Employee Background Checks-4 WC Blog 397
Background Check Company-4
Take A Closer Look At A Prospective Employee Before Hiring Them By Using An Employee Background Check Company
When hiring for a position opening it can be extremely time consuming reading through all of the applications, cover letters and resumes you are sent, especially if your job ad is getting a great response. If there are a lot of applications it can be easy to overlook little things that could cause concern about an applicant. Not long ago I was part of a hiring search committee for six positions to fill. Combined the applications we received numbered around 30 or so with some of those applications being duplicates for more than one position. This still left us with at least 25 applications and the attached documents to go through. Some of the applications were easy to dismiss because the applicant did not meet the minimum required qualifications. On the other hand quite a few were very qualified on paper. One of those applicants seemed to meet our minimum job qualifications and initially I was considering requesting our committee interview him and then I looked a little closer at the application the candidate had submitted. I was glad I caught the issues as soon as I did and I will go into that in a little more detail but fortunately for us, had we overlooked these concerns and interviewed the applicant, even if we liked him our company does employee background checks and would have identified the problems and prevented hiring a potentially problem employee.
What is a background check company and how do employee background checks work? A background check company is one that has professional staff that possesses the ability and resources to look into a person’s history. They have access to public information that while available may be hard to gain access to for those of us not familiar with where to go or how to request such information. A background check company can also do the legwork of contacting references for an employer. This can be a frustrating task when you do it yourself. I have run into references who are no longer employed where they were listed as working. I have also had wrong phone numbers listed or the reference had changed their phone number. A background check can include social security verification, credit history, driving records, confirm past addresses and more. All of these are details that may reveal if an applicant is hiding something from you. You might be able to find out some of these details but the time it would take you to do so could be prohibitive. There are also legal aspects you have to take into consideration and failing to do so could land you in hot water.
Back to the candidate I was referencing above. On paper this fella looked pretty good and I was thinking he should be granted an interview until I looked a little closer at his application. He had left two jobs within a year’s time but his explanation was that he had been laid off from both. A plausible reason and I might have overlooked it but then I noticed he had about a 6 year gap in employment history. He then worked in another state for a couple of years and left because the business he worked for closed, according to his application. He was now in my state working as a cashier for a chain store. A big difference in the type of employment of his first job. There were big red “STOP” signs all over this application as I started to think about the gaps and types of work. Had we proceeded with the interview and made him our top choice I am reasonably certain we would have passed over him. If we had not I feel employee background checks by our company would have caught some fishy information.
Smaller retailers usually do not have a human resources department to conduct employee background checks. The owners and managers also do not need to spend all of their time and resources trying to follow up on candidates. Let Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. be your background check company and help ensure you are hiring the best talent possible.
Employee Background Checks are important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.
When hiring for a position opening it can be extremely time consuming reading through all of the applications, cover letters and resumes you are sent, especially if your job ad is getting a great response. If there are a lot of applications it can be easy to overlook little things that could cause concern about an applicant. Not long ago I was part of a hiring search committee for six positions to fill. Combined the applications we received numbered around 30 or so with some of those applications being duplicates for more than one position. This still left us with at least 25 applications and the attached documents to go through. Some of the applications were easy to dismiss because the applicant did not meet the minimum required qualifications. On the other hand quite a few were very qualified on paper. One of those applicants seemed to meet our minimum job qualifications and initially I was considering requesting our committee interview him and then I looked a little closer at the application the candidate had submitted. I was glad I caught the issues as soon as I did and I will go into that in a little more detail but fortunately for us, had we overlooked these concerns and interviewed the applicant, even if we liked him our company does employee background checks and would have identified the problems and prevented hiring a potentially problem employee.
What is a background check company and how do employee background checks work? A background check company is one that has professional staff that possesses the ability and resources to look into a person’s history. They have access to public information that while available may be hard to gain access to for those of us not familiar with where to go or how to request such information. A background check company can also do the legwork of contacting references for an employer. This can be a frustrating task when you do it yourself. I have run into references who are no longer employed where they were listed as working. I have also had wrong phone numbers listed or the reference had changed their phone number. A background check can include social security verification, credit history, driving records, confirm past addresses and more. All of these are details that may reveal if an applicant is hiding something from you. You might be able to find out some of these details but the time it would take you to do so could be prohibitive. There are also legal aspects you have to take into consideration and failing to do so could land you in hot water.
Back to the candidate I was referencing above. On paper this fella looked pretty good and I was thinking he should be granted an interview until I looked a little closer at his application. He had left two jobs within a year’s time but his explanation was that he had been laid off from both. A plausible reason and I might have overlooked it but then I noticed he had about a 6 year gap in employment history. He then worked in another state for a couple of years and left because the business he worked for closed, according to his application. He was now in my state working as a cashier for a chain store. A big difference in the type of employment of his first job. There were big red “STOP” signs all over this application as I started to think about the gaps and types of work. Had we proceeded with the interview and made him our top choice I am reasonably certain we would have passed over him. If we had not I feel employee background checks by our company would have caught some fishy information.
Smaller retailers usually do not have a human resources department to conduct employee background checks. The owners and managers also do not need to spend all of their time and resources trying to follow up on candidates. Let Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. be your background check company and help ensure you are hiring the best talent possible.
Employee Background Checks are important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.
Checkpoint Tags-4 WC Blog 444
Stop Shoplifting -4
Building A Business Brand By Using Checkpoint Tags
Branding. Ranchers used to use it on cattle to identify ownership. Manufacturers use it to distinguish their company products from others. For example if you are shopping for ketchup, do you look for Heinz or Del Monte? Maybe you prefer the store brand of ketchup or it doesn’t really matter as long as it is inexpensive. How about products that have become so powerful in their product(s) and marketing that the name is used to refer to the type of product it is. One brand that comes immediately to my mind is Coke (Coca Cola). How many times have I heard someone ask for a Coke and they really just meant whatever cola soft drink was available. Often the question turns into something like, “I only have Pepsi or will an RC be okay?” This isn’t a slight against those companies and I like all three products but Coke just has that kind of imprint on American culture. So I pose the question to retailers, what makes your company distinct? What is it that you can point to as your brand? Is it your store layout? Is it the culture of safety in your store? Is it the products you carry? Something about your business HAS to stand out from the others and if there isn’t anything then maybe you need to revisit that area in order to continue to be relevant. I would suggest there are several things you could consider doing to make your “trademark” among your peers. One may be using Checkpoint Tags on merchandise to allow you to make your store more user-friendly, stop shoplifting and to keep prices low.
Checkpoint Tags can come in a variety of styles to protect merchandise. Whether you sell clothing, health and beauty products or bed and bath goods there is a retail anti-theft device available to help protect them from shoplifters. Soft tags and labels are available to use under meat soaker pads and others for small merchandise like lipsticks and mascaras. They also come in a standard size that can be used on nearly anything else, CD’s, DVD’s blister packages, etc. Hard tags can be pinned to clothing items which can stop shoplifting through deterrence and electronic article surveillance alarms (EAS). Tags from Checkpoint have technology in them that sends out radio waves. When this frequency is picked up by EAS pedestals which are usually set up near store exits and entrances the pedestal alarms and flashing lights are activated. The alarm gains the attention of nearby employees who respond to the pedestal and determine who caused it. The employee gets the offender to pay for the item or they bring it back in if the person attempting to shoplift drops it.
Is it a stretch to suggest that safety and security can be a brand for your store? I firmly believe that customer perception of what your store is like can be a hallmark of your company. If customers can walk in and carpets are clean or floors are swept, the lights are bright and shopping carts are in neatly lined up, you are creating an image that cleanliness and organization are a part of your store’s culture. Public View monitors at the entrance of the store, EAS pedestals and Checkpoint Tags on merchandise make the statement to honest customers and thieves alike that security it a priority for your location. Employees greeting customers when they walk in and ensuring the customers are finding everything they need while on the sales floor enhances your store image as one that places a premium on customer service. By the way, that last one also helps you stop shoplifting which goes back to your efforts to provide great value for your patrons.
If you really want to create an image for your company and increase sales in the process, combine these all of these values into one. Checkpoint Tags, EAS pedestals and CCTV to stop shoplifting will remind customers you are working hard to keep prices low. Clean and neat stores and shelves will tell people you care about what you are invested in. Proper lighting in the store and parking lot will let shoppers and customers know their safety and security matter. Image is important but meaning it and standing behind it is what makes a difference to people and THAT is quite a brand image with which to promote your company.
Need information on Checkpoint Tags? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
Branding. Ranchers used to use it on cattle to identify ownership. Manufacturers use it to distinguish their company products from others. For example if you are shopping for ketchup, do you look for Heinz or Del Monte? Maybe you prefer the store brand of ketchup or it doesn’t really matter as long as it is inexpensive. How about products that have become so powerful in their product(s) and marketing that the name is used to refer to the type of product it is. One brand that comes immediately to my mind is Coke (Coca Cola). How many times have I heard someone ask for a Coke and they really just meant whatever cola soft drink was available. Often the question turns into something like, “I only have Pepsi or will an RC be okay?” This isn’t a slight against those companies and I like all three products but Coke just has that kind of imprint on American culture. So I pose the question to retailers, what makes your company distinct? What is it that you can point to as your brand? Is it your store layout? Is it the culture of safety in your store? Is it the products you carry? Something about your business HAS to stand out from the others and if there isn’t anything then maybe you need to revisit that area in order to continue to be relevant. I would suggest there are several things you could consider doing to make your “trademark” among your peers. One may be using Checkpoint Tags on merchandise to allow you to make your store more user-friendly, stop shoplifting and to keep prices low.
Checkpoint Tags can come in a variety of styles to protect merchandise. Whether you sell clothing, health and beauty products or bed and bath goods there is a retail anti-theft device available to help protect them from shoplifters. Soft tags and labels are available to use under meat soaker pads and others for small merchandise like lipsticks and mascaras. They also come in a standard size that can be used on nearly anything else, CD’s, DVD’s blister packages, etc. Hard tags can be pinned to clothing items which can stop shoplifting through deterrence and electronic article surveillance alarms (EAS). Tags from Checkpoint have technology in them that sends out radio waves. When this frequency is picked up by EAS pedestals which are usually set up near store exits and entrances the pedestal alarms and flashing lights are activated. The alarm gains the attention of nearby employees who respond to the pedestal and determine who caused it. The employee gets the offender to pay for the item or they bring it back in if the person attempting to shoplift drops it.
Is it a stretch to suggest that safety and security can be a brand for your store? I firmly believe that customer perception of what your store is like can be a hallmark of your company. If customers can walk in and carpets are clean or floors are swept, the lights are bright and shopping carts are in neatly lined up, you are creating an image that cleanliness and organization are a part of your store’s culture. Public View monitors at the entrance of the store, EAS pedestals and Checkpoint Tags on merchandise make the statement to honest customers and thieves alike that security it a priority for your location. Employees greeting customers when they walk in and ensuring the customers are finding everything they need while on the sales floor enhances your store image as one that places a premium on customer service. By the way, that last one also helps you stop shoplifting which goes back to your efforts to provide great value for your patrons.
If you really want to create an image for your company and increase sales in the process, combine these all of these values into one. Checkpoint Tags, EAS pedestals and CCTV to stop shoplifting will remind customers you are working hard to keep prices low. Clean and neat stores and shelves will tell people you care about what you are invested in. Proper lighting in the store and parking lot will let shoppers and customers know their safety and security matter. Image is important but meaning it and standing behind it is what makes a difference to people and THAT is quite a brand image with which to promote your company.
Need information on Checkpoint Tags? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
iPad Theft-4 WC Blog 378
Tablet theft-4
Bug Tag-4
Could Increasing Use Of Mobile Medical Devices Lead To Stolen Patient Information? Not If A Bug Tag Is On A Tablet
We all know that mobile medical devices such as iPads and computer tablets are getting more and more use in hospitals, clinics, doctor’s offices and the medical field in general. We register as new patients on mobile devices at the front desk of a clinic, or we may be asked to complete medical histories on a nurse’s iPad. I was curious to know what the top uses of mobile devices actually is for doctors. According to a Wolters-Kluwer 2013 Physician Outlook Survey, the following were the mobile device uses by physicians (pg. 6):
Access to drug information (dosage calculators, side effects, interactions, etc.):
72% smartphone (e.g. iPhone, Droid) 55% tablets (e.g. iPad, Kindle Fire)
Communication with nurses and other staff:
44% smartphone 20% tablets
Access to medical research:
43% smartphone 63% tablets
Access to evidence based clinical reference tools at the point of care with patients:
42% smartphone 50% tablets
Communication with patients:
33% smartphone 17% tablets
Access to medical records/other patient data:
17% smartphone 43% tablets
Access to information for reimbursement/billing purposes:
12% smartphone 24% tablets
Other:
9% smartphone 13% tablets
Did you notice the “access to medical records/other patient data” and “access to information for reimbursement/billing” categories? Tablets and iPads are used significantly for looking at information specific to patients. What happens in the event of a Tablet theft or iPad theft? What information may be accessible by a thief?
The answer is, you don’t know how much of a patient’s information may be stolen and used for stealing identities, credit information, addresses, prescriptions, etc. Medical tablet theft and Ipad theft are very real problems and put patients and their medical providers at risk. Using a Bug Tag on each device owned by the medical facility can prevent theft and potential HIPPA violations. The tag is an electronic article surveillance (EAS) anti-theft device. It is placed directly on a table or other device and can’t be removed without activating a built in alarm that screeches at 95 decibels, alerting staff to an attempted theft. Facilities also install EAS pedestals at entrances that can detect a Bug Tag. If a criminal tries to walk out with a device that is tagged (or if an employee forgets they have a device with them and they try to leave the building) the tag sets off the EAS pedestal alarm. Again, employees respond and can recover it before a tablet theft or iPad theft can take place. It is also important to know that the Bug Tag does come in a “3 alarm” version that activates a built in alarm in the tag if a person were to continue walking past the pedestals into a parking lot. This alarm prevents a thief from blending into a crowd and getting away unnoticed.
Going back to the 2013 Physician Outlook Survey, consider the information we are looking at, this data is four years old or more. As the popularity of the devices has increased with more apps available to doctors and nurses and the time and paperwork they save is realized, the numbers of devices in use are greater. This means the opportunity for iPad theft and Tablet theft is greater as well, making the security of them even more important today than it was in 2013. I know from my own recent visits to two local hospitals and a clinic in my area that mobile device use has become the norm in the medical profession. A close family member of mine was in an ICU unit and when doctors made their rounds individually and as a group most of the members had iPads or tablets. When I recently was at a local clinic I signed in on an iPad. My wife has signed in at a minute clinic on a mounted iPad. It is clear that the wave of the future is the move from paper to electronic records. Protecting this data is critical.
Improving efficiency in the medical field ultimately improves patient care and can drive down costs. In doing so, it is imperative that patient information is protected in the process by preventing iPad theft through the use of a Bug Tag.
Need information on iPad theft? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
We all know that mobile medical devices such as iPads and computer tablets are getting more and more use in hospitals, clinics, doctor’s offices and the medical field in general. We register as new patients on mobile devices at the front desk of a clinic, or we may be asked to complete medical histories on a nurse’s iPad. I was curious to know what the top uses of mobile devices actually is for doctors. According to a Wolters-Kluwer 2013 Physician Outlook Survey, the following were the mobile device uses by physicians (pg. 6):
Access to drug information (dosage calculators, side effects, interactions, etc.):72% smartphone (e.g. iPhone, Droid) 55% tablets (e.g. iPad, Kindle Fire)
Communication with nurses and other staff:44% smartphone 20% tablets
Access to medical research:43% smartphone 63% tablets
Access to evidence based clinical reference tools at the point of care with patients:42% smartphone 50% tablets
Communication with patients:33% smartphone 17% tabletsAccess to medical records/other patient data:17% smartphone 43% tablets
Access to information for reimbursement/billing purposes:12% smartphone 24% tablets
Other:9% smartphone 13% tablets
Did you notice the “access to medical records/other patient data” and “access to information for reimbursement/billing” categories? Tablets and iPads are used significantly for looking at information specific to patients. What happens in the event of a Tablet theft or iPad theft? What information may be accessible by a thief?
The answer is, you don’t know how much of a patient’s information may be stolen and used for stealing identities, credit information, addresses, prescriptions, etc. Medical tablet theft and Ipad theft are very real problems and put patients and their medical providers at risk. Using a Bug Tag on each device owned by the medical facility can prevent theft and potential HIPPA violations. The tag is an electronic article surveillance (EAS) anti-theft device. It is placed directly on a table or other device and can’t be removed without activating a built in alarm that screeches at 95 decibels, alerting staff to an attempted theft. Facilities also install EAS pedestals at entrances that can detect a Bug Tag. If a criminal tries to walk out with a device that is tagged (or if an employee forgets they have a device with them and they try to leave the building) the tag sets off the EAS pedestal alarm. Again, employees respond and can recover it before a tablet theft or iPad theft can take place. It is also important to know that the Bug Tag does come in a “3 alarm” version that activates a built in alarm in the tag if a person were to continue walking past the pedestals into a parking lot. This alarm prevents a thief from blending into a crowd and getting away unnoticed.
Going back to the 2013 Physician Outlook Survey, consider the information we are looking at, this data is four years old or more. As the popularity of the devices has increased with more apps available to doctors and nurses and the time and paperwork they save is realized, the numbers of devices in use are greater. This means the opportunity for iPad theft and Tablet theft is greater as well, making the security of them even more important today than it was in 2013. I know from my own recent visits to two local hospitals and a clinic in my area that mobile device use has become the norm in the medical profession. A close family member of mine was in an ICU unit and when doctors made their rounds individually and as a group most of the members had iPads or tablets. When I recently was at a local clinic I signed in on an iPad. My wife has signed in at a minute clinic on a mounted iPad. It is clear that the wave of the future is the move from paper to electronic records. Protecting this data is critical.
Improving efficiency in the medical field ultimately improves patient care and can drive down costs. In doing so, it is imperative that patient information is protected in the process by preventing iPad theft through the use of a Bug Tag.
Need information on iPad theft? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
Stop Shoplifting – 4 WC Blog 400
Checkpoint Labels –4
Electronic Article Surveillance – 4
Protect YOUR House; Checkpoint Labels Can Protect Your Store From Thieves Who Would Come In And Steal Your Profits
Like many people I enjoy watching sports and especially my two favorites, baseball and football. We have our favorite teams and root for them during their good seasons and their bad. We stick with them and support them buying sports gear, jerseys, hats, stickers for our cars and some even fly their team’s flag outside their home. There is a motto among teams now, picked up from the active wear company Under Armour, “Protect This House”. The motto, according to the website reference .com, “…is a call to all competitors who use their products to stand firm in their resolve to win.” Our teams are challenged to protect their home stadium, don’t allow ANY competitor to come into OUR stadium and think they can beat us. We fans go to the stadium and yell, scream and stomp our feet to motivate our players. When our team isn’t playing we often cheer on the underdog, we love to see the little guy, the not-so-well known team seemingly defeat all odds to take home the championship. I think of the 2016 College World Series when the relatively unknown Coastal Carolina Chanticleers took on the University of Florida, TCU, Texas Tech, and finally the University of Arizona to take home the NCAA Championship. New fans started rooting for the little school who took on all of the traditional powerhouse schools. It was said the vendors couldn’t keep Chanticleer merchandise in stock. If an active wear company recognizes the impact of the statement, “Protect This House”, you should recognize it for your store. Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. roots for the little guy too, the small stores fighting to be successful. They recognize that little stores don’t have the resources of the big box retailers to stop shoplifting, like a dedicated Loss Prevention department. They offer the best alternative to a dedicated L.P. department for those who can’t afford one.
From Electronic Article Surveillance towers to Checkpoint labels, LPSI has the tools that are proven to stop shoplifting and improve profits for stores. The tools work in two ways, first when thieves walk into a store and spot electronic article surveillance towers at the front doors they know that merchandise in the store is going to be protected. This tends to make the criminals nervous about trying to steal from the store, especially if they step in and see employees greeting customers and providing excellent customer service. The Checkpoint labels on merchandise deter theft as criminals are looking for tags to see how serious the store is about their anti-theft strategy. They don’t like to risk trying to steal merchandise that may set off the towers at the doors. The second way the electronic article surveillance tools stop shoplifting is when tagged merchandise is carried too close to the towers and the alarms in the tower are set off. Store staff immediately answers the alarm and conduct receipt checks. Is merchandise hidden in a purse? It doesn’t matter, Checkpoint labels can be detected through purses, in bags or even if merchandise is hidden in a pocket or under the clothes a criminal is wearing. Recovered merchandise stays in the store and shortage is prevented. Eventually the professional shoplifters stay away from stores that have towers and labels and superior service. Even the casual shoplifter gets the message after setting off an alarm once and being stopped while trying to steal.
It sounds good but you still aren’t sure you would know how to respond to alarms, place Checkpoint labels on merchandise or even identify who may try to steal? LPSI can provide training to store management teams and owners on how to stop shoplifting, recognize signs someone may be a shoplifter or even a dishonest employee. They can teach about anti-theft tools such as electronic article surveillance towers and how to maximize the effectiveness of them in a store. The folks at LPSI want to help you protect YOUR house by lowering your merchandise shrinkage and improving your bottom line. They are rooting for the underdog and have the knowledge and tools to help your business soar to new heights.
Checkpoint labels are important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.
Like many people I enjoy watching sports and especially my two favorites, baseball and football. We have our favorite teams and root for them during their good seasons and their bad. We stick with them and support them buying sports gear, jerseys, hats, stickers for our cars and some even fly their team’s flag outside their home. There is a motto among teams now, picked up from the active wear company Under Armour, “Protect This House”. The motto, according to the website reference .com, “…is a call to all competitors who use their products to stand firm in their resolve to win.” Our teams are challenged to protect their home stadium, don’t allow ANY competitor to come into OUR stadium and think they can beat us. We fans go to the stadium and yell, scream and stomp our feet to motivate our players. When our team isn’t playing we often cheer on the underdog, we love to see the little guy, the not-so-well known team seemingly defeat all odds to take home the championship. I think of the 2016 College World Series when the relatively unknown Coastal Carolina Chanticleers took on the University of Florida, TCU, Texas Tech, and finally the University of Arizona to take home the NCAA Championship. New fans started rooting for the little school who took on all of the traditional powerhouse schools. It was said the vendors couldn’t keep Chanticleer merchandise in stock. If an active wear company recognizes the impact of the statement, “Protect This House”, you should recognize it for your store. Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. roots for the little guy too, the small stores fighting to be successful. They recognize that little stores don’t have the resources of the big box retailers to stop shoplifting, like a dedicated Loss Prevention department. They offer the best alternative to a dedicated L.P. department for those who can’t afford one.
From Electronic Article Surveillance towers to Checkpoint labels, LPSI has the tools that are proven to stop shoplifting and improve profits for stores. The tools work in two ways, first when thieves walk into a store and spot electronic article surveillance towers at the front doors they know that merchandise in the store is going to be protected. This tends to make the criminals nervous about trying to steal from the store, especially if they step in and see employees greeting customers and providing excellent customer service. The Checkpoint labels on merchandise deter theft as criminals are looking for tags to see how serious the store is about their anti-theft strategy. They don’t like to risk trying to steal merchandise that may set off the towers at the doors. The second way the electronic article surveillance tools stop shoplifting is when tagged merchandise is carried too close to the towers and the alarms in the tower are set off. Store staff immediately answers the alarm and conduct receipt checks. Is merchandise hidden in a purse? It doesn’t matter, Checkpoint labels can be detected through purses, in bags or even if merchandise is hidden in a pocket or under the clothes a criminal is wearing. Recovered merchandise stays in the store and shortage is prevented. Eventually the professional shoplifters stay away from stores that have towers and labels and superior service. Even the casual shoplifter gets the message after setting off an alarm once and being stopped while trying to steal.
It sounds good but you still aren’t sure you would know how to respond to alarms, place Checkpoint labels on merchandise or even identify who may try to steal? LPSI can provide training to store management teams and owners on how to stop shoplifting, recognize signs someone may be a shoplifter or even a dishonest employee. They can teach about anti-theft tools such as electronic article surveillance towers and how to maximize the effectiveness of them in a store. The folks at LPSI want to help you protect YOUR house by lowering your merchandise shrinkage and improving your bottom line. They are rooting for the underdog and have the knowledge and tools to help your business soar to new heights.
Checkpoint labels are important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.
Alpha Hang Tag-3 WC Blog 422
Retail Anti-Theft Devices-4
Prevent Shoplifting-3
Surprising Results When You Choose To Use Retail Anti-Theft Devices To Prevent Shoplifting
Surprises can be good and they can be not-so-good. Not long ago I received an unexpected Thank You card with a gift card inside of it for a restaurant chain. It was sent by an employer that for whom I work as a token of their appreciation. You can imagine my surprise at such a gift when it was completely out of the blue. To top it off, it came unbeknownst to the people in the office that sent it, on my wife and my 26th wedding anniversary! Several years ago my wife got our church friends to throw me a surprise birthday party. I am not a big fan of parties, especially when they are for me but the thoughtfulness of the get-together was overwhelming. Some surprises are not welcome like one time when I was working an overnight shift and the tire on our van blew out while my wife was driving it. I was not there to be able to assist her and she was not sure what to do. That same kind of surprise, something unexpected happening is part of what enhances the ability of retail anti-theft devices to prevent shoplifting.
Retail anti-theft devices such as the Alpha hang tag work in part because of the surprise a shoplifter gets when the tag activates the electronic article surveillance (EAS) towers at the front doors of a store. The Alpha hang tag is used on the hang tab of peg hook merchandise to make it difficult for a shoplifter to simply conceal the item in a pocket or purse and walk out of a store. For starters the tag prevents a thief from easily cutting merchandise off of a locking peg hook. The tag is a solid plastic material that snaps over the tab. It is designed to be removed at the point of sale only and requires a detachment key to take if off. For merchandise not on a locking peg hook it deters theft because the tags have a lock symbol on them and the words “security protected” printed on the front. If a criminal decides to try to steal product that has the tag on it the EAS towers sound a piercing alarm that gets the attention of store employees. This alarm frequently surprises the crook dumb enough to try to steal the item. The surprise of the alarm noise and flashing lights in the towers can and does prevent shoplifting by causing the bad guy to drop the goods. Dropped merchandise is recovered merchandise.
Thinking back on my Loss Prevention days I can recall a number of times when a shoplifter got near the doors with merchandise protected with retail anti-theft devices and the alarm was activated and a recovery was made due to dropped merchandise. I remember once when a customer had placed a pair of tagged sunglasses in his pocket and began to leave the store. The alarm sounded and he looked shocked, pulled the glasses out and tossed them down on the ground and ran. I had no intention of stopping him for theft since I had not seen the concealment but I was going to have my uniformed security officer stop him and conduct a receipt check. As it turned out it wasn’t necessary to do that. I have seen people walk up the doors, set off the alarm and as a cashier supervisor approached they pulled the item out and say that they forgot that they had placed it wherever it was they had concealed it. The power of an EAS alarm cannot be underestimated when you see it prevent shoplifting.
The element of surprise can work wonders when an Alpha hang tag and other EAS retail anti-theft devices are used to protect merchandise. It can be a nasty surprise for a shoplifter trying to get merchandise past EAS towers and the alarms activate. It can be a pleasant surprise for a retail owner when a tag deters a theft or causes merchandise to be dropped and a recovery is made. The payoff in reduced shortage and improved in-stocks will drive up sales and THAT is a VERY pleasant surprise indeed.
For more information about Alpha Hang Tag contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
Surprises can be good and they can be not-so-good. Not long ago I received an unexpected Thank You card with a gift card inside of it for a restaurant chain. It was sent by an employer that for whom I work as a token of their appreciation. You can imagine my surprise at such a gift when it was completely out of the blue. To top it off, it came unbeknownst to the people in the office that sent it, on my wife and my 26th wedding anniversary! Several years ago my wife got our church friends to throw me a surprise birthday party. I am not a big fan of parties, especially when they are for me but the thoughtfulness of the get-together was overwhelming. Some surprises are not welcome like one time when I was working an overnight shift and the tire on our van blew out while my wife was driving it. I was not there to be able to assist her and she was not sure what to do. That same kind of surprise, something unexpected happening is part of what enhances the ability of retail anti-theft devices to prevent shoplifting.
Retail anti-theft devices such as the Alpha hang tag work in part because of the surprise a shoplifter gets when the tag activates the electronic article surveillance (EAS) towers at the front doors of a store. The Alpha hang tag is used on the hang tab of peg hook merchandise to make it difficult for a shoplifter to simply conceal the item in a pocket or purse and walk out of a store. For starters the tag prevents a thief from easily cutting merchandise off of a locking peg hook. The tag is a solid plastic material that snaps over the tab. It is designed to be removed at the point of sale only and requires a detachment key to take if off. For merchandise not on a locking peg hook it deters theft because the tags have a lock symbol on them and the words “security protected” printed on the front. If a criminal decides to try to steal product that has the tag on it the EAS towers sound a piercing alarm that gets the attention of store employees. This alarm frequently surprises the crook dumb enough to try to steal the item. The surprise of the alarm noise and flashing lights in the towers can and does prevent shoplifting by causing the bad guy to drop the goods. Dropped merchandise is recovered merchandise.
Thinking back on my Loss Prevention days I can recall a number of times when a shoplifter got near the doors with merchandise protected with retail anti-theft devices and the alarm was activated and a recovery was made due to dropped merchandise. I remember once when a customer had placed a pair of tagged sunglasses in his pocket and began to leave the store. The alarm sounded and he looked shocked, pulled the glasses out and tossed them down on the ground and ran. I had no intention of stopping him for theft since I had not seen the concealment but I was going to have my uniformed security officer stop him and conduct a receipt check. As it turned out it wasn’t necessary to do that. I have seen people walk up the doors, set off the alarm and as a cashier supervisor approached they pulled the item out and say that they forgot that they had placed it wherever it was they had concealed it. The power of an EAS alarm cannot be underestimated when you see it prevent shoplifting.
The element of surprise can work wonders when an Alpha hang tag and other EAS retail anti-theft devices are used to protect merchandise. It can be a nasty surprise for a shoplifter trying to get merchandise past EAS towers and the alarms activate. It can be a pleasant surprise for a retail owner when a tag deters a theft or causes merchandise to be dropped and a recovery is made. The payoff in reduced shortage and improved in-stocks will drive up sales and THAT is a VERY pleasant surprise indeed.
For more information about Alpha Hang Tag, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
