Retail Anti-Theft Devices – 4 WC Blog 405
Alpha Security – 3
Prevent Shoplifting – 3
Financial Security For Your Retail Business Can Be Secured With Retail Anti-Theft Devices
I’ve recently been toying with the idea of getting a 401k account with my primary employer. I already am participating in the pension plan fund but I don’t know that I have full confidence that will be enough security for me when I am ready to retire…LOTS of years down the road, no matter what my wife or friends may say to the contrary. I also have a small pension I earned while working for a retailer as a Loss Prevention Manager but I will not be collecting that money for a LOT of years (I’m just emphasizing this in case anyone who knows me may be reading this and cracking age jokes at my expense). While I am hopeful that social security will be around then I don’t want to put all my eggs in that basket either. The point I am making is this, my financial security is a priority and I have goals I have set, a family to take care of and bills that must be paid. It is therefore MY responsibility to do all that I can to look out for the security of my wife and our future. Small retail business owners have to be concerned with financial security too. Their financial security is more complex than mine. Not only is cash flow a consideration but so are factors that directly impact profits and therefore financial security. For example using retail anti-theft devices impacts the financial security of a retailer.
It would make sense at this point to clarify what I mean by anti-theft devices. Retail anti-theft devices from Checkpoint’s Alpha security line of products are applied to merchandise such as clothing or if a wrap or cable is used it is wrapped around a product. In either case the devices are meant to deter and prevent shoplifting. These protective tools are built with a radio frequency coil inside of them that will cause an electronic article surveillance pedestal to alarm when tagged items are carried too close. Most of us have heard pedestals of one type or another get set off at exit doors. That annoying beeping sound and those flashing lights that draws EVERYONE’s attention elicits a response from trained store employees. Those employees combine tact and service with receipt checks to retrieve merchandise a criminal was going to steal.
Consider the impact of empty shelves or clothing racks on the financial security of the business. Are you selling goods and not getting freight back on the floor? Poor logistics can cripple a store. Customers can’t buy what isn’t there. Determining the causes for lack of product is also important for financial security. If freight isn’t being shipped to the store is there an issue with the purchasing process? If freight is at the store but not getting on to the floor there could be a breakdown in the push process. If product is getting to the floor and it is being sold great, then go back to step one and evaluate replenishment again. If it is being stolen the negative financial impact is tripled, stolen merchandise is lost profit, no merchandise translates to lost sales and third more merchandise has to be bought to replace what was taken. Financial losses due to theft can be avoided by placing Checkpoint’s Alpha security retail anti-theft devices on all merchandise.
What else impacts the financial security of a business? Consider safety issues and concerns as potential drains on a business. Is your parking lot lighting adequate? Poor parking lot lighting can lead to an increase in crime and that can reduce the customer traffic visiting your store resulting in decreased sales. As the criminal activity outside the store increases so does the criminal activity inside the store. It is more difficult to prevent shoplifting when the perception is criminals are being invited to the store. Are panhandlers permitted to loiter on your property or approach customers as they walk through the parking lot? I have had to chase off panhandlers who were intimidating customers. I have seen customers afraid to leave the safety of their vehicles because a panhandler was standing at their door as soon as the vehicle was placed in park. In a sense you could say financial security starts when the customer drives into your parking lot.
The financial security of a small business depends on a lot of factors. Prevent shoplifting by using Alpha security retail anti-theft devices and you can make a significant impact on profits through improved in-stocks and in turn, increased sales.
Get more information on retail anti-theft devices, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
I’ve recently been toying with the idea of getting a 401k account with my primary employer. I already am participating in the pension plan fund but I don’t know that I have full confidence that will be enough security for me when I am ready to retire…LOTS of years down the road, no matter what my wife or friends may say to the contrary. I also have a small pension I earned while working for a retailer as a Loss Prevention Manager but I will not be collecting that money for a LOT of years (I’m just emphasizing this in case anyone who knows me may be reading this and cracking age jokes at my expense). While I am hopeful that social security will be around then I don’t want to put all my eggs in that basket either. The point I am making is this, my financial security is a priority and I have goals I have set, a family to take care of and bills that must be paid. It is therefore MY responsibility to do all that I can to look out for the security of my wife and our future. Small retail business owners have to be concerned with financial security too. Their financial security is more complex than mine. Not only is cash flow a consideration but so are factors that directly impact profits and therefore financial security. For example using retail anti-theft devices impacts the financial security of a retailer.
It would make sense at this point to clarify what I mean by anti-theft devices. Retail anti-theft devices from Checkpoint’s Alpha security line of products are applied to merchandise such as clothing or if a wrap or cable is used it is wrapped around a product. In either case the devices are meant to deter and prevent shoplifting. These protective tools are built with a radio frequency coil inside of them that will cause an electronic article surveillance pedestal to alarm when tagged items are carried too close. Most of us have heard pedestals of one type or another get set off at exit doors. That annoying beeping sound and those flashing lights that draws EVERYONE’s attention elicits a response from trained store employees. Those employees combine tact and service with receipt checks to retrieve merchandise a criminal was going to steal.
Consider the impact of empty shelves or clothing racks on the financial security of the business. Are you selling goods and not getting freight back on the floor? Poor logistics can cripple a store. Customers can’t buy what isn’t there. Determining the causes for lack of product is also important for financial security. If freight isn’t being shipped to the store is there an issue with the purchasing process? If freight is at the store but not getting on to the floor there could be a breakdown in the push process. If product is getting to the floor and it is being sold great, then go back to step one and evaluate replenishment again. If it is being stolen the negative financial impact is tripled, stolen merchandise is lost profit, no merchandise translates to lost sales and third more merchandise has to be bought to replace what was taken. Financial losses due to theft can be avoided by placing Checkpoint’s Alpha security retail anti-theft devices on all merchandise.
What else impacts the financial security of a business? Consider safety issues and concerns as potential drains on a business. Is your parking lot lighting adequate? Poor parking lot lighting can lead to an increase in crime and that can reduce the customer traffic visiting your store resulting in decreased sales. As the criminal activity outside the store increases so does the criminal activity inside the store. It is more difficult to prevent shoplifting when the perception is criminals are being invited to the store. Are panhandlers permitted to loiter on your property or approach customers as they walk through the parking lot? I have had to chase off panhandlers who were intimidating customers. I have seen customers afraid to leave the safety of their vehicles because a panhandler was standing at their door as soon as the vehicle was placed in park. In a sense you could say financial security starts when the customer drives into your parking lot.
The financial security of a small business depends on a lot of factors. Prevent shoplifting by using Alpha security retail anti-theft devices and you can make a significant impact on profits through improved in-stocks and in turn, increased sales.
Get more information on retail anti-theft devices, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
Checkpoint Systems-4 WC Blog 427
Checkpoint Tags-3
Stop Shoplifting-3
Checkpoint Systems And Other Theft Prevention Tools Are Only Effective When Employees Use Them Every Day
My daughter has been working for a clothing retailer for about three years now as a sales associate. She is trained to do some Manager on Duty functions and has made her interest known that she wants to move up in management. Recently she has been asked to help fill in as an opening and closing manager for two stores in her area. During one of her shifts one of the cashiers working with her took two counterfeit bills. She did not learn of it until closing time and then had to get the store recovered and get the team out of the building. When I picked her up she was telling me about the incident and how she came across the bills and they felt and looked fake. She said their stores have counterfeit bill readers and so she asked the cashier if he had used it before accepting the money. He acknowledged he had not and told her he rarely does use it. My daughter had taken pictures of the bills on her phone and showed them to me. There was no excuse for these to have been accepted under any circumstance, bill reader or not. Because I used to be a Loss Prevention Manager for quite a number of years I asked if she had contacted her District Loss Prevention Manager. I told her that he would probably want the employee written up at a minimum or possibly even fired. Being new to managing a store she said she had not contacted him. I urged her to text him and send the pictures. She did so and he did tell her to write up the employee. Often we have the tools at our disposal to stop shoplifting and theft in our stores but we fail to properly use those tools. For example we may have Checkpoint Systems installed but we don’t conduct receipt checks when the system alarms. Failing to use these systems leads to increased theft and shortage in the long run.
The Checkpoint Systems have several key components that make the system work properly. The Checkpoint pedestals are set up at entrance and exit points and have receivers in them that pick up radio frequency waves emitted by Checkpoint tags. Hard tags are supposed to be removed at the point of sale when an item is purchased and soft tags are to be de-tuned or de-activated by a de-activation pad installed at the point of sale. If people are being trained properly and equipment is functioning as it should the only alarms that sound will be when shoplifters attempt to steal merchandise. Portable scanners can be used to test de-activation pads to make sure they are working as they are supposed to. Test cards are used to ensure pedestals are detecting tagged merchandise properly. When one part of the system is not working correctly it can cause issues for customers and employees alike.
As I pointed out in my daughter’s situation the employee was not using equipment that was provided to them to prevent fraud. Several fraudulent bills were accepted and this caused a financial loss to the store. Similarly when Checkpoint Systems are being used in a store to stop shoplifting and they are not being used properly or maintained they are costing money in terms of unchecked theft. I have done observations in stores to monitor employee behaviors related to Loss Prevention training they have undergone. During some of those observations I have watched associates ignore alarms set off by Checkpoint tags that were not properly de-tuned at the register. I have seen associates fail to remove hard tags from clothing and customers get frustrated at having to walk back to a register to have a tag removed. I have done covert surveillances and watched supervisors who were supposed to test pedestals and deactivation pads in the absence of Loss Prevention fail to do so. Had the pedestals not been working and no Loss Prevention Personnel in the building, it would have taken additional time to determine there was a problem and a service call to be placed. It would have also hindered efforts to stop shoplifting.
Whatever tools your store has in place to prevent theft, whether they are counterfeit bill readers or Checkpoint tags, they have to be used in order to be effective. It also takes everyone to be on board with the program. One person not testing bills or failing to do regular system checks on Checkpoint Systems and the effectiveness of a theft prevention strategy is greatly impaired. Make sure your store remains profitable get ALL of your associates involved in your theft prevention program.
Need information on Checkpoint Systems? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
My daughter has been working for a clothing retailer for about three years now as a sales associate. She is trained to do some Manager on Duty functions and has made her interest known that she wants to move up in management. Recently she has been asked to help fill in as an opening and closing manager for two stores in her area. During one of her shifts one of the cashiers working with her took two counterfeit bills. She did not learn of it until closing time and then had to get the store recovered and get the team out of the building. When I picked her up she was telling me about the incident and how she came across the bills and they felt and looked fake. She said their stores have counterfeit bill readers and so she asked the cashier if he had used it before accepting the money. He acknowledged he had not and told her he rarely does use it. My daughter had taken pictures of the bills on her phone and showed them to me. There was no excuse for these to have been accepted under any circumstance, bill reader or not. Because I used to be a Loss Prevention Manager for quite a number of years I asked if she had contacted her District Loss Prevention Manager. I told her that he would probably want the employee written up at a minimum or possibly even fired. Being new to managing a store she said she had not contacted him. I urged her to text him and send the pictures. She did so and he did tell her to write up the employee. Often we have the tools at our disposal to stop shoplifting and theft in our stores but we fail to properly use those tools. For example we may have Checkpoint Systems installed but we don’t conduct receipt checks when the system alarms. Failing to use these systems leads to increased theft and shortage in the long run.
The Checkpoint Systems have several key components that make the system work properly. The Checkpoint pedestals are set up at entrance and exit points and have receivers in them that pick up radio frequency waves emitted by Checkpoint tags. Hard tags are supposed to be removed at the point of sale when an item is purchased and soft tags are to be de-tuned or de-activated by a de-activation pad installed at the point of sale. If people are being trained properly and equipment is functioning as it should the only alarms that sound will be when shoplifters attempt to steal merchandise. Portable scanners can be used to test de-activation pads to make sure they are working as they are supposed to. Test cards are used to ensure pedestals are detecting tagged merchandise properly. When one part of the system is not working correctly it can cause issues for customers and employees alike.
As I pointed out in my daughter’s situation the employee was not using equipment that was provided to them to prevent fraud. Several fraudulent bills were accepted and this caused a financial loss to the store. Similarly when Checkpoint Systems are being used in a store to stop shoplifting and they are not being used properly or maintained they are costing money in terms of unchecked theft. I have done observations in stores to monitor employee behaviors related to Loss Prevention training they have undergone. During some of those observations I have watched associates ignore alarms set off by Checkpoint tags that were not properly de-tuned at the register. I have seen associates fail to remove hard tags from clothing and customers get frustrated at having to walk back to a register to have a tag removed. I have done covert surveillances and watched supervisors who were supposed to test pedestals and deactivation pads in the absence of Loss Prevention fail to do so. Had the pedestals not been working and no Loss Prevention Personnel in the building, it would have taken additional time to determine there was a problem and a service call to be placed. It would have also hindered efforts to stop shoplifting.
Whatever tools your store has in place to prevent theft, whether they are counterfeit bill readers or Checkpoint tags, they have to be used in order to be effective. It also takes everyone to be on board with the program. One person not testing bills or failing to do regular system checks on Checkpoint Systems and the effectiveness of a theft prevention strategy is greatly impaired. Make sure your store remains profitable get ALL of your associates involved in your theft prevention program.
Need information on Checkpoint Systems? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
Alpha Keepers- 4 WC Blog 395
Retail Anti-Theft Devices-4
Retail Anti-Theft Devices; The Decisions Stores Make That Drive Me Crazy! Part 2
In the first part of this series I talked about merchandise protection strategies I am seeing in some stores that make no sense to me. There are two extremes I am noticing lately. The first I covered in Part 1 is the removal of merchandise from lock-up cases which I approve of, but the stores are not taking steps to protect those items with Alpha Keepers or electronic article surveillance (EAS) tags. Some of these stores are also removing retail anti-theft devices apparently due to a perception that they are no longer needed. Not protecting product is what I take issue with in these stores. The other extreme I am seeing and I have first-hand knowledge of is locking up MORE merchandise and what amounts to selling out of the stockroom. The companies that are doing this are already using Alpha Keepers but are doing some odd things that nullify the way Keepers can help improve sales.
If you missed Part 1 let me quickly review what Alpha Keepers are. They are retail anti-theft devices that give store owners the ability to take merchandise out of locking display cases and out of stockrooms and display the goods for customers to look at without the assistance of a store associate. The Keepers are clear boxes, with lids that are locked when merchandise is placed in them. Stores are provided with special detachment keys that are used to unlock boxes and other Alpha devices and the keys are usually secured at the point of sale. The boxes allow customers to handle merchandise and they can carry an item with them around the store without requiring someone to open a display case. Since the customer can carry the item with them there is no requirement to make multiple purchases or wait at a register for their merchandise to be brought to them when they are ready to check out. They also free up store associates so they don’t have to retrieve merchandise from showcases or stockrooms and can focus on customer service.
The trend I am annoyed at is stores that use Alpha Keepers are not trusting in the technology. I am seeing more and more empty box displays for merchandise on store shelves. I am also seeing cardboard product placards hanging on peghooks that have a picture of the product but nothing there. These two things are irritating enough but to add fuel to the fire (well, my fiery indignation anyways) these stores are also placing these cardboard pictures or placards inside the Alpha boxes! Is the person making this decision afraid the cardboard is going to be stolen? Think about it, a customer picks up the box with the secured picture in it, walks it up to the cashier and asks for the item that is not inside the locked Keeper. Quoting comedian Bill Engvall’s stupid people routine, “Here’s Your Sign”.
I mentioned that part of the benefit of using retail anti-theft devices is that the customer can carry merchandise around the store and associates are freed up from unlocking showcases and retrieving merchandise from stockrooms. It drives sales up because customers tend to buy more when they don’t have to wait for help to get merchandise. Guess what associates have to do when empty display boxes and placards inside of boxes are used? That’s right! The associate has to go to a locked stockroom to retrieve merchandise and the customer has to wait.
Retail anti-theft devices are meant to protect merchandise, work in conjunction with electronic article surveillance towers and deter and detect attempts at shoplifting. They work, especially when associates are trained to properly respond to EAS tower alarms or built in device tamper alarms. Allow the technology to work for your store to drive up sales and reduce shortage.
Need information on Alpha Keepers? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
In the first part of this series I talked about merchandise protection strategies I am seeing in some stores that make no sense to me. There are two extremes I am noticing lately. The first I covered in Part 1 is the removal of merchandise from lock-up cases which I approve of, but the stores are not taking steps to protect those items with Alpha Keepers or electronic article surveillance (EAS) tags. Some of these stores are also removing retail anti-theft devices apparently due to a perception that they are no longer needed. Not protecting product is what I take issue with in these stores. The other extreme I am seeing and I have first-hand knowledge of is locking up MORE merchandise and what amounts to selling out of the stockroom. The companies that are doing this are already using Alpha Keepers but are doing some odd things that nullify the way Keepers can help improve sales.
If you missed Part 1 let me quickly review what Alpha Keepers are. They are retail anti-theft devices that give store owners the ability to take merchandise out of locking display cases and out of stockrooms and display the goods for customers to look at without the assistance of a store associate. The Keepers are clear boxes, with lids that are locked when merchandise is placed in them. Stores are provided with special detachment keys that are used to unlock boxes and other Alpha devices and the keys are usually secured at the point of sale. The boxes allow customers to handle merchandise and they can carry an item with them around the store without requiring someone to open a display case. Since the customer can carry the item with them there is no requirement to make multiple purchases or wait at a register for their merchandise to be brought to them when they are ready to check out. They also free up store associates so they don’t have to retrieve merchandise from showcases or stockrooms and can focus on customer service.
The trend I am annoyed at is stores that use Alpha Keepers are not trusting in the technology. I am seeing more and more empty box displays for merchandise on store shelves. I am also seeing cardboard product placards hanging on peghooks that have a picture of the product but nothing there. These two things are irritating enough but to add fuel to the fire (well, my fiery indignation anyways) these stores are also placing these cardboard pictures or placards inside the Alpha boxes! Is the person making this decision afraid the cardboard is going to be stolen? Think about it, a customer picks up the box with the secured picture in it, walks it up to the cashier and asks for the item that is not inside the locked Keeper. Quoting comedian Bill Engvall’s stupid people routine, “Here’s Your Sign”.
I mentioned that part of the benefit of using retail anti-theft devices is that the customer can carry merchandise around the store and associates are freed up from unlocking showcases and retrieving merchandise from stockrooms. It drives sales up because customers tend to buy more when they don’t have to wait for help to get merchandise. Guess what associates have to do when empty display boxes and placards inside of boxes are used? That’s right! The associate has to go to a locked stockroom to retrieve merchandise and the customer has to wait.
Retail anti-theft devices are meant to protect merchandise, work in conjunction with electronic article surveillance towers to deter and detect attempts at shoplifting. They work, especially when associates are trained to properly respond to EAS tower alarms or built in device tamper alarms. Allow the technology to work for your store to drive up sales and reduce shortage.
Need information on Alpha Keepers? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
Training to reduce employee theft-4 WC blog 459
Stop Shoplifting-4
You Snooze You Lose; Make Training To Reduce Employee Theft A Session Your Employees Won’t Forget With LPSI Experts
Every business or institution has some form of training for their employees. Sometimes it is an onboarding type of training to do a familiarization with the company and meet the people in the office. Other training may be more intensive, delving into company culture, history and the company’s philosophy. Recently at one of the places where I work ALL of the staff have had to take a number of new online training modules in addition to completing our regular job duties. The funny thing about the trainings is a number of them dealt with computer/cyber security issues. That in and of itself is not what I found to be funny. The odd thing was every person I spoke with about the trainings said that they did the first module and after that just let the other videos play through then took the quizzes at the end of the module. It made me start thinking about the training that retailers have their employees take part in. As an example when I was a Loss Prevention Manager I was involved in training to reduce employee theft by participating in store orientations. As I reflect on it I think there were some parts the training new employees paid attention to and other parts that they just let go in one ear and out the other.
I want to touch a little more on something I mentioned above before I continue on. Theft is a problem for every retailer and if a store owner desires to run a profitable business he or she HAS to understand how devastating theft can be on a store, especially a small “mom and pop” shop. Without trying to eliminate employee theft and stop shoplifting those stores will become the place that criminals will focus their efforts. Often one type of crime leads to another and it spirals out of control. Owners and managers need to understand that training to reduce employee theft can make an impression on individuals. Sometimes employees steal because they get away with it and feel confident that co-workers will ignore it or may even be willing accomplices. Employees who are properly trained may be more willing to report another employee knowing their concerns will be addressed. Trained staff will also know how their ability to provide customer service deters criminals and can stop shoplifting. If the training is really good employees will be taught how to identify the signs that indicate someone may be a shoplifter and how to deter that activity. At issue is where can an employer go to get effective training for their employees and will they pay attention?
In most cases owners of a small retail store won’t have the knowledge or experience to adequately train their workers on theft related issues. I have found that when a training session is repetitive (like the training we just went through at the institution where I work) or conducted by someone who does not have experience, trainees lose interest. When a trainer has real-life experience and background in a subject and knows how to conduct in interactive session THAT is when people learn and retain the material. As a Loss Prevention Manager my first few solo orientations that were to train employees about employee theft and shoplifting had mediocre response. I was new in my role as a manager and I was not completely familiar with the materials. As I grew into my position, caught a few dishonest employees and became more confident I was able to judge a group’s attention and make adjustments to my presentation. Loss Prevention Systems Inc. understands the challenges for small and medium size store owners to try to conduct training to reduce employee theft and to stop shoplifting. The owner and President of LPSI, Bill Bregar has used his many years of Loss Prevention experience to develop effective training programs tailored to meet the needs of small business owners. Once trained, owners, managers and employees have the necessary tools to prevent theft in stores and make a significant impact on shortage reduction resulting from theft.
Training to reduce employee theft and training to stop shoplifting don’t need to be boring or ineffective. Your best assets to eliminate shortage are already working for you, they just need a good training program to sharpen their skills. Find out more about what LPSI can offer you to make your stores more profitable.
For more information about training to reduce employee theft contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
Every business or institution has some form of training for their employees. Sometimes it is an onboarding type of training to do a familiarization with the company and meet the people in the office. Other training may be more intensive, delving into company culture, history and the company’s philosophy. Recently at one of the places where I work ALL of the staff have had to take a number of new online training modules in addition to completing our regular job duties. The funny thing about the trainings is a number of them dealt with computer/cyber security issues. That in and of itself is not what I found to be funny. The odd thing was every person I spoke with about the trainings said that they did the first module and after that just let the other videos play through then took the quizzes at the end of the module. It made me start thinking about the training that retailers have their employees take part in. As an example when I was a Loss Prevention Manager I was involved in training to reduce employee theft by participating in store orientations. As I reflect on it I think there were some parts the training new employees paid attention to and other parts that they just let go in one ear and out the other.
I want to touch a little more on something I mentioned above before I continue on. Theft is a problem for every retailer and if a store owner desires to run a profitable business he or she HAS to understand how devastating theft can be on a store, especially a small “mom and pop” shop. Without trying to eliminate employee theft and stop shoplifting those stores will become the place that criminals will focus their efforts. Often one type of crime leads to another and it spirals out of control. Owners and managers need to understand that training to reduce employee theft can make an impression on individuals. Sometimes employees steal because they get away with it and feel confident that co-workers will ignore it or may even be willing accomplices. Employees who are properly trained may be more willing to report another employee knowing their concerns will be addressed. Trained staff will also know how their ability to provide customer service deters criminals and can stop shoplifting. If the training is really good employees will be taught how to identify the signs that indicate someone may be a shoplifter and how to deter that activity. An issue is where can an employer go to get effective training for their employees and will they pay attention?
In most cases owners of a small retail store won’t have the knowledge or experience to adequately train their workers on theft related issues. I have found that when a training session is repetitive (like the training we just went through at the institution where I work) or conducted by someone who does not have experience, trainees lose interest. When a trainer has real-life experience and background in a subject and knows how to conduct in interactive session THAT is when people learn and retain the material. As a Loss Prevention Manager my first few solo orientations that were to train employees about employee theft and shoplifting had mediocre response. I was new in my role as a manager and I was not completely familiar with the materials. As I grew into my position, caught a few dishonest employees and became more confident I was able to judge a group’s attention and make adjustments to my presentation. Loss Prevention Systems Inc. understands the challenges for small and medium size store owners to try to conduct training to reduce employee theft and to stop shoplifting. The owner and President of LPSI, Bill Bregar has used his many years of Loss Prevention experience to develop effective training programs tailored to meet the needs of small business owners. Once trained, owners, managers and employees have the necessary tools to prevent theft in stores and make a significant impact on shortage reduction resulting from theft.
Training to reduce employee theft and training to stop shoplifting don’t need to be boring or ineffective. Your best assets to eliminate shortage are already working for you, they just need a good training program to sharpen their skills. Find out more about what LPSI can offer you to make your stores more profitable.
For more information about training to reduce employee theft contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
Return Fraud-5 WC Blog 376
Alpha Shark Tags-3
Scoundrels, Scams And Fraud; Prevent Return Fraud With Alpha Shark Tags
Scams, they are all over the place. I think every week I have some generous benefactor that wants to leave a million dollars to me deposited in my bank account. AWESOME! One day I’m going remember not to delete one of these emails and get back to them. A few weeks ago I got a call from the “IRS” telling me I was going to be in trouble if I didn’t pay some amount to them for taxes owed, unfortunately I accidentally hung up and we were disconnected. Hopefully they get back to me I don’t want to owe Uncle Sam any money! Someone every so often tries to call the library I work at and get information so they can bill us for “toner” orders for our printers…I guess they don’t know we have a list of vendors we make payments to for such purchases, they need to get with their supervisors on that. Recently one of the managers on duty at the store I work at received a call from someone who said he was from our company’s HQ. He gave his name and told the MOD he needed his name and employee number because we were going to be receiving a shipment of a new product and were going to start selling it but in a new twist we were only going to permit payments for the new product with gift cards. WOW! when the manager told me I was excited. We don’t even carry that manufacturer’s products because they happen to be very proprietary. Unfortunately when the manager told the caller he would call him back with the requested information and asked for a call back number our MOD was disconnected. I was so disappointed. We are very careful about protecting personal and business information to prevent fraud from affecting our personal lives and our businesses so why don’t we take the same precautions to prevent return fraud in stores? In many cases it could easily be done if stores would use Alpha Shark Tags on softlines products.
I get returns every day, how can I know return fraud from a legitimate return? How can Alpha Shark Tags help stop people trying to do fraudulent returns in my store? I will address the second question first. Shark Tags are brightly colored tags that once pinned to an item can only be removed when the tag is cut off. It prevents a customer from buying an item and wearing it then returning it with all the necessary documentation in order to get a full refund. Who wants to go out in public with a bright red tag hanging from a pant leg or from the cuff of a blouse? All the store manager has to do is require the tag to be attached and intact on the merchandise before taking it back with the proper documentation.
Back to the first question on how to identify return fraud. This can be difficult. One of the ways that dishonest people get fraudulent refunds is to switch the price tags from high priced clothing lines and place them on cheaper brands and return the clothes with a receipt that matches the products. For example, if someone took an Under Armor T-shirt price tag, attaches it to a Hanes t-shirt and then they return the Hanes T-shirt they receive the dollar value of the Under Armor shirt perhaps as a credit on their credit card or debit card OR it is returned on a gift card. This can be prevented but requires the cashier to be attentive to what they are doing but these shysters can be clever and will distract the employee with constant talking.
Another method of return fraud is done by the scoundrel who is wardrobing. This is the person who buys an outfit and wears it on a date or to a party. They return it a day or two later to the store where they bought it. This can be difficult to detect because often the tags are reattached with tagging guns. I saw several regular customers engage in this in the department store where I first worked as a Loss Prevention Associate. These customers were known to have money, but practiced this activity anyways (maybe this is why they had money). Unless a clear stain could be found, the majority of the time the manager would process the return. This is the situation where using the Alpha Shark Tag could be most effective.
Return Fraud can be a major source of profit loss. Reduce the chances of being taken advantage of by these characters. Use Alpha Shark Tags on your merchandise and improve your return process and your profits!
Return Fraud is important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.
Scams, they are all over the place. I think every week I have some generous benefactor that wants to leave a million dollars to me deposited in my bank account. AWESOME! One day I’m going remember not to delete one of these emails and get back to them. A few weeks ago I got a call from the “IRS” telling me I was going to be in trouble if I didn’t pay some amount to them for taxes owed, unfortunately I accidentally hung up and we were disconnected. Hopefully they get back to me I don’t want to owe Uncle Sam any money! Someone every so often tries to call the library I work at and get information so they can bill us for “toner” orders for our printers…I guess they don’t know we have a list of vendors we make payments to for such purchases, they need to get with their supervisors on that. Recently one of the managers on duty at the store I work at received a call from someone who said he was from our company’s HQ. He gave his name and told the MOD he needed his name and employee number because we were going to be receiving a shipment of a new product and were going to start selling it but in a new twist we were only going to permit payments for the new product with gift cards. WOW! when the manager told me I was excited. We don’t even carry that manufacturer’s products because they happen to be very proprietary. Unfortunately when the manager told the caller he would call him back with the requested information and asked for a call back number our MOD was disconnected. I was so disappointed. We are very careful about protecting personal and business information to prevent fraud from affecting our personal lives and our businesses so why don’t we take the same precautions to prevent return fraud in stores? In many cases it could easily be done if stores would use Alpha Shark Tags on softlines products.
I get returns every day, how can I know return fraud from a legitimate return? How can Alpha Shark Tags help stop people trying to do fraudulent returns in my store? I will address the second question first. Shark Tags are brightly colored tags that once pinned to an item can only be removed when the tag is cut off. It prevents a customer from buying an item and wearing it then returning it with all the necessary documentation in order to get a full refund. Who wants to go out in public with a bright red tag hanging from a pant leg or from the cuff of a blouse? All the store manager has to do is require the tag to be attached and intact on the merchandise before taking it back with the proper documentation.
Back to the first question on how to identify return fraud. This can be difficult. One of the ways that dishonest people get fraudulent refunds is to switch the price tags from high priced clothing lines and place them on cheaper brands and return the clothes with a receipt that matches the products. For example, if someone took an Under Armor T-shirt price tag, attaches it to a Hanes t-shirt and then they return the Hanes T-shirt they receive the dollar value of the Under Armor shirt perhaps as a credit on their credit card or debit card OR it is returned on a gift card. This can be prevented but requires the cashier to be attentive to what they are doing but these shysters can be clever and will distract the employee with constant talking.
Another method of return fraud is done by the scoundrel who is wardrobing. This is the person who buys an outfit and wears it on a date or to a party. They return it a day or two later to the store where they bought it. This can be difficult to detect because often the tags are reattached with tagging guns. I saw several regular customers engage in this in the department store where I first worked as a Loss Prevention Associate. These customers were known to have money, but practiced this activity anyways (maybe this is why they had money). Unless a clear stain could be found, the majority of the time the manager would process the return. This is the situation where using the Alpha Shark Tag could be most effective.
Return Fraud can be a major source of profit loss. Reduce the chances of being taken advantage of by these characters. Use Alpha Shark Tags on your merchandise and improve your return process and your profits!
Return Fraud is important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.
