Checkpoint Tags – 5 WC Blog 337
Stop Shoplifting- 3
Balancing Efforts To Stop Shoplifting And Use Loss Prevention Resources Wisely – Part 2
In case you may have missed Part 1 of this two-part series, I am visiting an argument/question that recently popped up in an article in LP INSIDER magazine, “To Stop or Not to Stop the Shoplifter: Is This Still a Question?”, by Johnny Custer, LPC, CFI, March 14, 2017. The arguments posed by the writer question whether the best uses of Loss Prevention professionals should be to focus on and stop shoplifting or can they be more effective in reducing shortage in other ways. I pointed out in Part 1 that shoplifting accounts for more shortage than the author contends by referencing the 2014-2015 Global Retail Theft Barometer Report. I also expressed my concern that it is a poor use of assets for stores to focus the attention of Loss Prevention on store operations as I have personally experienced. Stores usually pay someone to manage the operations, replenishment and administrative functions for the business. I will return to this point in a little later. To be fair to the author, he did not totally disapprove of stopping shoplifters, and his concern is partially for L.P. safety. I will also say, as someone who has had to fight with shoplifters, it can be dangerous but proper training on safe apprehensions and when to disengage can alleviate much of that concern. One area that was not specifically addressed in the article and I believe can stop shoplifting AND impact other shortage is the use of Checkpoint Tags on merchandise. They can help L.P. prevent external and internal theft and even improve some operational shortage issues.
Checkpoint Tags are readily identifiable to shoplifters when placed in highly visible locations on merchandise. Since the objective of the shoplifter is to steal without getting caught, most do not want to contend with trying to force off a tag which is usually unsuccessful and damages product. They also don’t want to risk leaving a tag on and activating the electronic article surveillance pedestals at the doors when they try to exit with unpaid for products. Employees who want to steal face the same risks, so internal theft is also reduced with the use of Checkpoint Tags. One often overlooked benefit of electronic article surveillance tags is that when a tagged item is missed by a cashier during checkout, such as a product on the bottom of the shopping cart or a small cosmetic item in a buggy, the electronic article surveillance pedestal detects the item and employees can assist the customer in purchasing it or returning it to the salesfloor. This is not a theft issue it is an operational/training issue.
The writer states in his article, “There are other aspects of shrink occurring in your buildings that contribute to the bulk of your shrink woes. These aspects are more controllable and much safer to address.” One of his suggestions to focus on is, “Train and require continued training on all facets of business operation, including perpetual inventory process, price changes, markdowns, seasonal changeovers, DSD and receiving processes…” While I have no argument against L.P. being trained to recognize the potential shortage issues related to these areas, it is my opinion this is NOT where L.P. teams should be focused. Certainly we can be partners in this and L.P. can bring a fresh set of eyes to a problem but, I would refer again to the 2014-2015 GRTB that indicated administrative and non-crime shortage accounts for approximately 13% of shortage and vendor fraud and theft 6% of stores shortage. Together they combine for 19% of store losses. I would suggest the use of Checkpoint Tags to stop shoplifting could help to reduce some of the vendor theft that may be taking place if we are talking about the theft of other merchandise while the vendor is in the store. As I also mentioned tagging can help improve some operational issues. Unless, your L.P. team is focusing on theft related to fraudulent markdowns, I don’t feel this is the best use of a Loss Prevention department.
I do understand the concerns over the dangers associated with shoplifter detentions and apprehensions. That said, underestimating the impact of shoplifting and choosing to let criminals get away with theft is an invitation to increased shortage, not the other way around. Deter theft with Checkpoint Tags and customer service but don’t dismiss the value of L.P. apprehensions of shoplifters. The threat of being apprehended is a deterrent in itself.
Need information on Checkpoint Tags? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
In case you may have missed Part 1 of this two-part series, I am visiting an argument/question that recently popped up in an article in LP INSIDER magazine, “To Stop or Not to Stop the Shoplifter: Is This Still a Question?”, by Johnny Custer, LPC, CFI, March 14, 2017. The arguments posed by the writer question whether the best uses of Loss Prevention professionals should be to focus on and stop shoplifting or can they be more effective in reducing shortage in other ways. I pointed out in Part 1 that shoplifting accounts for more shortage than the author contends by referencing the 2014-2015 Global Retail Theft Barometer Report. I also expressed my concern that it is a poor use of assets for stores to focus the attention of Loss Prevention on store operations as I have personally experienced. Stores usually pay someone to manage the operations, replenishment and administrative functions for the business. I will return to this point in a little later. To be fair to the author, he did not totally disapprove of stopping shoplifters, and his concern is partially for L.P. safety. I will also say, as someone who has had to fight with shoplifters, it can be dangerous but proper training on safe apprehensions and when to disengage can alleviate much of that concern. One area that was not specifically addressed in the article and I believe can stop shoplifting AND impact other shortage is the use of Checkpoint Tags on merchandise. They can help L.P. prevent external and internal theft and even improve some operational shortage issues.
Checkpoint Tags are readily identifiable to shoplifters when placed in highly visible locations on merchandise. Since the objective of the shoplifter is to steal without getting caught, most do not want to contend with trying to force off a tag which is usually unsuccessful and damages product. They also don’t want to risk leaving a tag on and activating the electronic article surveillance pedestals at the doors when they try to exit with unpaid for products. Employees who want to steal face the same risks, so internal theft is also reduced with the use of Checkpoint Tags. One often overlooked benefit of electronic article surveillance tags is that when a tagged item is missed by a cashier during checkout, such as a product on the bottom of the shopping cart or a small cosmetic item in a buggy, the electronic article surveillance pedestal detects the item and employees can assist the customer in purchasing it or returning it to the salesfloor. This is not a theft issue it is an operational/training issue.
The writer states in his article, “There are other aspects of shrink occurring in your buildings that contribute to the bulk of your shrink woes. These aspects are more controllable and much safer to address.” One of his suggestions to focus on is, “Train and require continued training on all facets of business operation, including perpetual inventory process, price changes, markdowns, seasonal changeovers, DSD and receiving processes…” While I have no argument against L.P. being trained to recognize the potential shortage issues related to these areas, it is my opinion this is NOT where L.P. teams should be focused. Certainly we can be partners in this and L.P. can bring a fresh set of eyes to a problem but, I would refer again to the 2014-2015 GRTB that indicated administrative and non-crime shortage accounts for approximately 13% of shortage and vendor fraud and theft 6% of stores shortage. Together they combine for 19% of store losses. I would suggest the use of Checkpoint Tags to stop shoplifting could help to reduce some of the vendor theft that may be taking place if we are talking about the theft of other merchandise while the vendor is in the store. As I also mentioned tagging can help improve some operational issues. Unless, your L.P. team is focusing on theft related to fraudulent markdowns, I don’t feel this is the best use of a Loss Prevention department.
I do understand the concerns over the dangers associated with shoplifter detentions and apprehensions. That said, underestimating the impact of shoplifting and choosing to let criminals get away with theft is an invitation to increased shortage, not the other way around. Deter theft with Checkpoint Tags and customer service but don’t dismiss the value of L.P. apprehensions of shoplifters. The threat of being apprehended is a deterrent in itself.
Need information on Checkpoint Tags? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
Alpha 3 Alarm-3 WC Blog 333
Retail Anti-Theft Devices-3
Alpha Security-3
Childhood Antics Can Lead To Young Adult Shoplifters; Clamp Down On The Crime Of Shoplifting With Alpha 3 Alarm Tags
I was reflecting on some of my oddest encounters with shoplifters and one came to mind that bothers me and I wasn’t even working that day. It involved an encounter with a young man about 10 years old in a grocery store. I wasn’t working there, and had no affiliation with the store, I just happened to be shopping with my wife. We were in the fruits and vegetables department and the boy was standing near his mother. He looked at a bunch of grapes and pulled one off and ate it. He then looked at me and grinned and grabbed another one. I wasn’t grinning, I gave the young man a stern look and shook my head. He smiled and reached for more. I continued to glare at him but he wasn’t bothered, he plucked some more and continued to eat even though he knew it was wrong. How do you prevent shoplifting when kids at that age are not afraid of adults or apparently their own parents? Often when children are able to get away with taking little things they go on to other theft. I have dealt with the children that became little monsters. I would catch the child stealing toys, cd’s or videogames and call the parent who would come to the store and tell me the kid was just a child and didn’t understand. I would have to remind the parent their precious little angel understood enough to remove the wrap or hide the item under their clothes. Need reasons to use retail anti-theft devices in your store? There you go. Grapes may not be able to be protected by Alpha Security products, but other things can be.
As these young people grow up into teenagers one of the popular categories of merchandise I have caught many of these “youths” stealing are clothes. This has included everything from underwear to pants, shirts and accessories like hats, scarves and purses. Today there are outstanding tools to deter the theft of these products from Alpha Security. Alpha 3 alarm hard tags can be attached to any garment or accessory making the item nearly impossible to steal. The tags are attached in an easy to notice location, alerting the would-be thief that protection is in place. If a shoplifter decides to try to steal the merchandise anyways there are several barriers they have to get past. First, a special detachment tool is needed to remove the tags and those are controlled by the store. If the bad guy tries to force a tag off they damage the merchandise, rendering it useless. There is also a tamper alarm that is activated when an attempt is made to forcibly remove these retail anti-theft devices. Stores that use the Alpha 3 alarm tags also have electronic article surveillance (EAS) pedestals at the front doors and these sound an audible alert and flash lights if someone tries to walk out with tagged product. Finally, for the Pièce de résistance, should a shoplifter ignore the alarm from the EAS towers, a self-alarm sounds in the device as the culprit exits, screeching even in the parking lot.
You may be thinking that I am a exaggerating a bit, that grazing on a few pieces of fruit does not equate to someone eventually shoplifting clothing. You may be correct since I don’t have empirical data to back up my claim. What I do have is experience in dealing with shoplifting youth. I have caught teenagers stealing bathing suits, jeans, and other clothing items. I have responded to EAS pedestal alarm activations and recovered merchandise that was tagged with a retail anti-theft device. I have caught pre-teen boys trying to wear a new pair of sneakers out of the store without paying for them. I can’t begin to count the number of times I heard the excuses, “I thought I put it back”, “I didn’t know” (of course I didn’t know what it was they didn’t know) or “My friends made me do it”. Then there was the best non-excuse excuse, “I’ll just pay for it”, how was that going to work if they had gotten away? Alpha Security products work at deterring and preventing shoplifting but there are always those who are going to try anyways. I do believe in many cases properly addressing even the smallest incidents of theft and making children aware there are penalties can prevent the behavior when they grow into young adults.
Enjoy the fruits of your labor. There’s no need for sour grapes over merchandise shortage. Regardless of their age; prevent shoplifters from stealing from you by using Alpha 3 Alarm tags on all of your clothing goods and protect your profits.
Get more information on Alpha 3 Alarm, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
I was reflecting on some of my oddest encounters with shoplifters and one came to mind that bothers me and I wasn’t even working that day. It involved an encounter with a young man about 10 years old in a grocery store. I wasn’t working there, and had no affiliation with the store, I just happened to be shopping with my wife. We were in the fruits and vegetables department and the boy was standing near his mother. He looked at a bunch of grapes and pulled one off and ate it. He then looked at me and grinned and grabbed another one. I wasn’t grinning, I gave the young man a stern look and shook my head. He smiled and reached for more. I continued to glare at him but he wasn’t bothered, he plucked some more and continued to eat even though he knew it was wrong. How do you prevent shoplifting when kids at that age are not afraid of adults or apparently their own parents? Often when children are able to get away with taking little things they go on to other theft. I have dealt with the children that became little monsters. I would catch the child stealing toys, cd’s or videogames and call the parent who would come to the store and tell me the kid was just a child and didn’t understand. I would have to remind the parent their precious little angel understood enough to remove the wrap or hide the item under their clothes. Need reasons to use retail anti-theft devices in your store? There you go. Grapes may not be able to be protected by Alpha Security products, but other things can be.
As these young people grow up into teenagers one of the popular categories of merchandise I have caught many of these “youths” stealing are clothes. This has included everything from underwear to pants, shirts and accessories like hats, scarves and purses. Today there are outstanding tools to deter the theft of these products from Alpha Security. Alpha 3 alarm hard tags can be attached to any garment or accessory making the item nearly impossible to steal. The tags are attached in an easy to notice location, alerting the would-be thief that protection is in place. If a shoplifter decides to try to steal the merchandise anyways there are several barriers they have to get past. First, a special detachment tool is needed to remove the tags and those are controlled by the store. If the bad guy tries to force a tag off they damage the merchandise, rendering it useless. There is also a tamper alarm that is activated when an attempt is made to forcibly remove these retail anti-theft devices. Stores that use the Alpha 3 alarm tags also have electronic article surveillance (EAS) pedestals at the front doors and these sound an audible alert and flash lights if someone tries to walk out with tagged product. Finally, for the Pièce de résistance, should a shoplifter ignore the alarm from the EAS towers, a self-alarm sounds in the device as the culprit exits, screeching even in the parking lot.
You may be thinking that I am a exaggerating a bit, that grazing on a few pieces of fruit does not equate to someone eventually shoplifting clothing. You may be correct since I don’t have empirical data to back up my claim. What I do have is experience in dealing with shoplifting youth. I have caught teenagers stealing bathing suits, jeans, and other clothing items. I have responded to EAS pedestal alarm activations and recovered merchandise that was tagged with a retail anti-theft device. I have caught pre-teen boys trying to wear a new pair of sneakers out of the store without paying for them. I can’t begin to count the number of times I heard the excuses, “I thought I put it back”, “I didn’t know” (of course I didn’t know what it was they didn’t know) or “My friends made me do it”. Then there was the best non-excuse excuse, “I’ll just pay for it”, how was that going to work if they had gotten away? Alpha Security products work at deterring and preventing shoplifting but there are always those who are going to try anyways. I do believe in many cases properly addressing even the smallest incidents of theft and making children aware there are penalties can prevent the behavior when they grow into young adults.
Enjoy the fruits of your labor. There’s no need for sour grapes over merchandise shortage. Regardless of their age; prevent shoplifters from stealing from you by using Alpha 3 Alarm tags on all of your clothing goods and protect your profits.
Get more information on Alpha 3 Alarm, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
SHOPLIFTERS TRIGGER CHECKPOINT SECURITY SYSTEM ALARM, LEAVES EMPTY HANDED!
Checkpoint Security System-5 ML Blog 01
Anti-Shoplifting- 3
Anti-shoplifting devices deter thousands of dollars worth of merchandise from leaving your business within minutes. With me being the “eye in the sky” for retailers, you would be surprised how many high dollar thefts I see on a daily basis. There is good reason behind why a majority of large retailers have already invested in a Checkpoint Security System.
It’s 3:00pm on at Saturday and the store is full of foot traffic on a busy sales day. The store is filled with long lines of customers making purchases, busy cashiers at the registers, and the management staff checking sales hourly hoping they will hit their daily goal. While everything seems to be running smooth out on the sales floor, I’m in my Loss Prevention Office scanning the store for shoplifters. I see on camera 2 subjects scoping the store suspiciously for cameras. Within minutes of seeing their behavior, Subject 1 grabs 7 jackets and 8 pair of pants off of a clothing fixture without looking at prices or sizes. They chose this fixture because the items were high demand brands that were also high dollar items. Subject 2, quickly pulls out 2 large empty shopping bags out of their pocket, and they began rapidly stuffing all 15 items. The concealment is complete and they are now ready to leave. The shoplifters head quickly toward the stores exit doors which is equipped with a Checkpoint Security System, an emerged leader in anti-shoplifting devices in the Loss Prevention world. They did not realize that they made a crucial mistake. The merchandise is equipped with merchandise protection that was hardly visible. The Checkpoint Security System starts alarming as they approach and now all eyes are on the Shoplifters from the people on the sales floor. Within minutes it went from $1,242.00 going right out the door, to now the shoplifters nervously dropping the bags of merchandise on the ground leaving immediately with NOTHING. A big theft prevention for the store that day! However, think about how many times per week this happens. What if the same 2 subjects came into your store once a week? You would lose around $60,000 just from 2 people in only a 1 year period. Many of the shoplifters I watch, it’s not the first time I’ve seen them in the store before and it’s hardly ever a one-time incident. Think of how many more shoplifters who are stealing from you as well, which could triple the amount of loss dollars easily. So why not invest in technology that will aid in helping your business manage losses? In this day and age, it is not realistic for associate awareness on the sales floor to be enough in deterring the thieves. The shoplifters will purposely wait till associates are busy with customers and use that perfect opportunity to steal when no one is around. There is no possible way for a store to observe everything that is going on.
In my several years of Loss Prevention experience, I see a high amount of these incidents happening on CCTV due to Anti-shoplifting devices. A Checkpoint Security System should be required in every store to deter daily theft walk outs to prevent shrink from spiraling out of control before you even know it. Give yourself that peace of mind so you can focus on your customers and sales, versus worrying about high dollar merchandise leaving your building from thieves. The problem will not get better on its own, but will only get worse. I would suggest a Checkpoint Security System if you are looking for detection that truly works, at an inexpensive price.
For more information about Checkpoint Security System, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547.
Anti-shoplifting devices deter thousands of dollars worth of merchandise from leaving your business within minutes. With me being the “eye in the sky” for retailers, you would be surprised how many high dollar thefts I see on a daily basis. There is good reason behind why a majority of large retailers have already invested in a Checkpoint Security System.
It’s 3:00pm on at Saturday and the store is full of foot traffic on a busy sales day. The store is filled with long lines of customers making purchases, busy cashiers at the registers, and the management staff checking sales hourly hoping they will hit their daily goal. While everything seems to be running smooth out on the sales floor, I’m in my Loss Prevention office scanning the store for shoplifters. I see on camera, 2 subjects scoping the store suspiciously for cameras. Within minutes of seeing their behavior, Subject 1 grabs 7 jackets and 8 pair of pants off of a clothing fixture without looking at prices or sizes. They chose this fixture because the items were high demand brands that were also high dollar items. Subject 2, quickly pulls 2 large empty shopping bags out of their pocket, and they began rapidly stuffing all 15 items. The concealment is complete and they are now ready to leave. The shoplifters head quickly toward the stores exit doors which is equipped with a Checkpoint Security System, an emerged leader in anti-shoplifting devices in the Loss Prevention world. They did not realize they made a crucial mistake. The merchandise is equipped with merchandise protection that was hardly visible. The Checkpoint Security System starts alarming as they approach and now all eyes are on the shoplifters from the people on the sales floor. Within minutes it went from $1,242.00 going right out the door, to now the shoplifters nervously dropping the bags of merchandise on the ground leaving immediately with NOTHING. A big theft prevention for the store that day!
Think about how many times per week this happens. What if the same 2 subjects came into your store once a week? You would lose around $60,000 just from 2 people in only a 1 year period. Many of the shoplifters I watch, it’s not the first time I’ve seen them in the store before and it’s hardly ever a one-time incident. Think of how many more shoplifters who are stealing from you as well, which could triple the amount of loss dollars easily. So why not invest in technology that will aid in helping your business manage losses? In this day and age, it is not realistic for associate awareness on the sales floor to be enough in deterring the thieves. The shoplifters will purposely wait till associates are busy with customers and use that perfect opportunity to steal when no one is around. There is no possible way for a store to observe everything that is going on.
In my several years of Loss Prevention experience, I see a high amount of these incidents happening on CCTV due to Anti-shoplifting devices. A Checkpoint Security System should be required in every store to deter daily theft walk outs to prevent shrink from spiraling out of control before you even know it. Give yourself that peace of mind so you can focus on your customers and sales, versus worrying about high dollar merchandise leaving your building from thieves. The problem will not get better on its own, but will only get worse. I would suggest a Checkpoint Security System if you are looking for detection that truly works, at an inexpensive price.
For more information about Checkpoint Security System, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547.
Alpha Keepers-4 WC Blog 278
Gaming Keepers-4
Prevent Shoplifting-5
Retail Anti-theft Devices-3
Display Case Dilemma; A Loss Prevention Manager’s Discourse On Why He Prefers Gaming Keepers To Prevent Shoplifting Part 1
I was in a big box retail store just the other day with one of my sons who happens to be in his twenties. I mention this because it wasn’t like a young boy who wanted to find a game then hand something from a case to his dad. My son was looking at video games through the showcase glass at the game he wanted. Let me rant for a moment…I HATE showcases. Thanks, I had to get that off my chest. I will delve into that a little later in the article. Fortunately my son already knew which game he wanted so there was no need to browse through a locked display case to read information on other games he might want to consider for purchase. We stood at the case for a minute and when no one came over to assist, I mentioned to him that I had observed an employee an aisle over from us. As my son went to ask for assistance the young man walked by without looking in our direction. My son asked him for help and the associate walked over, opened the showcase, handed my son the game, locked up the showcase and when my son thanked him he said, “No Problem” and walked away. Having many years of Retail Loss Prevention experience under my belt I will be the first to acknowledge I may be a bit more critical of security procedures than most people. I do feel safe in saying I don’t think this was how the security procedures for this item was supposed to be handled. If a business is using showcases to prevent shoplifting then why are employees removing items from lock-up and handing them to a customer and walking away? Better retail anti-theft devices would be Alpha’s gaming keepers in this situation.
What are gaming keepers and why are they my preferred retail anti-theft devices when you want to prevent shoplifting of games? Gaming Keepers are clear, locking cases made of recyclable polycarbonate designed for individual videogame software units. They come in designs to fit smaller games for handheld units such as Gameboys or larger cases for console games such as the PS4 or Xbox One, just to name a few. Alpha keepers allow merchandise to be stocked in the open for easy accessibility by customers while at the same time they prevent shoplifting. The keepers are alarmed so if a shoplifter tries to force one open a high pitched alarm sounds and alerts employees to the attempted theft. Because they are see-through, game content and warning labels can be read. Since they are open display, customers have no need to wait for assistance to pick up a game and take it to check-out! Additionally, gaming keepers and for that matter, all Alpha Keepers are built with electronic article surveillance (EAS) capability so they cause an EAS antenna to alarm if carried into the range of the antenna.
I’ve addressed what Alpha Keepers are for games and I’ve discussed how they prevent shoplifting, but I only alluded to why they are my preferred retail anti-theft devices for video games. Showcases should be a last resort for any type of displayed merchandise. I have several reasons for saying this. First, the customer is resigned to wait if they simply want to look at a displayed item. That doesn’t even mean they will buy it. As someone who has been a Manager On Duty, this is a horrible way to spend payroll dollars. You have to have someone ready to respond immediately with showcase keys. And no, no guarantee you are selling anything to that customer. Second, if more customers need assistance, your employee is forced to stay with the patron at the showcase, are you staffing extra people to ensure you can help at showcases AND not lose customers who are waiting in other areas for help?
In part two of this series I will discuss other concerns and I have with showcases and I will also discuss important customer service issues for retailers. In the meantime, consider the advantages I have mentioned if you were to include Alpha Keepers in you strategy to prevent shoplifting of videogames. You can profit from reduced theft and reduced payroll.
Get more information on gaming keepers, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
I was in a big box retail store just the other day with one of my sons who happens to be in his twenties. I mention this because it wasn’t like a young boy who wanted to find a game then hand something from a case to his dad. My son was looking at video games through the showcase glass at the game he wanted. Let me rant for a moment…I HATE showcases. Thanks, I had to get that off my chest. I will delve into that a little later in the article. Fortunately my son already knew which game he wanted so there was no need to browse through a locked display case to read information on other games he might want to consider for purchase. We stood at the case for a minute and when no one came over to assist, I mentioned to him that I had observed an employee an aisle over from us. As my son went to ask for assistance the young man walked by without looking in our direction. My son asked him for help and the associate walked over, opened the showcase, handed my son the game, locked up the showcase and when my son thanked him he said, “No Problem” and walked away. Having many years of Retail Loss Prevention experience under my belt I will be the first to acknowledge I may be a bit more critical of security procedures than most people. I do feel safe in saying I don’t think this was how the security procedures for this item was supposed to be handled. If a business is using showcases to prevent shoplifting then why are employees removing items from lock-up and handing them to a customer and walking away? Better retail anti-theft devices would be Alpha’s gaming keepers in this situation.
What are gaming keepers and why are they my preferred retail anti-theft devices when you want to prevent shoplifting of games? Gaming Keepers are clear, locking cases made of recyclable polycarbonate designed for individual videogame software units. They come in designs to fit smaller games for handheld units such as Gameboys or larger cases for console games such as the PS4 or Xbox One, just to name a few. Alpha keepers allow merchandise to be stocked in the open for easy accessibility by customers while at the same time they prevent shoplifting. The keepers are alarmed so if a shoplifter tries to force one open a high pitched alarm sounds and alerts employees to the attempted theft. Because they are see-through, game content and warning labels can be read. Since they are open display, customers have no need to wait for assistance to pick up a game and take it to check-out! Additionally, gaming keepers and for that matter, all Alpha Keepers are built with electronic article surveillance (EAS) capability so they cause an EAS antenna to alarm if carried into the range of the antenna.
I’ve addressed what Alpha Keepers are for games and I’ve discussed how they prevent shoplifting, but I only alluded to why they are my preferred retail anti-theft devices for video games. Showcases should be a last resort for any type of displayed merchandise. I have several reasons for saying this. First, the customer is resigned to wait if they simply want to look at a displayed item. That doesn’t even mean they will buy it. As someone who has been a Manager On Duty, this is a horrible way to spend payroll dollars. You have to have someone ready to respond immediately with showcase keys. And no, no guarantee you are selling anything to that customer. Second, if more customers need assistance, your employee is forced to stay with the patron at the showcase, are you staffing extra people to ensure you can help at showcases AND not lose customers who are waiting in other areas for help?
In part two of this series I will discuss other concerns that I have with showcases and I will also discuss important customer service issues for retailers. In the meantime, consider the advantages I have mentioned if you were to include Alpha Keepers in you strategy to prevent shoplifting of videogames. You can profit from reduced theft and reduced payroll.
Get more information on gaming keepers, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
USING TRAINING TO REDUCE EMPLOYEE THEFT
You can have the absolute best security camera system. You can have all the latest EAS gadgets and devices. You can have the latest in physical security measures and use the best tags the industry has to offer. All of that is great, but if don’t consider training to reduce employee theft, you can still be open to loses.
Employee theft costs you tens of thousands of dollars in shrink each and every year. The longer your employees go without being caught, the bolder they become. What starts off as a stolen candy bar one day, eventually snowballs into larger and larger thefts as the employee gets more and more brazen in their actions. Knowing the indicators of employee theft can greatly assist you in reducing shortages and help to weed out those employees that are robbing you blind.
Why should you seek out training to reduce employee theft?
One, you’re a manager/owner. You probably don’t have a storied LP background. Loss Prevention professionals have a knack for seeing what most others don’t/can’t see. It’s our own personal “Spidey Sense”. I can walk into a store and within minutes, put a list together of potential dishonest employees, just based on short interactions with them. Additionally, years of experience have helped guide us in knowing all the more common ways (and not so common) that employee theft occurs.
What is the benefit in using training to reduce employee theft?
For most small business, the LP program involves pleading with your employees not to steal. Well, honestly, this isn’t very effective. You can’t simply talk a dishonest employee out of stealing from you. It’s like trying to talk a baby out of crying. A solid training program, like the one offered by Loss Prevention Systems Inc. can help you to understand the root causes of employee theft, how to handle these cases when they do arise and ways for you to prevent employees from ever stealing from you in the first place.
Throughout my LP career, training managers has been a key pillar of our loss prevention program. Your managers interact with your staff on an hourly basis. Your managers are the first line of defense when it comes to identifying suspicious behavior. Your managers should be the first to recognize changes in an employee’s behavior. Your managers should be able to quickly identify patters that could spell out employee theft. You should provide your managers with the tools and training to reduce employee theft!
Need information on training? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
You can have the absolute best security camera system. You can have all the latest EAS gadgets and devices. You can have the latest in physical security measures and use the best tags the industry has to offer. All of that is great, but if don’t consider training to reduce employee theft, you can still be open to loses.
Employee theft costs you tens of thousands of dollars in shrink each and every year. The longer your employees go without being caught, the bolder they become. What starts off as a stolen candy bar one day, eventually snowballs into larger and larger thefts as the employee gets more and more brazen in their actions. Knowing the indicators of employee theft can greatly assist you in reducing shortages and help to weed out those employees that are robbing you blind.
Why should you seek out training to reduce employee theft? One, you’re a manager/owner. You probably don’t have a storied LP background. Loss Prevention professionals have a knack for seeing what most others don’t/can’t see. It’s our own personal “Spidey Sense”. I can walk into a store and within minutes, put a list together of potential dishonest employees, just based on short interactions with them. Additionally, years of experience have helped guide us in knowing all the more common ways (and not so common) that employee theft occurs.
What is the benefit in using training to reduce employee theft?For most small business, the LP program involves pleading with your employees not to steal. Well, honestly, this isn’t very effective. You can’t simply talk a dishonest employee out of stealing from you. It’s like trying to talk a baby out of crying. A solid training program, like the one offered by Loss Prevention Systems Inc. can help you to understand the root causes of employee theft, how to handle these cases when they do arise and ways for you to prevent employees from ever stealing from you in the first place.
Throughout my LP career, training managers has been a key pillar of our loss prevention program. Your managers interact with your staff on an hourly basis. Your managers are the first line of defense when it comes to identifying suspicious behavior. Your managers should be the first to recognize changes in an employee’s behavior. Your managers should be able to quickly identify patters that could spell out employee theft. You should provide your managers with the tools and training to reduce employee theft!
Need information on training? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
