I talk a lot about how to prevent shoplifting here. I’ve probably given you hundreds of tips, tricks and life hacks on how to properly secure your store’s merchandise. All of this knowledge is bestowed upon you for one reason and one reason only. I sincerely want your business to be successful. I want you to seek out and destroy a thief and I want you learn from mistakes that have happened to others. I’ve discussed with you nearly every imaginable way someone has stolen merchandise from me, but one thing that is not often discussed is how to secure our stores tools. I’m going to change that, starting today.
A few years ago, one of my stores went through a routine technology audit. We found out that the store was missing a single Texlon. For those that may be a bit foggy, those are those little hand-held computers that store associates use. They can print labels, change prices, order inventory, and pretty much anything else under the sun. Packed with our programs, the units are valued at nearly $7k. This missing unit was not missing; it had been stolen. Over the next several days, we found one or two missing at a total of 10 stores. Some sound investigating showed that one guy had made the rounds and helped himself to these units. Had I known about Alpha Thunder Tags back then, I wouldn’t have lost nearly $70,000.
Often, I find we are so involved and deeply concerned with preventing shoplifting, we overlook the incredibly expensive pieces of technology that we use in the course of daily business. Think of the last time you went to a coffee shop, or small boutique. Chances are that instead of a conventional POS system, they had an iPad. It probably wasn’t secured against a thief either. Using a device as simple as an Alpha Thunder Tag can guarantee that a customer with sticky fingers won’t be helping themselves to your store’s equipment.
Let’s say you use an i-Pad, or similar tablet for your POS. The Alpha Thunder Tag can be easily placed onto the back of the tablet. It’s held in place with adhesive that won’t damage or alter the equipment in any way, shape or form. There’s also this little plunger on the back that gives you some added protection from tampering. It’s a 3 alarm tag, so you’ll know if it goes out the door, if someone tries removing the tag and then if it’s not already great enough, the unit will continue to sound the alarm once it passes through your EAS towers. A thief will surely not want that sort of attention as they’re running down the street. 95dba will get everyone’s attention… trust me.
You’re probably having a V8 moment right now. Every manager at every store that I’ve talked to has never thought about their pieces of technology as a magnet for thieves. They’re so concerned about preventing shoplifting, that this is just completely overlooked. Well, I don’t want you to be the next victim. Be proactive; spend a few pennies so you can save thousands of dollars. The lesson here, ladies and gentlemen, is to not overlook commonly stolen items just because they’re not up for sale. To a thief, everything is up for grabs. Literally.
For more information about Alpha Hard Tags, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
Stop Shoplifting-4, Checkpoint Systems-4, Checkpoint labels-2, retail anti-theft device-1
Either Watch The Door Or Set Up A Checkpoint
I work for a small retail pharmacy, and we utilize many different forms of electronic article surveillance. We really have to. Cameras are great, but they are generally for reactive purposes. When you find a section wiped out, you go back and review footage to see if you can find the culprits. When you make the choice to use tools like Checkpoint security tags and Checkpoint labels, Alpha keepers, and Alpha spider wraps, you are actively engaging in theft deterrence. Otherwise your choices are to lock everything up behind glass in cases. You can’t logically stand at the front door and monitor each and every person entering and exiting, while still ringing people up and providing customer service. In one particular store I went into today, they had no type of retail anti-theft device and the lone employee in the store was doing absolutely nothing to stop shoplifting.
I had just worked ten hours, and then went home to a teenager begging to go to the local beauty supply store. I agree, of course, because I am a sucker. It’s a small place, but they have a lot of very expensive items. Salon brand nail polishes, cosmetics, hair colors and professional hair salon tools are just a small sampling of the merchandise this place carries. When we walked in the front door, the loss prevention guru in me noticed there was no sign of Checkpoint Systems. I hear a voice come from the rear of the store asking if we need any help. The woman is at the back of the aisle closest to the wall, pricing inventory. She cannot see the front door; she can only hear the bell ring when it opens. We tell her we are fine, and she puts her head back down to work on whatever she’s got herself into. I think right then, if it’s up to this employee to stop shoplifting, the manager or owner of this store may as well throw in the towel. So we are looking around, and the bell over the door dings again, the employee offers help from her corner in no man’s land, and the young woman that entered says she is fine just like we did. The good thing for the store employee is that I had a bad feeling about this fellow shopper.
I walked around the corner while my daughter lost herself in the hair color aisle, and I watched the newcomer. She went to the most expensive nail color rack, the good ones you find in the way too expensive nail salons, and looked around. She didn’t see me watching her, and she started shoving bottle after bottle into her bag. No Checkpoint Systems and no one at the register or even near the front door, for that matter, meant she was going to get a big haul. Unfortunately for her, even when I am not at work, I will step in and stop shoplifting in it’s tracks. I was still in my store uniform shirt and still had on my nice official looking name tag. I was not about to let this lady stuff her bag full of $12 each nail polishes and run out the door. I walked right up behind her and said quietly that she had until the count of two to put her bag down on the floor and step away from it. Her shoulders slumped and without turning around, she followed the orders. (I know, right!!) She turned around then and saw me; her face was ghost white and her eyes were huge. She stammered out she was going to pay for those. I just looked her right in the eyes and told her to bend down, pick up the bag, dump it and leave. She complied, and she never even questioned the other store emblem sewn onto the sleeve of my shirt or printed on my name tag. I do wonder what that employee thought when she found that pile of nail polishes in the floor.
I hate to think about how much inventory this store is losing. It literally makes me shiver. With the addition of Checkpoint Systems, they could be protecting their valuable merchandise. They could identify what they lose the most of and tack on some Checkpoint labels and tags. Then when these yahoos come in there to wipe them out, they will get a big loud surprise as soon as they get too close to the door with unpaid items. If you have employees like this, holding keys to your business and running the show while you’re gone, you need to see what Checkpoint Systems can do for you.
For more information on ways to Stop Shoplifting, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
I work for a small retail pharmacy, and we utilize many different forms of electronic article surveillance. We really have to. Cameras are great, but they are generally for reactive purposes. When you find a section wiped out, you go back and review footage to see if you can find the culprits. When you make the choice to use tools like Checkpoint security tags and Checkpoint labels, Alpha keepers, and Alpha spider wraps, you are actively engaging in theft deterrence. Otherwise your choices are to lock everything up behind glass in cases. You can’t logically stand at the front door and monitor each and every person entering and exiting, while still ringing people up and providing customer service. In one particular store I went into today, they had no type of retail anti-theft device and the lone employee in the store was doing absolutely nothing to stop shoplifting.
I had just worked ten hours, and then went home to a teenager begging to go to the local beauty supply store. I agree, of course, because I am a sucker. It’s a small place, but they have a lot of very expensive items. Salon brand nail polishes, cosmetics, hair colors and professional hair salon tools are just a small sampling of the merchandise this place carries. When we walked in the front door, the loss prevention guru in me noticed there was no sign of Checkpoint Systems. I hear a voice come from the rear of the store asking if we need any help. The woman is at the back of the aisle closest to the wall, pricing inventory. She cannot see the front door; she can only hear the bell ring when it opens. We tell her we are fine, and she puts her head back down to work on whatever she’s got herself into. I think right then, if it’s up to this employee to stop shoplifting, the manager or owner of this store may as well throw in the towel. So we are looking around, and the bell over the door dings again, the employee offers help from her corner in no man’s land, and the young woman that entered says she is fine just like we did. The good thing for the store employee is that I had a bad feeling about this fellow shopper.
I walked around the corner while my daughter lost herself in the hair color aisle, and I watched the newcomer. She went to the most expensive nail color rack, the good ones you find in the way too expensive nail salons, and looked around. She didn’t see me watching her, and she started shoving bottle after bottle into her bag. No Checkpoint Systems and no one at the register or even near the front door, for that matter, meant she was going to get a big haul. Unfortunately for her, even when I am not at work, I will step in and stop shoplifting in it’s tracks. I was still in my store uniform shirt and still had on my nice official looking name tag. I was not about to let this lady stuff her bag full of $12 each nail polishes and run out the door. I walked right up behind her and said quietly that she had until the count of two to put her bag down on the floor and step away from it. Her shoulders slumped and without turning around, she followed the orders. (I know, right!!) She turned around then and saw me; her face was ghost white and her eyes were huge. She stammered out she was going to pay for those. I just looked her right in the eyes and told her to bend down, pick up the bag, dump it and leave. She complied, and she never even questioned the other store emblem sewn onto the sleeve of my shirt or printed on my name tag. I do wonder what that employee thought when she found that pile of nail polishes in the floor.
I hate to think about how much inventory this store is losing. It literally makes me shiver. With the addition of Checkpoint Systems, they could be protecting their valuable merchandise. They could identify what they lose the most of and tack on some Checkpoint labels and tags. Then when these yahoos come in there to wipe them out, they will get a big loud surprise as soon as they get too close to the door with unpaid items. If you have employees like this, holding keys to your business and running the show while you’re gone, you need to see what Checkpoint Systems can do for you.
For more information on ways to Stop Shoplifting, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
During my years in retail loss prevention, I dealt with a number of different types of return fraud. In some instances it was a simple case of someone bringing in an item with no receipt. The customer had so many refunds in the store computer system that when the register prompted for an I.D. card, the customer information was entered and they were turned down. There were some fraudulent returns that were more difficult to detect. When I worked for one retailer we had a problem with thieves who were making legitimate purchases of high dollar electronics items and returning the merchandise. The problem was the packaging had been re-shrink wrapped and something was placed in the box, but not the merchandise. Usually the merchandise was replaced with a rock or another item of similar weight to the item that was supposed to be in the box. The solution to this problem was that we started requiring all returns of this particular product to be opened, even if shrink wrapped. In my opinion, one of the most difficult forms of return fraud to prevent was what is known as wardrobing returns. The reason it was difficult to prevent is because this particular fraud is one of those situations that does not necessarily fall into a “criminal” act. The perpetrator makes a purchase and does return the clothing with tags and a receipt. The problem posed by the person who is wardrobing is that before being returned, the merchandise has been worn somewhere. In the first example of return fraud I mentioned, prevention comes from a computer system shutting off a person’s ability to conduct no receipt refunds. In the second example, verifying contents of a returned item prevented fraud. When it comes to wardrobing, the only sure method of prevention is to use Alpha Shark Tags.
When a customer purchases a garment it is reasonable to expect them to take the item home and try it on, not everyone has time to try on clothes in a store. It is also reasonable to expect the clothing item could be given as a gift to someone else. The person who is wardrobing is doing more than trying on clothes and finding out the item does not fit. This person is wearing clothes out at least for one evening, possibly two and then they return it. They are using a retailer as a rental store but they don’t have to pay the rental fee. The people who are engaging in this type of fraud have found ways to keep the clothing tags attached or they have found a method to remove the tags and attach them later. They keep the receipt so all of the store rules are being followed. The Alpha Shark Tags are attached to clothing somewhere that it can’t be covered or concealed. It is also placed in prominent place so it will be visible to anyone the ‘customer’ may come in contact with while they are out. Unlike manufacturer tags the Alpha Shark Tag cannot be removed and re-attached. The tag is cut off by the customer when they leave, so they can purchase and try it on later. The tag does not need to be removed in order to try on the garment it only makes the item unpresentable in a social setting. Once the tag is removed the store return policy should stipulate that the garment is no longer returnable. There is even a refund policy tag that can be ordered with shark tags that warns the customer of the policy.
While wardrobing may not be a ‘crime’ it is unethical and it does hurt others. It hurts the store owner who cannot sell the item at the price it was originally sold for (assuming it can be resold at all). If it is smelly or has stains, in most situations it is not cost effective to have the garment cleaned. And if it is cleaned, it is the business owner who has to bear that expense. If the merchandise is deemed too damaged it is marked out of stock and once more it is the store owner who takes the loss. Honest consumers then get hit with the mark-up prices that owners have to add on merchandise so they don’t incur all of the loss. By using Alpha Shark Tags, business owners can prevent return fraud and keep sales profitable.
For more information on Alpha Shark Tags, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
Nightclub-5 WC blog 60
Bottle Service-5
Bottle Lock-4
Bottle Service Can Make Clubs And Communities Safer
We live in a litigious society. In some cases it is hard to believe any court would entertain them let alone award someone a settlement. As an example, from the website “Howstuffworks.com” by Clint Pumphrey, he cites a case from 2009 in which a woman, who was 20 years old at the time, was served alcohol at a bar and grill in Bluffton, South Carolina. The young woman was intoxicated and shortly after leaving the bar, she lost control of her car and rolled it (she was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the accident). Due to her injuries she is paraplegic. The woman sued the bar and grill for not verifying her age and ensuring she was not already inebriated. She also sued the SCDOT claiming that there was a defect in the shoulder of the road they were responsible for maintaining. After doing some searching on court records, it appears the lawsuits were dismissed. I feel for the young woman who now has to live her life in paralysis, but she refused to take responsibility for her own actions which caused her injuries. This case was a win for the bar owner, but if you own a nightclub or bar can you afford to take a chance that you might not be the next defendant? What happens if someone has too much to drink, leaves your establishment, has an accident and injures someone else, will you be held responsible? It could happen. According to a USA TODAY article dated November 28, 2012 by Larry Copeland, a young couple in Charlotte North Carolina was critically injured and their unborn child killed when their car was struck by an intoxicated driver. The driver had left a Restaurant and Bar and had been served at least ten drinks, according to the report. A jury awarded the couple 1.7 million dollars against the restaurant. My heart goes out to these victims, no one wants to see another person killed or injured. Bottle Service paired with bottle locks for alcohol is an offering you should consider starting in your nightclub to help you avoid being a party to such lawsuits.
Bottle Service varies in how it works from club to club, but the general idea is that you offer a V.I.P. reservation to a party and they receive special treatment from your nightclub. This may include a special table or a room with a view of the club dance floor. It should also include a dedicated server who will bring mixers and a bottle or two of a top shelf wine or spirit. The bottle(s) should be secured with bottle locks to restrict the access to the bottle. The lock goes over the top of the bottle and prevents someone from opening it without a special key. Your wait staff would have that key so when someone is ready for another drink the amount of alcohol poured is controlled. This also keeps someone from taking the bottle when they are not a member of the party which has paid for it. By having a dedicated server who is monitoring the pouring of the drinks and the amount of consumption, the club owner or manager helps to prevent a customer from getting too intoxicated. Properly trained staff can identify those in a group who may be getting to the point where they should be cut off from further alcoholic beverages. If done properly, it would be possible to have a requirement for a designated driver or a cab service to drive revelers home when they appear to be intoxicated.
Another protection for your nightclub if you offer a bottle service is that your dedicated waiter or waitress can check IDs when the party arrives. Once the age of members has been verified, the risk of serving an underage patron is removed. If a member of the group is under 21, the security offered by bottle locks will prevent that person from pouring themselves a drink.
Bottle Service and bottle locks may not remove all the legal challenges associated with operating a nightclub, but they go a long way to reducing risk. Make every effort to run a fun, safe business for your customers and community, look into the benefits of starting a bottle service.
For more information on bottle service, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
We live in a litigious society. In some cases it is hard to believe any court would entertain them let alone award someone a settlement. As an example, from the website “Howstuffworks.com” by Clint Pumphrey, he cites a case from 2009 in which a woman, who was 20 years old at the time, was served alcohol at a bar and grill in Bluffton, South Carolina. The young woman was intoxicated and shortly after leaving the bar, she lost control of her car and rolled it (she was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the accident). Due to her injuries she is paraplegic. The woman sued the bar and grill for not verifying her age and ensuring she was not already inebriated. She also sued the SCDOT claiming that there was a defect in the shoulder of the road they were responsible for maintaining. After doing some searching on court records, it appears the lawsuits were dismissed. I feel for the young woman who now has to live her life in paralysis, but she refused to take responsibility for her own actions which caused her injuries. This case was a win for the bar owner, but if you own a nightclub or bar can you afford to take a chance that you might not be the next defendant? What happens if someone has too much to drink, leaves your establishment, has an accident and injures someone else, will you be held responsible? It could happen. According to a USA TODAY article dated November 28, 2012 by Larry Copeland, a young couple in Charlotte North Carolina was critically injured and their unborn child killed when their car was struck by an intoxicated driver. The driver had left a Restaurant and Bar and had been served at least ten drinks, according to the report. A jury awarded the couple 1.7 million dollars against the restaurant. My heart goes out to these victims, no one wants to see another person killed or injured. Bottle Service paired with bottle locks for alcohol is an offering you should consider starting in your nightclub to help you avoid being a party to such lawsuits.
Bottle Service varies in how it works from club to club, but the general idea is that you offer a V.I.P. reservation to a party and they receive special treatment from your nightclub. This may include a special table or a room with a view of the club dance floor. It should also include a dedicated server who will bring mixers and a bottle or two of a top shelf wine or spirit. The bottle(s) should be secured with bottle locks to restrict the access to the bottle. The lock goes over the top of the bottle and prevents someone from opening it without a special key. Your wait staff would have that key so when someone is ready for another drink the amount of alcohol poured is controlled. This also keeps someone from taking the bottle when they are not a member of the party which has paid for it. By having a dedicated server who is monitoring the pouring of the drinks and the amount of consumption, the club owner or manager helps to prevent a customer from getting too intoxicated. Properly trained staff can identify those in a group who may be getting to the point where they should be cut off from further alcoholic beverages. If done properly, it would be possible to have a requirement for a designated driver or a cab service to drive revelers home when they appear to be intoxicated.
Another protection for your nightclub if you offer a bottle service is that your dedicated waiter or waitress can check IDs when the party arrives. Once the age of members has been verified, the risk of serving an underage patron is removed. If a member of the group is under 21, the security offered by bottle locks will prevent that person from pouring themselves a drink.
Bottle Service and bottle locks may not remove all the legal challenges associated with operating a nightclub, but they go a long way to reducing risk. Make every effort to run a fun, safe business for your customers and community, look into the benefits of starting a bottle service.
For more information on bottle service, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
Library Security-3 , N10 Antenna-3
Library Book Theft Is Not A New Problem
As early as the twelfth century, it was recorded that libraries had to start chaining books to the walls to protect them from theft. The issue then was that there were so few copies available and when the library received a new edition, the whole town wanted access to it. Library security has remained a priority throughout our history. Even in our current century, 70% of all public libraries report their biggest problem is theft, not lack of resources and public money.
My daughter has always had an affinity for our public library. Before she was even in school, I would take her regularly to the weekly story hour. As she got older she started checking out books for herself and really got to know the library staff. She knew them all by name and they knew her as well. Around the time she turned ten, her favorite place was the genealogy room. There are all kinds of county and state history books housed in there, along with many records of the local family histories. There are birth and death records, property records, and much more. When I asked her about the library security for that room, she said there was none. There was only the lady that specialized in the upkeep of the books in there. Otherwise, there were only signs warning the patrons of the rules for those books. They cannot be checked out, of course. But, people are not supposed to remove more than two books from the shelves at a time. They must remain in the genealogy room and replace the books in the correct place before they leave. For all the value these books hold, more sentimental than monetary, they are really not protected from theft. It can get expensive to do family history research, especially using an online service, but it’s free to do it at the library. And it’s not that complicated if you’re in the genealogy room to simply conceal the book you want and just walk out the door with it.
It would be a shame for any county library to lose these precious resources. They are priceless and many times cannot be replaced. They are useful for students and for anyone trying to piece together their family tree. Libraries have obviously stopped the practice of chaining books to the walls, but they have added security guards and have limited the exits of the building. Many have also added electronic protection for more advanced library security. I have seen that many branches are utilizing Checkpoint Labels to monitor the books going in and out. Of course, that means they have to have a Checkpoint system installed. One of the many systems available for this type of environment is the N10 Antenna System. The N10 Antenna is perfect for the library because the pedestals are smaller, they can be wall mounted, and they do not detract from the classic look that library patrons expect. They are just as powerful and have the same detection capability of the other larger pedestals that you see in many department stores. They also offer the theft deterrence that libraries are looking for. Preventing the loss of books is the number one job of the N10 Antenna System. Library staff can now save the time they lose searching for lost and stolen books and use that time to help people with research.
For more information on Library Protection, contact us or call: 1.770.426.0547
As early as the twelfth century, it was recorded that libraries had to start chaining books to the walls to protect them from theft. The issue then was that there were so few copies available and when the library received a new edition, the whole town wanted access to it. Library security has remained a priority throughout our history. Even in our current century, 70% of all public libraries report their biggest problem is theft, not lack of resources and public money.
My daughter has always had an affinity for our public library. Before she was even in school, I would take her regularly to the weekly story hour. As she got older she started checking out books for herself and really got to know the library staff. She knew them all by name and they knew her as well. Around the time she turned ten, her favorite place was the genealogy room. There are all kinds of county and state history books housed in there, along with many records of the local family histories. There are birth and death records, property records, and much more. When I asked her about the library security for that room, she said there was none. There was only the lady that specialized in the upkeep of the books in there. Otherwise, there were only signs warning the patrons of the rules for those books. They cannot be checked out, of course. But, people are not supposed to remove more than two books from the shelves at a time. They must remain in the genealogy room and replace the books in the correct place before they leave. For all the value these books hold, more sentimental than monetary, they are really not protected from theft. It can get expensive to do family history research, especially using an online service, but it’s free to do it at the library. And it’s not that complicated if you’re in the genealogy room to simply conceal the book you want and just walk out the door with it.
It would be a shame for any county library to lose these precious resources. They are priceless and many times cannot be replaced. They are useful for students and for anyone trying to piece together their family tree. Libraries have obviously stopped the practice of chaining books to the walls, but they have added security guards and have limited the exits of the building. Many have also added electronic protection for more advanced library security. I have seen that many branches are utilizing Checkpoint Labels to monitor the books going in and out. Of course, that means they have to have a Checkpoint system installed. One of the many systems available for this type of environment is the N10 Antenna System. The N10 Antenna is perfect for the library because the pedestals are smaller, they can be wall mounted, and they do not detract from the classic look that library patrons expect. They are just as powerful and have the same detection capability of the other larger pedestals that you see in many department stores. They also offer the theft deterrence that libraries are looking for. Preventing the loss of books is the number one job of the N10 Antenna System. Library staff can now save the time they lose searching for lost and stolen books and use that time to help people with research.
For more information on Library Protection, contact us or call: 1.770.426.0547
