us at loss prevention investigator or call 1.770.426.0547 – Atlanta

Do you know what internal theft looks like? Is there a certain way internal theft is supposed to look?

Well, not really. Theft is theft. It looks the same no matter what environment you work in. When an employee or employees are involved in the act of theft, it doesn’t look good.

Retailers have been wrestling with the dishonest employee since the beginning of the retail world. Looking back to ancient times, street vendors had to deal with employee theft. Although a much harsher punishment was given, the outcome was the same, lost profits.

Now the million dollar question, does your business have employee theft? It’d be a safe bet to say YES. I can’t count the number of times I’ve heard managers or business owners say they have no dishonest employees or that their business does not suffer from internal theft. Yet looking at their books, they are losing thousands if not millions of dollars yearly.

Look at the key indicators of theft. Statistically, the under 21 years of age, part time male employee is most likely to be involved in acts of theft and dishonesty. Yet, those with tenure seem to cause the most loss. What kind of merchandise do you sell? Is your business a cash business?

Having a set standard or policy and procedures in place can help deter the possibility of internal theft but it won’t eliminate it.

The best solution would be to put in a loss prevention investigator to truly identify where your dishonest employees are.  A loss prevention investigator will be able to quickly recognize losses and offer the best solution based on the needs of the business.

Specializing in internal investigations, the loss prevention investigator will conduct surveillance, interview witness employees, perform covert CCTV work, and build a strong investigation. Upon identifying a suspected employee, the investigator will interrogate the employee, aiming for a positive outcome… the admission of theft.

For more information contact us at loss prevention investigator or call 1.770.426.0547