Training to reduce employee theft-4 WC blog 459
Stop Shoplifting-4
You Snooze You Lose; Make Training To Reduce Employee Theft A Session Your Employees Won’t Forget With LPSI Experts
Every business or institution has some form of training for their employees. Sometimes it is an onboarding type of training to do a familiarization with the company and meet the people in the office. Other training may be more intensive, delving into company culture, history and the company’s philosophy. Recently at one of the places where I work ALL of the staff have had to take a number of new online training modules in addition to completing our regular job duties. The funny thing about the trainings is a number of them dealt with computer/cyber security issues. That in and of itself is not what I found to be funny. The odd thing was every person I spoke with about the trainings said that they did the first module and after that just let the other videos play through then took the quizzes at the end of the module. It made me start thinking about the training that retailers have their employees take part in. As an example when I was a Loss Prevention Manager I was involved in training to reduce employee theft by participating in store orientations. As I reflect on it I think there were some parts the training new employees paid attention to and other parts that they just let go in one ear and out the other.
I want to touch a little more on something I mentioned above before I continue on. Theft is a problem for every retailer and if a store owner desires to run a profitable business he or she HAS to understand how devastating theft can be on a store, especially a small “mom and pop” shop. Without trying to eliminate employee theft and stop shoplifting those stores will become the place that criminals will focus their efforts. Often one type of crime leads to another and it spirals out of control. Owners and managers need to understand that training to reduce employee theft can make an impression on individuals. Sometimes employees steal because they get away with it and feel confident that co-workers will ignore it or may even be willing accomplices. Employees who are properly trained may be more willing to report another employee knowing their concerns will be addressed. Trained staff will also know how their ability to provide customer service deters criminals and can stop shoplifting. If the training is really good employees will be taught how to identify the signs that indicate someone may be a shoplifter and how to deter that activity. At issue is where can an employer go to get effective training for their employees and will they pay attention?
In most cases owners of a small retail store won’t have the knowledge or experience to adequately train their workers on theft related issues. I have found that when a training session is repetitive (like the training we just went through at the institution where I work) or conducted by someone who does not have experience, trainees lose interest. When a trainer has real-life experience and background in a subject and knows how to conduct in interactive session THAT is when people learn and retain the material. As a Loss Prevention Manager my first few solo orientations that were to train employees about employee theft and shoplifting had mediocre response. I was new in my role as a manager and I was not completely familiar with the materials. As I grew into my position, caught a few dishonest employees and became more confident I was able to judge a group’s attention and make adjustments to my presentation. Loss Prevention Systems Inc. understands the challenges for small and medium size store owners to try to conduct training to reduce employee theft and to stop shoplifting. The owner and President of LPSI, Bill Bregar has used his many years of Loss Prevention experience to develop effective training programs tailored to meet the needs of small business owners. Once trained, owners, managers and employees have the necessary tools to prevent theft in stores and make a significant impact on shortage reduction resulting from theft.
Training to reduce employee theft and training to stop shoplifting don’t need to be boring or ineffective. Your best assets to eliminate shortage are already working for you, they just need a good training program to sharpen their skills. Find out more about what LPSI can offer you to make your stores more profitable.
For more information about training to reduce employee theft contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
Every business or institution has some form of training for their employees. Sometimes it is an onboarding type of training to do a familiarization with the company and meet the people in the office. Other training may be more intensive, delving into company culture, history and the company’s philosophy. Recently at one of the places where I work ALL of the staff have had to take a number of new online training modules in addition to completing our regular job duties. The funny thing about the trainings is a number of them dealt with computer/cyber security issues. That in and of itself is not what I found to be funny. The odd thing was every person I spoke with about the trainings said that they did the first module and after that just let the other videos play through then took the quizzes at the end of the module. It made me start thinking about the training that retailers have their employees take part in. As an example when I was a Loss Prevention Manager I was involved in training to reduce employee theft by participating in store orientations. As I reflect on it I think there were some parts the training new employees paid attention to and other parts that they just let go in one ear and out the other.
I want to touch a little more on something I mentioned above before I continue on. Theft is a problem for every retailer and if a store owner desires to run a profitable business he or she HAS to understand how devastating theft can be on a store, especially a small “mom and pop” shop. Without trying to eliminate employee theft and stop shoplifting those stores will become the place that criminals will focus their efforts. Often one type of crime leads to another and it spirals out of control. Owners and managers need to understand that training to reduce employee theft can make an impression on individuals. Sometimes employees steal because they get away with it and feel confident that co-workers will ignore it or may even be willing accomplices. Employees who are properly trained may be more willing to report another employee knowing their concerns will be addressed. Trained staff will also know how their ability to provide customer service deters criminals and can stop shoplifting. If the training is really good employees will be taught how to identify the signs that indicate someone may be a shoplifter and how to deter that activity. An issue is where can an employer go to get effective training for their employees and will they pay attention?
In most cases owners of a small retail store won’t have the knowledge or experience to adequately train their workers on theft related issues. I have found that when a training session is repetitive (like the training we just went through at the institution where I work) or conducted by someone who does not have experience, trainees lose interest. When a trainer has real-life experience and background in a subject and knows how to conduct in interactive session THAT is when people learn and retain the material. As a Loss Prevention Manager my first few solo orientations that were to train employees about employee theft and shoplifting had mediocre response. I was new in my role as a manager and I was not completely familiar with the materials. As I grew into my position, caught a few dishonest employees and became more confident I was able to judge a group’s attention and make adjustments to my presentation. Loss Prevention Systems Inc. understands the challenges for small and medium size store owners to try to conduct training to reduce employee theft and to stop shoplifting. The owner and President of LPSI, Bill Bregar has used his many years of Loss Prevention experience to develop effective training programs tailored to meet the needs of small business owners. Once trained, owners, managers and employees have the necessary tools to prevent theft in stores and make a significant impact on shortage reduction resulting from theft.
Training to reduce employee theft and training to stop shoplifting don’t need to be boring or ineffective. Your best assets to eliminate shortage are already working for you, they just need a good training program to sharpen their skills. Find out more about what LPSI can offer you to make your stores more profitable.
For more information about training to reduce employee theft contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
Return Fraud-5 WC Blog 376
Alpha Shark Tags-3
Scoundrels, Scams And Fraud; Prevent Return Fraud With Alpha Shark Tags
Scams, they are all over the place. I think every week I have some generous benefactor that wants to leave a million dollars to me deposited in my bank account. AWESOME! One day I’m going remember not to delete one of these emails and get back to them. A few weeks ago I got a call from the “IRS” telling me I was going to be in trouble if I didn’t pay some amount to them for taxes owed, unfortunately I accidentally hung up and we were disconnected. Hopefully they get back to me I don’t want to owe Uncle Sam any money! Someone every so often tries to call the library I work at and get information so they can bill us for “toner” orders for our printers…I guess they don’t know we have a list of vendors we make payments to for such purchases, they need to get with their supervisors on that. Recently one of the managers on duty at the store I work at received a call from someone who said he was from our company’s HQ. He gave his name and told the MOD he needed his name and employee number because we were going to be receiving a shipment of a new product and were going to start selling it but in a new twist we were only going to permit payments for the new product with gift cards. WOW! when the manager told me I was excited. We don’t even carry that manufacturer’s products because they happen to be very proprietary. Unfortunately when the manager told the caller he would call him back with the requested information and asked for a call back number our MOD was disconnected. I was so disappointed. We are very careful about protecting personal and business information to prevent fraud from affecting our personal lives and our businesses so why don’t we take the same precautions to prevent return fraud in stores? In many cases it could easily be done if stores would use Alpha Shark Tags on softlines products.
I get returns every day, how can I know return fraud from a legitimate return? How can Alpha Shark Tags help stop people trying to do fraudulent returns in my store? I will address the second question first. Shark Tags are brightly colored tags that once pinned to an item can only be removed when the tag is cut off. It prevents a customer from buying an item and wearing it then returning it with all the necessary documentation in order to get a full refund. Who wants to go out in public with a bright red tag hanging from a pant leg or from the cuff of a blouse? All the store manager has to do is require the tag to be attached and intact on the merchandise before taking it back with the proper documentation.
Back to the first question on how to identify return fraud. This can be difficult. One of the ways that dishonest people get fraudulent refunds is to switch the price tags from high priced clothing lines and place them on cheaper brands and return the clothes with a receipt that matches the products. For example, if someone took an Under Armor T-shirt price tag, attaches it to a Hanes t-shirt and then they return the Hanes T-shirt they receive the dollar value of the Under Armor shirt perhaps as a credit on their credit card or debit card OR it is returned on a gift card. This can be prevented but requires the cashier to be attentive to what they are doing but these shysters can be clever and will distract the employee with constant talking.
Another method of return fraud is done by the scoundrel who is wardrobing. This is the person who buys an outfit and wears it on a date or to a party. They return it a day or two later to the store where they bought it. This can be difficult to detect because often the tags are reattached with tagging guns. I saw several regular customers engage in this in the department store where I first worked as a Loss Prevention Associate. These customers were known to have money, but practiced this activity anyways (maybe this is why they had money). Unless a clear stain could be found, the majority of the time the manager would process the return. This is the situation where using the Alpha Shark Tag could be most effective.
Return Fraud can be a major source of profit loss. Reduce the chances of being taken advantage of by these characters. Use Alpha Shark Tags on your merchandise and improve your return process and your profits!
Return Fraud is important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.
Scams, they are all over the place. I think every week I have some generous benefactor that wants to leave a million dollars to me deposited in my bank account. AWESOME! One day I’m going remember not to delete one of these emails and get back to them. A few weeks ago I got a call from the “IRS” telling me I was going to be in trouble if I didn’t pay some amount to them for taxes owed, unfortunately I accidentally hung up and we were disconnected. Hopefully they get back to me I don’t want to owe Uncle Sam any money! Someone every so often tries to call the library I work at and get information so they can bill us for “toner” orders for our printers…I guess they don’t know we have a list of vendors we make payments to for such purchases, they need to get with their supervisors on that. Recently one of the managers on duty at the store I work at received a call from someone who said he was from our company’s HQ. He gave his name and told the MOD he needed his name and employee number because we were going to be receiving a shipment of a new product and were going to start selling it but in a new twist we were only going to permit payments for the new product with gift cards. WOW! when the manager told me I was excited. We don’t even carry that manufacturer’s products because they happen to be very proprietary. Unfortunately when the manager told the caller he would call him back with the requested information and asked for a call back number our MOD was disconnected. I was so disappointed. We are very careful about protecting personal and business information to prevent fraud from affecting our personal lives and our businesses so why don’t we take the same precautions to prevent return fraud in stores? In many cases it could easily be done if stores would use Alpha Shark Tags on softlines products.
I get returns every day, how can I know return fraud from a legitimate return? How can Alpha Shark Tags help stop people trying to do fraudulent returns in my store? I will address the second question first. Shark Tags are brightly colored tags that once pinned to an item can only be removed when the tag is cut off. It prevents a customer from buying an item and wearing it then returning it with all the necessary documentation in order to get a full refund. Who wants to go out in public with a bright red tag hanging from a pant leg or from the cuff of a blouse? All the store manager has to do is require the tag to be attached and intact on the merchandise before taking it back with the proper documentation.
Back to the first question on how to identify return fraud. This can be difficult. One of the ways that dishonest people get fraudulent refunds is to switch the price tags from high priced clothing lines and place them on cheaper brands and return the clothes with a receipt that matches the products. For example, if someone took an Under Armor T-shirt price tag, attaches it to a Hanes t-shirt and then they return the Hanes T-shirt they receive the dollar value of the Under Armor shirt perhaps as a credit on their credit card or debit card OR it is returned on a gift card. This can be prevented but requires the cashier to be attentive to what they are doing but these shysters can be clever and will distract the employee with constant talking.
Another method of return fraud is done by the scoundrel who is wardrobing. This is the person who buys an outfit and wears it on a date or to a party. They return it a day or two later to the store where they bought it. This can be difficult to detect because often the tags are reattached with tagging guns. I saw several regular customers engage in this in the department store where I first worked as a Loss Prevention Associate. These customers were known to have money, but practiced this activity anyways (maybe this is why they had money). Unless a clear stain could be found, the majority of the time the manager would process the return. This is the situation where using the Alpha Shark Tag could be most effective.
Return Fraud can be a major source of profit loss. Reduce the chances of being taken advantage of by these characters. Use Alpha Shark Tags on your merchandise and improve your return process and your profits!
Return Fraud is important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.
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.
