Checkpoint Tags-4 WC Blog 170
Checkpoint Security Systems-3
Trying To Bypass Checkpoint Systems And Other Stories Of Dishonest Employees: Part 1
One of my favorite things to do during my time as a Loss Prevention Manager was to conduct internal investigations. We might begin an investigation based on exception reports we received, watching video that corresponded to the report. Some investigations originated from employee tips, alerting us to suspicious actions on the part of a fellow team member. Other investigations began with good old fashioned camera surveillance for no particular reason than what is called a gut feeling. During these employee investigations I saw all types of activity that solidified my cases, for example; deactivation of Checkpoint Tags on clothes at the point of sale when no one else was around. Ringing merchandise for a friend and removing security devices, then voiding the items so the friend could bypass the Checkpoint Security Systems in the store. Special offers of gift cards with purchases were good times to watch cashiers who would “forget” to give a customer a gift card they were supposed to have received and then the cashier kept the gift card themselves. Getting the dishonest employee to admit to their crime could be difficult and that was where a detailed investigation became critical. A good investigation meant that whether an employee confessed to the crime or not, there was enough evidence to successfully prosecute them anyways. Then there were the cases where an admission was either easy or funny to obtain. In the next two articles I would like to share a few of my favorite cases.
Before I continue with my story, I want to quickly explain what Checkpoint Tags are for those who may not be familiar with them. Checkpoint tags are small, electronic article surveillance (EAS) sensitive stickers that can be applied to almost any type of merchandise. In our stores we often applied them to a wide range of merchandise, from clothing to music CD’s. The tags are made to be set to a specific radio frequency (RF) and when brought into range of EAS antennas, set off the alarm built into the antennas. The tags are deactivated when passed over a deactivation pad at the point of sale and cannot be reset. Checkpoint Security Systems carry a wide variety of EAS antennas, deactivation pads, tags and labels as well as accessories such as detachment keys.
Returning to my favorite cases, in one of my investigations I had two young ladies who were cashiers and had been ringing merchandise for each other, deactivating Checkpoint Tags on clothing, bedding, and other merchandise, then voiding items from the transactions and giving the merchandise to each other anyways as if purchased. This activity went on for several weeks while I investigated to see how deep the activity went. When I finally had enough evidence, I went through my protocols, then pulled both employees at the same time and placed them in separate rooms for interviews. I had manager witnesses in each room, so I was able to walk back and forth between the rooms to talk to the young ladies. Initially neither was quick to confess to anything until one admitted to a small item her friend had “passed” to her. Well, once that started I had my opening and took the information to the other suspect and told her that her “friend” had admitted to a little of the theft, but said the other one had done most of the stealing. That did not sit well with friend number two who then turned on her former partner in crime and spilled all the beans. I continued going back and forth between the rooms, as the admissions and accusations flew. Eventually I had full admissions with a little bit I had not known about previously. Watching the two friends/thieves turn on each other was, admittedly, a somewhat humorous ending to this case. I never learned if they at least got to share a cell together in the local jail.
The fact that my two employees recognized the need to deactivate merchandise before trying to pass it confirmed for me that Checkpoint Security Systems do deter theft and make it more difficult for employees to steal from their place of business.
Get more information on Checkpoint Security Systems, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
One of my favorite things to do during my time as a Loss Prevention Manager was to conduct internal investigations. We might begin an investigation based on exception reports we received, watching video that corresponded to the report. Some investigations originated from employee tips, alerting us to suspicious actions on the part of a fellow team member. Other investigations began with good old fashioned camera surveillance for no particular reason than what is called a gut feeling. During these employee investigations I saw all types of activity that solidified my cases, for example; deactivation of Checkpoint Tags on clothes at the point of sale when no one else was around. Ringing merchandise for a friend and removing security devices, then voiding the items so the friend could bypass the Checkpoint Security Systems in the store. Special offers of gift cards with purchases were good times to watch cashiers who would “forget” to give a customer a gift card they were supposed to have received and then the cashier kept the gift card themselves. Getting the dishonest employee to admit to their crime could be difficult and that was where a detailed investigation became critical. A good investigation meant that whether an employee confessed to the crime or not, there was enough evidence to successfully prosecute them anyways. Then there were the cases where an admission was either easy or funny to obtain. In the next two articles I would like to share a few of my favorite cases.
Before I continue with my story, I want to quickly explain what Checkpoint Tags are for those who may not be familiar with them. Checkpoint tags are small, electronic article surveillance (EAS) sensitive stickers that can be applied to almost any type of merchandise. In our stores we often applied them to a wide range of merchandise, from clothing to music CD’s. The tags are made to be set to a specific radio frequency (RF) and when brought into range of EAS antennas, set off the alarm built into the antennas. The tags are deactivated when passed over a deactivation pad at the point of sale and cannot be reset. Checkpoint Security Systems carry a wide variety of EAS antennas, deactivation pads, tags and labels as well as accessories such as detachment keys.
Returning to my favorite cases, in one of my investigations I had two young ladies who were cashiers and had been ringing merchandise for each other, deactivating Checkpoint Tags on clothing, bedding, and other merchandise, then voiding items from the transactions and giving the merchandise to each other anyways as if purchased. This activity went on for several weeks while I investigated to see how deep the activity went. When I finally had enough evidence, I went through my protocols, then pulled both employees at the same time and placed them in separate rooms for interviews. I had manager witnesses in each room, so I was able to walk back and forth between the rooms to talk to the young ladies. Initially neither was quick to confess to anything until one admitted to a small item her friend had “passed” to her. Well, once that started I had my opening and took the information to the other suspect and told her that her “friend” had admitted to a little of the theft, but said the other one had done most of the stealing. That did not sit well with friend number two who then turned on her former partner in crime and spilled all the beans. I continued going back and forth between the rooms, as the admissions and accusations flew. Eventually I had full admissions with a little bit I had not known about previously. Watching the two friends/thieves turn on each other was, admittedly, a somewhat humorous ending to this case. I never learned if they at least got to share a cell together in the local jail.
The fact that my two employees recognized the need to deactivate merchandise before trying to pass it confirmed for me that Checkpoint Security Systems do deter theft and make it more difficult for employees to steal from their place of business.
Get more information on Checkpoint Security Systems, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
Checkpoint Systems-5 WC Blog 156
Stop shoplifting-3
Checkpoint tags-3
Checkpoint Systems Help Recover Stolen Merchandise – But For A Day, Not The Way You Might Think
Checkpoint systems have the tools to stop shoplifting. From electronic article surveillance antennas to deactivation units, hand verifiers and Checkpoint tags, I have had the pleasure of using all types of Checkpoint equipment. On one occasion I even used a piece of equipment to stop shoplifting but I don’t think it was the way anyone at Checkpoint systems had intended the device to work. The item I am speaking of is a DV1000 deactivation verifier.
The deactivation verifier is a small, gray box with a button on top that is pressed to determine if an EAS deactivation pad is working. When held over a functioning pad, and the button is pushed a small light on the front of the unit turns green. When pushed any other time the light turns red. The verifier is simple to use but extremely helpful in troubleshooting equipment to ensure it is operating correctly.
One day I was working and observed a young boy enter our store by himself. I recognized him as a regular in our store who was usually accompanied by friends. I had suspected the youngster of shoplifting for some time but our Loss Prevention Team could not catch him. This particular day I observed him when he entered and so I was able to keep surveillance on him his entire time in the store. I watched the boy as he walked around looking at merchandise and picking things up and putting them back down. The youngster eventually picked up a handful of collector cards/ball cards and continued through the store, opening the cards and selecting the ones he wanted. After several trips back to the cards, he was done with his “shopping” spree and headed for the exit.
I followed the young man when he walked out the store, stopped him and brought him back in. The cards that had been chosen had Checkpoint tags source tagged in the packages but our Checkpoint Systems antennas did not sound because the packages and some of the cards had been discarded in the store. I took the culprit to the security office and told him to return the cards to me. He told me he did not have any cards. I made every effort to get him to admit to the theft and give me the merchandise back but he was tough and wouldn’t crack.
At this point I decided it was time to pull out all of the stops. I reached in my desk drawer and pulled out my lie detector, which happened to also look suspiciously like a Checkpoint DV 1000 deactivation verifier. I told the young man that the item I was holding was a lie detector and if he told me a lie the light would turn red. My would-be criminal’s mouth dropped open and the look on his face was priceless. I asked him if he had any stolen cards in his pocket. He told me he did not and I held down the button on the verifier. The light turned red and I told the boy that the lie detector proved he was lying. At that the boy sheepishly pulled the cards from his pocket and gave them to me. He also admitted to his prior thefts, confirming what I had suspected. I contacted the boy’s mother who picked him up and took him up.
Checkpoint systems are designed to stop shoplifting starting with the deterrence value of the antennas at the front doors to the Checkpoint tags and labels placed on merchandise. Contact Checkpoint and find out how they can help you prevent theft, but don’t bother asking about their DV 1000 “lie detectors”, they probably won’t know what you are talking about.
Get more information on Checkpoint Systems, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
Checkpoint systems have the tools to stop shoplifting. From electronic article surveillance antennas to deactivation units, hand verifiers and Checkpoint tags, I have had the pleasure of using all types of Checkpoint equipment. On one occasion I even used a piece of equipment to stop shoplifting but I don’t think it was the way anyone at Checkpoint systems had intended the device to work. The item I am speaking of is a DV1000 deactivation verifier.
The deactivation verifier is a small, gray box with a button on top that is pressed to determine if an EAS deactivation pad is working. When held over a functioning pad, and the button is pushed a small light on the front of the unit turns green. When pushed any other time the light turns red. The verifier is simple to use but extremely helpful in troubleshooting equipment to ensure it is operating correctly.
One day I was working and observed a young boy enter our store by himself. I recognized him as a regular in our store who was usually accompanied by friends. I had suspected the youngster of shoplifting for some time but our Loss Prevention Team could not catch him. This particular day I observed him when he entered and so I was able to keep surveillance on him his entire time in the store. I watched the boy as he walked around looking at merchandise and picking things up and putting them back down. The youngster eventually picked up a handful of collector cards/ball cards and continued through the store, opening the cards and selecting the ones he wanted. After several trips back to the cards, he was done with his “shopping” spree and headed for the exit.
I followed the young man when he walked out the store, stopped him and brought him back in. The cards that had been chosen had Checkpoint tags source tagged in the packages but our Checkpoint Systems antennas did not sound because the packages and some of the cards had been discarded in the store. I took the culprit to the security office and told him to return the cards to me. He told me he did not have any cards. I made every effort to get him to admit to the theft and give me the merchandise back but he was tough and wouldn’t crack.
At this point I decided it was time to pull out all of the stops. I reached in my desk drawer and pulled out my lie detector, which happened to also look suspiciously like a Checkpoint DV 1000 deactivation verifier. I told the young man that the item I was holding was a lie detector and if he told me a lie the light would turn red. My would-be criminal’s mouth dropped open and the look on his face was priceless. I asked him if he had any stolen cards in his pocket. He told me he did not and I held down the button on the verifier. The light turned red and I told the boy that the lie detector proved he was lying. At that the boy sheepishly pulled the cards from his pocket and gave them to me. He also admitted to his prior thefts, confirming what I had suspected. I contacted the boy’s mother who picked him up and took him up.
Checkpoint systems are designed to stop shoplifting starting with the deterrence value of the antennas at the front doors to the Checkpoint tags and labels placed on merchandise. Contact us and find out how we can help you prevent theft.
Get more information on Checkpoint Systems, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
Stop Shoplifting-3 , CP Systems-2 , Retail Theft Prevention-2
Retail Theft Prevention Vs. Robbery Prevention
I’ve worked in retail for over fifteen years. I started out in the grocery business and then ventured over to the retail pharmacy sector. In both settings, we had to figure out ways to stop shoplifting on a daily basis. The grocery store I worked in had absolutely no retail theft prevention tools: no EAS system, no cameras, nothing. Well, we did have a fake camera. The small retail pharmacy I work for has made leaps and bounds through the years, upgrading their tools and methods to stop shoplifting over the last decade. When I first started with the company, only the couple inner city locations had any sort of camera system, and they were ancient VHS recorders that required you to change the tape daily. Most stores were in the process of getting Checkpoint Systems installed around the time I was hired, though. Now, over a decade later, all of our stores have DVR systems, Checkpoint Systems, and retail theft prevention plans in place. Just like most retailers, we talk with our staff regularly about the importance of deterring shoplifters. But one thing we don’t talk about enough is robbery prevention or what to do if it does happen.
I worked in one location in our pharmacy business for a little over seven years. It is out of the city limits, near several affluent neighborhoods full of million dollar homes. There is a huge lake nearby. And that same store was the setting for four armed robberies. The last three were all prescription drug related, committed by criminals feeding their opioid addictions. They were actually pretty low key incidents, and the perpetrators were not really looking to create a big scene; they just wanted the pills. The very first robbery, however, was a terrifying experience that I hope to never go through again.
We closed at nine back then, and I was walking over to lock the door when three men came inside. They were all dressed in black from head to toe, and I knew immediately what was happening. (The man that lived across the street saw it happening too; I’ll get to him later) Two of the men demanded access to the office and they wanted all the money dumped into a bag. They wanted all of it, everything out of the drawers, and everything in the safe, including the rolled coin! There were three of us there that night, and while one guy held a gun on me dumping the money, another one held a gun to my assistant’s head and told her she better not move. Meanwhile, outside the office, the other guy had my cashier and was literally dragging him through the aisles at gunpoint. My cashier told him there was nobody else in the store, but he wouldn’t stop until he saw for himself. Once the two in the office verified the safe was empty, they made my assistant dump her purse into their bag as well. Then they made us all go to the stock room and told us to stay and count to a thousand. If one of us came out before they got out the front door, they said they’d kill us all. We did as we were told and waited.
However, they had a surprise waiting for them outside. The man that lived across the street was out there waiting. He had already called 911, and he was on the phone with them. He had his gun too. They started firing at him and he fired back. He got several shots into their getaway car. He was hiding behind his big SUV, but one shot ricocheted off something and hit him in the leg. At that point he lit up their car with the rest of the bullets in his clip. They flew out of the parking lot. Then he came in and found us, assured us it was okay to leave, and got us to safety. The police were outside already when we came out, all with our hands up. They got our neighbor to an ambulance to treat his leg, and figured out which way the robbers had gone. (They didn’t get far because of all the damage he had inflicted to their car.) They found the car abandoned, and the men were actually hiding under a boat slip, hoping the police wouldn’t find them in the water. They did find them with no problem, and a year later they all got maximum sentences at their trial.
There is no way to predict a robbery is going to occur, but if one does, your staff needs to know what to do. We did exactly what we were told, kept our heads down, not looking up or making any eye contact, and never once did any of us try to be a hero. We used caution exiting the building afterward, coming out with our hands up to ensure the police knew we were not the bad guys. That seems like an insult to injury, but it’s for everyone’s safety. All those little things were what kept us alive and resulted in the robbers leaving quickly.
Our neighbor recovered quickly and was hailed as a hero. Our friendship with him will never waiver. I have since moved to a couple different locations, and have never had any incidents at either one. I share this story, not to scare my current staff, but to make them aware that it can happen. Please have the conversation with your employees and if it ever does happen in your business, I hope you have a similar outcome. Focus on the daily job to stop shoplifting, but remember knowing what to do in case of a robbery needs to be talked about too.
Need information on how to stop shoplifting? Contact us or call: 1.770.426.0547.
I’ve worked in retail for over fifteen years. I started out in the grocery business and then ventured over to the retail pharmacy sector. In both settings, we had to figure out ways to stop shoplifting on a daily basis. The grocery store I worked in had absolutely no retail theft prevention tools: no EAS system, no cameras, nothing. Well, we did have a fake camera. The small retail pharmacy I work for has made leaps and bounds through the years, upgrading their tools and methods to stop shoplifting over the last decade. When I first started with the company, only the couple inner city locations had any sort of camera system, and they were ancient VHS recorders that required you to change the tape daily. Most stores were in the process of getting Checkpoint Systems installed around the time I was hired, though. Now, over a decade later, all of our stores have DVR systems, Checkpoint Systems, and retail theft prevention plans in place. Just like most retailers, we talk with our staff regularly about the importance of deterring shoplifters. But one thing we don’t talk about enough is robbery prevention or what to do if it does happen.
I worked in one location in our pharmacy business for a little over seven years. It is out of the city limits, near several affluent neighborhoods full of million dollar homes. There is a huge lake nearby. And that same store was the setting for four armed robberies. The last three were all prescription drug related, committed by criminals feeding their opioid addictions. They were actually pretty low key incidents, and the perpetrators were not really looking to create a big scene; they just wanted the pills. The very first robbery, however, was a terrifying experience that I hope to never go through again.
We closed at nine back then, and I was walking over to lock the door when three men came inside. They were all dressed in black from head to toe, and I knew immediately what was happening. (The man that lived across the street saw it happening too; I’ll get to him later) Two of the men demanded access to the office and they wanted all the money dumped into a bag. They wanted all of it, everything out of the drawers, and everything in the safe, including the rolled coin! There were three of us there that night, and while one guy held a gun on me dumping the money, another one held a gun to my assistant’s head and told her she better not move. Meanwhile, outside the office, the other guy had my cashier and was literally dragging him through the aisles at gunpoint. My cashier told him there was nobody else in the store, but he wouldn’t stop until he saw for himself. Once the two in the office verified the safe was empty, they made my assistant dump her purse into their bag as well. Then they made us all go to the stock room and told us to stay and count to a thousand. If one of us came out before they got out the front door, they said they’d kill us all. We did as we were told and waited.
However, they had a surprise waiting for them outside. The man that lived across the street was out there waiting. He had already called 911, and he was on the phone with them. He had his gun too. They started firing at him and he fired back. He got several shots into their getaway car. He was hiding behind his big SUV, but one shot ricocheted off something and hit him in the leg. At that point he lit up their car with the rest of the bullets in his clip. They flew out of the parking lot. Then he came in and found us, assured us it was okay to leave, and got us to safety. The police were outside already when we came out, all with our hands up. They got our neighbor to an ambulance to treat his leg, and figured out which way the robbers had gone. (They didn’t get far because of all the damage he had inflicted to their car.) They found the car abandoned, and the men were actually hiding under a boat slip, hoping the police wouldn’t find them in the water. They did find them with no problem, and a year later they all got maximum sentences at their trial.
There is no way to predict a robbery is going to occur, but if one does, your staff needs to know what to do. We did exactly what we were told, kept our heads down, not looking up or making any eye contact, and never once did any of us try to be a hero. We used caution exiting the building afterward, coming out with our hands up to ensure the police knew we were not the bad guys. That seems like an insult to injury, but it’s for everyone’s safety. All those little things were what kept us alive and resulted in the robbers leaving quickly.
Our neighbor recovered quickly and was hailed as a hero. Our friendship with him will never waiver. I have since moved to a couple different locations, and have never had any incidents at either one. I share this story, not to scare my current staff, but to make them aware that it can happen. Please have the conversation with your employees and if it ever does happen in your business, I hope you have a similar outcome. Focus on the daily job to stop shoplifting, but remember knowing what to do in case of a robbery needs to be talked about too.
Need information on how to stop shoplifting? Contact us or call: 1.770.426.0547.
Checkpoint Tags-4 WC blog 100
Checkpoint Systems-4
Preventing Theft With Checkpoint Systems Part 3
In this series of articles I have been discussing Checkpoint systems and how they work to prevent theft. I covered electronic article surveillance (EAS) antennas, how they work and the impact on retail theft prevention. In the second part I reviewed Checkpoint tags, choices offered and how they deter theft. In this final installment I will be covering Checkpoint deactivation units, detection devices and the importance of ensuring proper operation to maximize the effectiveness of Checkpoint systems.
When EAS alarm antennas regularly sound due to Checkpoint tags not being deactivated or removed from merchandise after purchase, customers become annoyed and shoplifters become unafraid. Checkpoint deactivation pads integrate with most point of sale registers and it is at that point they “turn off” or detune EAS soft tags and labels. As a tag is passed over the pad it is desensitized and the cashier does not have to spend extra effort attempting to locate the tag. Hard tags are designed to not deactivate when passed over a pad, they are simply removed using a detachment tool secured at the register. Once removed the tags are collected and placed in a central location until more merchandise is received and ready to be tagged.
It is important to test your Checkpoint systems equipment daily. Deactivation pads can be tested with the DV1000 deactivation verifier. By holding the verifier near a deactivation pad and pressing a button you can quickly determine if your equipment is working. When a deactivation pad is not working, soft tags and labels are not “turned off”, and this causes a false alarm. False alarms, in turn, embarrass and even anger customers and if not handled properly, can lead to patron’s not returning and lost sales. I should note that failure to remove hard tags can also lead to false alarms, causing the same problems. Worse than this is the situation where a store fails to correct a problem and employees stop responding to alarm events. Shoplifters take notice of employees that simply wave to shoppers who set off an alarm or even ignore them. Complacency leads to increased theft and defeats the purpose of having an EAS system.
Checkpoint also offers an Omni Verifier/Deactivator that can verify if a deactivator is working. Additionally, there are situations in which a customer can bring merchandise into the store that has Checkpoint tags that were not deactivated from another retailer, setting off your antennas. The Omni verifier can help locate a hidden EAS tag somewhere in clothing or a bag and you can make the customer aware of the issue. If you can validate the item was purchased, you may opt to offer to deactivate the item as a customer courtesy (your customer will love you for it, trust me).
EAS test cards can also be supplied by Checkpoint to test your antennas. These are cards that have non-deactivating Checkpoint tags in them that are walked through EAS antennas daily to ensure the system is responding properly. It is possible for the antennas to stop working, possibly due to a power outage, a circuit breaker being tripped or just a faulty circuit. Identifying a non-working antenna system as soon as possible is crucial for getting a service call in and a technician to the store to get the system operational again. Needless to say, but the longer a unit is out of service the greater the opportunity for shoplifters to take advantage of the issue.
With proper, daily testing of your Checkpoint system you can ensure your customers have a distraction free shopping experience. Training employees how to test deactivation units and antennas, remove hard tags and respond to EAS alarms will decrease the theft in your store and enhance profits.
For more information on Checkpoint systems, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
In this series of articles I have been discussing Checkpoint systems and how they work to prevent theft. I covered electronic article surveillance (EAS) antennas, how they work and the impact on retail theft prevention. In the second part I reviewed Checkpoint tags, choices offered and how they deter theft. In this final installment I will be covering Checkpoint deactivation units, detection devices and the importance of ensuring proper operation to maximize the effectiveness of Checkpoint systems.
When EAS alarm antennas regularly sound due to Checkpoint tags not being deactivated or removed from merchandise after purchase, customers become annoyed and shoplifters become unafraid. Checkpoint deactivation pads integrate with most point of sale registers and it is at that point they “turn off” or detune EAS soft tags and labels. As a tag is passed over the pad it is desensitized and the cashier does not have to spend extra effort attempting to locate the tag. Hard tags are designed to not deactivate when passed over a pad, they are simply removed using a detachment tool secured at the register. Once removed the tags are collected and placed in a central location until more merchandise is received and ready to be tagged.
It is important to test your Checkpoint systems equipment daily. Deactivation pads can be tested with the DV1000 deactivation verifier. By holding the verifier near a deactivation pad and pressing a button you can quickly determine if your equipment is working. When a deactivation pad is not working, soft tags and labels are not “turned off”, and this causes a false alarm. False alarms, in turn, embarrass and even anger customers and if not handled properly, can lead to patron’s not returning and lost sales. I should note that failure to remove hard tags can also lead to false alarms, causing the same problems. Worse than this is the situation where a store fails to correct a problem and employees stop responding to alarm events. Shoplifters take notice of employees that simply wave to shoppers who set off an alarm or even ignore them. Complacency leads to increased theft and defeats the purpose of having an EAS system.
Checkpoint also offers an Omni Verifier/Deactivator that can verify if a deactivator is working Additionally, there are situations in which a customer can bring merchandise into the store that has Checkpoint tags that were not deactivated from another retailer, setting off your antennas. The Omni verifier can help locate a hidden EAS tag somewhere in clothing or a bag and you can make the customer aware of the issue. If you can validate the item was purchased, you may opt to offer to deactivate the item as a customer courtesy (your customer will love you for it, trust me).
EAS test cards can also be supplied by Checkpoint to test your antennas. These are cards that have non-deactivating Checkpoint tags in them that are walked through EAS antennas daily to ensure the system is responding properly. It is possible for the antennas to stop working, possibly due to a power outage, a circuit breaker being tripped or just a faulty circuit. Identifying a non-working antenna system as soon as possible is crucial for getting a service call in and a technician to the store to get the system operational again. Needless to say, but the longer a unit is out of service the greater the opportunity for shoplifters to take advantage of the issue.
With proper, daily testing of your Checkpoint system you can ensure your customers have a distraction free shopping experience. Training employees how to test deactivation units and antennas, remove hard tags and respond to EAS alarms will decrease the theft in your store and enhance profits.
For more information on Checkpoint systems, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
You own clothing stores and are considering how to best protect your investment. You know that shoplifters and even employees are going to try to steal from you and you want to find the most effective clothing security protection available. As a former Loss Prevention associate and Assets Protection Manager with over 25 years of retail experience under my belt, I would like to share some of my thoughts on the subject. First, if you do not have an electronic article surveillance (EAS) system in place, invest in one. If you don’t know where to look for an EAS system, I would suggest Checkpoint Systems as a starting point. Next, you will want to purchase clothing security tags for your merchandise.
Clothing security tags are clipped to the garments and require a special detachment tool to remove them. Without the proper tool, any attempt by a shoplifter or even a dishonest employee, to remove the tag will result in damaged clothing. A thief is not going to go to the trouble of stealing merchandise if it will result in damage since they want to either wear it or re-sell it. Also, devices such as Checkpoint tags are reusable meaning that when a purchase is made the device is removed and retained at the store. They can then be applied to new product as it arrives.
As you are deciding which security tags on clothes you will use that you consider Checkpoint tags for their source tagging program. Working with Checkpoint your merchandise can be shipped to your store(s) from the vendor already protected with clothing security tags. Why is this important? There are two reasons I really like this program. First, consistency in tagging benefits you at the point of sale. When the clothing comes to you tagged, the tags are placed in the same location on like merchandise. When it gets to the register, cashiers know where to find the tag every time. This speeds up the checkout process and minimizes the chance for a false alarm at the doors caused by cashier error. The second reason I believe source tagging is the smart choice is that you spend little payroll on tagging merchandise. I know how tight payroll budgets can be and if I had the choice to spend it on tagging merchandise or driving sales through excellent customer service, I would pick customer service.
In addition to using clothing security tags on clothes for protection, I would recommend a camera system, partly for theft prevention and partially as a safety measure. A public view monitor at the entry way to a store and at the exit is good for making shoppers aware that they are on camera. The downside is cameras have become commonplace and do not have the deterrent value they once did in the retail world. You must be sure if you install a camera you have it positioned to in such a way as to capture face shots. Be aware that many criminals are on to this so they will enter the store with sunglasses on and hats pulled down to obscure their face. I also recommend cameras at the point of sale that can be used to record transactions. This can help to identify employees who may be stealing or criminals who are using fraudulent means to make purchases. Cameras on the sales floor may be usefull, but unless you have someone to monitor them and review video, they will not be extremely helpful in preventing shoplifting.
Finally, spend time training employees. Train on how to effectively provide outstanding customer service, and how it drives sales and reduces shortage. Also, spend time training on the importance of properly removing Checkpoint tags at the point of sales and response to EAS alarm activations. Training must be an ongoing process. If treated as a once and done, training loses its value because people tend to retain information better and practice it when it is reinforced.
Take a multi-pronged approach to protect merchandise. Use cameras, customer service, EAS and Checkpoint tags to defend against theft. A smart investment will pay significant dividends in the future.
For more information on Clothing Security Tags contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
