A friend and I were recently out shopping at the mall and I asked her opinion on whether I should let my daughter, who is 8, walk or ride her bike to school. We live in a small rural town, which is quite safe, and the school is only three-quarters of a mile from our house. She has been asking me for a while now, and I am hesitant to let her. She is capable but I worry about other factors. After being a police officer for 15 years, I have a somewhat jaded view of society, and I worry about someone abducting her or her getting hit by a car or worse. My friend said that walking for her kid is not an option, but she said she wouldn’t let her daughter walk because there are too many creeps out there. She said you can never be sure about a person’s true nature, even the people you work with. She then described an incident she had at work with a new hire employee, which re-affirmed how important it is to do Pre-Employment Screening.
My friend is an HR specialist for a small company and deals with hiring new employees. She stated that her company is not willing to pay a background check company for Pre-employment screening of new applicants, so she can never be sure what type of employees they are hiring. She recently interviewed an applicant who looked great on paper. She said that they verified the applicant’s employment and references and had no reservations about hiring him. After the employee was on the job for about two weeks, another employee came to her and told her that they thought the new hire was a registered sex offender. My friend did some more research on her own and confirmed that the employee, she had hired was a registered sex offender, and only lived a few miles from her home. This caused her great concern and made her wonder what other crimes he had been convicted of, including the offense that got him on the registry. Now she and other employees feel awkward and uncomfortable around him at work and she doesn’t know how to handle the situation.
I am the Director of Security for a mid-size company and I manage our pre-employment screening program. Our company understands the importance of conducting employee background checks and how pre-screening allows us to hire quality employees and reduce overhead by decreasing turn-over. I have discovered that employee background checks also provide peace of mind to existing employees by ensuring a sense of safety and security within the work force. I think about how my friend and her co-workers are now uncomfortable around this employee and how that impacts their performance and ability to work as a cohesive team. She can’t fire him based on this information, and now she has no option but to try and have a positive working relationship.
Our company utilizes a background check company that manages our employee background checks. This is an important process for us, because it allows us to complete an individualized assessment for each candidate to determine whether their background could have a negative impact on our company based on the job they are going to perform. Our background check company also ensures we are compliant with FCRA requirements and that we are abiding by state law in regards to the type of information we are using to make employment decisions. My friend is right. There is no way to know a person’s true character, by simply reviewing a resume, checking references and conducting an interview. We have no way to truly know what may exist in a person’s background without performing pre-employment screening. The same holds true in our personal lives, and I think I will continue to go with my gut feeling, and have my daughter ride the bus to school. I am sure being in law enforcement and loss prevention make me a more conservative parent, but it also allows me to be more knowledgeable of the risks so I can make better decisions both personally and professionally.
I strongly believe that paying a small up-front cost to perform pre-employment screening is imperative to maintaining a strong, competent and dedicated work force. So if you own a small business please consider background screening as a necessary expense and factor it into your budget. I promise it will save you time and money in the long run.
Need information on Pre-Employment Screening? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
As the holiday season comes to a close it is time to already begin thinking about inventory. There are so many things to do to prepare to ensure you get the most accurate results. Will you count your store with your own staff? Will you hire an outside agency to do the inventory? How soon will you start to prep your store(s) before inventory? Regardless of how big or small your store is these are all questions to consider. Having been involved in store inventories for over 26 years, I have been an Inventory Leader for a big box retailer, an Audit Captain in charge of inventory prep, a prepper and a counter. I have some personal insights I would like to share that can assist a store owner or manager in their preparations. One important consideration I have for all stores is that this is the perfect time to ensure proper retail theft prevention tactics are in place. From top to bottom look at your Checkpoint Security System and make sure it is functioning properly and Checkpoint tags are protecting all of your merchandise.
When I speak of inspecting your Checkpoint Security System I am referring to several things. Place a service call to have a technician ensure the antennas are all functioning properly. If any tuning or tweaking is in order they can make sure it is taken care of. A technician can also verify all of the deactivation pads are working at peak efficiency and replace any equipment that may be faulty. Just as you get your car inspected occasionally to make sure it is performing at its best, a Checkpoint Security System should be given the same care. In this way you will ensure you are taking proper steps to stop shoplifting AND internal theft.
I also would suggest that store managers use the time of preparation for inventory to verify that all merchandise is protected withCheckpoint tags. Prepping involves making sure each product has a scannable barcode on it so it will be counted accurately. As employees are verifying that barcodes are in place, the time should be used to validate that Checkpoint tags are also on the item. Not only will this ensure you will stop shoplifting of those items in the future, you will also protect against potential theft by an outside inventory crew, if you choose to hire one. Just like any other company, the vast majority of employees are honest but during my years as a Loss Prevention Manager I did have a few inventory counters I caught stealing and others I suspected of stealing. Remember, these people will have access to stockroom areas and “off-stage” areas not normally accessible to regular customers. If you don’t normally protect your merchandise with Checkpoint tags until the product hits the sales floor, I recommend using this preparation time to tag it while it is in the stockroom. Again, you are already checking for product barcodes anyways so why not maximize the productivity? Retail theft prevention should start in the stockroom anyways, this helps protect against employee theft.
A few other suggestions I would like to share for a successful inventory:
– Whether you are going to have an outside agency or your own team count, have a group of employees ready to do random audits. Auditing will catch errors and identify if there is one person making multiple mistakes.
– Check everywhere for stray merchandise, under base decks, in offices, desks, on top of fixtures. Remember, every piece of merchandise counts.
– Think about when you want to conduct inventory. Will you do it before or after store opening? Will you do it overnight? Some stores conduct it while still open. Do you have enough staff to operate the store and conduct an inventory?
– Will you provide food for your employees during inventory? Not only does it help morale, it can provide energy to keep your employees alert and attentive.
– If you provide food, avoid sugary desserts and sweets until after inventory is complete. Instead, fruits, vegetable trays, even subs or pizzas may be alternatives to consider. Sweets will give a brief energy burst and then wear off.
Be ready for inventory and improve your results this year and the following year by getting your Checkpoint Security System checked. By validating all merchandise is protected with Checkpoint tags you will deter the chance of theft during inventory and strengthen your retail theft prevention strategy for the rest of the year.
Get more information on Checkpoint Security Systems, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
Alpha Shark Tags-3 WC Blog 203
Wardrobing-5
Return Fraud-3
Dressing For Success May Result In Stores Being Victims Of Wardrobing; Prevent Return Fraud With Alpha Shark Tags Part 2
In part 1 of this series I discussed the difficulty that can experienced by someone who has been in the workforce for a while and is now having to job hunt. New college graduates can face similar problems since they tend to be on fixed budgets. My wife and I are the parents of three young adults. We have two sons who are in college and will be graduating in a year and two years respectively. One will be entering the job market as a teacher, the other may take an extra year or two and get his MBA and go into the world of business and finance. They will all be competing for jobs against other ambitious job seekers, some with prior work experience and some that are on the same “fresh out of college” level. It is important that as they begin interviewing they make strong first impressions, and part of that involves what they wear to the interview. The problem is that a new interview outfit can be expensive and it may be tempting for someone to buy an outfit or suit, wear it to their interview then return the clothes to the store for a refund. In retail this is called wardrobing and unfortunately it is more common than many people realize.
Wardrobing is a form of return fraud that takes place when a customer makes a purchase with the intent of wearing the item out someplace, maybe a party or special event and then returning it for a refund of what they paid for the items. Often those who are wardrobing will tuck price tags under the sleeve or the neckline and tape it up so the tags won’t be seen. Some will go so far as to purchase swift attachment guns and reattach the tags to the clothes. When they are done they return the clothes, with the receipt and tags in place, often saying the reason for return is that they changed their mind. This is fraudulent, because it deprives the retailer of the sale, and even the sales clerks, in some instances, lose commissions. The clothes sometimes have all sorts of odors on them, perfumes, food smells, cigarette smoke, that makes them unsellable, but if they are free of stains it is difficult to refuse a return. A retailer can take steps to prevent this type of return fraud if they will use Alpha Shark Tags on the clothes they sell.
Alpha Shark Tags can only be used once and when removed cannot be reapplied to a garment. The tags are put on by store associates and are removed by the customer when the customer gets the item home. The tags are not obtrusive and they won’t interfere with trying on a piece of clothing. By using Shark Tags the store benefits by requiring the tag to be intact on the merchandise to return it.
So what is my point in reference to job interviews and the chance of wardrobing? Well, according to an article in http://www.businessinsider.com/mens-interview-suits-2014-8 by Breton Fischetti, August 25, 2014, titled, “4 Things To Know When Buying Your First Interview Suit”, “A solid price point for the first suit should be around $500, give or take. Plenty of options can be found around and below that amount, but avoid very inexpensive suits, as they are often poor quality and will look cheap.” Now, I fully understand the writer’s point, making a good impression and buying a suit that will last is important. On the other hand, I would argue that for the first time interviewee, this may be a financial burden at this stage of a new career. If this is the trend that being promoted then it is easy to see how someone could be tempted to “purchase” a new suit and following the interview, return it to the store where they purchased it. The $500 investment would be for a few days at most and then refunded at the time of return.
Job interviews are important and dressing well is just as important, but it should never be a burden to a retailer. Interview attire should become part of a person’s professional wardrobe. Sell the clothes, be fair in your return policy but don’t be the victim of wardrobing and return fraud. Use Alpha Shark Tags and stay profitable and help future interviewees look great.
Get more information on Alpha Shark Tags, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
In part 1 of this series I discussed the difficulty that can experienced by someone who has been in the workforce for a while and is now having to job hunt. New college graduates can face similar problems since they tend to be on fixed budgets. My wife and I are the parents of three young adults. We have two sons who are in college and will be graduating in a year and two years respectively. One will be entering the job market as a teacher, the other may take an extra year or two and get his MBA and go into the world of business and finance. They will all be competing for jobs against other ambitious job seekers, some with prior work experience and some that are on the same “fresh out of college” level. It is important that as they begin interviewing they make strong first impressions, and part of that involves what they wear to the interview. The problem is that a new interview outfit can be expensive and it may be tempting for someone to buy an outfit or suit, wear it to their interview then return the clothes to the store for a refund. In retail this is called wardrobing and unfortunately it is more common than many people realize.
Wardrobing is a form of return fraud that takes place when a customer makes a purchase with the intent of wearing the item out someplace, maybe a party or special event and then returning it for a refund of what they paid for the items. Often those who are wardrobing will tuck price tags under the sleeve or the neckline and tape it up so the tags won’t be seen. Some will go so far as to purchase swift attachment guns and reattach the tags to the clothes. When they are done they return the clothes, with the receipt and tags in place, often saying the reason for return is that they changed their mind. This is fraudulent, because it deprives the retailer of the sale, and even the sales clerks, in some instances, lose commissions. The clothes sometimes have all sorts of odors on them, perfumes, food smells, cigarette smoke, that makes them unsellable, but if they are free of stains it is difficult to refuse a return. A retailer can take steps to prevent this type of return fraud if they will use Alpha Shark Tags on the clothes they sell.
Alpha Shark Tags can only be used once and when removed cannot be reapplied to a garment. The tags are put on by store associates and are removed by the customer when the customer gets the item home. The tags are not obtrusive and they won’t interfere with trying on a piece of clothing. By using Shark Tags the store benefits by requiring the tag to be intact on the merchandise to return it.
So what is my point in reference to job interviews and the chance of wardrobing? Well, according to an article in http://www.businessinsider.com/mens-interview-suits-2014-8 by Breton Fischetti, August 25, 2014, titled, “4 Things To Know When Buying Your First Interview Suit”, “A solid price point for the first suit should be around $500, give or take. Plenty of options can be found around and below that amount, but avoid very inexpensive suits, as they are often poor quality and will look cheap.” Now, I fully understand the writer’s point, making a good impression and buying a suit that will last is important. On the other hand, I would argue that for the first time interviewee, this may be a financial burden at this stage of a new career. If this is the trend that being promoted then it is easy to see how someone could be tempted to “purchase” a new suit and following the interview, return it to the store where they purchased it. The $500 investment would be for a few days at most and then refunded at the time of return.
Job interviews are important and dressing well is just as important, but it should never be a burden to a retailer. Interview attire should become part of a person’s professional wardrobe. Sell the clothes, be fair in your return policy but don’t be the victim of wardrobing and return fraud. Use Alpha Shark Tags and stay profitable and help future interviewees look great.
Get more information on Alpha Shark Tags, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
WHY TAKE INVENTORY AT THE START OF THE YEAR?
Finally! The holiday madness is over and it’s time to sit back, count our money and relax. There’s nothing else daunting on the horizon. Oh, wait… I forgot about inventory time! Who had the bright idea to take inventory right behind the busiest time of year!? It may be a bit of a challenge, but inventory is important to every business and can play a leading role in helping you to stop shoplifting.
While not an official retail rule, generally speaking, lots of retailers take inventory in January/February each year. There’s a few reasons why this is a good idea, and understanding why this can save you a lot of heart ache. See inventory time as a chance to hit the “reset” button on your stock and a chance to fix any big issues that may have gone un-noticed throughout the year.
Why now?
It may seem like we could give ourselves some time to catch our breath, right? Taking inventory actually makes sense right now. You probably have a little extra help in the store thanks to your holiday temps. Those extra sets of hands can really make a difference when you’re trying to count everything in the store.
Your store is at its lowest stock position.
I was out shopping with my wife and she made a comment about how “empty” the store we were in looked. It was week or two after Christmas and I remarked that they must have had a good season. Why count in the spring, when you can put your hands on less product and still get the job done?
Taxes and valuation
I’m not an accountant and I don’t have an in-depth knowledge of tax codes across the country. With that being said, most localities assess an inventory tax, with every company having to report at certain times of the year the inventory they have in the building, thus creating their tax burden on inventory. Obviously if you take your inventory right after the holiday, you have less on-hand, affecting your tax burden. Inventory, or more specifically, the cost of goods sold, is one indicator of overall business health. Taking inventory allows you to determine this number. This can be used against any business loans. This may not be the case everywhere, so I would always consult with your CPA regarding inventory tax and any financial decisions.
Employee theft (and external theft too!)
Another great advantage of taking inventory this time of year is to identify any patterns of employee theft that may have occurred during your busiest time of the year. Employee theft cases usually peak around November and December. Waiting too long before noticing may hinder your chances of recovering any loss money. Think about it. You take inventory in mid-January. You notice that a shipment of electronics worth $10,000 went missing in December. You find the manifest, run the security cameras and find a warehouse worker bring the shipment to his car. Chances of getting paid back are pretty high. Same situation, but you take inventory in July, for example. Shipping manifests may have gotten purged and your CCTV doesn’t hold recordings for that long. The warehouse worker goes undetected and steals even more from you. Pretty obvious, right? The same holds true for your external theft problems. Taking inventory now let’s you identify your patterns of loss, and ultimately let you better react to those patters, which will help stop shoplifting.
While it may seem daunting to start the inventory process so soon after such a busy time, trust me when I tell you that it’s absolutely for the best. Get it done now, while you’re light on product, heavy on help and before all your spring shipments start hitting the docks. You’ll clean up the holiday inventory, help stop shoplifting by identifying any patterns of theft/fraud, and clean your on hand counts to ensure you’re in the absolute best stock position. Happy counting!
For more information about Employee Theft contact us or call 1.770.426.0547.
Finally! The holiday madness is over and it’s time to sit back, count our money and relax. There’s nothing else daunting on the horizon. Oh, wait… I forgot about inventory time! Who had the bright idea to take inventory right behind the busiest time of year!? It may be a bit of a challenge, but inventory is important to every business and can play a leading role in helping you to stop shoplifting.
While not an official retail rule, generally speaking, lots of retailers take inventory in January/February each year. There’s a few reasons why this is a good idea, and understanding why this can save you a lot of heart ache. See inventory time as a chance to hit the “reset” button on your stock and a chance to fix any big issues that may have gone un-noticed throughout the year.
Why now?
It may seem like we could give ourselves some time to catch our breath, right? Taking inventory actually makes sense right now. You probably have a little extra help in the store thanks to your holiday temps. Those extra sets of hands can really make a difference when you’re trying to count everything in the store.
Your store is at its lowest stock position
I was out shopping with my wife and she made a comment about how “empty” the store we were in looked. It was week or two after Christmas and I remarked that they must have had a good season. Why count in the spring, when you can put your hands on less product and still get the job done?
Taxes and valuation
I’m not an accountant and I don’t have an in-depth knowledge of tax codes across the country. With that being said, most localities assess an inventory tax, with every company having to report at certain times of the year the inventory they have in the building, thus creating their tax burden on inventory. Obviously if you take your inventory right after the holiday, you have less on-hand, affecting your tax burden. Inventory, or more specifically, the cost of goods sold, is one indicator of overall business health. Taking inventory allows you to determine this number. This can be used against any business loans. This may not be the case everywhere, so I would always consult with your CPA regarding inventory tax and any financial decisions.
Employee theft (and external theft too!)
Another great advantage of taking inventory this time of year is to identify any patterns of employee theft that may have occurred during your busiest time of the year. Employee theft cases usually peak around November and December. Waiting too long before noticing may hinder your chances of recovering any loss money. Think about it. You take inventory in mid-January. You notice that a shipment of electronics worth $10,000 went missing in December. You find the manifest, run the security cameras and find a warehouse worker bring the shipment to his car. Chances of getting paid back are pretty high. Same situation, but you take inventory in July, for example. Shipping manifests may have gotten purged and your CCTV doesn’t hold recordings for that long. The warehouse worker goes undetected and steals even more from you. Pretty obvious, right? The same holds true for your external theft problems. Taking inventory now let’s you identify your patterns of loss, and ultimately let you better react to those patters, which will help stop shoplifting.
While it may seem daunting to start the inventory process so soon after such a busy time, trust me when I tell you that it’s absolutely for the best. Get it done now, while you’re light on product, heavy on help and before all your spring shipments start hitting the docks. You’ll clean up the holiday inventory, help stop shoplifting by identifying any patterns of theft/fraud, and clean your on hand counts to ensure you’re in the absolute best stock position. Happy counting!
For more information about Employee Theft, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547.
AA Blog 26-Alpha Jewel Lock
Alpha Jewel Lock: 5
Prevent shoplifting: 3
Reduce Pilferage Of Small Concealable Items With Alpha Jewel Locks
In my experience as a law enforcement officer, I dealt with a great deal of juvenile shoplifters. It seems that many juveniles tend to get involved in petit theft due to peer pressure and other social pressures. This typically results in the theft of small, easily concealable items, of varying value. Female shoplifters tend to take items such as makeup, small wallets or purses, undergarments, costume jewelry and other beauty items. Boys on the other hand may go for candy or food, videogames, electronic accessories, sporting equipment items or clothing. When I was growing up, small concealable items didn’t tend to have security devices, more than likely due to the lack of security options. I have seen girls who layered undergarments under their clothes, which doesn’t add a whole lot of bulk, and can be done in the privacy of a dressing room. Girls would also take smaller jewelry items like earrings or bracelets, and after removing the packaging, would wear them out of the store. Boys were usually a little less discreet, which usually got them caught, although many didn’t. From my experience they would try and stick movies, games, CDs etc. into backpacks and such on the store floor. They always think they are being sneaky. They say the average retail theft is between, $2.00-$200.00 per incident; therefore easily concealable items, need to be protected. Luckily for us in the retail industry, technology has improved greatly over the last two decades, not that I want to age myself, but it’s true. We now have many more options for securing these types of items. In order to prevent shoplifting in my store, I choose the Alpha jewel lock, to help secure those small irregular items.
The Alpha jewel lock is a great option for those small items, such as jewelry, small clutch handbags, undergarments, and even shoes. This is a smaller device that can be discreetly placed on small items without interfering with the products appearance or the ability to try on the item. They have a small wire attachment that allows you to put them around the item while allowing the customer some breathing room. These locks improve customer relations, while still protecting your property. It is easily applied in store, which allows for a cost-efficient re-useable device. It is designed to destroy the item or render it un-useable in the event of a theft. It can also be used on items on peg hooks, which allows for easy display options. The Alpha jewel lock is an effective deterrent for easily pilfered items, which are hard to secure, by other means. These work as a great addition and in conjunction with other loss prevention devices and will help prevent shoplifting. These can be used in specialty stores as well that sell large amounts of high priced items such as watch stores, jewelry stores, designer bags, shoe stores etc. They can be used on displays that aren’t regularly monitored as well.
I have used the Alpha jewel locks on various items in my store with great success. I have even found them to be an option on items I didn’t anticipate, such as sunglasses, electronic accessories, and even some sporting gear. They are very versatile locks that provide a great deterrent to prevent shoplifting. Regardless of what you need to secure, if you are looking for a small unobtrusive way to protect your smaller merchandise these locks are a great option.
Get more information on Alpha jewel locks, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
In my experience as a law enforcement officer, I dealt with a great deal of juvenile shoplifters. It seems that many juveniles tend to get involved in petit theft due to peer pressure and other social pressures. This typically results in the theft of small, easily concealable items, of varying value. Female shoplifters tend to take items such as makeup, small wallets or purses, undergarments, costume jewelry and other beauty items. Boys on the other hand may go for candy or food, videogames, electronic accessories, sporting equipment items or clothing. When I was growing up, small concealable items didn’t tend to have security devices, more than likely due to the lack of security options. I have seen girls who layered undergarments under their clothes, which doesn’t add a whole lot of bulk, and can be done in the privacy of a dressing room. Girls would also take smaller jewelry items like earrings or bracelets, and after removing the packaging, would wear them out of the store. Boys were usually a little less discreet, which usually got them caught, although many didn’t. From my experience they would try and stick movies, games, CDs etc. into backpacks and such on the store floor. They always think they are being sneaky. They say the average retail theft is between, $2.00-$200.00 per incident; therefore easily concealable items, need to be protected. Luckily for us in the retail industry, technology has improved greatly over the last two decades, not that I want to age myself, but it’s true. We now have many more options for securing these types of items. In order to prevent shoplifting in my store, I choose the Alpha jewel lock, to help secure those small irregular items.
The Alpha jewel lock is a great option for those small items, such as jewelry, small clutch handbags, undergarments, and even shoes. This is a smaller device that can be discreetly placed on small items without interfering with the products appearance or the ability to try on the item. They have a small wire attachment that allows you to put them around the item while allowing the customer some breathing room. These locks improve customer relations, while still protecting your property. It is easily applied in store, which allows for a cost-efficient re-useable device. It is designed to destroy the item or render it un-useable in the event of a theft. It can also be used on items on peg hooks, which allows for easy display options. The Alpha jewel lock is an effective deterrent for easily pilfered items, which are hard to secure, by other means. These work as a great addition and in conjunction with other loss prevention devices and will help prevent shoplifting. These can be used in specialty stores as well that sell large amounts of high priced items such as watch stores, jewelry stores, designer bags, shoe stores etc. They can be used on displays that aren’t regularly monitored as well.
I have used the Alpha jewel locks on various items in my store with great success. I have even found them to be an option on items I didn’t anticipate, such as sunglasses, electronic accessories, and even some sporting gear. They are very versatile locks that provide a great deterrent to prevent shoplifting. Regardless of what you need to secure, if you are looking for a small unobtrusive way to protect your smaller merchandise these locks are a great option.
Get more information on Alpha jewel locks, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
