Sensormatic tags – 3 WC Blog 769
Clothing Security – 3
Are You Contributing To Dangerous Crimes When You Don’t Use Sensormatic Tags? Part 1
This may not seem fair to some of you but I am going on one of my rants about the need for retailers to use Sensormatic tags on clothes. The target of this tirade is aimed at least in part to the retail shop owners who refuse to use anti-theft devices on all of their clothing. I’m angry because I read another story about another moronic shoplifter who decided to steal and attempted to get away from police leading them on a high speed chase. The chases are bad enough but when these criminals then cause accidents, injuries to others or damage the property of others I get really angry. And if anyone out there wants to argue that police shouldn’t be engaging in pursuits your argument in falling on deaf ears. The idea that Law Enforcement should just disengage if a criminal decides to try to get away is ridiculous. Would you feel the same way if someone broke into your home, stole valuables and police officers saw the suspect’s vehicle but chose not to chase them because when they turned on their lights the crook sped up? You would be livid. I digress. In a report on wlbt.com, February 8, 2019 by Morgan Howard and David Kenney, “Richland police arrest woman suspected of shoplifting after high speed chase into Jackson” the story says a woman had been spotted stealing two televisions from Walmart. Police attempted to stop her and she led them on a high speed chase and she ended up going off the road, driving through a yard and “crashing just inches from a house.” “So what does this have to do with clothing security?” you ask, “these were televisions”. Well it turned out televisions were not the only thing this criminal had in her vehicle the police also recovered a pair of jeans.
Would the use of Sensormatic tags have stopped this criminal suspect from stealing jeans and would that have had any bearing on the theft of televisions? I am going to say there is a strong likelihood that the incident would not have happened if Sensormatic tags had been used on all merchandise. I am specifically directing my remarks to the jeans because if they came from Walmart as did the televisions I know from my own shopping experience they do not tag their jeans. They DO use anti-theft devices on some televisions but I have personally prevented a shoplifting in one of their stores when a thief was going to try to roll out a television that did not have any protective device. From my years in Retail Loss Prevention I will say that in the vast majority of cases when my team or I caught shoplifters the merchandise had no clothing security tags or other type of security label. If someone did try to walk out with tagged product the electronic article surveillance alarm sounded and a supervisor or trained cashier responded and recovered the merchandise through a receipt check. When stores use tags and labels on all of their merchandise shoplifters shift their attention to stores that don’t use electronic article surveillance equipment.
“Okay, so you showed me one case of a shoplifter fleeing and wrecking their car but no one was injured, what’s the big deal?” Glad I could ask for you. It isn’t an isolated case, I have had shoplifters run from me, jump into their car and slam it into reverse and back all the way out of the parking lot to avoid me seeing their license plate. I have seen shoplifters nearly run into other cars. But if my personal experiences are not evidence enough, let me give you one more news report from keyt.com, “Sheriff Deputy injured as shoplifter flees scene”, May 15, 2018 by Ryder Christ. The story relates that a shoplifter who was trying to flee from police jumped out of his moving car and the vehicle hit “a Sheriff’s deputy on a motorcycle.” The officer was injured due to the recklessness of the thief but fortunately was able to be treated at the scene of the incident. Shoplifters can be extremely dangerous. Whether it is intentional or through stupidity they often put others at risk.
Store owners and managers, if you are not using clothing security and other anti-theft tools to stop this activity from taking place you are contributing to the problem. Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. can get you started in the right direction to put an end to this dangerous activity and make your store more profitable in the process. In Part 2 we will look at more dangerous shoplifting incidents and discuss what Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. can do to help you stop them from taking place in your buildings.
Get more information on Sensormatic Tags, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
This may not seem fair to some of you but I am going on one of my rants about the need for retailers to use Sensormatic tags on clothes. The target of this tirade is aimed at least in part to the retail shop owners who refuse to use anti-theft devices on all of their clothing. I’m angry because I read another story about another moronic shoplifter who decided to steal and attempted to get away from police leading them on a high speed chase. The chases are bad enough but when these criminals then cause accidents, injuries to others or damage the property of others I get really angry. And if anyone out there wants to argue that police shouldn’t be engaging in pursuits your argument in falling on deaf ears. The idea that Law Enforcement should just disengage if a criminal decides to try to get away is ridiculous. Would you feel the same way if someone broke into your home, stole valuables and police officers saw the suspect’s vehicle but chose not to chase them because when they turned on their lights the crook sped up? You would be livid. I digress. In a report on wlbt.com, February 8, 2019 by Morgan Howard and David Kenney, “Richland police arrest woman suspected of shoplifting after high speed chase into Jackson” the story says a woman had been spotted stealing two televisions from Walmart. Police attempted to stop her and she led them on a high speed chase and she ended up going off the road, driving through a yard and “crashing just inches from a house.” “So what does this have to do with clothing security?” you ask, “these were televisions”. Well it turned out televisions were not the only thing this criminal had in her vehicle the police also recovered a pair of jeans.
Would the use of Sensormatic tags have stopped this criminal suspect from stealing jeans and would that have had any bearing on the theft of televisions? I am going to say there is a strong likelihood that the incident would not have happened if Sensormatic tags had been used on all merchandise. I am specifically directing my remarks to the jeans because if they came from Walmart as did the televisions I know from my own shopping experience they do not tag their jeans. They DO use anti-theft devices on some televisions but I have personally prevented a shoplifting in one of their stores when a thief was going to try to roll out a television that did not have any protective device. From my years in Retail Loss Prevention I will say that in the vast majority of cases when my team or I caught shoplifters the merchandise had no clothing security tags or other type of security label. If someone did try to walk out with tagged product the electronic article surveillance alarm sounded and a supervisor or trained cashier responded and recovered the merchandise through a receipt check. When stores use tags and labels on all of their merchandise shoplifters shift their attention to stores that don’t use electronic article surveillance equipment.
“Okay, so you showed me one case of a shoplifter fleeing and wrecking their car but no one was injured, what’s the big deal?” Glad I could ask for you. It isn’t an isolated case, I have had shoplifters run from me, jump into their car and slam it into reverse and back all the way out of the parking lot to avoid me seeing their license plate. I have seen shoplifters nearly run into other cars. But if my personal experiences are not evidence enough, let me give you one more news report from keyt.com, “Sheriff Deputy injured as shoplifter flees scene”, May 15, 2018 by Ryder Christ. The story relates that a shoplifter who was trying to flee from police jumped out of his moving car and the vehicle hit “a Sheriff’s deputy on a motorcycle.” The officer was injured due to the recklessness of the thief but fortunately was able to be treated at the scene of the incident. Shoplifters can be extremely dangerous. Whether it is intentional or through stupidity they often put others at risk.
Store owners and managers, if you are not using clothing security and other anti-theft tools to stop this activity from taking place you are contributing to the problem. Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. can get you started in the right direction to put an end to this dangerous activity and make your store more profitable in the process. In Part 2 we will look at more dangerous shoplifting incidents and discuss what Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. can do to help you stop them from taking place in your buildings.
Get more information on Sensormatic Tags, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
Employee Background Checks – 3 WC Blog 757
Pre-employment Screening – 4
Employee Background Checks Are A Buffer To Employee Theft
Employee background checks are much like the safety features in a car. This occurred to me the other day after I had stopped to render assistance at the scene of a head on collision. A car had crossed the median and plowed into the front of a car that had been travelling in the opposite direction. By the look of the accident scene the incident had taken place just moments before I drove up. I pulled over, got out and began checking on the victims. Two other passersby got out to assist as well. The victim who had been hit was in pain but had only minor visible cuts on his person. I did notice his airbag had deployed. As I looked at the amount of damage I can only believe the airbag and other safety features prevented more severe injuries or even death to driver I was helping. Pre-employment screening is like a safety feature in a car. You don’t necessarily realize how important it is until something takes place that makes you realize what could have happened without them.
A retail business is susceptible to internal theft and that can do significant damage to a business. When I was a Loss Prevention Manager I closed out at least 100 employee theft cases but the majority of those resulted in less the $1,000 worth of known or admitted theft per incident. In most situations I identified the theft fairly early on from the start of the employee’s start date. I would attribute this to the fact our company could afford to have Loss Prevention Managers and Associates in our stores. I will also say that Pre-employment screening and drug screening played a big part in keeping these numbers as low as they were. The screenings are like the unseen safety features of a car. Have them in place and they will protect you from serious damage should something go wrong. Notice that safety features don’t necessarily prevent accidents from happening but they do minimize damage to the occupants of a vehicle should one occur.
Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. (LPSI) is one company that can conduct comprehensive employee background checks on potential future hires for you. They have a wide range of research options an employer can request before a new person hired onto a team. Most people think of criminal background checks when they think of pre-employment screenings but there are more things that can be covered. Some of the things LPSI can dig into are driving records in case the applicant will be driving a company-owned vehicle. They can verify educational information if the employer requires a specific level of education. Sometimes people with checkered pasts move around frequently to try to hide their activity. LPSI can look into that information and validate prior addresses. There may be hidden dangers lurking in a job candidate’s past and LPSI provides the safety mechanism to help keep your business safe.
Let’s not overlook the hidden dangers of hiring someone who uses illegal drugs and seeks a job in a retail store. Side note; I am also including marijuana in this category. Though it may be ‘legal’ in some states, it is not legal as far as the federal government is concerned. I am also of the personal opinion that it can still cause liability issues for a retailer as much as an employee intoxicated by alcohol can be for a store owner. These applicants may choose to steal to support their habit. They may cause accidents or injure themselves while working costing employers significant amounts of money in lost work time, payment for damages or injuries and potentially lawsuits. Screening applicants before allowing them to start work may slow the hiring process a bit but the benefits to the employer are immeasurable.
I hope that the airbags in your car will never have to deploy. However should an accident take place these hidden safety features may save you from severe injury or death. In a similar manner employee background checks and drug screening can proactively keep your business safe even if you don’t see them in action. You try to hire the right people with applicant screening questions and interviews and pre-employment screening adds another level of safety. The chances of hiring a dishonest worker are significantly reduced when you have them in place. It is also important to know that should one bad character get past your screening LPSI can also do dishonest employee investigations to get you back on track again quickly limiting your injury from losses the associate may cause.
For more information on employee background checks contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
Employee background checks are much like the safety features in a car. This occurred to me the other day after I had stopped to render assistance at the scene of a head on collision. A car had crossed the median and plowed into the front of a car that had been travelling in the opposite direction. By the look of the accident scene the incident had taken place just moments before I drove up. I pulled over, got out and began checking on the victims. Two other passersby got out to assist as well. The victim who had been hit was in pain but had only minor visible cuts on his person. I did notice his airbag had deployed. As I looked at the amount of damage I can only believe the airbag and other safety features prevented more severe injuries or even death to driver I was helping. Pre-employment screening is like a safety feature in a car. You don’t necessarily realize how important it is until something takes place that makes you realize what could have happened without them.
A retail business is susceptible to internal theft and that can do significant damage to a business. When I was a Loss Prevention Manager I closed out at least 100 employee theft cases but the majority of those resulted in less the $1,000 worth of known or admitted theft per incident. In most situations I identified the theft fairly early on from the start of the employee’s start date. I would attribute this to the fact our company could afford to have Loss Prevention Managers and Associates in our stores. I will also say that Pre-employment screening and drug screening played a big part in keeping these numbers as low as they were. The screenings are like the unseen safety features of a car. Have them in place and they will protect you from serious damage should something go wrong. Notice that safety features don’t necessarily prevent accidents from happening but they do minimize damage to the occupants of a vehicle should one occur.
Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. (LPSI) is one company that can conduct comprehensive employee background checks on potential future hires for you. They have a wide range of research options an employer can request before a new person hired onto a team. Most people think of criminal background checks when they think of pre-employment screenings but there are more things that can be covered. Some of the things LPSI can dig into are driving records in case the applicant will be driving a company-owned vehicle. They can verify educational information if the employer requires a specific level of education. Sometimes people with checkered pasts move around frequently to try to hide their activity. LPSI can look into that information and validate prior addresses. There may be hidden dangers lurking in a job candidate’s past and LPSI provides the safety mechanism to help keep your business safe.
Let’s not overlook the hidden dangers of hiring someone who uses illegal drugs and seeks a job in a retail store. Side note; I am also including marijuana in this category. Though it may be ‘legal’ in some states, it is not legal as far as the federal government is concerned. I am also of the personal opinion that it can still cause liability issues for a retailer as much as an employee intoxicated by alcohol can be for a store owner. These applicants may choose to steal to support their habit. They may cause accidents or injure themselves while working costing employers significant amounts of money in lost work time, payment for damages or injuries and potentially lawsuits. Screening applicants before allowing them to start work may slow the hiring process a bit but the benefits to the employer are immeasurable.
I hope that the airbags in your car will never have to deploy. However should an accident take place these hidden safety features may save you from severe injury or death. In a similar manner employee background checks and drug screening can proactively keep your business safe even if you don’t see them in action. You try to hire the right people with applicant screening questions and interviews and pre-employment screening adds another level of safety. The chances of hiring a dishonest worker are significantly reduced when you have them in place. It is also important to know that should one bad character get past your screening LPSI can also do dishonest employee investigations to get you back on track again quickly limiting your injury from losses the associate may cause.
For more information on employee background checks contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
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.
Sensormatic Security Labels – 5 WC Blog 756
Electronic Article Surveillance – 3
Advantages Of Using Sensormatic Security Labels Over Other Brands Part 2
In Part 1 of this series on Sensormatic security labels I discussed some problems that can be encountered with certain electronic article surveillance systems and labels. From phantom alarms at the doors to having to try to work with large labels there are can be disadvantages associated with some systems. On the other hand there are clear advantages to using Sensormatic security systems. After nearly 17 in Retail Loss Prevention I have had personal experience using different labels, tags and towers. I saw how effective the Sensormatic labels were in protecting merchandise.
This is a short list of what makes the Sensormatic security labels my preferred choice in anti-theft soft tags:
• Right out of the gate is the size of the Sensormatic labels. Whether we are talking about the Sensormatic AP Sheet Labels or the HBC Labels, these tags have a small footprint and take up little space on a piece of merchandise. This means that there are more small items that can be tagged than might have been possible with traditional radio frequency (RF) labels.
• Where RF electronic article surveillance labels are limited in the numbers of products they can be used on, the acoustic magnetic (AM) labels are virtually unlimited. AM labels are not affected by foils or metals so products such as foil gift wraps, foil gift bags, and even bicycles can be protected with a label.
• Because AM labels are not affected by metal, metal shopping carts are not problems for tagged merchandise. Metal shopping carts by their design can interfere with radio waves and disrupt the frequency of RF labels. AM labels are not impacted by this so retailers need not be concerned about what materials their buggies are made out of. Professional shoplifters occasionally use foil lined bags called booster bags to shoplift. These bags are intended to render RF labels useless so they won’t be detected as merchandise in a foil lined bag is carried out of a store. Again, AM labels are not affected by these bags and can still be detected by alarm pedestals.
• AM labels can withstand high humidity levels for certain periods of time without the effectiveness of the tag being impacted. They can also be stored for up to 96 hours in temperatures not exceeding 122 degrees Fahrenheit. This may not seem like a big deal at first but if labels are transported in delivery trucks temperatures and humidity can get high. Having labels that can stand up to these conditions and not lose their potency is an important feature that should not be underestimated by a retailer.
• Finally, and this is probably one of the most important differences in my opinion, Sensormatic’s labels can be reactivated with the Sensormatic Hand Wand.
Each of these are great reasons for investing in Sensormatic security labels but I really want to focus on the last point about reactivation.
When merchandise with an RF label is detuned at the point of sale that label is neutralized and can’t be used again. That is okay if all of your sales are final but we all know that merchandise returns are going to happen. So what happens when the merchandise is brought back and the packaging has an RF label still attached? Based on my experiences I will tell you that in the majority of cases nothing will happen. A new tag cannot be placed on top of an old tag and to be frank most retailers won’t even think about trying to place a new tag on a returned product. That means if the merchandise is in re-sellable condition it is going back out unprotected. It may look like it is tagged but it won’t work if someone decides to try to steal it. With the ability to reactivate Sensormatic security labels a retailer only needs to the Sensormatic Hand Wand available at the return desk to ensure product is secure and ready to be re-stocked.
As I have explained there are sound reasons for choosing to use Sensormatic security labels over other brands. They are proven to stop shoplifting and can be used in situations that would negate the effectiveness of other tags. Don’t take chances on electronic article surveillance labels that may deteriorate due to climate conditions or may not be active any longer. You can count on Sensormatic labels to help in keeping shortage low.
Need information on Sensormatic security labels? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
In Part 1 of this series on Sensormatic security labels I discussed some problems that can be encountered with certain electronic article surveillance systems and labels. From phantom alarms at the doors to having to try to work with large labels there are can be disadvantages associated with some systems. On the other hand there are clear advantages to using Sensormatic security systems. After nearly 17 in Retail Loss Prevention I have had personal experience using different labels, tags and towers. I saw how effective the Sensormatic labels were in protecting merchandise.
This is a short list of what makes the Sensormatic security labels my preferred choice in anti-theft soft tags:
• Right out of the gate is the size of the Sensormatic labels. Whether we are talking about the Sensormatic AP Sheet Labels or the HBC Labels, these tags have a small footprint and take up little space on a piece of merchandise. This means that there are more small items that can be tagged than might have been possible with traditional radio frequency (RF) labels.
• Where RF electronic article surveillance labels are limited in the numbers of products they can be used on, the acoustic magnetic (AM) labels are virtually unlimited. AM labels are not affected by foils or metals so products such as foil gift wraps, foil gift bags, and even bicycles can be protected with a label.
• Because AM labels are not affected by metal, metal shopping carts are not problems for tagged merchandise. Metal shopping carts by their design can interfere with radio waves and disrupt the frequency of RF labels. AM labels are not impacted by this so retailers need not be concerned about what materials their buggies are made out of. Professional shoplifters occasionally use foil lined bags called booster bags to shoplift. These bags are intended to render RF labels useless so they won’t be detected as merchandise in a foil lined bag is carried out of a store. Again, AM labels are not affected by these bags and can still be detected by alarm pedestals.
• AM labels can withstand high humidity levels for certain periods of time without the effectiveness of the tag being impacted. They can also be stored for up to 96 hours in temperatures not exceeding 122 degrees Fahrenheit. This may not seem like a big deal at first but if labels are transported in delivery trucks temperatures and humidity can get high. Having labels that can stand up to these conditions and not lose their potency is an important feature that should not be underestimated by a retailer.
• Finally, and this is probably one of the most important differences in my opinion, Sensormatic’s labels can be reactivated with the Sensormatic Hand Wand.
Each of these are great reasons for investing in Sensormatic security labels but I really want to focus on the last point about reactivation.
When merchandise with an RF label is detuned at the point of sale that label is neutralized and can’t be used again. That is okay if all of your sales are final but we all know that merchandise returns are going to happen. So what happens when the merchandise is brought back and the packaging has an RF label still attached? Based on my experiences I will tell you that in the majority of cases nothing will happen. A new tag cannot be placed on top of an old tag and to be frank most retailers won’t even think about trying to place a new tag on a returned product. That means if the merchandise is in re-sellable condition it is going back out unprotected. It may look like it is tagged but it won’t work if someone decides to try to steal it. With the ability to reactivate Sensormatic security labels a retailer only needs to the Sensormatic Hand Wand available at the return desk to ensure product is secure and ready to be re-stocked.
As I have explained there are sound reasons for choosing to use Sensormatic security labels over other brands. They are proven to stop shoplifting and can be used in situations that would negate the effectiveness of other tags. Don’t take chances on electronic article surveillance labels that may deteriorate due to climate conditions or may not be active any longer. You can count on Sensormatic labels to help in keeping shortage low.
Need information on Sensormatic security labels? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
