Alpha Keepers-5 wc blog 380
Prevent shoplifting-3
A Sure Fire Combination To Prevent Shoplifting Is To Use Alpha Keepers And Checkpoint Pedestals
I disliked a lot of things about high school but one of the things I REALLY hated were combination locks that we had to use on our lockers if we wanted to protect our belongings. More than 34 years ago and I still remember hurrying from one class to my locker to put away one set of books and get the next set of books. Oh how I recall fumbling with the tumbler of the lock trying to hit each digit just right and hoping I wouldn’t have to re-spin and start over again. I could feel the clock ticking down that would summon the ringing of the warning bell for the start of the next period. To amplify the problem I believe within the depths of my heart that some administrator had a depraved sense of humor at my expense. It seemed my classes started at one end of the building and my locker was assigned at an opposite end of the building. I was forced to rush from a class to the locker then to another wing of the building for the next class. I even suspect the gym coach was in collusion knowing my disdain of P.E. This was their method of making me do their exercises, one way or the other they were determined to make my life miserable. Anyways, those combination locks were designed to keep me out of my locker and they were doggone good at it. I thought about it after I spent time at work last night opening Alpha Keepers to sell ink cartridges to one patron and a voice recorder to another customer.
Before I continue I want to bring my audience up to speed on what the Alpha Keepers are since I realize not everyone may be familiar with them. Keepers are clear boxes with a hinged, locking lid. They come in a wide variety of sizes so different types of merchandise can fit in them for example some are designed for compact discs, some for baby formula and even for fragrances. The lids on the Keeper lock in place once the merchandise has been placed in them and require a special detachment key to open them. The keys can be secured at the point of sale so they can’t be stolen and used by thieves. All of the boxes have electronic article surveillance (EAS) technology built into them and so they work best for stores that have EAS pedestals installed at exit doors or at entryways to prevent shoplifting when crooks try take products to areas where merchandise should not be taken, such as restrooms. What happens when someone attempts to take merchandise stored in the Alpha Keepers out of the store if there are EAS pedestals in place? A loud alarm (95 decibels loud) and flashing lights in the antenna activate and alert employees an attempted theft is taking place. Staff members respond to the alarm and recover merchandise before crooks get away with it.
How secure are these boxes? Can they prevent shoplifting? Well let me tell you a little about the voice recorder I mentioned earlier. My customer brought the protected voice recorder to me at my register. I used my detachment key and tried to open the box. Oops! I struggled with the key and the latch that was supposed to be unlocked with the key. Now I have dealt with Alpha Keepers for a long time as a Loss Prevention Manager so this was embarrassing. As I manipulated the key and jiggled the locking latch I started to feel foolish but my customer was patient and we both laughed at my predicament. I did get it open after a minute or two and completed the transaction but it was a good reminder that if I had difficulty opening the box WITH a key, it would be an almost impossible task for a thief without a key to open an Alpha Box and steal the contents.
I don’t need to take you to school to teach you the value of Alpha Keepers. Protect your merchandise prevent shoplifting while giving your customers access to products and you will increase your sales and decrease theft in your store. Alpha products and a Checkpoint EAS pedestals are an awesome combination.
Alpha Keepers are important and we can help you with them. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.
I disliked a lot of things about high school but one of the things I REALLY hated were combination locks that we had to use on our lockers if we wanted to protect our belongings. More than 34 years ago and I still remember hurrying from one class to my locker to put away one set of books and get the next set of books. Oh how I recall fumbling with the tumbler of the lock trying to hit each digit just right and hoping I wouldn’t have to re-spin and start over again. I could feel the clock ticking down that would summon the ringing of the warning bell for the start of the next period. To amplify the problem I believe within the depths of my heart that some administrator had a depraved sense of humor at my expense. It seemed my classes started at one end of the building and my locker was assigned at an opposite end of the building. I was forced to rush from a class to the locker then to another wing of the building for the next class. I even suspect the gym coach was in collusion knowing my disdain of P.E. This was their method of making me do their exercises, one way or the other they were determined to make my life miserable. Anyways, those combination locks were designed to keep me out of my locker and they were doggone good at it. I thought about it after I spent time at work last night opening Alpha Keepers to sell ink cartridges to one patron and a voice recorder to another customer.
Before I continue I want to bring my audience up to speed on what the Alpha Keepers are since I realize not everyone may be familiar with them. Keepers are clear boxes with a hinged, locking lid. They come in a wide variety of sizes so different types of merchandise can fit in them for example some are designed for compact discs, some for baby formula and even for fragrances. The lids on the Keeper lock in place once the merchandise has been placed in them and require a special detachment key to open them. The keys can be secured at the point of sale so they can’t be stolen and used by thieves. All of the boxes have electronic article surveillance (EAS) technology built into them and so they work best for stores that have EAS pedestals installed at exit doors or at entryways to prevent shoplifting when crooks try take products to areas where merchandise should not be taken, such as restrooms. What happens when someone attempts to take merchandise stored in the Alpha Keepers out of the store if there are EAS pedestals in place? A loud alarm (95 decibels loud) and flashing lights in the antenna activate and alert employees an attempted theft is taking place. Staff members respond to the alarm and recover merchandise before crooks get away with it.
How secure are these boxes? Can they prevent shoplifting? Well let me tell you a little about the voice recorder I mentioned earlier. My customer brought the protected voice recorder to me at my register. I used my detachment key and tried to open the box. Oops! I struggled with the key and the latch that was supposed to be unlocked with the key. Now I have dealt with Alpha Keepers for a long time as a Loss Prevention Manager so this was embarrassing. As I manipulated the key and jiggled the locking latch I started to feel foolish but my customer was patient and we both laughed at my predicament. I did get it open after a minute or two and completed the transaction but it was a good reminder that if I had difficulty opening the box WITH a key, it would be an almost impossible task for a thief without a key to open an Alpha Box and steal the contents.
I don’t need to take you to school to teach you the value of Alpha Keepers. Protect your merchandise prevent shoplifting while giving your customers access to products and you will increase your sales and decrease theft in your store. Alpha products and a Checkpoint EAS pedestals are an awesome combination.
Alpha Keepers are important and we can help you with them. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.
Stop Shoplifting – 4 WC Blog 402
Employee Theft – 3
Training To Reduce Employee Theft – 3
Driving For Better Profits And Lower Shrink; Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. Offers Training To Reduce Employee Theft And Stop Shoplifting
A long time ago I taught my wife to drive. She had a few skills from when she was a little younger but had not pursued driving after that. Not long after we married we agreed there was a need for her to get her license so I spent time teaching her and she did earn her driver’s license. Turn the clock ahead 17 years and our son was ready to learn to drive. I spent time teaching him and giving him the basic skills. Wanting to be sure that he had all of the technical skills he would need to get through his driving test (and to lower insurance premiums) we sent him to a driver training school. Ahead another 3 years and I did the same training with our younger son and daughter. We sent them through driver training school also and our son went on to get his driver’s license. Our daughter chose to hold off. Now I am preparing her once again and guess what? I have found I have to review a few things, like parallel parking. More than 30 years of driving experience, 4 of those years as an Air Force Law Enforcement Specialist, and I have to refresh myself despite my driving experience (Thank You YouTube!). My reason for talking about this is that even with experience sometimes there are things you have to get refresher training on. For those things you don’t know how to do at all, getting the proper training pays off as you learn how to do something you never knew how to do in the first place. The same is true when it comes to retail loss prevention. You may be a store owner but that doesn’t necessarily translate to knowledge on how to stop shoplifting or prevent employee theft.
Training to reduce employee theft and stop shoplifting doesn’t come just by being a store manager. Bad guys are creative with old and new methods to steal from stores. Whatever the manner of theft most people are not equipped with the knowledge required to catch the bad guys let alone recognize the signs and indicators that can identify who may steal or who is planning on stealing. Think of it like this, I have been in retail management and I have been a Loss Prevention Manager. Those experiences alone do not necessarily mean I could own my own store and run it successfully or even take the position of store manager. Even if I could do so I would still require a certain amount of training in order to be successful. The same applies to Loss Prevention. In order to be successful at shortage reduction a manager or owner should go through training to reduce employee theft and that training is available through Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. They offer seminars on employee theft, shoplifting and even pre-employment hiring. As someone with over 25 years of combined retail, Loss Prevention and retail management experience, I will tell you that taking these training seminars provides invaluable lessons that will pay off over and over again in the future.
I mentioned earlier that proper training can pay off down the road (pun intended, you didn’t think I would pass up the opportunity did you?). With driver training the payoff is reduced insurance premiums and lowered chances of accidents meaning a lower risk of costly car repairs. What are the expected benefits of training to reduce employee theft or training to stop shoplifting? The obvious comes to mind first, you will learn to identify where theft is taking place and you can start to take the proper measure to stop it. You will also learn about the tools to deter and prevent theft like the Checkpoint electronic article surveillance towers and tags. As theft goes down profits go up, THERE is your dividend, black ink on your bottom line. What about the not so obvious dividends, what are they? Did you ever consider that time card fraud is theft? Have you ever thought about an employee clocking another employee in and the person being clocked in isn’t at work? How about price change manipulation? Return fraud? Never considered what happened to those receipts customers didn’t want when they left the store did you? All of these things can add up to big losses, but LPSi can show you the way to put an end to the leaches who are trying to bleed you dry. Want countless dividends when you learn to stop shoplifting and employee theft? Sign up for the seminars today, what in the world are you waiting for?
Get more information on Training To Reduce Employee Theft, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 now.
A long time ago I taught my wife to drive. She had a few skills from when she was a little younger but had not pursued driving after that. Not long after we married we agreed there was a need for her to get her license so I spent time teaching her and she did earn her driver’s license. Turn the clock ahead 17 years and our son was ready to learn to drive. I spent time teaching him and giving him the basic skills. Wanting to be sure that he had all of the technical skills he would need to get through his driving test (and to lower insurance premiums) we sent him to a driver training school. Ahead another 3 years and I did the same training with our younger son and daughter. We sent them through driver training school also and our son went on to get his driver’s license. Our daughter chose to hold off. Now I am preparing her once again and guess what? I have found I have to review a few things, like parallel parking. More than 30 years of driving experience, 4 of those years as an Air Force Law Enforcement Specialist, and I have to refresh myself despite my driving experience (Thank You YouTube!). My reason for talking about this is that even with experience sometimes there are things you have to get refresher training on. For those things you don’t know how to do at all, getting the proper training pays off as you learn how to do something you never knew how to do in the first place. The same is true when it comes to retail loss prevention. You may be a store owner but that doesn’t necessarily translate to knowledge on how to stop shoplifting or prevent employee theft.
Training to reduce employee theft and stop shoplifting doesn’t come just by being a store manager. Bad guys are creative with old and new methods to steal from stores. Whatever the manner of theft most people are not equipped with the knowledge required to catch the bad guys let alone recognize the signs and indicators that can identify who may steal or who is planning on stealing. Think of it like this, I have been in retail management and I have been a Loss Prevention Manager. Those experiences alone do not necessarily mean I could own my own store and run it successfully or even take the position of store manager. Even if I could do so I would still require a certain amount of training in order to be successful. The same applies to Loss Prevention. In order to be successful at shortage reduction a manager or owner should go through training to reduce employee theft and that training is available through Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. They offer seminars on employee theft, shoplifting and even pre-employment hiring. As someone with over 25 years of combined retail, Loss Prevention and retail management experience, I will tell you that taking these training seminars provides invaluable lessons that will pay off over and over again in the future.
I mentioned earlier that proper training can pay off down the road (pun intended, you didn’t think I would pass up the opportunity did you?). With driver training the payoff is reduced insurance premiums and lowered chances of accidents meaning a lower risk of costly car repairs. What are the expected benefits of training to reduce employee theft or training to stop shoplifting? The obvious comes to mind first, you will learn to identify where theft is taking place and you can start to take the proper measure to stop it. You will also learn about the tools to deter and prevent theft like the Checkpoint electronic article surveillance towers and tags. As theft goes down profits go up, THERE is your dividend, black ink on your bottom line. What about the not so obvious dividends, what are they? Did you ever consider that time card fraud is theft? Have you ever thought about an employee clocking another employee in and the person being clocked in isn’t at work? How about price change manipulation? Return fraud? Never considered what happened to those receipts customers didn’t want when they left the store did you? All of these things can add up to big losses, but LPSi can show you the way to put an end to the leaches who are trying to bleed you dry. Want countless dividends when you learn to stop shoplifting and employee theft? Sign up for the seminars today, what in the world are you waiting for?
Get more information on Training To Reduce Employee Theft, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 now.
Alpha Shark Tags – 3 WC Blog 367
Wardrobing -3
Return Fraud -4
You May Feel Embattled By Theft And Return Fraud; A Good Shortage Action Plan That Includes Alpha Shark Tags Can Help You Overcome The Opposition
I am a military history buff therefore I have certain quotes that I find I like that can be applied to both life and war.
Sun Tzu – Know your enemy and know yourself and you can fight a hundred battles without disaster
Napoleon Bonaparte – You must not fight too often with one enemy or you will teach him all your art of war.
Sun Tzu – He who will win knows how to handle both superior and inferior forces.
General George Patton Jr. – A good plan executed today is better than a perfect plan executed at some indefinite point in the future.
General George Patton Jr. – You’re never beaten until you admit it.
Dwight D. Eisenhower – What counts is not necessarily the size of the dog in the fight –it’s the size of the fight in the dog.
What in the world does this have to do with retail and especially preventing theft, fraud and shortage?! I’m glad you asked. Shoplifters and those committing fraud are the enemies of retailers. The business owner can sit by and be the victim or they can know their enemy and to paraphrase Sun Tzu, subdue the enemy without fighting them, winning the battles because they know the enemy and their strategies. Part of retail theft and fraud prevention is having a good action plan. Those who commit return fraud and shoplift CAN be beaten, when a store owner or manager has the tools and knowledge to deter or prevent their activity.
What tools are available to business owners to prevent return fraud? How about Alpha Shark Tags to start with? While shoplifters are out to just steal merchandise for personal use or to sell, the fraudster is often using store policies against the store to purchase clothes, wear them and bring the items back for a full refund. It is so prevalent that it has the name wardrobing attached to it. Tags and receipts are retained and often tags are re-attached to the merchandise and after being worn out a time or two, all items are returned for a full refund. The clothing sometimes is returned with small stains, or body odors, make-up stains or cologne smells. Retailers take the hit by selling the merchandise and then taking it back but often reducing the price or having to get rid of it and marking it out-of-stock. If a retailer uses Alpha Shark Tags, they defeat wardrobing fraud before it can happen. These tags are pinned on clothes with the stipulation that if the clothes are returned the pin has to be in place and intact. When properly placed, these brightly colored tags stand out like a sore thumb and someone used to committing fraud can’t wear the merchandise or people will be aware it is going to be returned. Rather than try to get away with the activity they shop elsewhere.
How else does a retailer defeat the enemy that would put them out of business if their crime is left unchecked? By creating shortage action plans focused on addressing weaknesses in return policies, identifying high merchandise shrinkage areas and making it an area of customer service focus. I have been part of creating large, unwieldy action plans that were detailed, long, filled with deadlines and due dates that have totally fallen apart within a few months of being finalized. The most effective plans are short, direct, have specific objectives and can be executed quickly, for example placing a security camera and dome over a high theft area. It may be as easy as starting an electronic article surveillance (EAS) tagging program and having EAS pedestals installed. Remember Patton’s quote? Execute a good plan today rather than a perfect plan at some point in the future.
I know you aren’t going into combat you are selling merchandise. It’s your business and hopefully your passion. There’s a saying in sports, “Protect This House”. Protect YOUR house against theft. Use Alpha Shark Tags to stop return fraud, EAS tags to prevent theft and customer service to deter theft and increase sales and attachment rates. You could be suffering at the hands of thieves right now but, “You’re never beaten until you admit it”. Let Loss Prevention Systems Inc. (LPSI) help you turn things around with our expert advice about wardrobing return fraud, shoplifting, planning and hiring practices, our website and monthly newsletter. We also offer training seminars on employee theft, shoplifting and pre-employment hiring. We CAN help your business thrive.
Need information on Alpha Shark Tags? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
I am a military history buff therefore I have certain quotes that I find I like that can be applied to both life and war.
Sun Tzu – Know your enemy and know yourself and you can fight a hundred battles without disaster.
Napoleon Bonaparte – You must not fight too often with one enemy or you will teach him all your art of war.
Sun Tzu – He who will win knows how to handle both superior and inferior forces.
General George Patton Jr. – A good plan executed today is better than a perfect plan executed at some indefinite point in the future. You’re never beaten until you admit it.
Dwight D. Eisenhower – What counts is not necessarily the size of the dog in the fight –it’s the size of the fight in the dog.
What in the world does this have to do with retail and especially preventing theft, fraud and shortage?! I’m glad you asked. Shoplifters and those committing fraud are the enemies of retailers. The business owner can sit by and be the victim or they can know their enemy and to paraphrase Sun Tzu, subdue the enemy without fighting them, winning the battles because they know the enemy and their strategies. Part of retail theft and fraud prevention is having a good action plan. Those who commit return fraud and shoplift CAN be beaten, when a store owner or manager has the tools and knowledge to deter or prevent their activity.
What tools are available to business owners to prevent return fraud? How about Alpha Shark Tags to start with? While shoplifters are out to just steal merchandise for personal use or to sell, the fraudster is often using store policies against the store to purchase clothes, wear them and bring the items back for a full refund. It is so prevalent that it has the name wardrobing attached to it. Tags and receipts are retained and often tags are re-attached to the merchandise and after being worn out a time or two, all items are returned for a full refund. The clothing sometimes is returned with small stains, or body odors, make-up stains or cologne smells. Retailers take the hit by selling the merchandise and then taking it back but often reducing the price or having to get rid of it and marking it out-of-stock. If a retailer uses Alpha Shark Tags, they defeat wardrobing fraud before it can happen. These tags are pinned on clothes with the stipulation that if the clothes are returned the pin has to be in place and intact. When properly placed, these brightly colored tags stand out like a sore thumb and someone used to committing fraud can’t wear the merchandise or people will be aware it is going to be returned. Rather than try to get away with the activity they shop elsewhere.
How else does a retailer defeat the enemy that would put them out of business if their crime is left unchecked? By creating shortage action plans focused on addressing weaknesses in return policies, identifying high merchandise shrinkage areas and making it an area of customer service focus. I have been part of creating large, unwieldy action plans that were detailed, long, filled with deadlines and due dates that have totally fallen apart within a few months of being finalized. The most effective plans are short, direct, have specific objectives and can be executed quickly, for example placing a security camera and dome over a high theft area. It may be as easy as starting an electronic article surveillance (EAS) tagging program and having EAS pedestals installed. Remember Patton’s quote? Execute a good plan today rather than a perfect plan at some point in the future.
I know you aren’t going into combat you are selling merchandise. It’s your business and hopefully your passion. There’s a saying in sports, “Protect This House”. Protect YOUR house against theft. Use Alpha Shark Tags to stop return fraud, EAS tags to prevent theft and customer service to deter theft and increase sales and attachment rates. You could be suffering at the hands of thieves right now but, “You’re never beaten until you admit it”. Let Loss Prevention Systems Inc. (LPSI) help you turn things around with our expert advice about wardrobing return fraud, shoplifting, planning and hiring practices, our website and monthly newsletter. We also offer training seminars on employee theft, shoplifting and pre-employment hiring. We CAN help your business thrive.
Need information on Alpha Shark Tags? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
Background Check Company-3 WC Blog 356
Employee Background Checks-3
Be Confident That Your Customer’s Personal Information Is Secure By Using A Background Check Company
I have spent the last week shopping for a new used car (yeah, I can’t afford a real new car so anything I buy is new for me). We went to back and forth between two-dealerships where we have made previous purchases. We started the loan paperwork at one of the two and got great news, we have good credit scores…HOORAY! They think we can afford nearly anything on their lot. Reality says they are crazy, I can’t afford those kinds of payments regardless of what my credit score says. Today we made a decision on a used minivan at the second dealership after doing some research on the vehicle we were interested in. We filled out financing paperwork again, paid a down payment and in a couple days go to pick up the new edition to our family. The process made me start thinking about something. I have provided my personal information to two different people and their co-workers in their respective finance offices. While I have dealt with both of the companies and these two particular salesmen, I really don’t know them nor do I know the office workers. I am taking a HUGE risk giving over my social security number, address, proper name, etc. to strangers. I feel reasonably secure about how the information will be handled but I can’t be completely certain my information won’t be stolen. I would feel better if I knew that the businesses conducted employee background checks on their sales associates and staff.
Employee Background Checks completed by professionals who have the proper research knowledge, contact information and experience with legal issues surrounding pre-employment screening and background checks can help businesses hire the right people. Do you need someone with a finance degree or licensing to work in the financing department of your company? A background check company can validate if your top candidate has the degree or certifications they have indicated they have on their job application. Does someone want to work for you in a position that will require handling confidential information? Perhaps you need to run criminal background checks on those applicants. You don’t want someone working for you that has been convicted of identity fraud or theft. There is a wide range of information a background check company can legally investigate for you that could turn up a hidden past an applicant is trying to keep from you.
The question may arise, “How can my business be held accountable if one of my employees chooses to steal a customer’s credit card information or Social Security Number?” The answer is that as the employer, you are held responsible for the actions of your employees in many circumstances when they harm someone in the course and scope of their employment. According to nolo.com regarding job related accidents or misconduct, “Under a legal doctrine sometimes referred to as “respondeat superior” (Latin for “Let the superior answer”), an employer is legally responsible for the actions of its employees.” If your employee has access to confidential information and they steal that information or use it for illegal activities, you could be potentially held responsible. What can you do to protect your business against the actions of a dishonest employee? Nolo’s website goes on to say, “Make it your business to run a routine background check before you hire an applicant.” This is exactly what a background check company does. It helps weed out bad apples before you bring them on board.
Don’t take your customers’ safety and security for granted. They trust you to protect their privacy and their financial information. You also need to protect your business from theft, fraud and lawsuits due to dishonest employee activity. Employee background checks are your first line of defense and will minimize the chances of security breaches.
Get more information on a background check company. Contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
I have spent the last week shopping for a new used car (yeah, I can’t afford a real new car so anything I buy is new for me). We went to back and forth between two-dealerships where we have made previous purchases. We started the loan paperwork at one of the two and got great news, we have good credit scores…HOORAY! They think we can afford nearly anything on their lot. Reality says they are crazy, I can’t afford those kinds of payments regardless of what my credit score says. Today we made a decision on a used minivan at the second dealership after doing some research on the vehicle we were interested in. We filled out financing paperwork again, paid a down payment and in a couple days go to pick up the new edition to our family. The process made me start thinking about something. I have provided my personal information to two different people and their co-workers in their respective finance offices. While I have dealt with both of the companies and these two particular salesmen, I really don’t know them nor do I know the office workers. I am taking a HUGE risk giving over my social security number, address, proper name, etc. to strangers. I feel reasonably secure about how the information will be handled but I can’t be completely certain my information won’t be stolen. I would feel better if I knew that the businesses conducted employee background checks on their sales associates and staff.
Employee Background Checks completed by professionals who have the proper research knowledge, contact information and experience with legal issues surrounding pre-employment screening and background checks can help businesses hire the right people. Do you need someone with a finance degree or licensing to work in the financing department of your company? A background check company can validate if your top candidate has the degree or certifications they have indicated they have on their job application. Does someone want to work for you in a position that will require handling confidential information? Perhaps you need to run criminal background checks on those applicants. You don’t want someone working for you that has been convicted of identity fraud or theft. There is a wide range of information a background check company can legally investigate for you that could turn up a hidden past an applicant is trying to keep from you.
The question may arise, “How can my business be held accountable if one of my employees chooses to steal a customer’s credit card information or Social Security Number?” The answer is that as the employer, you are held responsible for the actions of your employees in many circumstances when they harm someone in the course and scope of their employment. According to nolo.com regarding job related accidents or misconduct, “Under a legal doctrine sometimes referred to as “respondeat superior” (Latin for “Let the superior answer”), an employer is legally responsible for the actions of its employees.” If your employee has access to confidential information and they steal that information or use it for illegal activities, you could be potentially held responsible. What can you do to protect your business against the actions of a dishonest employee? Nolo’s website goes on to say, “Make it your business to run a routine background check before you hire an applicant.” This is exactly what a background check company does. It helps weed out bad apples before you bring them on board.
Don’t take your customers’ safety and security for granted. They trust you to protect their privacy and their financial information. You also need to protect your business from theft, fraud and lawsuits due to dishonest employee activity. Employee background checks are your first line of defense and will minimize the chances of security breaches.
Get more information on a background check company. Contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
Electronic article surveillance – 5 WC blog 396
Checkpoint Tags -3
Stop Shoplifting-3
What Were You thinking? Questions I Ask Myself About Merchandise Strategies, Theft Prevention And Electronic Article Surveillance
Have you ever had those moments where you’ve seen something and you just had to wonder, “What were they thinking?” I believe most of us have and from a customer and Retail Loss Prevention Manager’s perspective I do this in stores quite a bit. Sometimes it is based on merchandising strategies and sometimes how they intend to stop shoplifting:
• Dump bins – Can someone please explain to me the sales strategy behind these? How does dumping bazillions of dvd’s or videogames into a box and expecting potential customers to dig through to find one gem they really want (at a $3-$5 price point) enhance sales? I’ve tried to dig through these things and after an avalanche of movies crashes down on me as I get near the bottom of the bin I quit.
• Lawn and Garden shops at stores – why do you have a fenced in area and then have merchandise on the outside of the fence? Worse yet, you have your point of sales INSIDE the building, not even a register by the fence exit. I am certain most customers will pick up merchandise and walk it all the way back in to make a purchase but I am just as certain there are people picking up items and walking off with them.
• Why do stores have TEN shelf checkout lanes with one cashier monitoring them all? Four is okay, but inevitably when I am using a self-checkout with more than four it seems the ONE cashier is constantly busy helping with problem checkouts. I get angry having to wait for several minutes for assistance when I was going through the self-checkout to speed up the process not slow down.
• Similar to the outside the fence garden shop merchandise strategy, how about the shoe store sidewalk sale with no one manning the sidewalk? What were you thinking? Yes, those stores have electronic article surveillance towers and nope, they won’t detect Checkpoint tags that are already past the towers.
Are there answers out there to my questions? I know someone in a business has a reason for the decisions, but that does not mean it is necessarily a smart decision. This is especially true for stores that are trying to stop shoplifting by using Electronic Article Surveillance systems.
Electronic Article Surveillance systems use radio frequency (rf) waves emitted from Checkpoint Tags and picked up by Checkpoint towers to protect merchandise from theft. When merchandise is protected with tags and the tagged merchandise is carried within the detection range of the towers there are alarms and lights in the towers that are activated. The noise and lights of the towers draws a response from store employees who then conduct receipt checks and determine the cause of the activation. With the proper training on addressing alarms, employees can recover merchandise and stop shoplifting from taking place.
Additional “What were they thinking?” moments I have had in regard to merchandise protection:
• Why are anti-theft devices used on some music and movies and not used on others? I just don’t get that.
• Anti-theft device wraps used to secure merchandise and the wraps are then secured to pegboard or shelving! Alert to store managers or Loss Prevention Departments, the purpose of the wrap is to allow the customer to walk around the store while the merchandise is still protected. It is also supposed to free up employees from having to unlock showcases. Guess what they have to do with these displays? That’s right…someone has to unlock them.
• No one responds when Electronic Article Surveillance tower alarms activate! Why is no one trained to respond or responsible for making a response a priority? Why bother with a system?
Merchandise protection is called that for a reason, it is meant to protect merchandise. Doing it in a half- hearted manner does not equate to cutting your shortage in half, it simply means it isn’t being taken seriously by thieves and to a certain extent by the store.
While retailers may have good intentions in their merchandise strategies that does not mean they make sense (at least to me). The same is true for merchandise protection and I have very strong feelings on this. Electronic Article Surveillance and Checkpoint Tags can stop shoplifting when employed to its fullest potential in stores. Tag everything, make alarm response a priority and train all employees and you will see profits rise as shortage decreases. End of rants…for now.
Get more information on Electronic Article Surveillance, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
Have you ever had those moments where you’ve seen something and you just had to wonder, “What were they thinking?” I believe most of us have and from a customer and Retail Loss Prevention Manager’s perspective I do this in stores quite a bit. Sometimes it is based on merchandising strategies and sometimes how they intend to stop shoplifting:
• Dump bins – Can someone please explain to me the sales strategy behind these? How does dumping bazillions of dvd’s or videogames into a box and expecting potential customers to dig through to find one gem they really want (at a $3-$5 price point) enhance sales? I’ve tried to dig through these things and after an avalanche of movies crashes down on me as I get near the bottom of the bin I quit.
• Lawn and Garden shops at stores – why do you have a fenced in area and then have merchandise on the outside of the fence? Worse yet, you have your point of sales INSIDE the building, not even a register by the fence exit. I am certain most customers will pick up merchandise and walk it all the way back in to make a purchase but I am just as certain there are people picking up items and walking off with them.
• Why do stores have TEN shelf checkout lanes with one cashier monitoring them all? Four is okay, but inevitably when I am using a self-checkout with more than four it seems the ONE cashier is constantly busy helping with problem checkouts. I get angry having to wait for several minutes for assistance when I was going through the self-checkout to speed up the process not slow down.
• Similar to the outside the fence garden shop merchandise strategy, how about the shoe store sidewalk sale with no one manning the sidewalk? What were you thinking? Yes, those stores have electronic article surveillance towers and nope, they won’t detect Checkpoint tags that are already past the towers.
Are there answers out there to my questions? I know someone in a business has a reason for the decisions, but that does not mean it is necessarily a smart decision. This is especially true for stores that are trying to stop shoplifting by using Electronic Article Surveillance systems.
Electronic Article Surveillance systems use radio frequency (rf) waves emitted from Checkpoint Tags and picked up by Checkpoint towers to protect merchandise from theft. When merchandise is protected with tags and the tagged merchandise is carried within the detection range of the towers there are alarms and lights in the towers that are activated. The noise and lights of the towers draws a response from store employees who then conduct receipt checks and determine the cause of the activation. With the proper training on addressing alarms, employees can recover merchandise and stop shoplifting from taking place.
Additional “What were they thinking?” moments I have had in regard to merchandise protection:
• Why are anti-theft devices used on some music and movies and not used on others? I just don’t get that.
• Anti-theft device wraps used to secure merchandise and the wraps are then secured to pegboard or shelving! Alert to store managers or Loss Prevention Departments, the purpose of the wrap is to allow the customer to walk around the store while the merchandise is still protected. It is also supposed to free up employees from having to unlock showcases. Guess what they have to do with these displays? That’s right…someone has to unlock them.
• No one responds when Electronic Article Surveillance tower alarms activate! Why is no one trained to respond or responsible for making a response a priority? Why bother with a system?
Merchandise protection is called that for a reason, it is meant to protect merchandise. Doing it in a half- hearted manner does not equate to cutting your shortage in half, it simply means it isn’t being taken seriously by thieves and to a certain extent by the store.
While retailers may have good intentions in their merchandise strategies that does not mean they make sense (at least to me). The same is true for merchandise protection and I have very strong feelings on this. Electronic Article Surveillance and Checkpoint Tags can stop shoplifting when employed to its fullest potential in stores. Tag everything, make alarm response a priority and train all employees and you will see profits rise as shortage decreases. End of rants…for now.
Get more information on Electronic Article Surveillance, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
