BF010
Retail anti theft devices- 4
Alpha Thunder Tag- 4
Prevent shoplifting- 4
TRUST CUSTOMERS WITHOUT TRUSTING THEIVES BY USING ALPHA THUNDER TAGS
One of the more increasingly popular ways to allow customers to expediently shop and checkout faster in retail is to allow the customer to get hands-on by using your mobile POS (Point Of Sale) solutions. Their shopping experience is streamlined by having them be in control of the scanning and payment of their selected items. It’s a welcome solution that puts the customer in control; however it poses a terrible threat to your bottom line at the same time. Many retailers have turned to Alpha High Theft Solutions brand Alpha Thunder Tag devices to balance this concept.
The Alpha Thunder Tag attaches to the flat surfaces of just about any item in your store to help stop shoplifting. Making them great retail anti theft devices in general. However in the case of mobile POS systems, they can attach just as easily to the backs of PDA’s (personal data assistant), tablets and larger smart phones. Whatever mobile POS devices you choose to protect, the Alpha Thunder Tag is a proven winner. When a thief attempts to walk out with your device, your existing EAS (Electronic Article Surveillance) towers will alert you so that you can remedy the situation.
Brazen crooks that know that the EAS towers will alarm may try to detach the tag itself by popping it off of the device using a small screw driver or even their finger nail. In this case, the device is protected by a small plunger on the back of the tag that prevents removal of the tag itself. If the tag is removed from your tablet or other mobile POS device, a screeching loud (95dB) alarm will alert you to the tampering!
These wonderful tags are not only essential for mobile POS systems but also to prevent shoplifting. As I mentioned before, they can easily be attached to flat surfaces of many items by using the special adhesive that Alpha packages with them. They can be used on just about any items in your store that customers can reach. Item’s like display cameras, laptops, tablets and televisions to name a few. The principle is the same too; they try to leave the store with the items and the EAS towers will alert you to it. If they try to detach the tag from the item, they will get a 95dB dose of embarrassing alarm to deal with. The battle to prevent shoplifting in your store could weigh in your favor with these anti retail theft devices!
There are over $35 million worth of items stolen from stores by shoplifters every day. That’s over $13 billion dollars annually! The war against shoplifters, whether habitual or professionals must begin with the use of a plan and retail anti theft devices like the Alpha Thunder Tag. Without powerful tools like these, you are unlikely to make in impact in your effort to prevent shoplifting. Most thieves know that they have an extreme advantage when retailers don’t take steps to protect their assets. However, how much of an advantage is up to you as the retailer.
You have a clear choice. Do you protect all of your assets or can you afford to be selective about what you choose to protect? That choice is up to you but remember, whatever you decide to protect, shoplifters will take note of everything that it available to them. Keep in mind, that retail anti theft devices made by Alpha, can be ordered in larger quantities, often reflecting a discount. This means more coverage in your store and less product lost. It also keeps your customers hands on with your products without having to conceal them from reach! It’s trust without trusting. Truly!
For more information on how to prevent shoplifting, contact us at 1-770-426-0547.
One of the more increasingly popular ways to allow customers to expediently shop and checkout faster in retail is to allow the customer to get hands-on by using your mobile POS (Point Of Sale) solutions. Their shopping experience is streamlined by having them be in control of the scanning and payment of their selected items. It’s a welcome solution that puts the customer in control; however it poses a terrible threat to your bottom line at the same time. Many retailers have turned to Alpha High Theft Solutions brand Alpha Thunder Tag devices to balance this concept.
The Alpha Thunder Tag attaches to the flat surfaces of just about any item in your store to help stop shoplifting. Making them great retail anti theft devices in general. However in the case of mobile POS systems, they can attach just as easily to the backs of PDA’s (personal data assistant), tablets and larger smart phones. Whatever mobile POS devices you choose to protect, the Alpha Thunder Tag is a proven winner. When a thief attempts to walk out with your device, your existing EAS (Electronic Article Surveillance) towers will alert you so that you can remedy the situation.
Brazen crooks that know that the EAS towers will alarm may try to detach the tag itself by popping it off of the device using a small screw driver or even their finger nail. In this case, the device is protected by a small plunger on the back of the tag that prevents removal of the tag itself. If the tag is removed from your tablet or other mobile POS device, a screeching loud (95dB) alarm will alert you to the tampering!
These wonderful tags are not only essential for mobile POS systems but also to prevent shoplifting. As I mentioned before, they can easily be attached to flat surfaces of many items by using the special adhesive that Alpha packages with them. They can be used on just about any items in your store that customers can reach. Item’s like display cameras, laptops, tablets and televisions to name a few. The principle is the same too; they try to leave the store with the items and the EAS towers will alert you to it. If they try to detach the tag from the item, they will get a 95dB dose of embarrassing alarm to deal with. The battle to prevent shoplifting in your store could weigh in your favor with these anti retail theft devices!
There are over $35 million worth of items stolen from stores by shoplifters every day. That’s over $13 billion dollars annually! The war against shoplifters, whether habitual or professionals must begin with the use of a plan and retail anti theft devices like the Alpha Thunder Tag. Without powerful tools like these, you are unlikely to make in impact in your effort to prevent shoplifting. Most thieves know that they have an extreme advantage when retailers don’t take steps to protect their assets. However, how much of an advantage is up to you as the retailer.
You have a clear choice. Do you protect all of your assets or can you afford to be selective about what you choose to protect? That choice is up to you but remember, whatever you decide to protect, shoplifters will take note of everything that it available to them. Keep in mind, that retail anti theft devices made by Alpha, can be ordered in larger quantities, often reflecting a discount. This means more coverage in your store and less product lost. It also keeps your customers hands on with your products without having to conceal them from reach! It’s trust without trusting. Truly!
For more information on how to prevent shoplifting, contact us at 1-770-426-0547.
BF03
clothing security- 4
Checkpoint tags- 3
security tags on clothes- 3
BUMP UP YOUR CLOTHING SECURITY GAME BY BEING ALERT
One of the things you can do as a retail professional, to help ensure that your clothing security program is solid, is proactively become in tune with what your customers are doing. Being unobtrusively aware of what people are doing on your sales floor can save you time and money when it comes to incurring loss via shoplifting.
You can use these tips to help identify potential shoplifters in your store and prevent thieves from not only stealing your merchandise but also prevent them from damaging the security tags on clothes. A seasoned shoplifter knows that many retailers use some sort of security measures within their store to prevent loss. These thieves may or may not be seasoned enough to know how to quickly defeat your clothing security devices too. If they are newer to shoplifting, you may be able to spot them by observing these common behaviors outlined below.
Would be crooks who are unfamiliar with security devices like Checkpoint tags, will need two things in order to figure out how to defeat them. The tags work by triggering the EAS towers situated at the store exits, using RF (Radio Frequency) technology. Once active tags pass through the towers fields, the system will sound an alarm. With that said, the first thing you should look for is customers that select a single unit of tagged merchandise and proceed to take that item to a secluded area of your sales floor.
Thieves will scan their surroundings for blind spots, concealment aids (store fixtures etc…) in order to find the privacy they need. So look for someone that grabs an item that is tagged and heads for seclusion. Pay particular attention to people that select and remove tagged merchandise that have no regard to checking the items price as well. Remember, shoplifters don’t care about the cost of an item. They intend to steal it from you. Consider though, at this point a person may only be a potential thief. By that I mean that they may only be taking the opportunity to inspect the security tags on clothes. They may only be attempting to try and figure out how to remove them from your merchandise. They may not necessarily intend to steal the item just yet and may just be in your store for their own learning purposes. Nonetheless, catching onto these people early on can help prevent damage to the tags themselves.
Once a shoplifter gets their tagged item into a secluded area of the store, they will usually take their covertness a bit further. It’s common for a newbie shoplifter to examine Checkpoint tags and other clothing security devices by inserting the tagged item into crevices on shelves. You may observe a subject ‘insert’ products onto displays in between other larger concealing items and then witness ongoing hand movements. You may not be able to see exactly what they are doing but there is an excellent chance that if your tagged item has disappeared onto a shelf and the subject has their hands in that general area of the shelf, that they are either trying to defeat the Checkpoint tag. At the very least, they may be examining it.
Also, look for customers that walk up to a clothing rack and start fiddling with security tags on clothes. They may try too hard to look inconspicuous as well. Potential thieves may intentionally appear to be closely examining the price tags of a garment but in reality they are taking a closer look at the security tag affixed to the garment. Others may appear to look like that are just shopping but continually handle the tagging device by spinning it around or tugging on it. Others may just simply try to pull it off with force. Clothing security measures that include ‘exploding’ ink devices may prove to be toughest for newbie thieves. You may observe them spending more time examining these tags in seclusion.
Either way it goes, whether it is simple Checkpoint tags or more sophisticated means of securing product, lesser experienced thieves will need time to figure out how to circumvent your security measures. Paying attention to these behaviors could lend sufficient enough time for you to ‘service’ the customer in the middle of their examinations and cause them to get spooked!
Just having a good tagging program in place may buy you enough time to identify potential theft situations prior to occurring loss or damage. Anyone who fiddles with security tags on your garments or other items are well worth watching. Be proactive and use these clothing security tips to your advantage.
For more information about Checkpoint tags please contact us at 1-770-426-2476.
One of the things you can do as a retail professional, to help ensure that your clothing security program is solid, is proactively become in tune with what your customers are doing. Being unobtrusively aware of what people are doing on your sales floor can save you time and money when it comes to incurring loss via shoplifting.
You can use these tips to help identify potential shoplifters in your store and prevent thieves from not only stealing your merchandise but also prevent them from damaging the security tags on clothes. A seasoned shoplifter knows that many retailers use some sort of security measures within their store to prevent loss. These thieves may or may not be seasoned enough to know how to quickly defeat your clothing security devices too. If they are newer to shoplifting, you may be able to spot them by observing these common behaviors outlined below.
Would be crooks who are unfamiliar with security devices like Checkpoint tags, will need two things in order to figure out how to defeat them. The tags work by triggering the EAS towers situated at the store exits, using RF (Radio Frequency) technology. Once active tags pass through the towers fields, the system will sound an alarm. With that said, the first thing you should look for is customers that select a single unit of tagged merchandise and proceed to take that item to a secluded area of your sales floor.
Thieves will scan their surroundings for blind spots, concealment aids (store fixtures etc…) in order to find the privacy they need. So look for someone that grabs an item that is tagged and heads for seclusion. Pay particular attention to people that select and remove tagged merchandise that have no regard to checking the items price as well. Remember, shoplifters don’t care about the cost of an item. They intend to steal it from you. Consider though, at this point a person may only be a potential thief. By that I mean that they may only be taking the opportunity to inspect the security tags on clothes. They may only be attempting to try and figure out how to remove them from your merchandise. They may not necessarily intend to steal the item just yet and may just be in your store for their own learning purposes. Nonetheless, catching onto these people early on can help prevent damage to the tags themselves.
Once a shoplifter gets their tagged item into a secluded area of the store, they will usually take their covertness a bit further. It’s common for a newbie shoplifter to examine Checkpoint tags and other clothing security devices by inserting the tagged item into crevices on shelves. You may observe a subject ‘insert’ products onto displays in between other larger concealing items and then witness ongoing hand movements. You may not be able to see exactly what they are doing but there is an excellent chance that if your tagged item has disappeared onto a shelf and the subject has their hands in that general area of the shelf, that they are either trying to defeat the Checkpoint tag. At the very least, they may be examining it.
Also, look for customers that walk up to a clothing rack and start fiddling with security tags on clothes. They may try too hard to look inconspicuous as well. Potential thieves may intentionally appear to be closely examining the price tags of a garment but in reality they are taking a closer look at the security tag affixed to the garment. Others may appear to look like that are just shopping but continually handle the tagging device by spinning it around or tugging on it. Others may just simply try to pull it off with force. Clothing security measures that include ‘exploding’ ink devices may prove to be toughest for newbie thieves. You may observe them spending more time examining these tags in seclusion.
Either way it goes, whether it is simple Checkpoint tags or more sophisticated means of securing product, lesser experienced thieves will need time to figure out how to circumvent your security measures. Paying attention to these behaviors could lend sufficient enough time for you to ‘service’ the customer in the middle of their examinations and cause them to get spooked!
Just having a good tagging program in place may buy you enough time to identify potential theft situations prior to occurring loss or damage. Anyone who fiddles with security tags on your garments or other items are well worth watching. Be proactive and use these clothing security tips to your advantage.
For more information about Checkpoint tags contact us or call 1-770-426-2476.
BF012
Bottle service -3
Bottle caps -3
Nightclub -3
Bottle services- 4
MAKE BOTTLE SERVICE A BETTER VALUE WHILE PROTECTING YOUR BOTTOM LINE
Whether you are launching a brand new nightclub or you’ve been a long time veteran of the business, one thing remains clear when it comes to attracting new clientele to book bottle service. Potential customers want to justify whether or not the higher price of the service would be a better value than just coming through the front door as a normal patron. Let’s examine the pros and cons of bottle service and let’s do it while keeping your bottom line in mind. It may all start with protecting your liquor supply with bottle caps! I’ll talk about that later though. Hang with me for a minute and read on.
Bottle service at its core is a pricey concept for the average club-goer. Often times a nightclub will mark up the price of a standard bottle of top shelf liquor by 1000% or more! On the west coast, particularly in the greater Hollywood area, a standard bottle of the World’s most popular vodka could be priced at $400 or more. The pricing is usually non-negotiable as well. This is a far cry from the same bottle that costs $25 on a store shelf. It’s also a huge difference in price when the same potential bottle service patron can get the same amount of liquor in your club, ala carte at the bar for much less. So what’s the benefit of the patron for booking the service? Let’s take a look.
A good bottle service offering will dish up benefits like; no cover charges for the booking group. Meaning anyone included in the group has their door entry fee waived. Groups ordering VIP service are often treated to the best views in the ‘house’ with exclusive lush seating areas. Also, the people in these VIP groupings are served up their favorite mixers by very accommodating VIP hostesses! The hostess will gladly pour and mix oodles of drinks for the bottle service patrons. As long as the bottles have liquor in them, the drinks will keep coming! Despite that, there are a few drawbacks of bottle services in your nightclub. Both in regard to yourself (the establishment owner) and the patrons.
First and almost exclusively, the drawback for potential purchasers of bottle services is most certainly the price. I’ve already covered that above but let me reiterate the point by saying that it’s really the only downside for patrons considering booking VIP bottle services. They have to decide whether it’s justifiable for their group. As for you the club owner (or manager), offering bottle services can lead to liquor loss (and profits) if you don’t have a VIP hostess actually mixing and pouring the drinks on behalf of the VIP patrons. How? Allowing the patrons to freely command the consumption of the bottle contents could lead to loss, abuse and legal troubles. This is why I strongly suggest utilizing a VIP hostess for in your nightclub if you offer this type of service. While I’m at it, you should further control the flow of product with the use of Alpha High Theft Solutions bottle caps! When used in conjunction with a VIP hostess, these awesome little bottle caps will ensure that no one else besides the hostess is pouring drinks in the VIP area. Alpha security S3 Bottle caps work by denying the benefit of consumption to anyone who doesn’t have a key to open them, period. They’d have to break the bottle to access the contents and no one wants a little glass mixed in with their rum!
Additionally, the caps can be used in conjunction with EAS (Electronic Article Surveillance) systems. This means that patrons cannot leave the VIP area with the bottles and exit the establishment without triggering an alarm near the exits. It sounds more like a retail theft prevention tactic but believe me it works wonders in nightclubs as well. Some jurisdictions prohibit by law the removal of any alcohol from the serving establishment. You certainly don’t want that legal liability on your hands. You keep the alcohol at the table and you keep it responsibly flowing for the customer with this wonder device by Alpha.
When it comes down to it, the quality and ‘value’ of the bottle service you offer are also dependent on protecting your supply and legal wellbeing. By using products like bottle caps with your VIP services, you eliminate or reduce risk and loss. That means you can pass along your profitable savings (or financial buffer) along to your customers by offering more desirable services. With the use of a VIP hostess and bottle caps by Alpha, you can certainly justify the value to the customer!
For more information about maximizing value for your nightclub by using bottle caps, please call us at 1-770-426-0547.
Whether you are launching a brand new nightclub or you’ve been a long time veteran of the business, one thing remains clear when it comes to attracting new clientele to book bottle service. Potential customers want to justify whether or not the higher price of the service would be a better value than just coming through the front door as a normal patron. Let’s examine the pros and cons of bottle service and let’s do it while keeping your bottom line in mind. It may all start with protecting your liquor supply with bottle caps! I’ll talk about that later though. Hang with me for a minute and read on.
Bottle service at its core is a pricey concept for the average club-goer. Often times a nightclub will mark up the price of a standard bottle of top shelf liquor by 1000% or more! On the west coast, particularly in the greater Hollywood area, a standard bottle of the World’s most popular vodka could be priced at $400 or more. The pricing is usually non-negotiable as well. This is a far cry from the same bottle that costs $25 on a store shelf. It’s also a huge difference in price when the same potential bottle service patron can get the same amount of liquor in your club, ala carte at the bar for much less. So what’s the benefit of the patron for booking the service? Let’s take a look.
A good bottle service offering will dish up benefits like; no cover charges for the booking group. Meaning anyone included in the group has their door entry fee waived. Groups ordering VIP service are often treated to the best views in the ‘house’ with exclusive lush seating areas. Also, the people in these VIP groupings are served up their favorite mixers by very accommodating VIP hostesses! The hostess will gladly pour and mix oodles of drinks for the bottle service patrons. As long as the bottles have liquor in them, the drinks will keep coming! Despite that, there are a few drawbacks of bottle services in your nightclub. Both in regard to yourself (the establishment owner) and the patrons.
First and almost exclusively, the drawback for potential purchasers of bottle services is most certainly the price. I’ve already covered that above but let me reiterate the point by saying that it’s really the only downside for patrons considering booking VIP bottle services. They have to decide whether it’s justifiable for their group. As for you the club owner (or manager), offering bottle services can lead to liquor loss (and profits) if you don’t have a VIP hostess actually mixing and pouring the drinks on behalf of the VIP patrons. How? Allowing the patrons to freely command the consumption of the bottle contents could lead to loss, abuse and legal troubles. This is why I strongly suggest utilizing a VIP hostess for in your nightclub if you offer this type of service. While I’m at it, you should further control the flow of product with the use of Alpha High Theft Solutions bottle caps! When used in conjunction with a VIP hostess, these awesome little bottle caps will ensure that no one else besides the hostess is pouring drinks in the VIP area. Alpha security S3 Bottle caps work by denying the benefit of consumption to anyone who doesn’t have a key to open them, period. They’d have to break the bottle to access the contents and no one wants a little glass mixed in with their rum!
Additionally, the caps can be used in conjunction with EAS (Electronic Article Surveillance) systems. This means that patrons cannot leave the VIP area with the bottles and exit the establishment without triggering an alarm near the exits. It sounds more like a retail theft prevention tactic but believe me it works wonders in nightclubs as well. Some jurisdictions prohibit by law the removal of any alcohol from the serving establishment. You certainly don’t want that legal liability on your hands. You keep the alcohol at the table and you keep it responsibly flowing for the customer with this wonder device by Alpha.
When it comes down to it, the quality and ‘value’ of the bottle service you offer are also dependent on protecting your supply and legal wellbeing. By using products like bottle caps with your VIP services, you eliminate or reduce risk and loss. That means you can pass along your profitable savings (or financial buffer) along to your customers by offering more desirable services. With the use of a VIP hostess and bottle caps by Alpha, you can certainly justify the value to the customer!
For more information about maximizing value for your nightclub by using bottle caps, contact us or call 1-770-426-0547.
RWHBLOG21
Employee Background Checks Give You the “Fair Chance” in the Ban-the-Box Movement
“Ban the box” is gaining ground as a movement to remove the checkbox on employee applications asking about criminal history in order to give applicants with a criminal history past a fair chance. That is great! I believe in second chances and that people who have made mistakes in the past can change but that does not mean that we as employers can just ignore that past or just hope that someone has changed. We are betting our business on that “hope” as internal theft or mistreatment of our customers can kill our business. The prospective employee has an advocate for a “fair chance.” What about the employer? Employee background checks are an employer’s “fair chance.”
It makes sense that we should have an opportunity to get to know the whole person when they apply for one our positions and not just eliminate them because they checked a box. I have no difficulty with that and the intent of “ban the box.” Getting to know the whole person, however, must include pre-employment screening by a reputable background check company. It is then that we get the picture of the whole person and are able to use the information gained along with our interview and other screening tools to determine what level of risk we are willing to assume. We know there is risk with every hire but we also know that past performance is the best indicator of future success and that, for some positions, we cannot afford to assume the risk of having a convicted felon in that position. Employee background checks give us the opportunity to at least get the information so we can make that intelligent decision.
Because companies do not have access directly to police records through the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) we have to rely on a background check company to access the information for us through databases and visits to court offices to view original records. It is important that we have the right partner in conducting the pre-employment screening so that all the requirements of state and federal law are met and the information that is obtained is accurate.
I have worked with a variety of background check companies in my career and believe you have to do some pre-screening yourself before taking on that partner. You should what you want in that background check company. Many offer these services and you need to know which ones you want:
• Misdemeanor and felony criminal records for county, state and national jurisdictions
• Sex offender status
• Social Security number trace and validation
• Employment verification
• Reference checks
• Credit checks
• Civil record checks
• Motor vehicle records checks
• Military records verification
• Worker’s compensation history
• Address history.
Once you determine what services you are interested in pursuing you can look at the background check company and ask some important questions:
• Can the company provide the services you are looking for?
• Does the company provide proof that there is Fair Credit Report Act compliance?
• Are the costs reasonable for what you want?
• Does the company provide forms either in paper format or on-line for the applicant to complete?
• How long is it going to take to get the results? There should be a window here varying from a “clean” check to one where they have to do manual records and you should have them provide those extremes as well as the average time.
• Are the results easy to read or do you need to have a lawyer review them to understand them – which you don’t want?
• Does the firm have accreditation through the National Association of Professional Background Screeners?
• Does the company provide you a web portal or link to your on-line application process or is it all done by paper and fax, email or regular mail?
Once you have done your due diligence and have engaged a background check company as a partner you can begin your pre-employment screening process with confidence. You then have your “fair chance” to make intelligent decision to protect your business and your customers. The “ban the box” movement is not the enemy. They just make it more important that we meet the applicant’s fair chance with a fair chance of our own!
For more information about employee background checks contact us at www.backgroundcheckexperts.net or call 1-770-426-0547.
“Ban the box” is gaining ground as a movement to remove the checkbox on employee applications asking about criminal history in order to give applicants with a criminal history past a fair chance. That is great! I believe in second chances and that people who have made mistakes in the past can change but that does not mean that we as employers can just ignore that past or just hope that someone has changed. We are betting our business on that “hope” as internal theft or mistreatment of our customers can kill our business. The prospective employee has an advocate for a “fair chance.” What about the employer? Employee background checks are an employer’s “fair chance.”
It makes sense that we should have an opportunity to get to know the whole person when they apply for one our positions and not just eliminate them because they checked a box. I have no difficulty with that and the intent of “ban the box.” Getting to know the whole person, however, must include pre-employment screening by a reputable background check company. It is then that we get the picture of the whole person and are able to use the information gained along with our interview and other screening tools to determine what level of risk we are willing to assume. We know there is risk with every hire but we also know that past performance is the best indicator of future success and that, for some positions, we cannot afford to assume the risk of having a convicted felon in that position. Employee background checks give us the opportunity to at least get the information so we can make that intelligent decision.
Because companies do not have access directly to police records through the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) we have to rely on a background check company to access the information for us through databases and visits to court offices to view original records. It is important that we have the right partner in conducting the pre-employment screening so that all the requirements of state and federal law are met and the information that is obtained is accurate.
I have worked with a variety of background check companies in my career and believe you have to do some pre-screening yourself before taking on that partner. You should what you want in that background check company. Many offer these services and you need to know which ones you want:
• Misdemeanor and felony criminal records for county, state and national jurisdictions
• Sex offender status
• Social Security number trace and validation
• Employment verification
• Reference checks
• Credit checks
• Civil record checks
• Motor vehicle records checks
• Military records verification
• Worker’s compensation history
• Address history.
Once you determine what services you are interested in pursuing you can look at the background check company and ask some important questions:
• Can the company provide the services you are looking for?
• Does the company provide proof that there is Fair Credit Report Act compliance?
• Are the costs reasonable for what you want?
• Does the company provide forms either in paper format or on-line for the applicant to complete?
• How long is it going to take to get the results? There should be a window here varying from a “clean” check to one where they have to do manual records and you should have them provide those extremes as well as the average time.
• Are the results easy to read or do you need to have a lawyer review them to understand them – which you don’t want?
• Does the firm have accreditation through the National Association of Professional Background Screeners?
• Does the company provide you a web portal or link to your on-line application process or is it all done by paper and fax, email or regular mail?
Once you have done your due diligence and have engaged a background check company as a partner you can begin your pre-employment screening process with confidence. You then have your “fair chance” to make intelligent decision to protect your business and your customers. The “ban the box” movement is not the enemy. They just make it more important that we meet the applicant’s fair chance with a fair chance of our own!
For more information about employee background checks contact us or call 1-770-426-0547.
There is quite literally, an endless supply of thieves with a seemingly endless array of ways they will target our stores. One method that has gained some steam recently is off the floor refunds. Chances are your store has a return policy, but is it designed to be anti-shoplifting? It most likely isn’t, and a faulty return policy can really have a negative impact on your bottom line.
A few days ago one of my stores contacted me with an interesting theft. After getting the pertinent information, I began my investigation. The first transaction I looked at was a refund to a customer for a large ticket item. It was a very expensive piece of clothing item that was brand new to the stores. Upon reviewing the CCTV footage, I could still very clearly see the checkpoint tag that was used to secure the product in the store. Surely we would’ve taken this off for a customer at the time of purchase. So, the next thing I did was review any sales of that particular sku for that store since that merchandise had arrived. Shockingly enough, there were none. A little more research showed that this customer had arrived to the store empty handed. Video showed her select the item from the rack and present it to the service desk. Due to the inattentive cashier, we gave away a $400 store credit.
You can have all the anti-shoplifting devices money can buy in your store, but it doesn’t mean a thing if your employees are complacent in their roles. Had the cashier paid just a little more attention, they would’ve notice the anti-shoplifting device still affixed to the product. They also would’ve noticed that the product hadn’t been tagged with a return sticker from the associate at the front door.
It’s no surprise that this customer came back a few days later and did the exact same thing to the exact same cashier. Again, a large ticket item, still secured with a checkpoint tag. This time, it was a $300 store credit. This individual then conducted that very same act nearly a dozen times before a manager had a suspicion and reported it to me. What’s more disturbing is how negative this act is to the store’s bottom line. Not only did the thief get a $400 store credit, they then purchased additional merchandise with that credit, causing in reality, an $800 loss. Times this by 12 and the total quickly topped the thousands of dollars range.
So what can you do in order to prevent your store from being the victim of this fraud scheme? For starters, have a solid return policy in place. Whatever make sense for your business. You have to take returns back. It’s just a matter of doing business, but you can limit the number of non-receipted refunds or outright deny them. Also train your cashiers. If a customer presents an item that still has a checkpoint tag attached to it, they should probably contact a manager. You want to find a balance of having an anti-shoplifting refund policy, all while keeping your honest customers happy. By doing so, you give your customers the ability to shop with confidence all while sending the thieves to a store down the road with looser policies.
For more information, contact us: KW, or call 1.770.426.0547
There is quite literally, an endless supply of thieves with a seemingly endless array of ways they will target our stores. One method that has gained some steam recently is off the floor refunds. Chances are your store has a return policy, but is it designed to be anti-shoplifting? It most likely isn’t, and a faulty return policy can really have a negative impact on your bottom line.
A few days ago one of my stores contacted me with an interesting theft. After getting the pertinent information, I began my investigation. The first transaction I looked at was a refund to a customer for a large ticket item. It was a very expensive piece of clothing that was brand new to the stores. Upon reviewing the CCTV footage, I could still very clearly see the Checkpoint Tag that was used to secure the product in the store. Surely we would’ve taken this off for a customer at the time of purchase. So, the next thing I did was review any sales of that particular sku for that store since that merchandise had arrived. Shockingly enough, there were none. A little more research showed that this customer had arrived to the store empty handed. Video showed her select the item from the rack and present it to the service desk. Due to the inattentive cashier, we gave away a $400 store credit.
You can have all the anti-shoplifting devices money can buy in your store, but it doesn’t mean a thing if your employees are complacent in their roles. Had the cashier paid just a little more attention, they would’ve noticed the anti-shoplifting device still affixed to the product. They also would’ve noticed that the product hadn’t been tagged with a return sticker from the associate at the front door.
It’s no surprise that this customer came back a few days later and did the exact same thing to the exact same cashier. Again, a large ticket item, still secured with a Checkpoint Tag. This time, it was a $300 store credit. This individual then conducted that very same act nearly a dozen times before a manager had a suspicion and reported it to me. What’s more disturbing is how negative this act is to the store’s bottom line. Not only did the thief get a $400 store credit, they then purchased additional merchandise with that credit, causing in reality, an $800 loss. Times this by 12 and the total quickly topped the thousands of dollars range.
So what can you do in order to prevent your store from being the victim of this fraud scheme? For starters, have a solid return policy in place. Whatever make sense for your business. You have to take returns back. It’s just a matter of doing business, but you can limit the number of non-receipted refunds or outright deny them. Also train your cashiers. If a customer presents an item that still has a Checkpoint Tag attached to it, they should probably contact a manager. You want to find a balance of having an anti-shoplifting refund policy, all while keeping your honest customers happy. By doing so, you give your customers the ability to shop with confidence all while sending the thieves to a store down the road with looser policies.
For more information, contact us at Anti Shoplifting, or call 1.770.426.0547
