Alpha Thunder Tags-5 WC blog 159
i-pad theft-3
i-pads Fill A Need In Pediatric Intensive Care Units; Protect Those Devices With Alpha Thunder Tags Part I
Imagine being the parent of a newborn baby and not being able to see your child because they are in a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and being closely monitored by doctors and nurses. Some of these infants are in incubators hooked up to monitors and feeding tubes. Then there are the mothers who are occasionally unable to be moved from their rooms due to C-sections or difficult deliveries that keep them bedridden. These moms are not always able to go to the Pediatric ICU to visit their child(ren). There are now hospitals that provide i-pads to patients who may not be able to get see their baby right away due to circumstances beyond their control. These hospitals must take precautions to protect against i-pad theft or computer tablet theft. They can do so by using Alpha Thunder Tags on their mobile devices.
Alpha Thunder Tags can be attached to mobile medical devices and when used in conjunction with electronic article surveillance (EAS) antennas, such as the Checkpoint Classic N10 antenna, help to both deter and detect theft. The tag is designed to activate the alarm built into an EAS antenna when it is carried into the proximity of the antenna. The antenna emits a loud beeping noise and LED lights flash during an activation, drawing the attention of anyone in the area. When staff hear the noise, they respond to the door and can stop the person setting off the alarm and determine the cause of the alert. If the cause is due to a mobile device being removed from the building, employees have the opportunity to recover it. The Alpha Thunder Tag also has a built in alarm that will activate even if someone gets through the doors and into the street or parking lot.
Additionally, when attached to a mobile device, there is a tamper alarm that sets. Should a thief attempt an i-pad theft, by removing an Alpha Thunder Tag, the tamper alarm will sound a loud, piercing noise. Again, hospital staff can respond to the location and recover the device. The tag and the Checkpoint N10 antennas together provide a physical and visual deterrent which keep i-pads or computer tablets in hospitals and available to the patients who need them.
Where are i-pads being used to help moms and babies connect? One place that the connection is being made is at Cedar-Sinai Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. On their website, cedars-sinai.edu, in an article, “iPads Help New Moms Connect With Their Infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit”, the story describes how some mothers are unable to see their newborns right away and this can cause anxiety and stress. They have called their program “Baby Time” and it allows the mother to see her newborn when she is in another area of the hospital and cannot get to her child. The hospital brings an i-pad to the mother and then an i-pad is used at the other end to allow the mother to see her baby and see how he/she is doing. The mother is able to see her baby and feel more at ease at the situation. One mother mentioned in the article said that “… the program meant feeling just a little closer to her baby girl and the comfort of being able to hear the physician explain her infant’s condition.”
In part two of this article we will look at other areas where similar use of i-pads and tablets are being used to bridge the divide when parents can’t visit their newborns. Suffice it to say, the thought of a possible i-pad theft from a program such as this is unconscionable, but the possibility exists. Alpha Thunder Tags can help prevent such a situation.
Get more information on Alpha Thunder Tags, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
Imagine being the parent of a newborn baby and not being able to see your child because they are in a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and being closely monitored by doctors and nurses. Some of these infants are in incubators hooked up to monitors and feeding tubes. Then there are the mothers who are occasionally unable to be moved from their rooms due to C-sections or difficult deliveries that keep them bedridden. These moms are not always able to go to the Pediatric ICU to visit their child(ren). There are now hospitals that provide i-pads to patients who may not be able to get see their baby right away due to circumstances beyond their control. These hospitals must take precautions to protect against i-pad theft or computer tablet theft. They can do so by using Alpha Thunder Tags on their mobile devices.
Alpha Thunder Tags can be attached to mobile medical devices and when used in conjunction with electronic article surveillance (EAS) antennas, such as the Checkpoint Classic N10 antenna, help to both deter and detect theft. The tag is designed to activate the alarm built into an EAS antenna when it is carried into the proximity of the antenna. The antenna emits a loud beeping noise and LED lights flash during an activation, drawing the attention of anyone in the area. When staff hear the noise, they respond to the door and can stop the person setting off the alarm and determine the cause of the alert. If the cause is due to a mobile device being removed from the building, employees have the opportunity to recover it. The Alpha Thunder Tag also has a built in alarm that will activate even if someone gets through the doors and into the street or parking lot.
Additionally, when attached to a mobile device, there is a tamper alarm that sets. Should a thief attempt an i-pad theft, by removing an Alpha Thunder Tag, the tamper alarm will sound a loud, piercing noise. Again, hospital staff can respond to the location and recover the device. The tag and the Checkpoint N10 antennas together provide a physical and visual deterrent which keep i-pads or computer tablets in hospitals and available to the patients who need them.
Where are i-pads being used to help moms and babies connect? One place that the connection is being made is at Cedar-Sinai Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. On their website, cedars-sinai.edu, in an article, “iPads Help New Moms Connect With Their Infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit”, the story describes how some mothers are unable to see their newborns right away and this can cause anxiety and stress. They have called their program “Baby Time” and it allows the mother to see her newborn when she is in another area of the hospital and cannot get to her child. The hospital brings an i-pad to the mother and then an i-pad is used at the other end to allow the mother to see her baby and see how he/she is doing. The mother is able to see her baby and feel more at ease at the situation. One mother mentioned in the article said that “… the program meant feeling just a little closer to her baby girl and the comfort of being able to hear the physician explain her infant’s condition.”
In part two of this article we will look at other areas where similar use of i-pads and tablets are being used to bridge the divide when parents can’t visit their newborns. Suffice it to say, the thought of a possible i-pad theft from a program such as this is unconscionable, but the possibility exists. Alpha Thunder Tags can help prevent such a situation.
Get more information on Alpha Thunder Tags, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
Checkpoint Systems-5 WC Blog 156
Stop shoplifting-3
Checkpoint tags-3
Checkpoint Systems Help Recover Stolen Merchandise – But For A Day, Not The Way You Might Think
Checkpoint systems have the tools to stop shoplifting. From electronic article surveillance antennas to deactivation units, hand verifiers and Checkpoint tags, I have had the pleasure of using all types of Checkpoint equipment. On one occasion I even used a piece of equipment to stop shoplifting but I don’t think it was the way anyone at Checkpoint systems had intended the device to work. The item I am speaking of is a DV1000 deactivation verifier.
The deactivation verifier is a small, gray box with a button on top that is pressed to determine if an EAS deactivation pad is working. When held over a functioning pad, and the button is pushed a small light on the front of the unit turns green. When pushed any other time the light turns red. The verifier is simple to use but extremely helpful in troubleshooting equipment to ensure it is operating correctly.
One day I was working and observed a young boy enter our store by himself. I recognized him as a regular in our store who was usually accompanied by friends. I had suspected the youngster of shoplifting for some time but our Loss Prevention Team could not catch him. This particular day I observed him when he entered and so I was able to keep surveillance on him his entire time in the store. I watched the boy as he walked around looking at merchandise and picking things up and putting them back down. The youngster eventually picked up a handful of collector cards/ball cards and continued through the store, opening the cards and selecting the ones he wanted. After several trips back to the cards, he was done with his “shopping” spree and headed for the exit.
I followed the young man when he walked out the store, stopped him and brought him back in. The cards that had been chosen had Checkpoint tags source tagged in the packages but our Checkpoint Systems antennas did not sound because the packages and some of the cards had been discarded in the store. I took the culprit to the security office and told him to return the cards to me. He told me he did not have any cards. I made every effort to get him to admit to the theft and give me the merchandise back but he was tough and wouldn’t crack.
At this point I decided it was time to pull out all of the stops. I reached in my desk drawer and pulled out my lie detector, which happened to also look suspiciously like a Checkpoint DV 1000 deactivation verifier. I told the young man that the item I was holding was a lie detector and if he told me a lie the light would turn red. My would-be criminal’s mouth dropped open and the look on his face was priceless. I asked him if he had any stolen cards in his pocket. He told me he did not and I held down the button on the verifier. The light turned red and I told the boy that the lie detector proved he was lying. At that the boy sheepishly pulled the cards from his pocket and gave them to me. He also admitted to his prior thefts, confirming what I had suspected. I contacted the boy’s mother who picked him up and took him up.
Checkpoint systems are designed to stop shoplifting starting with the deterrence value of the antennas at the front doors to the Checkpoint tags and labels placed on merchandise. Contact Checkpoint and find out how they can help you prevent theft, but don’t bother asking about their DV 1000 “lie detectors”, they probably won’t know what you are talking about.
Get more information on Checkpoint Systems, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
Checkpoint systems have the tools to stop shoplifting. From electronic article surveillance antennas to deactivation units, hand verifiers and Checkpoint tags, I have had the pleasure of using all types of Checkpoint equipment. On one occasion I even used a piece of equipment to stop shoplifting but I don’t think it was the way anyone at Checkpoint systems had intended the device to work. The item I am speaking of is a DV1000 deactivation verifier.
The deactivation verifier is a small, gray box with a button on top that is pressed to determine if an EAS deactivation pad is working. When held over a functioning pad, and the button is pushed a small light on the front of the unit turns green. When pushed any other time the light turns red. The verifier is simple to use but extremely helpful in troubleshooting equipment to ensure it is operating correctly.
One day I was working and observed a young boy enter our store by himself. I recognized him as a regular in our store who was usually accompanied by friends. I had suspected the youngster of shoplifting for some time but our Loss Prevention Team could not catch him. This particular day I observed him when he entered and so I was able to keep surveillance on him his entire time in the store. I watched the boy as he walked around looking at merchandise and picking things up and putting them back down. The youngster eventually picked up a handful of collector cards/ball cards and continued through the store, opening the cards and selecting the ones he wanted. After several trips back to the cards, he was done with his “shopping” spree and headed for the exit.
I followed the young man when he walked out the store, stopped him and brought him back in. The cards that had been chosen had Checkpoint tags source tagged in the packages but our Checkpoint Systems antennas did not sound because the packages and some of the cards had been discarded in the store. I took the culprit to the security office and told him to return the cards to me. He told me he did not have any cards. I made every effort to get him to admit to the theft and give me the merchandise back but he was tough and wouldn’t crack.
At this point I decided it was time to pull out all of the stops. I reached in my desk drawer and pulled out my lie detector, which happened to also look suspiciously like a Checkpoint DV 1000 deactivation verifier. I told the young man that the item I was holding was a lie detector and if he told me a lie the light would turn red. My would-be criminal’s mouth dropped open and the look on his face was priceless. I asked him if he had any stolen cards in his pocket. He told me he did not and I held down the button on the verifier. The light turned red and I told the boy that the lie detector proved he was lying. At that the boy sheepishly pulled the cards from his pocket and gave them to me. He also admitted to his prior thefts, confirming what I had suspected. I contacted the boy’s mother who picked him up and took him up.
Checkpoint systems are designed to stop shoplifting starting with the deterrence value of the antennas at the front doors to the Checkpoint tags and labels placed on merchandise. Contact us and find out how we can help you prevent theft.
Get more information on Checkpoint Systems, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
Is it wrong to wear a piece of clothing once and return it for a refund? Some people would say, “No” to the question. Looking at various web sites there are some who mildly discourage the practice such as I found in a Market Watch column. The columnist, Quentin Fottrell responds in part to a query asking a similar question, “If you bought a dress that cost a lot of money, wore it to a party and realized you hated it and you would never wear it again, and it was still in pristine condition, then perhaps returning it would be understandable (though you might want to tell the sales staff that you did wear it once, to be 100% honest)”. He does go on to add, “But doing this regularly begins to cross a line”. If you are a clothing retailer, what is the impact of this practice, known as wardrobing on your business? Obviously the first thing to consider is can you sell the returned merchandise for full price? If you don’t sell it for full price, how much of a loss do you take on profit margin? One thing the writer pointed out that must be considered by retailers whose employees work on commission, is the negative impact on the sales person who sold the item being returned. How much of a game is played at their expense? Wardrobing isn’t harmless and retailers should make every effort to prevent it. One way to do so is by attaching Alpha Shark Tags to clothing.
Alpha Shark Tags prevent wardrobing because the retailers that use them can establish return policies that do not permit the return of clothing that has had Alpha Shark Tags removed. This works because the tag is a one-time use only device that clips onto articles of clothing, as well as shoes, purses, wallets, etc. The device is not to be removed by store employees at the time of the sale, as is the case with retail-anti theft devices. The Shark Tag has to be cut off by the purchaser after he or she leaves the store. A return can be denied when the tag has been removed, so long as the return policy is clearly stipulated. The tags are not going to interfere with the ability to try on merchandise, so clothing can be gifted and returned with a gift receipt and intact tag.
How big is the problem of wardrobing in the United States? According to The Retail Equation 2015 Consumer Returns in the Retail Industry Annual Return Survey, which incorporated the results of the National Retail Federation 2015 Return Fraud Survey Results, approximately 6.1% of returns in the U.S. were classified as Return Fraud and Abuse as a percent of total returns. The estimated amount of return fraud and abuse was 15.9 billion dollars. According to the loss prevention senior executives in the 62 retailer companies who were surveyed, 72.6% said their stores had experienced this type of fraud in the past year. One other key point from the report, “Fewer than half of retailers rated their return policies as effective” in deterring fraud.
Are the return policies in your store effective at preventing fraud? Do you even know if your store is experiencing return fraud? If 72.6% of Loss Prevention executives believe their stores have been impacted by wardrobing, then there is a strong likelihood it is taking place in your store(s) as well. By investing in Alpha Shark Tags and applying them to ALL of your clothing items and accessories, you can prevent being a victim of this activity. Keep you profits higher by reducing your exposure to fraud and having an “effective” return policy.
Return Fraud is important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.
Anti-shoplifting-3 WC Blog 139
retail theft prevention-3
Retail Theft Prevention Efforts Spoil An Ice Cream Party
Retail theft prevention comes in all kinds of forms when you work in Assets Protection, sometimes the job is to stop shoplifting, on occasion it’s to prevent theft of time, in some situations the effort is to stop the theft of cash or company property. Every once in a while you see theft that is just odd and it makes you scratch your head wondering what in the world that person was thinking. I had just such a case when I worked as an Assets Protection Manager for a big box retail store.
One of the responsibilities of my position was to work an overnight shift once a month. Whether we had an active investigation or not, the idea was that we could monitor our overnight cleaning crew, our logistics team if we had an overnight or early morning unload or we could watch for opening and closing procedure compliance. Sometimes we would use the time to update retail theft prevention tactics such as moving cameras or inspecting anti-shoplifting devices and equipment such as Checkpoint deactivation pads and antennas. If you were having a good night you could potentially uncover a theft case and initiate a new investigation.
On one particular night I was able to sneak into the building prior to closing and get situated in the security office. The night began with an observation of the arrival of the cleaning crew and then the closing procedures of the store Leader On Duty and the team members. The employees finished recovering the store from a busy shopping day, closed out registers and then exited and secured the building, following the company best practices. In the meantime the cleaning crew began their preparations for vacuuming, sweeping floors, running the floor scrubber and emptying trash making the store ready for the next day.
My experience with cleaning crew cases was that after the store employees would leave for the night, the theft activity would begin. The key to catching theft during an observation was to try to focus on the person with opportunity to steal, watch areas that were known “hot spots” or to watch for behaviors that were indicative of someone intending to steal. Frequently food was a typical “hot spot” for cleaning crew theft. Check lane candy and snacks, soda coolers and in the case of our store, a food court area with a fast food type menu. This particular night I watched one of the cleaning crew members as he began sweeping and cleaning in our food service area. In anti-shoplifting efforts there are certain behaviors Loss Prevention personnel are trained to look for and this guy was displaying them.
The worker swept the floor and began collecting trash in the food court and after some time decided it was time for a break. Our food service sold ice cream by the scoop or in cones, so there was a freezer unit with tubs of ice cream in this area. Our hard working cleaning employee decided that he needed to re-energize with some sustenance and so, he opened the freezer, reached in and scooped out a refreshing ice cream desert. Did I mention a scoop? No, there was no scoop and this was my head scratching moment. The employee reached into the ice cream bin with his hand scooped out a handful of ice cream and ate it, not just once, but TWICE! YUCK! No anti-shoplifting device was going to stop THIS activity. After several more surveillances I did end up catching the employee stealing other small items and closed the case. And just in case anyone was curious, no, I did not leave the ice cream bin in place. I removed it and we took the loss on it, but I did stay away from the ice cream for quite some time afterwards.
Yes, retail theft prevention measures were possible in this situation. Keys for the ice cream display case were available but never used. I don’t think any of us ever thought someone would steal ice cream, let alone scoop it out like this character did. After the case was closed, displays were properly locked at the end of a shift.
Need more information on retail theft prevention? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
Retail theft prevention comes in all kinds of forms when you work in Assets Protection, sometimes the job is to stop shoplifting, on occasion it’s to prevent theft of time, in some situations the effort is to stop the theft of cash or company property. Every once in a while you see theft that is just odd and it makes you scratch your head wondering what in the world that person was thinking. I had just such a case when I worked as an Assets Protection Manager for a big box retail store.
One of the responsibilities of my position was to work an overnight shift once a month. Whether we had an active investigation or not, the idea was that we could monitor our overnight cleaning crew, our logistics team if we had an overnight or early morning unload or we could watch for opening and closing procedure compliance. Sometimes we would use the time to update retail theft prevention tactics such as moving cameras or inspecting anti-shoplifting devices and equipment such as Checkpoint deactivation pads and antennas. If you were having a good night you could potentially uncover a theft case and initiate a new investigation.
On one particular night I was able to sneak into the building prior to closing and get situated in the security office. The night began with an observation of the arrival of the cleaning crew and then the closing procedures of the store Leader On Duty and the team members. The employees finished recovering the store from a busy shopping day, closed out registers and then exited and secured the building, following the company best practices. In the meantime the cleaning crew began their preparations for vacuuming, sweeping floors, running the floor scrubber and emptying trash making the store ready for the next day.
My experience with cleaning crew cases was that after the store employees would leave for the night, the theft activity would begin. The key to catching theft during an observation was to try to focus on the person with opportunity to steal, watch areas that were known “hot spots” or to watch for behaviors that were indicative of someone intending to steal. Frequently food was a typical “hot spot” for cleaning crew theft. Check lane candy and snacks, soda coolers and in the case of our store, a food court area with a fast food type menu. This particular night I watched one of the cleaning crew members as he began sweeping and cleaning in our food service area. In anti-shoplifting efforts there are certain behaviors Loss Prevention personnel are trained to look for and this guy was displaying them.
The worker swept the floor and began collecting trash in the food court and after some time decided it was time for a break. Our food service sold ice cream by the scoop or in cones, so there was a freezer unit with tubs of ice cream in this area. Our hard working cleaning employee decided that he needed to re-energize with some sustenance and so, he opened the freezer, reached in and scooped out a refreshing ice cream desert. Did I mention a scoop? No, there was no scoop and this was my head scratching moment. The employee reached into the ice cream bin with his hand scooped out a handful of ice cream and ate it, not just once, but TWICE! YUCK! No anti-shoplifting device was going to stop THIS activity. After several more surveillances I did end up catching the employee stealing other small items and closed the case. And just in case anyone was curious, no, I did not leave the ice cream bin in place. I removed it and we took the loss on it, but I did stay away from the ice cream for quite some time afterwards.
Yes, retail theft prevention measures were possible in this situation. Keys for the ice cream display case were available but never used. I don’t think any of us ever thought someone would steal ice cream, let alone scoop it out like this character did. After the case was closed, displays were properly locked at the end of a shift.
Need more information on retail theft prevention? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
USING RETAIL ANTI-SHOPLIFTING DEVICES TO YOUR ADVANTAGE
Do you ever walk around your store and wonder just how much of your product winds up in the hands of a criminal? Maybe you were researching an item for a customer and your computer said you had 5 of this particular item, but you couldn’t find a single one. Or, perhaps you may have walked down a secluded aisle and noticed several empty packages of merchandise tucked away behind a shelf or display. If this sounds like you, then chances are you have a shoplifting problem. Whether it be a loss of $10 or $10,000, every penny you lose to dishonesty is a penny less that’s going towards your bottom line. Thankfully, over the past several years, technology has kept pace with this growing issue and thus given the retail industry several tools that we can use to prevent shoplifting.
There is nothing that is safe in your store, trust me. Unless of course you display your entire stock behind a glass case that is! Over the last decade, I’ve worked as an area LP manager for a large big box retailer. I’ve seen everything there is to see in regards to shoplifters and the lengths they will go through in order to steal. Thankfully, my company invests heavily into retail anti-shoplifting devices. From the large cable wraps on game stations to delicately placed sensor tags on some of the most commonly stolen items, our program ultimately keeps our shrink in line to what’s expected. What’s best is that these simple methods aren’t just for the big box stores; but can be tailored to any size retail establishment and any budget.
The first thing I had to learn coming into this career is that I wasn’t going to prevent shoplifting completely. What I had to do was develop programs that would ultimately limit our store’s exposure to the risk of loss. When I first started, we had a very small LP department and we weren’t utilizing resources to our advantage. One of the very first things that I accomplished was using the store’s negative shrink data to determine what items were most commonly stolen. From there, we ultimately applied retail anti-theft devices that were tailored specifically for that item. Over time, we began to see a shift from what was once the most commonly stolen items (which the thieves could no longer easily target), to other items within the store that were an easier target. See, thieves are like water; they will follow the path of least resistance.
As the months and years pressed on, we continued to rely on shrink data to identify “hot” items, those that continued to post losses week after week. If a new style of shirt would come in and we’d immediately see shrink, we’d flag the item at the DC to be tagged with a retail anti-theft device that made sense for the purpose of shrink mitigation as well as customer service (customers usually don’t want to shop for an item that is locked up with a cable).
Even though I work for a large company with hundreds of stores, this principle can be applied to companies that may only have one store. As store managers, or business owners, you are uniquely positioned to know what is driving your sales, as well as your shrink. By knowing where your losses are coming from, you can react to those losses and use technology to better assist you in your efforts to prevent shoplifting.
For more information about Retail Anti-Theft Devices contact us or call 1.770.426.0547.
Do you ever walk around your store and wonder just how much of your product winds up in the hands of a criminal? Maybe you were researching an item for a customer and your computer said you had 5 of this particular item, but you couldn’t find a single one. Or, perhaps you may have walked down a secluded aisle and noticed several empty packages of merchandise tucked away behind a shelf or display. If this sounds like you, then chances are you have a shoplifting problem. Whether it be a loss of $10 or $10,000, every penny you lose to dishonesty is a penny less that’s going towards your bottom line. Thankfully, over the past several years, technology has kept pace with this growing issue and thus given the retail industry several tools that we can use to prevent shoplifting.
There is nothing that is safe in your store, trust me. Unless of course you display your entire stock behind a glass case that is! Over the last decade, I’ve worked as an area LP manager for a large big box retailer. I’ve seen everything there is to see in regards to shoplifters and the lengths they will go through in order to steal. Thankfully, my company invests heavily into retail anti-shoplifting devices. From the large cable wraps on game stations to delicately placed sensor tags on some of the most commonly stolen items, our program ultimately keeps our shrink in line to what’s expected. What’s best is that these simple methods aren’t just for the big box stores; but can be tailored to any size retail establishment and any budget.
The first thing I had to learn coming into this career is that I wasn’t going to prevent shoplifting completely. What I had to do was develop programs that would ultimately limit our store’s exposure to the risk of loss. When I first started, we had a very small LP department and we weren’t utilizing resources to our advantage. One of the very first things that I accomplished was using the store’s negative shrink data to determine what items were most commonly stolen. From there, we ultimately applied retail anti-theft devices that were tailored specifically for that item. Over time, we began to see a shift from what was once the most commonly stolen items (which the thieves could no longer easily target), to other items within the store that were an easier target. See, thieves are like water; they will follow the path of least resistance.
As the months and years pressed on, we continued to rely on shrink data to identify “hot” items, those that continued to post losses week after week. If a new style of shirt would come in and we’d immediately see shrink, we’d flag the item at the DC to be tagged with a retail anti-theft device that made sense for the purpose of shrink mitigation as well as customer service (customers usually don’t want to shop for an item that is locked up with a cable).
Even though I work for a large company with hundreds of stores, this principle can be applied to companies that may only have one store. As store managers, or business owners, you are uniquely positioned to know what is driving your sales, as well as your shrink. By knowing where your losses are coming from, you can react to those losses and use technology to better assist you in your efforts to prevent shoplifting.
For more information about Retail Anti-Theft Devices contact us or call 1.770.426.0547.
