Bottle Locks-3 , Bottle Security-1 , Liquor Bottle Security-2, Bottle Lock-1
It Was The Bartender In The Storage Room
Bar managers and owners have to keep a tight control on their liquor bottle security and inventory. There are a lot of state laws about keeping up with the invoices and purchasing. Shortages and thefts have to be reported and that can be an astounding amount of paperwork to file. For the most part, bars are like pharmacies: patrons can’t come behind the counter and help themselves, so shortages are generally the fault of the staff. Some loss can be attributed to paperwork and vendor errors, but for the most part, it can be chalked up to mishandling or just outright theft.
Bottle security starts with training. There should be a daily inventory of all bottles, open and sealed. This should not be done by the same person that orders or it defeats the purpose. That would give a dishonest person the means to adjust the numbers and “cook the books.” There should also be a detailed log for any bottles removed from storage. This is an added step in the liquor bottle security plan, but you should be able to track every bottle. The list of employees that are authorized to remove sealed bottles from storage should be a short one, to minimize any chances for theft opportunities. If the dishwasher was pocketing the forks and knives, you would look at that as theft and send them out the door. If the hostess was stealing tips from the tables, you wouldn’t hesitate to fire her. So, if the liquor bottle numbers are not adding up, investigate and find out where the loss is occurring.
Liquor bottle security is more than pour spouts too. Over-pouring is a problem so they are necessary. However, pour spouts are not bottle locks. They don’t secure the bottle against theft. When I say bottle locks, I mean these things lock the bottle up tight and there is no getting it open without the appropriate tool. Bottle locks are the answer to keeping your valuable inventory where it should be. These caps fit right over the top of almost any size or type of bottle. You can choose to protect every single item, or just the top shelf stuff. Just remember, it’s not always about the good stuff. Cheap booze is worth stealing to somebody. If it was my bar and my name on the line, every bottle sitting on the shelf in the storage area would be protected with one of these. If someone tries to tamper with them or remove them without the Alpha S3 key, some types can actually self-alarm. What makes them even better is that if someone does manage to get out the door with a bottle that is still alarmed, the bottle will shatter before the bottle lock will come off. If some poor soul that works for you does decide to tempt fate, and take a bottle, they will just end up disappointed and sober. And, they’ll probably need some bandages.
You will probably take precautions to hire the right people and you want to think that your employees will never steal from you. But, like in the pharmacy, you can’t take your flagship product for granted. I should know. I’ve fired a lot of good people for stealing drugs.
Get more information on Bottle Locks, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
Bar managers and owners have to keep a tight control on their liquor bottle security and inventory. There are a lot of state laws about keeping up with the invoices and purchasing. Shortages and thefts have to be reported and that can be an astounding amount of paperwork to file. For the most part, bars are like pharmacies: patrons can’t come behind the counter and help themselves, so shortages are generally the fault of the staff. Some loss can be attributed to paperwork and vendor errors, but for the most part, it can be chalked up to mishandling or just outright theft.
Bottle security starts with training. There should be a daily inventory of all bottles, open and sealed. This should not be done by the same person that orders or it defeats the purpose. That would give a dishonest person the means to adjust the numbers and “cook the books.” There should also be a detailed log for any bottles removed from storage. This is an added step in the liquor bottle security plan, but you should be able to track every bottle. The list of employees that are authorized to remove sealed bottles from storage should be a short one, to minimize any chances for theft opportunities. If the dishwasher was pocketing the forks and knives, you would look at that as theft and send them out the door. If the hostess was stealing tips from the tables, you wouldn’t hesitate to fire her. So, if the liquor bottle numbers are not adding up, investigate and find out where the loss is occurring.
Liquor bottle security is more than pour spouts too. Over-pouring is a problem so they are necessary. However, pour spouts are not bottle locks. They don’t secure the bottle against theft. When I say bottle locks, I mean these things lock the bottle up tight and there is no getting it open without the appropriate tool. Bottle locks are the answer to keeping your valuable inventory where it should be. These caps fit right over the top of almost any size or type of bottle. You can choose to protect every single item, or just the top shelf stuff. Just remember, it’s not always about the good stuff. Cheap booze is worth stealing to somebody. If it was my bar and my name on the line, every bottle sitting on the shelf in the storage area would be protected with one of these. If someone tries to tamper with them or remove them without the Alpha S3 key, some types can actually self-alarm. What makes them even better is that if someone does manage to get out the door with a bottle that is still alarmed, the bottle will shatter before the bottle lock will come off. If some poor soul that works for you does decide to tempt fate, and take a bottle, they will just end up disappointed and sober. And, they’ll probably need some bandages.
You will probably take precautions to hire the right people and you want to think that your employees will never steal from you. But, like in the pharmacy, you can’t take your flagship product for granted. I should know. I’ve fired a lot of good people for stealing drugs.
Get more information on Bottle Locks, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
Alpha Keeper-5 WC blog 42
Prevent shoplifting-3
Retail Anti-Theft Devices-4
Prevent Theft And Improve Profitability With Customer Service And Alpha Keepers
Recently I was working in my current retail sales position and my “Spidey Senses” alerted when a “customer” entered the store and began to look around. It wasn’t very busy so he did stand out, but my prior years of Loss Prevention experience still told me something wasn’t right about this guy. I offered my usual greeting and asked if I could assist the customer. He said he was only looking around. I let him wander and he wandered straight to the calculator section of the store. Well aware that customer service is the best way to deter theft, I again offered my assistance and the gentleman began rambling about his need for a calculator. Eventually I backed off but kept him in eyeshot. This “customer” eventually selected a cheap calculator and a more expensive model stored in an Alpha keeper box and began to head towards another area of the store, hiding the cheaper calculator under the Alpha keeper box. I was certain at this point that our “customer” was up to no good and I offered to assist him with the expensive calculator AND the one he had hidden under the box. After being surprised by my identification of the cheaper calculator, the “customer” hemmed and hawed and said he was ready to check out. When I began to ring up the sale, what a surprise, he didn’t have enough money on his debit card. Of course he said he had transferred money and would be right back but, he did not return.
Why do I tell this story? First, I want to point out that the retail anti-theft device, in this case the Alpha keeper box, slowed down the would-be shoplifter. Had both calculators been accessible I am certain the “customer” would have stolen the more expensive one outright. The second reason I tell this story is that while retail anti-theft devices do prevent shoplifting, especially by the casual shoplifter, there are professionals who will try to circumvent protection devices. I later learned that there has been activity involving persons who have found a way to open Alpha boxes, possibly having obtained a stolen key, and they switch items in the box for a cheaper item. In this instance, it would have explained the “shopper” taking both items with him to another area of the store. I believe retail anti-theft devices, do protect a variety of products and it is foolish not to make them part of a strategy to prevent shoplifting. But, I am also a strong believer that great customer service not only sells products, but it also deters crime. All businesses should make customer service training a priority, it will improve profitability through increased customer satisfaction and will decrease losses associated with theft.
You may not be familiar with Alpha Keepers and you are asking now, “What else can they protect aside from calculators?” Alpha has keepers to protect DVD’s, razor blades, fragrances in fact they can protect a wide range of health and beauty products. These boxes will work with an electronic article surveillance antenna; setting off the alarm should a shoplifter attempt to leave with a box. They also allow you, the store owner to keep product accessible to customers without having to keep everything in a locked up showcase or a stockroom. The boxes are opened with a S3 hand key or multi-key at a checkout point. The keys themselves can be ordered with an alarmed locking base providing you with additional security against stolen hand keys.
Preventing Shoplifting in stores starts with a strong emphasis on training employees how to provide great customer service. Supplementing this service with retail anti-theft devices such as Alpha keepers can increase profit margin by lowering shortage due to theft and increasing sales.
For more information on Alpha Keepers contact, us or call 1.770.426.0547
Recently I was working in my current retail sales position and my “Spidey Senses” alerted when a “customer” entered the store and began to look around. It wasn’t very busy so he did stand out, but my prior years of Loss Prevention experience still told me something wasn’t right about this guy. I offered my usual greeting and asked if I could assist the customer. He said he was only looking around. I let him wander and he wandered straight to the calculator section of the store. Well aware that customer service is the best way to deter theft, I again offered my assistance and the gentleman began rambling about his need for a calculator. Eventually I backed off but kept him in eyeshot. This “customer” eventually selected a cheap calculator and a more expensive model stored in an Alpha keeper box and began to head towards another area of the store, hiding the cheaper calculator under the Alpha keeper box. I was certain at this point that our “customer” was up to no good and I offered to assist him with the expensive calculator AND the one he had hidden under the box. After being surprised by my identification of the cheaper calculator, the “customer” hemmed and hawed and said he was ready to check out. When I began to ring up the sale, what a surprise, he didn’t have enough money on his debit card. Of course he said he had transferred money and would be right back but, he did not return.
Why do I tell this story? First, I want to point out that the retail anti-theft device, in this case the Alpha keeper box, slowed down the would-be shoplifter. Had both calculators been accessible I am certain the “customer” would have stolen the more expensive one outright. The second reason I tell this story is that while retail anti-theft devices do prevent shoplifting, especially by the casual shoplifter, there are professionals who will try to circumvent protection devices. I later learned that there has been activity involving persons who have found a way to open Alpha boxes, possibly having obtained a stolen key, and they switch items in the box for a cheaper item. In this instance, it would have explained the “shopper” taking both items with him to another area of the store. I believe retail anti-theft devices, do protect a variety of products and it is foolish not to make them part of a strategy to prevent shoplifting. But, I am also a strong believer that great customer service not only sells products, but it also deters crime. All businesses should make customer service training a priority, it will improve profitability through increased customer satisfaction and will decrease losses associated with theft.
You may not be familiar with Alpha Keepers and you are asking now, “What else can they protect aside from calculators?” Alpha has keepers to protect DVD’s, razor blades, fragrances in fact they can protect a wide range of health and beauty products. These boxes will work with an electronic article surveillance antenna; setting off the alarm should a shoplifter attempt to leave with a box. They also allow you, the store owner, to keep product accessible to customers without having to keep everything in a locked up showcase or a stockroom. The boxes are opened with a S3 hand key or multi-key at a checkout point. The keys themselves can be ordered with an alarmed locking base providing you with additional security against stolen hand keys.
Preventing Shoplifting in stores starts with a strong emphasis on training employees how to provide great customer service. Supplementing this service with retail anti-theft devices such as Alpha keepers can increase profit margin by lowering shortage due to theft and increasing sales.
For more information on Alpha Keepers, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
I don’t think I will ever completely remove my Assets Protection hat, no matter how long I am out of the field. Any time I am in a store I find I am looking to see if I can spot a shoplifter, or I am evaluating security measures or retail theft prevention strategies. I bring this up because just the other day I was in a grocery store picking up a few things as I waited for my son to get off of work. As I was walking by the meat department I noticed another shopper walk by me with his own shopping cart and he had a single large piece of meat in his cart. The gentleman also had on a rather heavy jacket for the type of day we were experiencing. The temperature required no more than a medium weight jacket. The alarm bells in my head went off and I couldn’t resist following this gentleman. This customer walked a little further and turned down the dish detergent aisle. I walked up behind him as he was adjusting his jacket and I could see that the shopping cart was empty. It was clear that my fellow shopper was not shopping for dish detergent and had not put the meat anywhere but under his clothing. Now, I do know my limitations and I am not one to take a risk for a store I do not work for, but I do confess I can have a sarcastic wit when I want to. As this ‘customer’ started to walk away I loudly asked him if the meat was cold. He turned and looked at me, obviously startled and sped up his pace. I made several more comments about the meat under his coat and reminded him as he went through the checkout lanes that he should not forget to pay for the hidden meat. I will admit I was somewhat disappointed at my inability to shame him into dropping the stolen merchandise. The thing that caught my attention most was the failure of the electronic article surveillance antennas to alarm as the guy left the store. I was puzzled that there appeared to be a security system in place to stop shoplifting but it did not work, at least in this instance.
This incident made me wonder if the store uses Checkpoint labels for their meat products. The Checkpoint EP 4210 food label is compatible with all Checkpoint electronic article surveillance systems so if protected merchandise goes through an electronic article surveillance antenna it will activate the alarm and alert personnel of an attempted theft. These particular Checkpoint labels are able to be placed on meat packaging and can even be placed under the meat soaker pad inside the packaging. The labels are food safe so there is no concern about whether they will damage food product or not.
After we got home, I asked my son about the store alarm system at the door and if he knew whether the store uses Checkpoint labels on the meat. He was not sure about what was or was not tagged but he did mention he could not recall the alarm ever sounding. In his position I am certain he is not familiar with all the security systems of his store, but it disturbed me that he could not recall the alarm ever sounding. The purpose of an electronic article system is to stop shoplifting from happening. Thieves pay attention to whether a store’s system is operational and they also watch to see how personnel respond to alarms. If a store is not keeping their system turned on, testing the systems daily or training personnel on proper alarm response, the electronic article surveillance system becomes useless.
Theft from retailers hurts not only the business, but customers as well. We all pay more for merchandise and groceries because of pilferage. Stop shoplifting from taking place in your store by installing an electronic article surveillance system and using Checkpoint labels on your products.
For more information on Checkpoint labels contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
