Theft Prevention Archives - Loss Prevention Systems

Customer Service And Electronic Article Surveillance Tags – A Winning Solution To Stop Shoplifting

I have been in retail a LONG time and somewhere around 18 of those years were spent in Loss Prevention. Today I still work in retail but I have the opportunity to continue to ply my Loss Prevention skills in recommending to my manager items I think should have electronic article surveillance tags on them. Better yet is when I get to use my experience to stop shoplifting in the store. I had just such an opportunity recently while I was working. I will share the story with you in a moment and there will be pertinent tips you can employ in your own store to put a halt to theft. Before I do that I want to point out that the situation could have been avoided if the store used more electronic article surveillance (EAS) devices on products than what the company currently dictates.

Electronic Article Surveillance is a system that uses radio frequency (rf) emitting tags and rf receivers called pedestals or towers to protect merchandise from theft. Pedestals are placed at the entrances and exits of stores in order to detect a person trying to leave with unpaid, TAGGED products. These are electronic article surveillance tagsI emphasize tagged because without a protective device an item can’t be detected and this is how so many stores experience climbing shortage. Let me clarify that statement too. Retailers that have electronic article surveillance systems that are not maintained, of poor quality or do not have a strong tagging program in place also experience increased shortage. When the tagged products are carried into the range of the pedestals the pedestals have an alarm that blasts out an alert and nearby employees respond to conduct receipt and package checks. The more a store tags the more effective the deterrence value of the system.

Getting back to my recent incident, I was walking to the store from my vehicle and a manager was returning from his lunch break and stopped me. He pointed out a pick-up truck that had two males sitting in it and the manager said they had been there for a while and he had watched a female leave and enter the store. The manager said that he had called the store manager and alerted him. I got into the store and got clocked in and immediately went to the floor and began offering customer service to the female suspect. I also looked into the shopping basket and noted several items in it and that none of them had EAS tags (electronic article surveillance tags) on them. Well, I offered service and would leave the immediate area and a manager would start to watch. It took a few minutes but one of the men from the truck entered the store. The man and woman met up and were still being watched by managers but I was getting tired of the cat and mouse game. The female had enough small items that it would have been easy for her to conceal some in her purse if he had blocked for her. Without electronic article surveillance tags the alarms wouldn’t sound when they left and that would prevent an excuse for a bag check. I walked into the aisle with the couple, put on my best salesman smile and offered additional assistance. I even offered to ring them up on my mobile device. Oddly, they began saying they were uncomfortable with all of the attention and felt like they were being watched! The man even said he felt I was being pushy to ring their transaction. I smiled and let them know that one of my faults was I have been a pushy salesman for my 7 years at this company. The woman said she would put the items back and leave because she was so uncomfortable. I let her know she didn’t need to go to the trouble and I took the basket and assured her I would put the items back for her. The couple left and the three of them jumped back in the truck and left. We saved over $200.00 in merchandise through employee awareness and great customer service.

Customer service is a great way to increase sales and decrease theft but it should never be the only theft prevention measure. Use EAS tags on everything and rely on Loss Prevention Systems Inc. EAS systems for reliable technology and support.

For more information about electronic article surveillance tags contact us or call 1.770.426.0547

Why should’t I do background checks myself?

Why do I need Loss Prevention Systems to conduct a pre-employment background checks when I could do some of this myself?

A Background Check Company does the work for you, on time and quickly.
We understand and abide by the extensive and ever changing Federal, State and Local government laws and regulations.
We search actual court house records for criminal histories. Many background check companies use commercial databases that are not complete, do not have current information and in most cases do not have any real information
Would you want to know if the applicant is a registered sex offender? If you own a daycare center or other company where children are at this is important information. But this also applies to your employee’s safety. Having a male sex offender working with a woman could cause you extensive risk. How would you feel if something were to happen you could have prevented. By the way, the laws do not allow a defense of “I did not know”. As an employer you have an obligation to know.
Does your company employ drivers? A motor vehicle check could uncover a suspended license and prior traffic convictions. Do you want a driver with your name on his uniform driving your vehicle on a suspended or revoked license?
We have tools to uncover details that an applicant may be trying to hide from you such as previous employers they do not want you to see. Did you know that one of the most lied about items on resumes and applications are the dates of employment?
In special investigative cases we can dig even deeper into a candidate’s background. In many instances the tools we use can give us so much information it can be overwhelming. In those special investigation we can give you the raw data or we can sort through it for you.
Loss Prevention Systems sticks with you throughout the process. Do not understand what all of those criminal charges mean? We can help you with that.
Need a rejection letter because the candidate did not meet your background check standards? We provide that template to you.
Want your background checks FAST? How about same day or next day turnaround as the norm for most checks.
Want to talk to a real person where you are not just some account number? In fact we do not even have account numbers. We have clients that we know by name and their changing needs. Loss Preventions goal is to be your partner and stand with you. When you call or email us you reach the same person that knows who YOU are.
Our software platform is state of the art. We are connected in some cases directly to the government databases that provide criminal records. This eliminates the middleman and gives us much more reliable information.
If we see something suspicious we let you know. This give YOU control over your background investigations.

in Background check company / Background Checks / Employee Fraud / Employee Theft / Employment Screening / Theft Prevention

Tis the Season..For Being Careful When Shopping

It’s that time of year again. Shoppers will be hitting the stores and malls with giving on their minds. It’s one of the busiest times of the year for everyone, especially criminals. Prepare yourself for the holidays by familiarizing yourself with some basic crime prevention tips to help minimize your chances of being victimized during the busy holiday season.

Be aware of the people around you. Some of them are out to commit crimes. Don’t be easily distracted; know where your shopping bags, packages, and/or other personal items are at all times. If you carry a purse or handbag, make sure not to leave them unattended. Keep an eye on your purchases.
Always keep a hand on your wallet or purse. Many purses are stolen out of shopping carts when an unsuspecting shopper turns her back or walks away from the cart momentarily. If your purse or wallet is stolen, you need to call your credit card companies and the bank immediately. Thieves do the most damage in the first couple of hours after stealing these items.
Avoid shopping alone. Take a friend or a relative to help you carry bags and/or packages.
Park in a well-lighted space, and be sure to lock the car, close the windows, and hide shopping bags and gifts in the trunk.
Avoid carrying large amounts of cash; pay with check or credit card whenever possible.
Shopping with kids? Teach them to go to a store clerk or security guard if you get separated.
When walking back to your automobile, have your lock key ready. Avoid having to look for it in your handbag. When parking, try to park near or as close to the entrance to the store as possible.
Check the back seat, under and around the car before getting in.
Do not leave shopping bags exposed in your car while unattended.
If you think are you being followed, drive to a public place or a police, sheriff, or fire station.

Most thieves pick out their targets before committing a crime. They don’t want to get caught so they choose victims that aren’t paying attention and may not notice something missing from a purse or packages. Criminals don’t like to be noticed or remembered. They may decide against the person who has looked at them and said hello and move on to someone who is not as aware. Holidays are a fun time of year, but can be disaster for the victims of crime. Be aware this Christmas and reduce your chances of being a victim. Don’t give these bad guys the opportunity to steal from you. Be aware of your surroundings and vigilant about your personal safety and security. Most of all – have a great holiday season. Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. wishes to thank the Washington County Oregon Sheriff’s Office for sharing this article.

in Theft Prevention