When I was a Loss Prevention Manager I regularly spent time with my team doing training to stop shoplifting. I would create a scenario and one person would have to follow the “suspect” and see all the steps to conduct a proper apprehension. We also did refresher training on the steps for detaining and handcuffing a shoplifter. Basically I took the same philosophy we practiced in the military and applied it to Retail Loss Prevention. Practicing skills is the only way to stay sharp on them especially when it comes to things you don’t do on a regularly basis and trust me there were times it felt like we went through droughts of catching shoplifters. This came to me as I attended first aid and CPR training at the library where I now work. I have had a lot of first aid and CPR training starting from the time I was a Boy Scout but rarely have I had to put that first aid training to use. On top of that I have never had to use my CPR training. It is precisely because I have not had to put those skills to work very often that I continue to go through refresher training, I forget over time. The same can be said for Retail Theft Prevention. You may have a Sensormatic security system installed and you may have demonstrated to an associate once how to remove Sensormatic hard tags or respond to an alarm but they can forget.
Store managers should be spending time on a regular basis talking with employees on how to properly attach and detach Sensormatic hard tags. There also needs to be training on how they should be responding to electronic article surveillance alarms and how it helps stop shoplifting. There are a couple of reasons why this training is important and should not be glossed over.
• When it comes to the attachment of hard tags or application of labels consistency is necessary. If they are not applied properly they may be able to be removed by thieves or they may be rendered useless. For example electronic article surveillance labels may not work properly if they are bent too much around a side or corner of a box. Attaching a hard tag to a clothing size label on the neck of a shirt will not be a deterrent to theft since the shirt tag can be cut off without damaging the merchandise.
• If associates are trained to place hard tags in the same location on every pair of slacks cashiers will know where to find the tags and this will aid in proper removal at the point of sale.
• Teaching sales staff how to apply Sensormatic hard tags that have pins will help to prevent accidental puncture wounds. This can also help you, the store owner, avoid a medical bill.
• Talking about what to look for when a sensor tag activates an alarm can make the interaction with the customer more pleasant, even if they were trying to steal products. It will also help in getting thieves to pay for the merchandise or hand it to the employee.
It is the repetition of regularly reviewing this information that makes it become second nature to your employees. Not all employees have the same interactions with Sensormatic equipment and customers so some may never actually remove a tag or deactivate a label. That does not mean they should not know how to do so.
In part 2 we will continue the discussion on the importance of practice and review as it relates to how to stop shoplifting and losses as the result of a Sensormatic equipment alarm. For now just know that refresher training is an essential function in every workplace, especially for tasks that are infrequently performed.
Sensormatic hard tags are important and we can help you with them. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.
Employee Theft-2 WC Blog 578
Stop Shoplifting-2
Training To Stop Shoplifting And Employee Theft Is The Key To Improved Profits
Let me start off this article with two questions, how often do you talk to your associates about how important it is to stop shoplifting in your store? Do you ever discuss with your managers the need to look for signs of employee theft? It may never have even occurred to you to have these conversations. If you are operating small retail stores you may not deem it necessary to mention it much because you don’t have a lot of people working for you anyways. I walk into small retail stores and may get a “hello” or a “can I help you find something?” from a clerk sitting behind a counter. I say, “Thank you I’m just looking” and wander around browsing. Often I can cruise through a store without being offered any additional assistance. I can’t help but think if I was a a I could have gotten away with a bunch of merchandise. Maybe it is because I look like I’m honest or because I happen to be a friendly person. I ran into this not long ago when my wife and I went into an antique store. You are thinking, “That was an antique store who is going to steal from there?” Is that the point? If I was the store owner I would want that employee walking around and being available to offer assistance.
Training to stop shoplifting and reduce employee theft is not difficult if someone knows what it is that deters thieves and also the signs that someone is stealing. The problem that frequently arises is that employers don’t really understand theft themselves. It is uncomfortable for them to try to train others on it so it is glossed over or ignored as a part of an onboarding orientation or ongoing training. That does not have to be the case. If you don’t know about a topic or have little understanding of it there is always a resource somewhere to help out. Loss Prevention Systems Inc. is a reliable resource for training that will provide managers and store owners with the knowledge they need. Not only will the people who attend the trainings gain a wealth of knowledge, they will be able to incorporate that information into future new hire training.
“But I don’t have time to fly off somewhere to attend a training seminar!” I completely understand. As a Loss Prevention Manager I used to have to travel on occasion to attend training sessions and as valuable as those trainings were, I hated to leave my store. The folks at Loss Prevention Systems Inc. understand this and have several solutions for the retail owners. They can come out to you and conduct training for you and your managers. You may even want to partner with a group of local small business owners to make it more impactful. Not sure you want the live training but would like something on a smaller scale? Loss Prevention Systems Inc. also offers live webinars that you can watch from your office. With options available to you there is no reason you should remain in the dark not only on how theft is happening in your store but how much it is impacting your business. You can stop it but it takes an entire store of employees who understand their role in prevention of theft and what to do to stop it.
Is shortage something that you as a small business owner need to be concerned with? According to the 2017 National Retail Security Survey, the average shrink rate for retailers is 1.44% (pg. 6). More importantly 23% of retailers reported shrink at 2% or higher (pg. 6). The report also indicates on average 36.5% of shortage is attributed to shoplifting and 30% due to employee theft (pg.8). As you can see by the numbers you have to control shortage in your stores and the only way to effectively do that is by knowing how to stop shoplifting and employee theft.
Don’t underestimate the thieves who are pilfering your business. Get training to know how to identify criminals and how to prevent them from stealing. After you are trained pass that knowledge on to your employees during orientation and ongoing refreshers. A whole lot of knowledge means a lot less employee theft and shoplifting and that means more black ink on your profit line.
Need information on employee theft? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
Let me start off this article with two questions, how often do you talk to your associates about how important it is to stop shoplifting in your store? Do you ever discuss with your managers the need to look for signs of employee theft? It may never have even occurred to you to have these conversations. If you are operating small retail stores you may not deem it necessary to mention it much because you don’t have a lot of people working for you anyways. I walk into small retail stores and may get a “hello” or a “can I help you find something?” from a clerk sitting behind a counter. I say, “Thank you I’m just looking” and wander around browsing. Often I can cruise through a store without being offered any additional assistance. I can’t help but think if I was a a I could have gotten away with a bunch of merchandise. Maybe it is because I look like I’m honest or because I happen to be a friendly person. I ran into this not long ago when my wife and I went into an antique store. You are thinking, “That was an antique store who is going to steal from there?” Is that the point? If I was the store owner I would want that employee walking around and being available to offer assistance.
Training to stop shoplifting and reduce employee theft is not difficult if someone knows what it is that deters thieves and also the signs that someone is stealing. The problem that frequently arises is that employers don’t really understand theft themselves. It is uncomfortable for them to try to train others on it so it is glossed over or ignored as a part of an onboarding orientation or ongoing training. That does not have to be the case. If you don’t know about a topic or have little understanding of it there is always a resource somewhere to help out. Loss Prevention Systems Inc. is a reliable resource for training that will provide managers and store owners with the knowledge they need. Not only will the people who attend the trainings gain a wealth of knowledge, they will be able to incorporate that information into future new hire training.
“But I don’t have time to fly off somewhere to attend a training seminar!” I completely understand. As a Loss Prevention Manager I used to have to travel on occasion to attend training sessions and as valuable as those trainings were, I hated to leave my store. The folks at Loss Prevention Systems Inc. understand this and have several solutions for the retail owners. They can come out to you and conduct training for you and your managers. You may even want to partner with a group of local small business owners to make it more impactful. Not sure you want the live training but would like something on a smaller scale? Loss Prevention Systems Inc. also offers live webinars that you can watch from your office. With options available to you there is no reason you should remain in the dark not only on how theft is happening in your store but how much it is impacting your business. You can stop it but it takes an entire store of employees who understand their role in prevention of theft and what to do to stop it.
Is shortage something that you as a small business owner need to be concerned with? According to the 2017 National Retail Security Survey, the average shrink rate for retailers is 1.44% (pg. 6). More importantly 23% of retailers reported shrink at 2% or higher (pg. 6). The report also indicates on average 36.5% of shortage is attributed to shoplifting and 30% due to employee theft (pg.8). As you can see by the numbers you have to control shortage in your stores and the only way to effectively do that is by knowing how to stop shoplifting and employee theft.
Don’t underestimate the thieves who are pilfering your business. Get training to know how to identify criminals and how to prevent them from stealing. After you are trained pass that knowledge on to your employees during orientation and ongoing refreshers. A whole lot of knowledge means a lot less employee theft and shoplifting and that means more black ink on your profit line.
Need information on employee theft? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
Alpha Shark Tags -3 WC Blog 513
Wardrobing-5
Alpha Shark Tags Prevent Lost Customers
Oddly enough signs of return fraud and wardrobing can be all around you when you go shopping and you can see it if you know what you are looking for. My wife and I both have backgrounds in retail sales. I have been in it for approximately 27 or so years, my wife was in sales and comparison shopping for around 15 years. Recently we were out clothing shopping and she stopped me and pointed out a dress that was hanging up on a rack. She said that someone had worn it out somewhere and returned it. Since her experience was in department store clothing sales and jewelry I believed her but I wanted to look a bit closer. Sure enough, a little bit of makeup was around the neckline and the dress looked wrinkled compared to the others. Despite this, the retailer kept it at the same price as the others and I thought this was silly. If I was the customer I would just take one that was in better condition. Why buy a dress in this condition? Walking through another store looking for shoes for our daughter we thought we found a pair. My wife stopped me from selecting them, she said they had been worn and returned. Sure enough I turned them over and there was dirt in the grooves of the sole and the inside of the shoe looked a bit dirty. We put the shoes back and had to go somewhere else to look for shoes for our daughter. Wardrobing costs stores in lost sales and lost profit margin. It can be prevented but it requires a firm return policy and the use of Alpha Shark Tags.
Wardrobing is not a common word but it is a form of return fraud and can be hard to defend against because it incorporates a legitimate purchase and appears to follow store return policies. Unlike other return fraud that can be caused by the theft of merchandise and an attempt to return it without a receipt. A person who is wardrobing purchases a clothing item and carefully hides or removes the manufacturer tags. They do not intend to keep the merchandise rather they buy to wear it a time or two and willfully return the item afterwards. All tags are put back, reattached or unhidden and the receipt is properly retained. A couple of issues are involved. Often the merchandise has stains (as my wife and I encountered), the items may have body, food or other odors clinging to it, a salesperson may lose commission when the clothes are returned and the store may have to mark the item down or out of stock entirely. It is not a victimless crime but it falls into a gray area that makes it difficult, if not impossible to prosecute.
The staff of Loss Prevention Systems Inc. knows that return fraud can make a significant dent in a retailer’s profits and their solution to the problem requires only the use of Alpha Shark Tags on all clothing. A Shark Tag is a one-time use bright red tag that is pinned to an item. The tag is to be placed where it will show prominently if the garment is worn in public. Because the tag will attract attention and cannot be reattached once removed, people who engage in wardrobing won’t buy clothes when Shark Tags are used by retailers. The key to making the use of the tags truly impactful is a store manager who requires ALL clothing to be tagged and adamantly refuses to accept any clothing return in which a tag has been removed. When properly applied and return policies enforced Alpha Shark Tags will cut down fraudulent returns and help stores improve profitability. It will also ensure that the clothes presented to customers like my wife and me, will be items we want to purchase…NEW!
Don’t get stung twice by the people who will buy your merchandise, wear it and return it. When you return the money for clothing someone had no intention of keeping and then you have to mark it down in order to sell it you are getting burned twice. Let Loss Prevention Systems Inc. help you stop being the victim of fraudulent activity and improve sales.
Need information on Wardrobing? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
Oddly enough signs of return fraud and wardrobing can be all around you when you go shopping and you can see it if you know what you are looking for. My wife and I both have backgrounds in retail sales. I have been in it for approximately 27 or so years, my wife was in sales and comparison shopping for around 15 years. Recently we were out clothing shopping and she stopped me and pointed out a dress that was hanging up on a rack. She said that someone had worn it out somewhere and returned it. Since her experience was in department store clothing sales and jewelry I believed her but I wanted to look a bit closer. Sure enough, a little bit of makeup was around the neckline and the dress looked wrinkled compared to the others. Despite this, the retailer kept it at the same price as the others and I thought this was silly. If I was the customer I would just take one that was in better condition. Why buy a dress in this condition? Walking through another store looking for shoes for our daughter we thought we found a pair. My wife stopped me from selecting them, she said they had been worn and returned. Sure enough I turned them over and there was dirt in the grooves of the sole and the inside of the shoe looked a bit dirty. We put the shoes back and had to go somewhere else to look for shoes for our daughter. Wardrobing costs stores in lost sales and lost profit margin. It can be prevented but it requires a firm return policy and the use of Shark Tags.
Wardrobing is not a common word but it is a form of return fraud and can be hard to defend against because it incorporates a legitimate purchase and appears to follow store return policies. Unlike other return fraud that can be caused by the theft of merchandise and an attempt to return it without a receipt. A person who is wardrobing purchases a clothing item and carefully hides or removes the manufacturer tags. They do not intend to keep the merchandise rather they buy to wear it a time or two and willfully return the item afterwards. All tags are put back, reattached or unhidden and the receipt is properly retained. A couple of issues are involved. Often the merchandise has stains (as my wife and I encountered), the items may have body, food or other odors clinging to it, a salesperson may lose commission when the clothes are returned and the store may have to mark the item down or out of stock entirely. It is not a victimless crime but it falls into a gray area that makes it difficult, if not impossible to prosecute.
The staff of Loss Prevention Systems Inc. knows that return fraud can make a significant dent in a retailer’s profits and their solution to the problem requires only the use of Shark Tags on all clothing. A Shark Tag is a one-time use bright red tag that is pinned to an item. The tag is to be placed where it will show prominently if the garment is worn in public. Because the tag will attract attention and cannot be reattached once removed, people who engage in wardrobing won’t buy clothes when Shark Tags are used by retailers. The key to making the use of the tags truly impactful is a store manager who requires ALL clothing to be tagged and adamantly refuses to accept any clothing return in which a tag has been removed. When properly applied and return policies enforced Shark Tags will cut down fraudulent returns and help stores improve profitability. It will also ensure that the clothes presented to customers like my wife and me, will be items we want to purchase…NEW!
Don’t get stung twice by the people who will buy your merchandise, wear it and return it. When you return the money for clothing someone had no intention of keeping and then you have to mark it down in order to sell it you are getting burned twice. Let Loss Prevention Systems Inc. help you stop being the victim of fraudulent activity and improve sales.
Need information on Wardrobing? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
