Applicant Management Process-3 WC Blog 638
Applicant Tracking System-3
Manage Your Hiring Pool With An Applicant Tracking System
Having been both a retail manager and a library supervisor I have been involved with more than one applicant management process. I have always seen some type of online application but often there has been paper documentation that went with it. Even today when the library I work for is interviewing people we conduct interviews with pre-written interview questions (in addition to the online questions the candidate has already answered). The purpose for the interviews is for the hiring committee to meet the candidate, ask questions that are consistent for each prospective employee and try to determine who will be the best fit for the job. Often the questions posed are situational (“what if” type questions or “what would you do in such and such a case”). Other questions are about the experiences the candidates have gone through that would relate to the position they are applying for with the library. However, the questions you would think would be asked during a job interview aren’t always as normal as you might assume they should be. In an article from businessinsider.com, “The 25 Most Bizarre Interview Questions” by Vivian Giang, Jan. 17, 2014, the writer gives us examples of questions that have really been asked. Here are five of those odd interview questions shared by job candidates:
• “If you could throw a parade of any caliber through the Zappos office, what type of parade would it be?
• “How lucky are you and why?”
• “If you were a pizza delivery man how would you benefit from scissors?
• “You’re a new addition to the crayon box, what color would you be and why?
• “How does the internet work?
The questions are truly bizarre and I guess they are designed to see how a candidate can function under stress. If the questions are designed to whittle down a field of candidates there is a better way to do it in an applicant tracking system.
The process for filling job openings can be complicated. Position descriptions must be written and job ads posted to the best internet job sites or possibly even listed with state employment agencies. This is no easy feat and can be extremely time consuming, especially the combing through of job applications. Once an employer has narrowed the applicant field there are interviews to conduct. How can the applicant management process be made more efficient and less time consuming? Loss Prevention Systems Inc. (LPSI) has the answer that store owners and Human Resources Managers are seeking to improve the way they fill openings. With LPSI’s applicant tracking system, managers can have screening questions added to an application. These qualifying questions require a candidate to answer in a specific way and if they aren’t those applications are flagged so the manager does not waste time going through them. The amount of time saved can be extraordinary if you have ever had to sift through piles of applications that were from unqualified persons.
Other benefits of the applicant management process offered by LPSI are the ability to keep the paperwork trail in an electronic format and minimizing the risk of losing track of paper files. You can also keep in email contact with your top candidates from one easy to access location. You may want to include a background check, credit check or pre-employment drug screening of your top potential candidates. LPSI can conduct those pre-employment checks for your business and makes it easy to use online consent forms. To save the back and forth of mailing forms, your candidates can open up the documents to provide electronic signatures necessary for initiating those checks.
Whittle down your field of job applicants in a streamlined fashion. When combined, pre-screening questions, drug screening and background checks are the best method of getting down to your top prospects. Loss Prevention Systems Inc. has the applicant tracking system that can do all of this and free up your time to focus elsewhere on your business. By the way, the best question I have asked an applicant: “Who is or was the best Batman EVER? (The obvious answer is Adam West). The candidate got the answer right. I should mention he had already answered all of the legitimate questions so I threw this one in to end the interview on a lighter note. The candidate also got the job.
For more information about an applicant tracking system, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
Having been both a retail manager and a library supervisor I have been involved with more than one applicant management process. I have always seen some type of online application but often there has been paper documentation that went with it. Even today when the library I work for is interviewing people we conduct interviews with pre-written interview questions (in addition to the online questions the candidate has already answered). The purpose for the interviews is for the hiring committee to meet the candidate, ask questions that are consistent for each prospective employee and try to determine who will be the best fit for the job. Often the questions posed are situational (“what if” type questions or “what would you do in such and such a case”). Other questions are about the experiences the candidates have gone through that would relate to the position they are applying for with the library. However, the questions you would think would be asked during a job interview aren’t always as normal as you might assume they should be. In an article from businessinsider.com, “The 25 Most Bizarre Interview Questions” by Vivian Giang, Jan. 17, 2014, the writer gives us examples of questions that have really been asked. Here are five of those odd interview questions shared by job candidates:
• “If you could throw a parade of any caliber through the Zappos office, what type of parade would it be?
• “How lucky are you and why?”
• “If you were a pizza delivery man how would you benefit from scissors?
• “You’re a new addition to the crayon box, what color would you be and why?
• “How does the internet work?The questions are truly bizarre and I guess they are designed to see how a candidate can function under stress. If the questions are designed to whittle down a field of candidates there is a better way to do it in an applicant tracking system.
The process for filling job openings can be complicated. Position descriptions must be written and job ads posted to the best internet job sites or possibly even listed with state employment agencies. This is no easy feat and can be extremely time consuming, especially the combing through of job applications. Once an employer has narrowed the applicant field there are interviews to conduct. How can the applicant management process be made more efficient and less time consuming? Loss Prevention Systems Inc. (LPSI) has the answer that store owners and Human Resources Managers are seeking to improve the way they fill openings. With LPSI’s applicant tracking system, managers can have screening questions added to an application. These qualifying questions require a candidate to answer in a specific way and if they aren’t those applications are flagged so the manager does not waste time going through them. The amount of time saved can be extraordinary if you have ever had to sift through piles of applications that were from unqualified persons.
Other benefits of the applicant management process offered by LPSI are the ability to keep the paperwork trail in an electronic format and minimizing the risk of losing track of paper files. You can also keep in email contact with your top candidates from one easy to access location. You may want to include a background check, credit check or pre-employment drug screening of your top potential candidates. LPSI can conduct those pre-employment checks for your business and makes it easy to use online consent forms. To save the back and forth of mailing forms, your candidates can open up the documents to provide electronic signatures necessary for initiating those checks.
Whittle down your field of job applicants in a streamlined fashion. When combined, pre-screening questions, drug screening and background checks are the best method of getting down to your top prospects. Loss Prevention Systems Inc. has the applicant tracking system that can do all of this and free up your time to focus elsewhere on your business. By the way, the best question I have asked an applicant: “Who is or was the best Batman EVER? (The obvious answer is Adam West). The candidate got the answer right. I should mention he had already answered all of the legitimate questions so I threw this one in to end the interview on a lighter note. The candidate also got the job.
For more information about an applicant tracking system, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
WC Blog 740
Stop Shoplifting -3
Sensormatic hard tags-3
Building A Culture Of Customer Service To Stop Shoplifting And Grow Sales Part 2
Most people in retail management are at least familiar with Sensormatic hard tags and what they do. Whether they choose to use them in their stores to improve their sales and profits may be another story. Most store managers will also pay lip service to the value of customer service in a store but I am not convinced all of them really know what great customer service looks like. I thought about this following a recent trip to a fast food restaurant and experienced what great customer service truly looks like. I shared this in Part 1 of this series. This business was extremely busy and had the employees been stressed out or short tempered it would have been understandable. Instead, the employees were smiling, engaging customers and there was plenty of help available. The culture of customer service in this restaurant should be emulated in every retail store. I can assure you that if you apply this model in your retail business you will boost sales and you will enhance the anti-theft capabilities of your Sensormatic security system (pssst…if you don’t have a Sensormatic system we will talk about that too).
What is it that made this store stand out from its competitors and what is management doing to make it happen? I would suggest that the employees were happy. The crowd was not a bother, a challenge perhaps but not a bother. I saw a manager (I’m pretty sure it was a manager) who was smiling, talking to his team encouraging them and giving direction but was pleasant in the process. This type of leadership is infectious and creates the climate for that shift or the day. What kind of leaders are working for you? What is your leadership style? How do YOUR managers cope under pressure? I would also say that based on the staffing level on the day I was in this establishment management had planned on a large influx of customers. Do you consider how you will stop shoplifting or the increased opportunity for it on busy days? Do you do anything differently to support increased patronage in any way? If you aren’t properly staffing you are hurting yourself.
When you have enough coverage it takes a strain off of your workers and they don’t feel overwhelmed. I have no idea what tools this business uses to plan but retailers can plan for business by using customer counting devices on their Sensormatic towers. Using the information from these counters can aid in planning and scheduling based on your customer foot traffic. Know when the peak times are for shoppers (and shoplifters) and you can schedule staff more effectively. Your employees can assist more patrons on the floor, increasing add-on sales and it also serves to stop shoplifting since crooks don’t want the attention. You can also have enough front end coverage that someone can respond if Sensormatic hard tags set off alarms be it by an attempted theft or cashier failure to remove a tag. Paying customers are less likely to be angry at an alarm activation if someone friendly responds to the doors quickly. Again, good customer service goes a long way to maintain happy customers who will return to a store to shop. Bill Bregar the founder of Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. (LPSI) recognizes how important proper staffing is to customer service, how it impacts sales AND can stop shoplifting. That is why he strongly recommends his customers install door counting sensors. Often the sensors can be seamlessly incorporated into existing systems. If you have avoided purchasing a system because you fear the cost will be out of your budget try looking at the LPSI ROI Calculator on their website, you will be very surprised at how affordable it is.
I am going to add one more thought on the importance of focusing on customer service in retail. When employees aren’t happy they don’t care as much about the tasks they need to accomplish. Associates may not take time to properly place Sensormatic hard tags on merchandise or they miss an occasional piece of merchandise. Cashiers are careless in removing hard tags leading to false alarms. A cashier with a negative attitude leaves a bad impression on customers. Any of these can be a cause for shoppers to decide not to return to a store. Be sure to create an atmosphere in your store where your employees are happy and encouraged to perform their best. Staff the building to minimize the stress level and your employees will appreciate it. As they do the level of customer service will improve and that will boost sales and reduce shortage and that is what your goal should be.
Need information on Sensormatic hard tags? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
Most people in retail management are at least familiar with Sensormatic hard tags and what they do. Whether they choose to use them in their stores to improve their sales and profits may be another story. Most store managers will also pay lip service to the value of customer service in a store but I am not convinced all of them really know what great customer service looks like. I thought about this following a recent trip to a fast food restaurant and experienced what great customer service truly looks like. I shared this in Part 1 of this series. This business was extremely busy and had the employees been stressed out or short tempered it would have been understandable. Instead, the employees were smiling, engaging customers and there was plenty of help available. The culture of customer service in this restaurant should be emulated in every retail store. I can assure you that if you apply this model in your retail business you will boost sales and you will enhance the anti-theft capabilities of your Sensormatic security system (pssst…if you don’t have a Sensormatic system we will talk about that too).
What is it that made this store stand out from its competitors and what is management doing to make it happen? I would suggest that the employees were happy. The crowd was not a bother, a challenge perhaps but not a bother. I saw a manager (I’m pretty sure it was a manager) who was smiling, talking to his team encouraging them and giving direction but was pleasant in the process. This type of leadership is infectious and creates the climate for that shift or the day. What kind of leaders are working for you? What is your leadership style? How do YOUR managers cope under pressure? I would also say that based on the staffing level on the day I was in this establishment management had planned on a large influx of customers. Do you consider how you will stop shoplifting or the increased opportunity for it on busy days? Do you do anything differently to support increased patronage in any way? If you aren’t properly staffing you are hurting yourself.
When you have enough coverage it takes a strain off of your workers and they don’t feel overwhelmed. I have no idea what tools this business uses to plan but retailers can plan for business by using customer counting devices on their Sensormatic towers. Using the information from these counters can aid in planning and scheduling based on your customer foot traffic. Know when the peak times are for shoppers (and shoplifters) and you can schedule staff more effectively. Your employees can assist more patrons on the floor, increasing add-on sales and it also serves to stop shoplifting since crooks don’t want the attention. You can also have enough front end coverage that someone can respond if Sensormatic hard tags set off alarms be it by an attempted theft or cashier failure to remove a tag. Paying customers are less likely to be angry at an alarm activation if someone friendly responds to the doors quickly. Again, good customer service goes a long way to maintain happy customers who will return to a store to shop. Bill Bregar the founder of Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. (LPSI) recognizes how important proper staffing is to customer service, how it impacts sales AND can stop shoplifting. That is why he strongly recommends his customers install door counting sensors. Often the sensors can be seamlessly incorporated into existing systems. If you have avoided purchasing a system because you fear the cost will be out of your budget try looking at the LPSI ROI Calculator on their website, you will be very surprised at how affordable it is.
I am going to add one more thought on the importance of focusing on customer service in retail. When employees aren’t happy they don’t care as much about the tasks they need to accomplish. Associates may not take time to properly place Sensormatic hard tags on merchandise or they miss an occasional piece of merchandise. Cashiers are careless in removing hard tags leading to false alarms. A cashier with a negative attitude leaves a bad impression on customers. Any of these can be a cause for shoppers to decide not to return to a store. Be sure to create an atmosphere in your store where your employees are happy and encouraged to perform their best. Staff the building to minimize the stress level and your employees will appreciate it. As they do the level of customer service will improve and that will boost sales and reduce shortage and that is what your goal should be.
Need information on Sensormatic hard tags? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
Can Loss Prevention Be Free? – 3 WC Blog 722
Loss Prevention Calculator -4
Can Loss Prevention Be Free When You Buy A Dummy EAS System?
Can Loss Prevention be free for a small retail store owner? After a recent search of the internet to see what people are trying to sell in the name of low-budget retail theft prevention I found that there are bargain basement deals out there. For a couple of hundred dollars a business owner can purchase fake electronic article surveillance towers for $199. For about another $30 that same owner can purchase fake electronic article surveillance labels. Maybe it isn’t free but it is almost as close as you will ever get to free isn’t it?
The website that offered the faux tags states that the tags they sell, “Gives the visual illusion you have a working EAS system at your door that will beep if product is removed.” I would like to see the Loss Prevention Calculator that can show me the amount of shortage I will save if I purchase their fake tags. I suppose I could save all kinds of virtual money if I purchased from these people. Maybe these companies will take virtual currency as payment for their fake products. After shoplifters figure out that the tags and the towers you have installed don’t do anything, how much theft do you think your nearly free Loss Prevention system is going to prevent? As a former Loss Prevention Manager, I can tell you that your free/low cost system is not going to prevent much if any theft.
I imagine someone is thinking that maybe this is the only way a business can afford any type of theft prevention. Ask ME the question, “Can Loss Prevention be free?” and I will have a different answer for you and it doesn’t involve a dummy tower or look-alike labels. Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. offers store owners the opportunity to own a brand new system within their budgets. They even provide the option of financing a system through Navitas Credit Corp. The fact is a new Sensormatic retail anti-theft system can save a store so much money from theft reduction that it will pay for itself over time. Go to the Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. website and open up the ROI Calculator tab near the top of the page. It goes to their free-to-use Loss prevention Calculator and provides you with a way to enter some basic information and the calculator does the rest. It estimates how much shrink you are losing annually and by the month. It also shows roughly how much you can reduce your shortage with the installation of a Sensormatic system. The final number and this is the big one, the Loss Prevention Calculator will show you approximately how many months it will take for a new system to pay for itself! In other words, EVERY storeowner can afford a system.
Here is another thing for you to consider when it comes to shortage reduction. The electronic article surveillance systems are primarily meant to stop theft. However, these systems can also have an impact on operational shortage for a store. According to the 2015 Global Retail Theft Barometer administrative shortage accounted for almost 16% of shortage. A store with a fully functioning retail anti-theft system is going to be able to prevent missed merchandise from going out the door. An example of this is when a cosmetic item is overlooked in the bottom of a shopping cart. The customer did not intend to overlook it but they did and so did the cashier. The item goes out to the parking lot where it gets picked up by the customer who thinks they paid for it and it rolled out of the bag. It may be missed altogether and another customer finds it in the shopping cart and takes it. The loss was not intentional but it is loss through operational error. If that cosmetic item is protected with an electronic article surveillance label the towers at the doors will detect it before it leaves the building. The customer can choose to pay for it or simply return it and no harm is done. Try THAT with a dummy anti-theft system.
Can Loss Prevention Be Free? Not if you purchase a non-functioning anti-theft system. It can’t be because you won’t be preventing theft for long. Spend the money up front on a NEW system and see real results almost from the time you have it set up. A few months down the road and it is possible your new system will have paid for itself. Try the Loss Prevention Calculator and see for yourself.
Get more information on the Loss Prevention Calculator, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
Can Loss Prevention be free for a small retail store owner? After a recent search of the internet to see what people are trying to sell in the name of low-budget retail theft prevention I found that there are bargain basement deals out there. For a couple of hundred dollars a business owner can purchase fake electronic article surveillance towers for $199. For about another $30 that same owner can purchase fake electronic article surveillance labels. Maybe it isn’t free but it is almost as close as you will ever get to free isn’t it?
The website that offered the faux tags states that the tags they sell, “Gives the visual illusion you have a working EAS system at your door that will beep if product is removed.” I would like to see the Loss Prevention Calculator that can show me the amount of shortage I will save if I purchase their fake tags. I suppose I could save all kinds of virtual money if I purchased from these people. Maybe these companies will take virtual currency as payment for their fake products. After shoplifters figure out that the tags and the towers you have installed don’t do anything, how much theft do you think your nearly free Loss Prevention system is going to prevent? As a former Loss Prevention Manager, I can tell you that your free/low cost system is not going to prevent much if any theft.
I imagine someone is thinking that maybe this is the only way a business can afford any type of theft prevention. Ask ME the question, “Can Loss Prevention be free?” and I will have a different answer for you and it doesn’t involve a dummy tower or look-alike labels. Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. offers store owners the opportunity to own a brand new system within their budgets. They even provide the option of financing a system through Navitas Credit Corp. The fact is a new Sensormatic retail anti-theft system can save a store so much money from theft reduction that it will pay for itself over time. Go to the Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. website and open up the ROI Calculator tab near the top of the page. It goes to their free-to-use Loss prevention Calculator and provides you with a way to enter some basic information and the calculator does the rest. It estimates how much shrink you are losing annually and by the month. It also shows roughly how much you can reduce your shortage with the installation of a Sensormatic system. The final number and this is the big one, the Loss Prevention Calculator will show you approximately how many months it will take for a new system to pay for itself! In other words, EVERY storeowner can afford a system.
Here is another thing for you to consider when it comes to shortage reduction. The electronic article surveillance systems are primarily meant to stop theft. However, these systems can also have an impact on operational shortage for a store. According to the 2015 Global Retail Theft Barometer administrative shortage accounted for almost 16% of shortage. A store with a fully functioning retail anti-theft system is going to be able to prevent missed merchandise from going out the door. An example of this is when a cosmetic item is overlooked in the bottom of a shopping cart. The customer did not intend to overlook it but they did and so did the cashier. The item goes out to the parking lot where it gets picked up by the customer who thinks they paid for it and it rolled out of the bag. It may be missed altogether and another customer finds it in the shopping cart and takes it. The loss was not intentional but it is loss through operational error. If that cosmetic item is protected with an electronic article surveillance label the towers at the doors will detect it before it leaves the building. The customer can choose to pay for it or simply return it and no harm is done. Try THAT with a dummy anti-theft system.
Can Loss Prevention Be Free? Not if you purchase a non-functioning anti-theft system. It can’t be because you won’t be preventing theft for long. Spend the money up front on a NEW system and see real results almost from the time you have it set up. A few months down the road and it is possible your new system will have paid for itself. Try the Loss Prevention Calculator and see for yourself.
Get more information on the Loss Prevention Calculator, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
Retail Traffic Counting –3 WC Blog 736
Customer Counting Device – 4
Improve Incremental Sales When You Use A Customer Counting Device
You may not have given much thought to retail traffic counting in the past but after reading an article in cnbc.com, by Sarah O’Brien, 23 Feb. 2018 titled, “Consumers cough up $5,400 a year on impulse purchases” I found some statistics that will make you reconsider it. According to the article she cites a survey that was conducted by Slickdeals.net in which they studied 2,000 consumers. On average the consumers were making three impulse purchases a month that could equate up to $450 for the month. If this is the average American it can translate to approximately $5,400 a year. Now let’s think about this. If you are the owner of a small or even medium sized retail store and you can get each customer to spend an additional $5,400 a year there are TWO things you need to do. First, keep your checklanes, displays and endcaps full. One of the top items on your manager’s daily tasks should be filling these areas that drive impulse sales. Second, you need to get more people into your store. The problem is that if you don’t know how many customers are already visiting on a daily basis you can’t know if you are seeing increased patronage or how many are not making purchases.
The CEO of Loss Prevention Systems, Inc., Bill Bregar recognizes the importance of knowing how many people are leaving a store empty handed and that is why he recommends HIS clients incorporate a Customer Counting Device. His company focuses on theft prevention but Bill’s high-level experience as a former Director of Loss Prevention makes him keenly familiar with ALL aspects of a business. His goal is to make businesses profitable whether it is through theft prevention, improved hiring practices like the Applicant Management Center his company now offers, pre-employment background checks and drug testing or retail traffic counting. He also knows the ins and outs of product placement and how impulse purchases drive incremental sales. Through his experience Bill has learned that customer counting can lead to increased profits.
In case you are concerned about the difficulty of installing a counting device, don’t be. If you are already protecting merchandise with a Sensormatic security pedestal the Integrated EAS Traffic Counter can be fitted to many existing towers. Preventing theft and adding sales is a win-win for store owners.
Some people would argue that you already have a good idea of how many people are visiting your store based on the number of transactions in a day. Unfortunately you can’t measure what doesn’t happen. If shoppers walk in and leave without a purchase you have no way to measure that if you only rely on sales data. A customer counting device DOES count how many people walk in and how many people leave a store. Use that information to compare to your sales data to get see how much you may really be losing. I would even suggest that based on the information from the CNBC article you multiply the total number of non-purchases by $450 to get a picture of how much you could be potentially losing per customer each month.
Another way is to get an idea of how many lost sales are taking place is to track abandoned shopping carts in the store. The problem with this method is distinguishing if the abandonment was related to theft taking place or someone just leaving an empty buggy and continuing on to buy just one item. Another problem with this method is that you have to track the buggies and/or the merchandise. Why bother doing all of this counting when a retail traffic counting device can make the job simpler and more accurate?
I can hear it now, if addressing the problem is as easy as filling empty spaces why don’t I focus on that? The reason is that a customer counting device can also help you determine if sales promotions or advertising campaigns are effective. Supposing you spend $1,000 a month on a new billboard sign, how do you know if more people are coming to the store, by sales increases? Maybe, but then we are right back to the earlier point I made how many potential sales did you miss? Maybe you could have used prior traffic counts to improve staffing to get more service on the salesfloor when it would have been more effective.
Fill your endcaps, your checklanes, displays and clip strips to drive impulse buys. Know how many people are visiting and walking out empty handed then strategically move products to grab their attention when they enter and before they leave. Knowledge is power and knowledge is attainable with a customer counting device at your doors.
For more information about retail traffic counting contact us or call 1.770.426.0547.
You may not have given much thought to retail traffic counting in the past but after reading an article in cnbc.com, by Sarah O’Brien, 23 Feb. 2018 titled, “Consumers cough up $5,400 a year on impulse purchases” I found some statistics that will make you reconsider it. According to the article she cites a survey that was conducted by Slickdeals.net in which they studied 2,000 consumers. On average the consumers were making three impulse purchases a month that could equate up to $450 for the month. If this is the average American it can translate to approximately $5,400 a year. Now let’s think about this. If you are the owner of a small or even medium sized retail store and you can get each customer to spend an additional $5,400 a year there are TWO things you need to do. First, keep your checklanes, displays and endcaps full. One of the top items on your manager’s daily tasks should be filling these areas that drive impulse sales. Second, you need to get more people into your store. The problem is that if you don’t know how many customers are already visiting on a daily basis you can’t know if you are seeing increased patronage or how many are not making purchases.
The CEO of Loss Prevention Systems, Inc., Bill Bregar recognizes the importance of knowing how many people are leaving a store empty handed and that is why he recommends HIS clients incorporate a Customer Counting Device. His company focuses on theft prevention but Bill’s high-level experience as a former Director of Loss Prevention makes him keenly familiar with ALL aspects of a business. His goal is to make businesses profitable whether it is through theft prevention, improved hiring practices like the Applicant Management Center his company now offers, pre-employment background checks and drug testing or retail traffic counting. He also knows the ins and outs of product placement and how impulse purchases drive incremental sales. Through his experience Bill has learned that customer counting can lead to increased profits.
In case you are concerned about the difficulty of installing a counting device, don’t be. If you are already protecting merchandise with a Sensormatic security pedestal the Integrated EAS Traffic Counter can be fitted to many existing towers. Preventing theft and adding sales is a win-win for store owners.
Some people would argue that you already have a good idea of how many people are visiting your store based on the number of transactions in a day. Unfortunately you can’t measure what doesn’t happen. If shoppers walk in and leave without a purchase you have no way to measure that if you only rely on sales data. A customer counting device DOES count how many people walk in and how many people leave a store. Use that information to compare to your sales data to get see how much you may really be losing. I would even suggest that based on the information from the CNBC article you multiply the total number of non-purchases by $450 to get a picture of how much you could be potentially losing per customer each month.
Another way is to get an idea of how many lost sales are taking place is to track abandoned shopping carts in the store. The problem with this method is distinguishing if the abandonment was related to theft taking place or someone just leaving an empty buggy and continuing on to buy just one item. Another problem with this method is that you have to track the buggies and/or the merchandise. Why bother doing all of this counting when a retail traffic counting device can make the job simpler and more accurate?
I can hear it now, if addressing the problem is as easy as filling empty spaces why don’t I focus on that? The reason is that a customer counting device can also help you determine if sales promotions or advertising campaigns are effective. Supposing you spend $1,000 a month on a new billboard sign, how do you know if more people are coming to the store, by sales increases? Maybe, but then we are right back to the earlier point I made how many potential sales did you miss? Maybe you could have used prior traffic counts to improve staffing to get more service on the salesfloor when it would have been more effective.
Fill your endcaps, your checklanes, displays and clip strips to drive impulse buys. Know how many people are visiting and walking out empty handed then strategically move products to grab their attention when they enter and before they leave. Knowledge is power and knowledge is attainable with a customer counting device at your doors.
For more information about retail traffic counting, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547.
Training to reduce employee theft-3 WC Blog 644
stop shoplifting-3
Trying To Stop Shoplifting Can Be Crazy – How Do You Do It?
Three employees try to stop shoplifting by two or was it three shoplifters at once? Sounds crazy doesn’t it? Well, that was what happened the other night at the store I work at as a sales associate. It was getting to be a bit after 7:00pm and I was on a cash register, the manager on duty was helping me ring up sales and the third employee was busy assisting another customer. I noticed a customer walk in who seemed very fidgety and I greeted him from my register and asked if he would need help. He asked where printer ink was located and I gave him directions and kept an eye on the cctv monitor for that area. I pointed him out to my manager. We both noticed a second individual walk into another area with electronics merchandise in it. We worked to get our lines down so we could provide customer service to these two “customers”. The manager working with me recognizes my Loss Prevention Management background and respects my suspicions when something or someone does not feel right. I would ask owners of smaller, self-owned stores what do YOU do to prevent theft? Do you know how crooks operate and the methods they use to rip off stores? Do you understand the impact dishonest employees and shoplifters have on a business? Training to reduce employee theft and stop shoplifting can bring you up to speed and actually help improve the bottom line for your business.
You read correctly that I was formerly a Loss Prevention Manager and I have over 28 total years of retail experience. I have seen the different ways large stores try to train employees and managers on how to prevent theft but they are not all equal and in many cases it is done only in a poor video training format. The best training I have found incorporates a live training session(s) in addition to follow-up videos and training modules. I have conducted new hire orientations and spent time coaching cashiers on how to prevent fraudulent transactions. I know first-hand the impact it has on people when they can ask questions and interact with an instructor. That is why I strongly recommend the training to reduce employee theft offered from Loss Prevention Systems Inc. They offer several seminars that teach store owners and managers on theft related issues. They also incorporate webinars, blogs and newsletters into a comprehensive package all with informed information from people who have extensive Loss Prevention backgrounds. You may not be able to afford a Loss Prevention team for your business but you can afford to learn the way to combat theft from Loss Prevention Systems Inc.
To continue with our encounter, I stayed with the customer in the ink department as he pretended to try to contact someone on his phone to get him the information on his printer for the ink he needed. He bided his time to see if I would go away but I’m all about customer service and waited patiently. In the meantime a third suspicious person asked me for directions to the restrooms. The manager had observed this while he was finishing his transactions and said he had watched this guy watch me as I was helping the patron in the ink department (yup, it gets crazy to follow). The manager finished and went to help the second subject in the electronics area. The manager told me later that the subject began rambling about nonsense when the manager offered to assist him. He also told me he saw something in the suspect’s hands that he tried to hide then put down and it turned out to be a box containing $30 earbuds. The box had been torn open and the customer had already started to remove the contents so the manager did stop shoplifting in this case. My suspect finally left the store and hung around the entrance looking back in so I stayed near the front where he could see me. The second suspect, uh, I mean customer, came to the register and put down three sets of earbuds at a total cost of $60 and then said he forgot his wallet and would be right back. Oddly, he never returned and the third suspect left without us seeing him.
I am certain we stopped a significant amount of loss but I could not quantify a total amount. Had this been YOUR store would you and your managers have known what to do? Would you have even recognized the suspicious actions or that the people were probably working together? I can’t be at your store but training to reduce employee theft and prevent shoplifting from LPSI can ensure that you will be able to handle bad guys who want to steal from you effectively and safely.
Need information on training to reduce employee theft? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
Three employees try to stop shoplifting by two or was it three shoplifters at once? Sounds crazy doesn’t it? Well, that was what happened the other night at the store I work at as a sales associate. It was getting to be a bit after 7:00pm and I was on a cash register, the manager on duty was helping me ring up sales and the third employee was busy assisting another customer. I noticed a customer walk in who seemed very fidgety and I greeted him from my register and asked if he would need help. He asked where printer ink was located and I gave him directions and kept an eye on the cctv monitor for that area. I pointed him out to my manager. We both noticed a second individual walk into another area with electronics merchandise in it. We worked to get our lines down so we could provide customer service to these two “customers”. The manager working with me recognizes my Loss Prevention Management background and respects my suspicions when something or someone does not feel right. I would ask owners of smaller, self-owned stores what do YOU do to prevent theft? Do you know how crooks operate and the methods they use to rip off stores? Do you understand the impact dishonest employees and shoplifters have on a business? Training to reduce employee theft and stop shoplifting can bring you up to speed and actually help improve the bottom line for your business.
You read correctly that I was formerly a Loss Prevention Manager and I have over 28 total years of retail experience. I have seen the different ways large stores try to train employees and managers on how to prevent theft but they are not all equal and in many cases it is done only in a poor video training format. The best training I have found incorporates a live training session(s) in addition to follow-up videos and training modules. I have conducted new hire orientations and spent time coaching cashiers on how to prevent fraudulent transactions. I know first-hand the impact it has on people when they can ask questions and interact with an instructor. That is why I strongly recommend the training to reduce employee theft offered from Loss Prevention Systems Inc. They offer several seminars that teach store owners and managers on theft related issues. They also incorporate webinars, blogs and newsletters into a comprehensive package all with informed information from people who have extensive Loss Prevention backgrounds. You may not be able to afford a Loss Prevention team for your business but you can afford to learn the way to combat theft from Loss Prevention Systems Inc.
To continue with our encounter, I stayed with the customer in the ink department as he pretended to try to contact someone on his phone to get him the information on his printer for the ink he needed. He bided his time to see if I would go away but I’m all about customer service and waited patiently. In the meantime a third suspicious person asked me for directions to the restrooms. The manager had observed this while he was finishing his transactions and said he had watched this guy watch me as I was helping the patron in the ink department (yup, it gets crazy to follow). The manager finished and went to help the second subject in the electronics area. The manager told me later that the subject began rambling about nonsense when the manager offered to assist him. He also told me he saw something in the suspect’s hands that he tried to hide then put down and it turned out to be a box containing $30 earbuds. The box had been torn open and the customer had already started to remove the contents so the manager did stop shoplifting in this case. My suspect finally left the store and hung around the entrance looking back in so I stayed near the front where he could see me. The second suspect, uh, I mean customer, came to the register and put down three sets of earbuds at a total cost of $60 and then said he forgot his wallet and would be right back. Oddly, he never returned and the third suspect left without us seeing him.
I am certain we stopped a significant amount of loss but I could not quantify a total amount. Had this been YOUR store would you and your managers have known what to do? Would you have even recognized the suspicious actions or that the people were probably working together? I can’t be at your store but training to reduce employee theft and prevent shoplifting from LPSI can ensure that you will be able to handle bad guys who want to steal from you effectively and safely.
Need information on training to reduce employee theft? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
Sensormatic labels -4 wc blog 741
Stop Shoplifting – 3
Don’t Settle For Stagnant Shortage Results – Use Sensormatic Labels
If I were to ask retail owners if they would like to stop shoplifting from taking place in their stores I feel certain I would receive a 100% response in the affirmative. I would also guarantee a 100% affirmative response if I were to ask retailers if they would like to increase profits. Interestingly to me however is the fact that a recent 2018 National Retail Security Survey, found that there was a 22.2% decrease in the use of “Acousto-magnetic, electronic security tags” from 2017-2018 (pg. 10). This category would include Sensormatic labels of all types, including the HBC labels for health and beauty products and the Ultra strip III rolls. Now before I hit the panic button let me be clear, there were increases in other categories of Retail Loss Prevention Systems. For example the report listed budget increases for “Theft deterrent devices” which would include Sensormatic Safers, wraps, etc. So not all areas of retail theft protection have been neglected but the reporting that a 22.2% decrease in acousto-magnetic tag spending is concerning to me. As a former Loss Prevention Manager I believe this is a poor decision on the part of retailers.
The report indicates that shortage remains about flat to previous years at 1.33% (pg.5). Let me ask you a question, if your store sales remained flat to previous years would you be excited about this? Certainly not! You would take steps to improve profits. Well, shrink reduction is one place to start and it can be done quickly and results will be seen almost immediately. Bringing that 1.33% down by half is not unreasonable. Remember, that percentage is an average percentage for retailers. Your store(s) could very well be experiencing shrink much higher than this. As we break down shortage we find from the report that external theft accounted for 36.5% of store losses in 2017. Internal theft or employee theft resulted in an additional 30% of store losses. Combined, on average this could be 66.5% of your merchandise shortage and does not include an estimated 5.4% attributed to vendor theft or fraud. Bill Bregar, owner of Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. knows how theft takes a significant bite out of store profits. Bill has developed and operated Loss Prevention programs at the National Director level for major retailers. He draws on that experience to help business owners improve their profits through improved sales and reduced shortage. Like me, Bill DOES recommend the use of Sensormatic labels and hard tags to prevent shoplifting and internal theft to his clients.
I mentioned that you could bring shrink down by almost half and it can be done quickly. Bill agrees with me here as well and if you will take a look at the ROI calculator on the Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. website you will see that is the amount his company estimates you would reduce shrink by if you were to install a retail anti-theft system and use Sensormatic labels and tags. Sitting stagnate and accepting 1.33% losses is an unacceptable proposition when that figure can be easily improved upon.
One other aspect of the report that concerned me is that approximately 42% of stores in this survey experienced shrinkage of 1.5% and higher (with 9% of stores experiencing over 3% in shortage) (pg. 5). And what are some of the types of anti-theft measures that are increasingly being used in stores? “Simulated, visible CCTV” and “Observation mirrors” are listed as seeing a 27.0% and 9% increase since 2017 respectively (pg. 10). I have nothing against CCTV or the use of mirrors in stores. I used live CCTV and recorded video to catch shoplifters and dishonest employees. Mirrors can help with seeing corners that may be out of the line of sight of employees. Using simulated CCTV may deter a minimal amount of theft but Sensormatic labels are a much more effective method to stop shoplifting. They act as a deterrent AND they set off alarm towers providing trained employees an opportunity to recover merchandise before it gets out the door. Mirrors are only effective if employees are watching them and going to those corners but do your employees have time to be watching mirrors? Unless you have a Loss Prevention Associate working the benefits are negligible at best.
Investing in a Sensormatic system is the smart choice for store owners. They are proven to stop shoplifting and employee theft. I have first-hand experience recovering merchandise that was going to be stolen had an electronic article surveillance alarm not set off an alarm tower. Don’t waste money on technology that will not provide the same results. Keep merchandise out of the hands of thieves and in the store where it will be bought and see sales soar. Invest in Sensormatic security systems!
Need information on Sensormatic labels? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
If I were to ask retail owners if they would like to stop shoplifting from taking place in their stores I feel certain I would receive a 100% response in the affirmative. I would also guarantee a 100% affirmative response if I were to ask retailers if they would like to increase profits. Interestingly to me however is the fact that a recent 2018 National Retail Security Survey, found that there was a 22.2% decrease in the use of “Acousto-magnetic, electronic security tags” from 2017-2018 (pg. 10). This category would include Sensormatic labels of all types, including the HBC labels for health and beauty products and the Ultra strip III rolls. Now before I hit the panic button let me be clear, there were increases in other categories of Retail Loss Prevention Systems. For example the report listed budget increases for “Theft deterrent devices” which would include Sensormatic Safers, wraps, etc. So not all areas of retail theft protection have been neglected but the reporting that a 22.2% decrease in acousto-magnetic tag spending is concerning to me. As a former Loss Prevention Manager I believe this is a poor decision on the part of retailers.
The report indicates that shortage remains about flat to previous years at 1.33% (pg.5). Let me ask you a question, if your store sales remained flat to previous years would you be excited about this? Certainly not! You would take steps to improve profits. Well, shrink reduction is one place to start and it can be done quickly and results will be seen almost immediately. Bringing that 1.33% down by half is not unreasonable. Remember, that percentage is an average percentage for retailers. Your store(s) could very well be experiencing shrink much higher than this. As we break down shortage we find from the report that external theft accounted for 36.5% of store losses in 2017. Internal theft or employee theft resulted in an additional 30% of store losses. Combined, on average this could be 66.5% of your merchandise shortage and does not include an estimated 5.4% attributed to vendor theft or fraud. Bill Bregar, owner of Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. knows how theft takes a significant bite out of store profits. Bill has developed and operated Loss Prevention programs at the National Director level for major retailers. He draws on that experience to help business owners improve their profits through improved sales and reduced shortage. Like me, Bill DOES recommend the use of Sensormatic labels and hard tags to prevent shoplifting and internal theft to his clients.
I mentioned that you could bring shrink down by almost half and it can be done quickly. Bill agrees with me here as well and if you will take a look at the ROI calculator on the Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. website you will see that is the amount his company estimates you would reduce shrink by if you were to install a retail anti-theft system and use Sensormatic labels and tags. Sitting stagnate and accepting 1.33% losses is an unacceptable proposition when that figure can be easily improved upon.
One other aspect of the report that concerned me is that approximately 42% of stores in this survey experienced shrinkage of 1.5% and higher (with 9% of stores experiencing over 3% in shortage) (pg. 5). And what are some of the types of anti-theft measures that are increasingly being used in stores? “Simulated, visible CCTV” and “Observation mirrors” are listed as seeing a 27.0% and 9% increase since 2017 respectively (pg. 10). I have nothing against CCTV or the use of mirrors in stores. I used live CCTV and recorded video to catch shoplifters and dishonest employees. Mirrors can help with seeing corners that may be out of the line of sight of employees. Using simulated CCTV may deter a minimal amount of theft but Sensormatic labels are a much more effective method to stop shoplifting. They act as a deterrent AND they set off alarm towers providing trained employees an opportunity to recover merchandise before it gets out the door. Mirrors are only effective if employees are watching them and going to those corners but do your employees have time to be watching mirrors? Unless you have a Loss Prevention Associate working the benefits are negligible at best.
Investing in a Sensormatic system is the smart choice for store owners. They are proven to stop shoplifting and employee theft. I have first-hand experience recovering merchandise that was going to be stolen had an electronic article surveillance alarm not set off an alarm tower. Don’t waste money on technology that will not provide the same results. Keep merchandise out of the hands of thieves and in the store where it will be bought and see sales soar. Invest in Sensormatic security systems!
Need information on Sensormatic labels? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
