Sensormatic tags – 3 WC blog 779
Stop shoplifting -3
How To Stop Shoplifting and Shortage – A Brief Conversation With Bill Bregar
I recently had the pleasure of speaking with the founder of Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. and in the course of our discussion I was able to learn his philosophy on the use of Sensormatic tags in a store. I have written on my own opinions based on my years of Loss Prevention and retail management experience but getting Bill Bregar’s opinion was interesting. He and I have similar experiences from the military and Loss Prevention but while I moved no higher than a store level Loss Prevention Manager, Bill was at the upper echelons of retail as a National Director for Loss Prevention Departments for major retail chains. He has also been consulting with retail owners for many years helping them improve their financial numbers through theft and shortage reduction. His solution to shortage reduction is a balanced approach: stop shoplifting with Sensormatic systems, train managers and their teams on how to identify and stop theft safely and effectively and the use of background checks and drug screenings.
So what might a balanced approach to shortage reduction look like for you, the store owner?
• First a shortage prevention strategy should include an electronic article surveillance system and Sensormatic tags. As I spoke with Bill I was impressed that he doesn’t approach this aspect of a strategy with a “tag everything in the store focus”. Bill helps his clients focus on what is going to give the most bang for the buck. While I have always thought that as much as possible should be tagged, his approach in many cases is to focus on the 20% of the merchandise that causes 80% of the losses. What I really appreciated and I am certain Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. customers appreciate is that there is not a push to sell customers more tags than they need. If a business can grow or the need arises more tags can always be purchased.
• Some may argue that theft prevention begins at the personnel level. The employees a store manager hires can create more theft problems than a shoplifter for a store. They have full access to the store and can steal in many different ways. To prevent this from happening, a store should be conducting pre-employment screenings. Mr. Bregar told me that there are companies out there that will promise they will do nationwide background checks but as a former law enforcement officer he is aware that these are fake promises. Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. puts the time and effort into the background checks they conduct. These checks may be criminal histories based on state searches or county searches. The check may include sex offender registries, education checks, driving records and more. When a store owner has Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. conduct their background checks they are assured there won’t be any shortcuts taken in the research of their applicant’s history.
• In the same vein as background checks, pre-employment drug screening is an important part of Bill’s theft prevention strategy. Workers with drug addictions may resort to theft to support a habit. These employees will also help friends steal by alerting them to opportunities they may see by texting or calling. The employee may also help assist in shoplifting by passing merchandise through a register without ringing it up for friends in exchange for drugs. Employers can stop shoplifting aided by employees and employee theft by weeding out problems before they happen. Drug screening is a useful tool in Bill’s shortage prevention toolbox.
• One more important piece in the shortage prevention strategy for a store is training. Whether it is training on tag placement, responding to an electronic article surveillance alarm or how to stop shoplifting, Bill knows how critical training is to any theft prevention program.
The biggest take-away I had following my conversation with Mr. Bregar is his focus on the importance of service and integrity in serving Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. clients.
Sensormatic tags and systems are a key component of any Loss Prevention program and Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. can help get a store set up with what that particular store needs. An effective program is going to be one that incorporates multiple factors that impact theft and shortage. After my conversation with Bill Bregar I am more convinced than ever that Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. is your best resource for helping you reduce shrink and grow your profits.
Get more information on Sensormatic tags, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
I recently had the pleasure of speaking with the founder of Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. and in the course of our discussion I was able to learn his philosophy on the use of Sensormatic tags in a store. I have written on my own opinions based on my years of Loss Prevention and retail management experience but getting Bill Bregar’s opinion was interesting. He and I have similar experiences from the military and Loss Prevention but while I moved no higher than a store level Loss Prevention Manager, Bill was at the upper echelons of retail as a National Director for Loss Prevention Departments for major retail chains. He has also been consulting with retail owners for many years helping them improve their financial numbers through theft and shortage reduction. His solution to shortage reduction is a balanced approach: stop shoplifting with Sensormatic systems, train managers and their teams on how to identify and stop theft safely and effectively and the use of background checks and drug screenings.
So what might a balanced approach to shortage reduction look like for you, the store owner?
• First a shortage prevention strategy should include an electronic article surveillance system and Sensormatic tags. As I spoke with Bill I was impressed that he doesn’t approach this aspect of a strategy with a “tag everything in the store focus”. Bill helps his clients focus on what is going to give the most bang for the buck. While I have always thought that as much as possible should be tagged, his approach in many cases is to focus on the 20% of the merchandise that causes 80% of the losses. What I really appreciated and I am certain Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. customers appreciate is that there is not a push to sell customers more tags than they need. If a business can grow or the need arises more tags can always be purchased.
• Some may argue that theft prevention begins at the personnel level. The employees a store manager hires can create more theft problems than a shoplifter for a store. They have full access to the store and can steal in many different ways. To prevent this from happening, a store should be conducting pre-employment screenings. Mr. Bregar told me that there are companies out there that will promise they will do nationwide background checks but as a former law enforcement officer he is aware that these are fake promises. Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. puts the time and effort into the background checks they conduct. These checks may be criminal histories based on state searches or county searches. The check may include sex offender registries, education checks, driving records and more. When a store owner has Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. conduct their background checks they are assured there won’t be any shortcuts taken in the research of their applicant’s history.
• In the same vein as background checks, pre-employment drug screening is an important part of Bill’s theft prevention strategy. Workers with drug addictions may resort to theft to support a habit. These employees will also help friends steal by alerting them to opportunities they may see by texting or calling. The employee may also help assist in shoplifting by passing merchandise through a register without ringing it up for friends in exchange for drugs. Employers can stop shoplifting aided by employees and employee theft by weeding out problems before they happen. Drug screening is a useful tool in Bill’s shortage prevention toolbox.
• One more important piece in the shortage prevention strategy for a store is training. Whether it is training on tag placement, responding to an electronic article surveillance alarm or how to stop shoplifting, Bill knows how critical training is to any theft prevention program.
The biggest take-away I had following my conversation with Mr. Bregar is his focus on the importance of service and integrity in serving Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. clients.
Sensormatic tags and systems are a key component of any Loss Prevention program and Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. can help get a store set up with what that particular store needs. An effective program is going to be one that incorporates multiple factors that impact theft and shortage. After my conversation with Bill Bregar I am more convinced than ever that Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. is your best resource for helping you reduce shrink and grow your profits.
Get more information on Sensormatic tags, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
#12 WAB Blog
Can Loss Prevention Be Free?
How much does it cost? How about free? Can loss prevention be free? Actually it can be. Like everything else you do in a business, loss prevention should make or save you money. Yes, there are expenses. If you are a grocer you purchase shelving and coolers. A clothing retailer purchases racks for clothing to hang on. Every retailer has some form of cash/wrap counters and Point of Sale (POS) to sell the goods the customer has selected. None of these things “make” any money themselves. However, they are necessary to display merchandise, attract and complete the transaction with a customer.
The same goes for loss prevention devices. Can loss prevention be free? Yes, actually it will make you money! This is how. In this example let’s assume your profit margin is 2% after all expenses. So after you pay the bills, utilities, rent, cost of goods and payroll, you are left with 2%. Figuring that 2% into a loss will tell you what it actually costs you.
Take the loss for a shoplifter or any other loss, let’s say $500 and divide it by your 2% margin, $500/.02=$25,000. What this tells you is that to BREAK EVEN, not make money, you will have to sell an additional $25,000 on top of your normal sales to make up for the loss of that $500.
The fact is that you cannot do it, at least for very long. So our goal must be to keep it from happening in the first place, hence, loss PREVENTION.
Now let’s consider the cost of a Sensormatic security system. To cover a standard double doorway we will use the example of $4000. Yours could be more/less.
Now we take for this example annual sales of 1,000,000.00 with a conservative estimated shrink of 1.2% and a conservative shrink reduction rate of 0.65% on the cost of a Sensormatic security system of $4000 and plug it into our Loss Prevention ROI Calculator and find that your investment will break even in 6.15 months. So in a little over six months your Sensormatic security system will be making you money. Can loss prevention be free, YES it can.
The cost of the Sensormatic security system is a heck of a lot cheaper than the cost of that $500 loss.
We have a loss prevention ROI calculator on our web site. Follow the link and put in your own numbers. Play with it by trying different rates and dollar amounts that work for your business. The loss prevention ROI calculator is confidential. And even better it is also a free loss prevention calculator. You can even save and print out your examples.
However, the thought process does not end there. If you are considering a Sensormatic system or another brand you need to ask the Dealer you are talking to several questions that play directly into the cost of the system you are thinking of purchasing:
1- Is installation included?
2- Are the Installers Factory trained?
3- How do you obtain service?
4- What is the turnaround time for a service call?
5- Who will come out to do service on your system?
6- What is the warranty on the equipment?
7- What U.S. retailers use the equipment they sell?
8- Are they just in sales or do they have actual loss prevention experience?
9- Will that Dealer conduct free live training on how to use the system?
10- Will they conduct free live anti-shoplifting training that covers how to understand and attack YOUR individual shoplifting problems?
11- Will they conduct that free live anti-shoplifting training anytime you reasonably need it for new associates?
12- Do they provide you materials to conduct your own anti-shoplifting training if you so desire?
Please be sure to ask us every one of these questions and any others you have. You will like our answers.
Try the free loss prevention calculator and contact us if you have any questions about Sensormatic security systems, anti-shoplifting, loss prevention calculator or any other loss prevention issues.
Can loss prevention be free? YES it can with Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. Contact us today at 1-770-426-0547.
How much does it cost? How about free? Can loss prevention be free? Actually it can be. Like everything else you do in a business, loss prevention should make or save you money. Yes, there are expenses. If you are a grocer you purchase shelving and coolers. A clothing retailer purchases racks for clothing to hang on. Every retailer has some form of cash/wrap counters and Point of Sale (POS) to sell the goods the customer has selected. None of these things “make” any money themselves. However, they are necessary to display merchandise, attract and complete the transaction with a customer.
The same goes for loss prevention devices. Can loss prevention be free? Yes, actually it will make you money! This is how. In this example let’s assume your profit margin is 2% after all expenses. So after you pay the bills, utilities, rent, cost of goods and payroll, you are left with 2%. Figuring that 2% into a loss will tell you what it actually costs you.
Take the loss for a shoplifter or any other loss, let’s say $500 and divide it by your 2% margin, $500/.02=$25,000. What this tells you is that to BREAK EVEN, not make money, you will have to sell an additional $25,000 on top of your normal sales to make up for the loss of that $500.
The fact is that you cannot do it, at least for very long. So our goal must be to keep it from happening in the first place, hence, loss PREVENTION.
Now let’s consider the cost of a Sensormatic security system. To cover a standard double doorway we will use the example of $4000. Yours could be more/less.
Now we take for this example annual sales of 1,000,000.00 with a conservative estimated shrink of 1.2% and a conservative shrink reduction rate of 0.65% on the cost of a Sensormatic security system of $4000 and plug it into our Loss Prevention ROI Calculator and find that your investment will break even in 6.15 months. So in a little over six months your Sensormatic security system will be making you money. Can loss prevention be free, YES it can.
The cost of the Sensormatic security system is a heck of a lot cheaper than the cost of that $500 loss.
We have a loss prevention ROI calculator on our web site. Follow the link and put in your own numbers. Play with it by trying different rates and dollar amounts that work for your business. The loss prevention ROI calculator is confidential. And even better it is also a free loss prevention calculator. You can even save and print out your examples.
However, the thought process does not end there. If you are considering a Sensormatic system or another brand you need to ask the Dealer you are talking to several questions that play directly into the cost of the system you are thinking of purchasing:
1- Is installation included?
2- Are the Installers Factory trained?
3- How do you obtain service?
4- What is the turnaround time for a service call?
5- Who will come out to do service on your system?
6- What is the warranty on the equipment?
7- What U.S. retailers use the equipment they sell?
8- Are they just in sales or do they have actual loss prevention experience?
9- Will that Dealer conduct free live training on how to use the system?
10- Will they conduct free live anti-shoplifting training that covers how to understand and attack YOUR individual shoplifting problems?
11- Will they conduct that free live anti-shoplifting training anytime you reasonably need it for new associates?
12- Do they provide you materials to conduct your own anti-shoplifting training if you so desire?
Please be sure to ask us every one of these questions and any others you have. You will like our answers.
Try the free loss prevention calculator and contact us if you have any questions about Sensormatic security systems, anti-shoplifting, loss prevention calculator or any other loss prevention issues.
Can loss prevention be free? YES it can with Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. Contact us today at 1-770-426-0547.
Retail Traffic Counting – 3 WC Blog 743
Customer Counting Systems -3
Using Customer Counting Systems To Improve Customer Service – Part 2
This series is about how retail traffic counting, customer service and theft prevention all relate to each other. It is also a discussion on how leadership impacts the environment in a business and can build success or damage morale. As my examples for this article I referenced visits I recently made to two different fast food restaurants. I used Part 1 to illustrate the poor example of service and how it appeared management had failed to plan for a particularly busy shift or a busy day based on my observations. Had that business been a retail store I have no doubt that customers would have abandoned shopping carts and shoplifters would have been able to steal to their hearts content. I also noted that employees were not friendly and it may well have been the result of the way the manager was reacting to the situation and barking orders and questioning employees.
In Part 2 I am sharing a much more positive experience at another restaurant and the lessons that can be applied to a retail store. It was another busy day and I will go out on a limb and say the second restaurant was even busier than the first had been. Cars were lined up completely around the building at the drive through and the parking lot was full. I parked and went in expecting to have to wait a considerable amount of time. That turned out not to be the case, I was able to go up to the counter and order my food. The cashier was pleasant and took my order then began to fill it. I stepped back and watched the team. The manager was giving directions but was also encouraging the team. He wasn’t stressed though he had every right to be based on the number of patrons. Every employee I could see was smiling and appeared to be in good spirits. There seemed to be an adequate number of workers to meet the needs of the day. I don’t know what the business used for staffing or planning but if they were a retail business I would have guessed they used customer counting systems to help plan for the day or the week. To top off this trip as I walked out to my car I saw that not only were cars going through the drive through, the manager had two employees going to those cars to take orders by hand and deliver them to the window to speed up service. I was impressed.
Using these two restaurants in comparison I would ask how your stores stack up in terms of leadership and customer service. If you were to use a retail traffic counting device you would be able to use hard numbers to know when traffic flow is taking place. Use that information to make effective schedules, having the right number of workers in place at the right time. That alone will go a long way in keeping your workers happy. It also makes life easier on managers who aren’t feeling under pressure to do the work rather than being able to take a step back and provide directions. Stressed managers stress the teams working for them.
How easy is it to set up customer counting systems? If you have a Sensormatic security system it may be just a matter of incorporating it in an existing security tower. If you don’t have a Sensormatic system to prevent shoplifting I can tell you that they are affordable even for the smallest of stores. Even better, if you were to purchase it through Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. you receive free anti-shoplifting training that will help you effectively reduce theft and learn how to respond to Sensormatic system alarms. If cost is a concern they also offer financing options. As someone who has been in retail for over 28 years I strongly recommend that you visit the Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. website for more information on customer counting systems and anti-theft devices.
It should be noted that improving customer service by having an adequate number of people working affects more than just employee happiness. I will tell you that having enough workers available when your store is busy improves sales as more attention can be given to assisting shoppers on the salesfloor. It is also an effective means of combating shoplifting, especially when used with a Sensormatic security system. To staff properly don’t take a guess at how you should schedule. Use a retail traffic counting device and start to reap the benefits immediately. You can count on it!
Customer counting systems are important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.
This series is about how retail traffic counting, customer service and theft prevention all relate to each other. It is also a discussion on how leadership impacts the environment in a business and can build success or damage morale. As my examples for this article I referenced visits I recently made to two different fast food restaurants. I used Part 1 to illustrate the poor example of service and how it appeared management had failed to plan for a particularly busy shift or a busy day based on my observations. Had that business been a retail store I have no doubt that customers would have abandoned shopping carts and shoplifters would have been able to steal to their hearts content. I also noted that employees were not friendly and it may well have been the result of the way the manager was reacting to the situation and barking orders and questioning employees.
In Part 2 I am sharing a much more positive experience at another restaurant and the lessons that can be applied to a retail store. It was another busy day and I will go out on a limb and say the second restaurant was even busier than the first had been. Cars were lined up completely around the building at the drive through and the parking lot was full. I parked and went in expecting to have to wait a considerable amount of time. That turned out not to be the case, I was able to go up to the counter and order my food. The cashier was pleasant and took my order then began to fill it. I stepped back and watched the team. The manager was giving directions but was also encouraging the team. He wasn’t stressed though he had every right to be based on the number of patrons. Every employee I could see was smiling and appeared to be in good spirits. There seemed to be an adequate number of workers to meet the needs of the day. I don’t know what the business used for staffing or planning but if they were a retail business I would have guessed they used customer counting systems to help plan for the day or the week. To top off this trip as I walked out to my car I saw that not only were cars going through the drive through, the manager had two employees going to those cars to take orders by hand and deliver them to the window to speed up service. I was impressed.
Using these two restaurants in comparison I would ask how your stores stack up in terms of leadership and customer service. If you were to use a retail traffic counting device you would be able to use hard numbers to know when traffic flow is taking place. Use that information to make effective schedules, having the right number of workers in place at the right time. That alone will go a long way in keeping your workers happy. It also makes life easier on managers who aren’t feeling under pressure to do the work rather than being able to take a step back and provide directions. Stressed managers stress the teams working for them.
How easy is it to set up customer counting systems? If you have a Sensormatic security system it may be just a matter of incorporating it in an existing security tower. If you don’t have a Sensormatic system to prevent shoplifting I can tell you that they are affordable even for the smallest of stores. Even better, if you were to purchase it through Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. you receive free anti-shoplifting training that will help you effectively reduce theft and learn how to respond to Sensormatic system alarms. If cost is a concern they also offer financing options. As someone who has been in retail for over 28 years I strongly recommend that you visit the Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. website for more information on customer counting systems and anti-theft devices.
It should be noted that improving customer service by having an adequate number of people working affects more than just employee happiness. I will tell you that having enough workers available when your store is busy improves sales as more attention can be given to assisting shoppers on the salesfloor. It is also an effective means of combating shoplifting, especially when used with a Sensormatic security system. To staff properly don’t take a guess at how you should schedule. Use a retail traffic counting device and start to reap the benefits immediately. You can count on it!
Customer counting systems are important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.
