SEEING IS BELIEVING WITH ALPHA SPIDER WRAPS
I was in my store the other day when I noticed some new products being unboxed by the store team members. It was a line of binoculars and the corresponding PDQ display. It was an entire line from this vendor, so the prices ranged from about $20 all the way up to $350. The only problem was that no one in the buying office thought about how we would prevent shoplifting here. Pretty much par for the course.
The store gets the fixture set up and it is abundantly clear that these high end items are going to be a target for thieves. There’s no peg on the fixture, so I can’t use a peg-lock. A hard pencil tag wouldn’t be very effective and a soft tag just wouldn’t do much in this particular situation. I start rummaging through the warehouse trying to find something to protect my profits with. There, in a corner, I see a box. “Alpha Spider Wraps’ on the side. I think I found what will work.
I’m a huge fan of the Alpha Spider Wraps; I just forgot I had a box in the warehouse. If there is one tag that can prevent shoplifting, it’s this one. The tags are perfect for awkwardly shaped packaging, like binoculars. The ones I had were three alarm, but if you can also go with a 2 alarm to save a little on the cost. So that means they will sound the EAS podium if taken out, alarm if someone tampers with them on the floor, and emit an audible alert once taken past the EAS pedestal.
I was able to tag every item I had over $99 with what I had on hand. My other store down the road didn’t react to the direction I sent and shoplifters targeted the product almost immediately, whereas, we didn’t lose a single unit that was secured with an Alpha Spider Wrap. Could that be fluke? Absolutely not! Shoplifters are like water, where they will take the path of least resistance. If they are targeting a specific item and it’s secured with an EAS device, chances are, they will continue “shopping” until they find a place where those items are unsecured and free for the taking. I’ve personally watched as shoplifters will systematically go through racks and racks of clothing, looking for that one item that was looked over and isn’t secured with an EAS device. Don’t let it happen to you!
While not everyone can prevent shoplifting completely, and not every EAS device is completely impervious to defeat, Alpha Spider Wraps are my go-to tag whenever I need to be confident that a high dollar item won’t grow legs!
Get more information on Alpha Spider Wraps, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
I was in my store the other day when I noticed some new products being unboxed by the store team members. It was a line of binoculars and the corresponding PDQ display. It was an entire line from this vendor, so the prices ranged from about $20 all the way up to $350. The only problem was that no one in the buying office thought about how we would prevent shoplifting here. Pretty much par for the course.
The store gets the fixture set up and it is abundantly clear that these high end items are going to be a target for thieves. There’s no peg on the fixture, so I can’t use a peg-lock. A hard pencil tag wouldn’t be very effective and a soft tag just wouldn’t do much in this particular situation. I start rummaging through the warehouse trying to find something to protect my profits with. There, in a corner, I see a box. “Alpha Spider Wraps’ on the side. I think I found what will work.
I’m a huge fan of the Alpha Spider Wraps; I just forgot I had a box in the warehouse. If there is one tag that can prevent shoplifting, it’s this one. The tags are perfect for awkwardly shaped packaging, like binoculars. The ones I had were three alarm, but if you can also go with a 2 alarm to save a little on the cost. So that means they will sound the EAS podium if taken out, alarm if someone tampers with them on the floor, and emit an audible alert once taken past the EAS pedestal.
I was able to tag every item I had over $99 with what I had on hand. My other store down the road didn’t react to the direction I sent and shoplifters targeted the product almost immediately, whereas, we didn’t lose a single unit that was secured with an Alpha Spider Wrap. Could that be fluke? Absolutely not! Shoplifters are like water, where they will take the path of least resistance. If they are targeting a specific item and it’s secured with an EAS device, chances are, they will continue “shopping” until they find a place where those items are unsecured and free for the taking. I’ve personally watched as shoplifters will systematically go through racks and racks of clothing, looking for that one item that was looked over and isn’t secured with an EAS device. Don’t let it happen to you!
While not everyone can prevent shoplifting completely, and not every EAS device is completely impervious to defeat, Alpha Spider Wraps are my go-to tag whenever I need to be confident that a high dollar item won’t grow legs!
Get more information on Alpha Spider Wraps, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
Alpha Thunder Tag-3 WC Blog 196
i-pad theft-3
I-pad Innovations In The Medical Field Put Information At Doctor’s Fingertips; Alpha Thunder Tags Protect That Data
New and innovative uses for i-pads and tablets are constantly being found in the medical field. From apps for medical students that familiarize students with murmurs, stenosis (for non-medical readers, an abnormal narrowing of a body passage or opening) or gallops (an abnormal heart rhythm that pounds in the chest) called “Littman SoundBuilder” to “Eponyms” used by doctors and healthcare providers for looking up disease information or symptoms (information found in meded.umn.edu). These applications are helping doctors to better diagnose and treat patients with information available at the touch of a finger to a screen. As the use of the mobile medical devices grows in hospitals and doctor’s offices, so does the chance of an i-pad theft or tablet theft. From a dishonest employee stealing a device from a secured office to a customer picking up a tablet left unattended on a counter, opportunities abound for a device to be taken and the information contained in it to be compromised. This is very concerning if the device holds patient data. The possibility of medical device theft can be significantly reduced if the medical office attaches an Alpha Thunder Tag to their i-pads or tablets.
An Alpha Thunder Tag is a theft prevention device that is attached directly to the item that is to be protected, in this case a medical i-pad. It should be noted that the Tag can be attached to medical computer tablets and laptops just as well as an i-pad. The tag has a tamper alarm that is activated when an attempt is made to pry it off. It also activates an electronic article surveillance (EAS) antenna when carried into the vicinity of the antenna. When properly set up, a hospital or medical office has antennas established at all entry/exit points. This keeps someone from slipping a device out of a side or back door without attracting attention. One of the fantastic features of a Thunder Tag is that is can be “sensed” by the antennas even when it is hidden in a bag or purse or under clothing. When the antenna alarm is set off, a loud noise and electronic lights built into the antenna warns employees an i-pad theft is taking place.
In what ways are medical i-pads and tablets being used in the medical field that is making them a game changer in the way medical care is being delivered (and potentially increasing the likelihood of theft)? In a 17 July 2016 post, on cnbc.com titled, “The doctor is in…your i-Pad! Cleveland Clinic’s digital push”, by Trent Gillies, one new thing the Cleveland Clinic has been trying out is a “virtual visit” “with a doctor using a tablet, smart phone, or desktop.” Interviewing Cleveland Clinic President and CEO, Toby Cosgrove, Cosgrove points out that virtual visits allow patients to avoid lines and waiting times. He allows that the visits are not for checking on a cardiac disease, but would be suitable for looking at skin problems, or a follow up from a heart surgery or a surgery where a doctor just needs to see how an incision is healing.
Another use for the i-pad in medicine comes from the UTHealth Medical School. On their website, med.uth.edu in an article, “ipads come in handy in gross anatomy”, it states that “students are using the tablets to look up anatomical drawings while examining bodies.” Books and computers posed problems for the students, “The problem is that cadavers are preserved with a chemical called phenol, which can get on book pages and washable computer keyboards…lab officials wrapped the iPads in clear plastic bags which protect the tablets while allowing students to call up information on the touchscreen.”
Whatever the use, mobile devices are becoming more common in the medical world and so are the opportunities for i-pad theft or tablet theft depending on which device is being employed. Protecting against the theft of the devices is not difficult, use an Alpha Thunder Tag on each device and protect your practice and patients from medical device and identity theft.
Need information on i-pad theft? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now
New and innovative uses for i-pads and tablets are constantly being found in the medical field. From apps for medical students that familiarize students with murmurs, stenosis (for non-medical readers, an abnormal narrowing of a body passage or opening) or gallops (an abnormal heart rhythm that pounds in the chest) called “Littman SoundBuilder” to “Eponyms” used by doctors and healthcare providers for looking up disease information or symptoms (information found in meded.umn.edu). These applications are helping doctors to better diagnose and treat patients with information available at the touch of a finger to a screen. As the use of the mobile medical devices grows in hospitals and doctor’s offices, so does the chance of an i-pad theft or tablet theft. From a dishonest employee stealing a device from a secured office to a customer picking up a tablet left unattended on a counter, opportunities abound for a device to be taken and the information contained in it to be compromised. This is very concerning if the device holds patient data. The possibility of medical device theft can be significantly reduced if the medical office attaches an Alpha Thunder Tag to their i-pads or tablets.
An Alpha Thunder Tag is a theft prevention device that is attached directly to the item that is to be protected, in this case a medical i-pad. It should be noted that the Tag can be attached to medical computer tablets and laptops just as well as an i-pad. The tag has a tamper alarm that is activated when an attempt is made to pry it off. It also activates an electronic article surveillance (EAS) antenna when carried into the vicinity of the antenna. When properly set up, a hospital or medical office has antennas established at all entry/exit points. This keeps someone from slipping a device out of a side or back door without attracting attention. One of the fantastic features of a Thunder Tag is that is can be “sensed” by the antennas even when it is hidden in a bag or purse or under clothing. When the antenna alarm is set off, a loud noise and electronic lights built into the antenna warns employees an i-pad theft is taking place.
In what ways are medical i-pads and tablets being used in the medical field that is making them a game changer in the way medical care is being delivered (and potentially increasing the likelihood of theft)? In a 17 July 2016 post, on cnbc.com titled, “The doctor is in…your i-Pad! Cleveland Clinic’s digital push”, by Trent Gillies, one new thing the Cleveland Clinic has been trying out is a “virtual visit” “with a doctor using a tablet, smart phone, or desktop.” Interviewing Cleveland Clinic President and CEO, Toby Cosgrove, Cosgrove points out that virtual visits allow patients to avoid lines and waiting times. He allows that the visits are not for checking on a cardiac disease, but would be suitable for looking at skin problems, or a follow up from a heart surgery or a surgery where a doctor just needs to see how an incision is healing.
Another use for the i-pad in medicine comes from the UTHealth Medical School. On their website, med.uth.edu in an article, “ipads come in handy in gross anatomy”, it states that “students are using the tablets to look up anatomical drawings while examining bodies.” Books and computers posed problems for the students, “The problem is that cadavers are preserved with a chemical called phenol, which can get on book pages and washable computer keyboards…lab officials wrapped the iPads in clear plastic bags which protect the tablets while allowing students to call up information on the touchscreen.”
Whatever the use, mobile devices are becoming more common in the medical world and so are the opportunities for i-pad theft or tablet theft depending on which device is being employed. Protecting against the theft of the devices is not difficult, use an Alpha Thunder Tag on each device and protect your practice and patients from medical device and identity theft.
Need information on i-pad theft? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now
Clothing Security- 3 WC Blog 212
Clothing Security Tags-3
Checkpoint Tags-5
Checkpoint Tags Eliminated Need To Chase Shoplifters
Chasing shoplifters has become taboo in the retail industry as companies have determined the risks to employees, as well as the shoplifters are too great. There was a time though, when there were few rules governing pursuit and I was fortunate to have worked as a Loss Prevention Officer for a department store when it was still permitted. I will say, in hindsight and the benefit of years of wisdom, chasing is not smart, no merchandise is more valuable than someone’s well-being and safety. That said, those chases sometimes resulted in some funny stories. I had one incident when a young man decided to steal a ball cap or a couple of ball caps from our store. I don’t recall how many he was taking for sure. We had clothing security tags on some of our clothes but at that point, we had not started tagging baseball hats and he tried to take advantage of it.
To clarify for some readers who may be new to retail or merchandise protection, clothing security tags come in a variety of types and styles. There are some manufacturers that provide clothing security by incorporating electronic article surveillance (EAS) tags in their manufacturer hang tags. Frequently, Checkpoint Tags are used for this because of their reliability to activate EAS antennas when someone tries to sneak tagged items out of a store. Checkpoint Tags also come in hard tag designs that are easily seen and deter theft because shoplifters know that they will activate antennas. They also know how difficult clothing security hard tags are to defeat and remove from merchandise. Generally, tampering with these types of tags damages merchandise and renders them unserviceable. Checkpoint Tags of all types provide retailers with security against theft and therefore aid in increasing the profits of a store.
As I mentioned, the young man in this situation was looking at ball caps and I was watching him on closed circuit television because he was in an area of the store where shortage was high. When he decided on a hat(s) he did the usual shoplifter moves of looking around and up at the ceiling. I’ve never understood the looking at the ceiling because you can’t see the camera inside the dome, but that is a story for another time. When the shoplifter apparently felt it was safe, he pulled off the manufacturer tags not knowing if they had Checkpoint tags in them I suppose, and hid the hat(s) under his shirt. I left the office and followed him as he exited the store. I identified myself to him, told him I wanted to talk to him about the hat under his shirt and he decided to run. “Here we go again!” I thought as I took off after him. I chased my culprit across a street to a restaurant where he stopped and sat down on the sidewalk. He decided he was too tired and out of breath to continue…I could sympathize, I was pretty tired too. I put him in a control position so he couldn’t run anymore before the police arrived. While we waited I asked if he had anything on him that he wouldn’t want the police to find. He said he did and asked if he could hide it under the newspaper rack next to him. I told him that was fine with me. He pulled out a scale used for weighing marijuana and hid it under the rack. When the police arrived they handcuffed the suspect, and I told them about the scale the suspect had hidden. They pulled it out and added a charge of possessing drug paraphernalia to his shoplifting crime. The suspect looked at me in disbelief and said, “I thought you said I could hide it!” I reminded him I did allow him to hide it, I kept my word, I just never said I wouldn’t tell the police where it was. I was always careful about what I would tell a shoplifter and I would never promise what I couldn’t or wouldn’t deliver.
As our company expanded the use of clothing security on merchandise, eventually we did find a clothing security tag that we used on baseball hats. As we did use them, the theft in that department dropped dramatically. Try them out yourself and see the benefits of using clothing security tags and more specifically, Checkpoint tags to prevent shoplifting. They can also prevent the need to chase a thief!
Need information on Checkpoint Tags? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
Chasing shoplifters has become taboo in the retail industry as companies have determined the risks to employees, as well as the shoplifters are too great. There was a time though, when there were few rules governing pursuit and I was fortunate to have worked as a Loss Prevention Officer for a department store when it was still permitted. I will say, in hindsight and the benefit of years of wisdom, chasing is not smart, no merchandise is more valuable than someone’s well-being and safety. That said, those chases sometimes resulted in some funny stories. I had one incident when a young man decided to steal a ball cap or a couple of ball caps from our store I don’t recall how many he was taking for sure. We had clothing security tags on some of our clothes but at that point, we had not started tagging baseball hats and he tried to take advantage of it.
To clarify for some readers who may be new to retail or merchandise protection, clothing security tags come in a variety of types and styles. There are some manufacturers that provide clothing security by incorporating electronic article surveillance (EAS) tags in their manufacturer hang tags. Frequently, Checkpoint Tags are used for this because of their reliability to activate EAS antennas when someone tries to sneak tagged items out of a store. Checkpoint Tags also come in hard tag designs that are easily seen and deter theft because shoplifters know that they will activate antennas. They also know how difficult clothing security hard tags are to defeat and remove from merchandise. Generally, tampering with these types of tags damages merchandise and renders them unserviceable. Checkpoint Tags of all types provide retailers with security against theft and therefore aid in increasing the profits of a store.
As I mentioned, the young man in this situation was looking at ball caps and I was watching him on closed circuit television because he was in an area of the store where shortage was high. When he decided on a hat(s) he did the usual shoplifter moves of looking around and up at the ceiling. I’ve never understood the looking at the ceiling because you can’t see the camera inside the dome, but that is a story for another time. When the shoplifter apparently felt it was safe, he pulled off the manufacturer tags not knowing if they had Checkpoint tags in them I suppose, and hid the hat(s) under his shirt. I left the office and followed him as he exited the store. I identified myself to him, told him I wanted to talk to him about the hat under his shirt and he decided to run. “Here we go again!” I thought as I took off after him. I chased my culprit across a street to a restaurant where he stopped and sat down on the sidewalk. He decided he was too tired and out of breath to continue…I could sympathize, I was pretty tired too. I put him in a control position so he couldn’t run anymore before the police arrived. While we waited I asked if he had anything on him that he wouldn’t want the police to find. He said he did and asked if he could hide it under the newspaper rack next to him. I told him that was fine with me. He pulled out a scale used for weighing marijuana and hid it under the rack. When the police arrived they handcuffed the suspect, and I told them about the scale the suspect had hidden. They pulled it out and added a charge of possessing drug paraphernalia to his shoplifting crime. The suspect looked at me in disbelief and said, “I thought you said I could hide it!” I reminded him I did allow him to hide it, I kept my word, I just never said I wouldn’t tell the police where it was. I was always careful about what I would tell a shoplifter and I would never promise what I couldn’t or wouldn’t deliver.
As our company expanded the use of clothing security on merchandise, eventually we did find a clothing security tag that we used on baseball hats. As we did use them, the theft in that department dropped dramatically. Try them out yourself and see the benefits of using clothing security tags and more specifically, Checkpoint tags to prevent shoplifting. They can also prevent the need to chase a thief!
Need information on Checkpoint Tags? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
