Clothing Security Tags Can Help Or Hinder Customer Service; Tips To Ensure You Are Keeping Customers Happy – Part 1

 

Checkpoint Tags- 4                                                                                                                     WC Blog 342
Clothing Security Tags-5
Clothing Security Tags Can Help Or Hinder Customer Service; Tips To Ensure You Are Keeping Customers Happy – Part 1
     Browsing the internet there are any number of articles on clothing security tags. Some sites purport to tell the readers how to remove tags themselves and some discuss how tags work. Others are customers who have become frustrated at getting merchandise home after traveling some distance from the store only to find the tags left on the clothing. I give little credence to the first two types of articles; one because they are often written by thieves, petty crooks or wannabe’s who just wants attention. Those discussing how tags work may or may not know what they are talking about, but if I want the real scoop on Checkpoint Tags I’ll go to the source, Checkpoint Systems. As for customer service issues I’ve had to handle those situations and I have sympathy for those customers. As a Loss Prevention Manager and a Manager on Duty, I have seen the frustration those patrons have experienced when a tag was not removed or detuned properly.
     For readers who are not familiar with Checkpoint Tags a discussion of what they are is in order. Clothing security tags can be soft electronic article surveillance (EAS) sensitive tags that can be applied to manufacturer hang tags or in some cases stuck inside a pocket of a dress, slacks, purse, etc. Hard tags are two piece designs that are pinned to an article of clothing and even softlines accessories such as purses or shoes. The tags are designed to set off alarm towers at the front doors when a tagged piece of clothing or any item for that matter, is carried too close to the door. When the alarm activates a trained employee responds to the door, asks for a receipt and determines if something was not paid for or if clothing security tags were not removed. If it is a matter of a tag not deactivating properly or not being removed that can be resolved quickly. If the merchandise was not paid for, the customer can be offered a choice of returning the item or purchasing it. 
     In most cases alarm activations at the towers are the result of unpaid merchandise that is being carried out of the store, more often than not due to a shoplifting attempt. I will caution that this is not always the situation. There are times when merchandise is accidently overlooked in a shopping cart by the customer and the cashier. The customer pays for the items that are bagged and when they get to the doors the alarm sounds and an inspection of the receipt reveals a small item, perhaps a scarf or pair of gloves with Checkpoint tags on them was overlooked under the child seat portion of the shopping cart. It happens more than you might think. While these issues are inconvenient to the customer, if properly handled the customer can still leave with an overall positive customer service experience. 
     What will frustrate and anger your customers is what I mentioned in my introduction, patrons getting home after shopping and finding they can’t wear a garment they bought because the clothing security tags have been left on them.  How can this happen if the tags are supposed to cause the pedestals to alarm when the customer starts to walk out with tagged clothing? It happens in stages and in part 2 of this article we will look at what happens (or doesn’t happen) that affect the customer shopping experience and can hurt your sales in the long term. 
     Loss Prevention strategies to reduce theft and fraud are critical to running a profitable business. Checkpoint Tags are a proven tool to significantly cut down clothing shortage, keep prices low and customers happy when used properly. Find out how clothing security tags can benefit your store(s).
Checkpoint Tags are important and we can help you with them. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.

Browsing the internet there are any number of articles on clothing security tags. Some sites purport to tell the readers how to remove tags themselves and some discuss how tags work. Others are customers who have become frustrated at getting merchandise home after traveling some distance from the store only to find the tags left on the clothing. I give little credence to the first two types of articles; one because they are often written by thieves, petty crooks or wannabe’s who just wants attention. Those discussing how tags work may or may not know what they are talking about, but if I want the real scoop on Checkpoint Tags I’ll go to the source, Checkpoint Systems. As for customer service issues I’ve had to handle those situations and I have sympathy for those customers. As a Loss Prevention Manager and a Manager on Duty, I have seen the frustration those patrons have experienced when a tag was not removed or detuned properly.

For readers who are not familiar with Checkpoint Tags a discussion of what they are is in order. Clothing security tags can be soft electronic article surveillance (EAS) sensitive tags that can be applied to manufacturer hang tags or in some cases stuck inside a pocket of a dress, slacks, purse, etc. Hard tags are two piece designs that are pinned to an article of clothing and even softlines accessories such as purses or shoes. The tags are designed to set off alarm towers at the front doors when a tagged piece of clothing or any item for that matter, is carried too close to the door. When the alarm activates a trained employee responds to the door, asks for a receipt and determines if something was not paid for or if clothing security tags were not removed. If it is a matter of a tag not deactivating properly or not being removed that can be resolved quickly. If the merchandise was not paid for, the customer can be offered a choice of returning the item or purchasing it. 

In most cases alarm activations at the towers are the result of unpaid merchandise that is being carried out of the store, more often than not due to a shoplifting attempt. I will caution that this is not always the situation. There are times when merchandise is accidently overlooked in a shopping cart by the customer and the cashier. The customer pays for the items that are bagged and when they get to the doors the alarm sounds and an inspection of the receipt reveals a small item, perhaps a scarf or pair of gloves with Checkpoint tags on them was overlooked under the child seat portion of the shopping cart. It happens more than you might think. While these issues are inconvenient to the customer, if properly handled the customer can still leave with an overall positive customer service experience. 

What will frustrate and anger your customers is what I mentioned in my introduction, patrons getting home after shopping and finding they can’t wear a garment they bought because the clothing security tags have been left on them.  How can this happen if the tags are supposed to cause the pedestals to alarm when the customer starts to walk out with tagged clothing? It happens in stages and in part 2 of this article we will look at what happens (or doesn’t happen) that affect the customer shopping experience and can hurt your sales in the long term. 

Loss Prevention strategies to reduce theft and fraud are critical to running a profitable business. Checkpoint Tags are a proven tool to significantly cut down clothing shortage, keep prices low and customers happy when used properly. Find out how clothing security tags can benefit your store(s).

 

Checkpoint Tags are important and we can help you with them. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.