CP Hard Tags-3, Stop Shoplifting-1 , EAS-3, EAS Tags-1
The Lesson Never Learned
A few months ago I stopped a shoplifter at a store I don’t even work at. I wondered what they did when they discovered the pile of nail polishes in the floor after we left. The answer is: *drum roll please* nothing at all. To be clear, this store does not employ any product protection tools such as Checkpoint Systems. My daughter and I went to the same little beauty supply store yesterday and there were two employees there. When we walked in, they were both standing in an aisle chatting. When we were ready to check out, that’s where we found them still. So here is my summary of our shopping trip.
We walk in the front door, and neither of the ladies bothers to speak, much less even look away from their conversation with one another. My first observation is that they have no type of electronic article surveillance that I can see. You may not want your cameras in visible locations, but having some sort of deterrence system in plain sight is important. It sends the message that your business is serious about its plan to stop shoplifting. The next thing I noticed was some bags hanging right at the door. They weren’t shopping bags; they were free with the purchase of a hair appliance that was also being displayed beside the door. I wonder who thought “let’s put these $80 hair straighteners right here on a table next to the front door”. Since there was no type of EAS tags on those boxes, I imagine those bags come in pretty handy for shoplifters. As I kept walking around the store, it became clear that this place is the ultimate nightmare of every loss prevention employee I know. There are implements and accessories that retail upwards of $20 each, and are merely packaged in thin plastic. They are so small and thin, a person could easily clean off the entire peg in just a moment. If you keep walking down the aisles, you come to a huge selection of expensive nail polishes. I cannot even begin to imagine how many bottles of these they lose on a daily basis. Then you come to another big section of expensive air appliances. As if putting them right beside the front door isn’t a bad enough idea, putting them in the back of the store is so much worse. Your inventory can’t defend itself. It’s such a bad store layout, and not having any kind of product protection in place, like Checkpoint Hard Tags, is just beyond imagination to me.
The really bad thing about this visit was talking to my daughter about it. I said this place makes blogging too easy. She said “I’ll send you some links to all the lifting sites that write about it.” It turns out this little chain store is famous. They tell all the shoplifters-in-training that this is the place to start your new career. Practice at the beauty supply store because they have no EAS system, they don’t use any type of Check Hard Tags or labels, and the minimal staff on duty has better things to do than watch or interact with shoppers. No store can thrive or even survive with this type of business model. This type of store sells high margin merchandise, so not only are they losing the inventory they paid for, they are also losing all the profits they would be making from the sales. When businesses make the decision to not invest in an EAS system, or utilize tools such as Checkpoint Hard Tags and labels, they set themselves up for failure and huge shrink results. Don’t be that business.
For more information on Checkpoint Hard Tags, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
A few months ago I stopped a shoplifter at a store I don’t even work at. I wondered what they did when they discovered the pile of nail polishes in the floor after we left. The answer is: *drum roll please* nothing at all. To be clear, this store does not employ any product protection tools such as Checkpoint Systems. My daughter and I went to the same little beauty supply store yesterday and there were two employees there. When we walked in, they were both standing in an aisle chatting. When we were ready to check out, that’s where we found them still. So here is my summary of our shopping trip.
We walk in the front door, and neither of the ladies bothers to speak, much less even look away from their conversation with one another. My first observation is that they have no type of electronic article surveillance that I can see. You may not want your cameras in visible locations, but having some sort of deterrence system in plain sight is important. It sends the message that your business is serious about its plan to stop shoplifting. The next thing I noticed was some bags hanging right at the door. They weren’t shopping bags; they were free with the purchase of a hair appliance that was also being displayed beside the door. I wonder who thought “let’s put these $80 hair straighteners right here on a table next to the front door”. Since there was no type of EAS tags on those boxes, I imagine those bags come in pretty handy for shoplifters. As I kept walking around the store, it became clear that this place is the ultimate nightmare of every loss prevention employee I know. There are implements and accessories that retail upwards of $20 each, and are merely packaged in thin plastic. They are so small and thin, a person could easily clean off the entire peg in just a moment. If you keep walking down the aisles, you come to a huge selection of expensive nail polishes. I cannot even begin to imagine how many bottles of these they lose on a daily basis. Then you come to another big section of expensive air appliances. As if putting them right beside the front door isn’t a bad enough idea, putting them in the back of the store is so much worse. Your inventory can’t defend itself. It’s such a bad store layout, and not having any kind of product protection in place, like Checkpoint Hard Tags, is just beyond imagination to me.
The really bad thing about this visit was talking to my daughter about it. I said this place makes blogging too easy. She said “I’ll send you some links to all the lifting sites that write about it.” It turns out this little chain store is famous. They tell all the shoplifters-in-training that this is the place to start your new career. Practice at the beauty supply store because they have no EAS system, they don’t use any type of Checkpoint Hard Tags or labels, and the minimal staff on duty has better things to do than watch or interact with shoppers. No store can thrive or even survive with this type of business model. This type of store sells high margin merchandise, so not only are they losing the inventory they paid for, they are also losing all the profits they would be making from the sales. When businesses make the decision to not invest in an EAS system, or utilize tools such as Checkpoint Hard Tags and labels, they set themselves up for failure and huge shrink results. Don’t be that business.
For more information on Checkpoint Hard Tags, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
THE GREAT DEBATE – CHECKPOINT SYSTEMS
I often hear the same questions from managers. “Should I used a hard tag, or label to secure product x?” Sometimes it is a no brainer depending on the item in question. The greatest debate I have internally is on securing apparel merchandise. What is more effective, a checkpoint tag, or a checkpoint label?
Remember that I am only speaking to apparel in this instance. For me, personally, I always go with the checkpoint tag. I can easily apply/remove the tag to whatever I want. I can recycle them in store and I can always “up” the level of security on certain high risk items by using something like an ink tag. It’s cost effective since I don’t have to keep re-ordering supplies, since we just reuse them in the store. I find that the hard tag is more visible, which provides a better deterrent to would-be thieves. The hard tags also come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors, meaning I can always find a solution that blends in with the store merchandising plan.
Checkpoint labels are great in their own respect as well. One thing the tags can’t do is be priced and marked with a barcode. This ability, when paired with source tagging, really can help the store cut down on overhead costs. I can also covertly place labels on product, like inside the pockets of denim jeans, or under the brim of a hat.
The draw back on the Checkpoint tags is that if you’re not careful, you can wind up damaging the garment. If you have lazy employees who are careless, you will have some very unhappy customers. A thief with a descent set of pliers can easily defeat the tags if given enough opportunity. The tags are also very visible. While this has never been an issue for me, I know some retailers don’t like to have visible security measures, as they feel as it detracts from their branding and image.
Likewise, with Checkpoint labels, there are some points to consider as well. If a thief spots the tag, it can be removed rather easily. Unlike hard tags, they cannot be recycled in store. I’ve never had this be an issue for me, but for a smaller store it could be something to consider. The labels, however are a great “gateway” device into the world of physical security measures. For some stores, the labels alone will dry up most of their thefts. If they don’t, you can always look to upgrade to a different tool for any specific problems you may be having.
It is important for you, as a retailer to secure your apparel merchandise. Clothing is a magnet for thieves and if you’re un-protected, you will likely be seen as a soft target. While I don’t think there is a right or wrong answer to the proper tagging of clothing, I think any good manager will see that a good product protection strategy would include both types of tags. You may get into a situation where a hard tag may not be appropriate, or won’t make sense. Likewise for a soft tag. That shouldn’t mean that the product goes unprotected, though. You have to do what makes sense in your store, for the specific merchandise that you carry. I hope you’ve found these points to be helpful as you continue to build your protection strategy and seek to eliminate losses caused by external theft.
For more information about Checkpoint Systems, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
I often hear the same questions from managers. “Should I used a hard tag, or label to secure product x?” Sometimes it is a no brainer depending on the item in question. The greatest debate I have internally is on securing apparel merchandise. What is more effective, a checkpoint tag, or a checkpoint label?
Remember that I am only speaking to apparel in this instance. For me, personally, I always go with the checkpoint tag. I can easily apply/remove the tag to whatever I want. I can recycle them in store and I can always “up” the level of security on certain high risk items by using something like an ink tag. It’s cost effective since I don’t have to keep re-ordering supplies, since we just reuse them in the store. I find that the hard tag is more visible, which provides a better deterrent to would-be thieves. The hard tags also come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors, meaning I can always find a solution that blends in with the store merchandising plan.
Checkpoint labels are great in their own respect as well. One thing the tags can’t do is be priced and marked with a barcode. This ability, when paired with source tagging, really can help the store cut down on overhead costs. I can also covertly place labels on product, like inside the pockets of denim jeans, or under the brim of a hat.
The draw back on the Checkpoint tags is that if you’re not careful, you can wind up damaging the garment. If you have lazy employees who are careless, you will have some very unhappy customers. A thief with a descent set of pliers can easily defeat the tags if given enough opportunity. The tags are also very visible. While this has never been an issue for me, I know some retailers don’t like to have visible security measures, as they feel as it detracts from their branding and image.
Likewise, with Checkpoint labels, there are some points to consider as well. If a thief spots the tag, it can be removed rather easily. Unlike hard tags, they cannot be recycled in store. I’ve never had this be an issue for me, but for a smaller store it could be something to consider. The labels, however are a great “gateway” device into the world of physical security measures. For some stores, the labels alone will dry up most of their thefts. If they don’t, you can always look to upgrade to a different tool for any specific problems you may be having.
It is important for you, as a retailer to secure your apparel merchandise. Clothing is a magnet for thieves and if you’re un-protected, you will likely be seen as a soft target. While I don’t think there is a right or wrong answer to the proper tagging of clothing, I think any good manager will see that a good product protection strategy would include both types of tags. You may get into a situation where a hard tag may not be appropriate, or won’t make sense. Likewise for a soft tag. That shouldn’t mean that the product goes unprotected, though. You have to do what makes sense in your store, for the specific merchandise that you carry. I hope you’ve found these points to be helpful as you continue to build your protection strategy and seek to eliminate losses caused by external theft.
For more information about Checkpoint Systems, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
RWHBLOG19
Shoplifting Overtakes Internal Theft: Leverage Alpha Keepers To Prevent Shoplifting
Shoplifting overtakes internal theft! Those are the headlines across loss prevention circles these days as it is the first time in many years that the greatest loss for retailers is attributed to shoplifting rather than internal theft. If that isn’t reason enough to make retailers stay up at night, one can always look at the loss prevention news sources and see how prevalent organized retail crime (ORC) has become. It was enough to worry about the kids in the neighborhood wanting to get their hands on the new game system release and selecting your store to do their shoplifting. Now you have to worry about an organized gang of criminals who do not just want one of your products, but want a large number of your products and will be fairly brazen and cunning to get their hands on them. To some extent we have always had ORC with the “Travelers” hitting stores across the country in large numbers for years. We have had criminal enterprises striving to get their hands on precursors for illicit drug manufacturing. Now we have to prevent shoplifting of all types of merchandise from razor blades to Microsoft Surface. We have to find new ways to prevent shoplifting through new retail anti-theft devices.
I can recall Travelers coming through town and going into stores in groups, keeping sales staff and clerks busy while the members of their family pushed racks of clothes out the door into a waiting van. More recently, I can recall a shoplifter coming into the store and taking 10 or 12 flash drives off the hooks and concealing them to go into the restroom and remove the EAS tags. We have also seen multiple shoplifters come into one of the stores in my area and remove the game from the game system case and leave the store with multiple games. The same thing has happened with music CDs more than once.
A company I worked for had a zero tolerance approach towards theft and fought back hard to protect their merchandise—much like we all should in light of those new statistics about shoplifting. To prevent shoplifting of their merchandise they partnered with a leader in the industry: Alpha Products, a division of Checkpoint Systems. Alpha keepers were used on merchandise that was determined to be high risk. These hardened alarmed polycarbonate cases provide the highest level of security in retail anti-theft devices. The cases require a special magnetic key to open and will activate EAS (electronic article surveillance) alarms when the shoplifter tries to leave with the merchandise without going through your checkout. These hardened Alpha keepers allow you to display your merchandise with no difficulty on hooks or on shelves with complete visibility of the product while still ensuring no one can tamper with the merchandise and open the packaging to remove the product. Basically, it also means that shoplifters can look but not touch!
Alpha keepers are available in a variety of sizes and different designs for specific products, including razor blades, infant formula, electronics, CDs, DVDs, games, fragrances, and health and beauty products to name a few. They are reusable with your cashier removing the keeper from the merchandise at checkout and recycling it back to place on other merchandise.
With shoplifting being our number one potential loss causing event, we need to ensure that we are not making it easy for shoplifters to leave with our merchandise. Utilize retail anti-theft devices to their maximum advantage and prevent shoplifting – be it by the neighborhood youth or by the professional organized retail criminal.
For more information on Alpha Keepers, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547.
Shoplifting overtakes internal theft! Those are the headlines across loss prevention circles these days as it is the first time in many years that the greatest loss for retailers is attributed to shoplifting rather than internal theft. If that isn’t reason enough to make retailers stay up at night, one can always look at the loss prevention news sources and see how prevalent organized retail crime (ORC) has become. It was enough to worry about the kids in the neighborhood wanting to get their hands on the new game system release and selecting your store to do their shoplifting. Now you have to worry about an organized gang of criminals who do not just want one of your products, but want a large number of your products and will be fairly brazen and cunning to get their hands on them. To some extent we have always had ORC with the “Travelers” hitting stores across the country in large numbers for years. We have had criminal enterprises striving to get their hands on precursors for illicit drug manufacturing. Now we have to prevent shoplifting of all types of merchandise from razor blades to Microsoft Surface. We have to find new ways to prevent shoplifting through new retail anti-theft devices.
I can recall Travelers coming through town and going into stores in groups, keeping sales staff and clerks busy while the members of their family pushed racks of clothes out the door into a waiting van. More recently, I can recall a shoplifter coming into the store and taking 10 or 12 flash drives off the hooks and concealing them to go into the restroom and remove the EAS tags. We have also seen multiple shoplifters come into one of the stores in my area and remove the game from the game system case and leave the store with multiple games. The same thing has happened with music CDs more than once.
A company I worked for had a zero tolerance approach towards theft and fought back hard to protect their merchandise—much like we all should in light of those new statistics about shoplifting. To prevent shoplifting of their merchandise they partnered with a leader in the industry: Alpha Products, a division of Checkpoint Systems. Alpha keepers were used on merchandise that was determined to be high risk. These hardened alarmed polycarbonate cases provide the highest level of security in retail anti-theft devices. The cases require a special magnetic key to open and will activate EAS (electronic article surveillance) alarms when the shoplifter tries to leave with the merchandise without going through your checkout. These hardened Alpha keepers allow you to display your merchandise with no difficulty on hooks or on shelves with complete visibility of the product while still ensuring no one can tamper with the merchandise and open the packaging to remove the product. Basically, it also means that shoplifters can look but not touch!
Alpha keepers are available in a variety of sizes and different designs for specific products, including razor blades, infant formula, electronics, CDs, DVDs, games, fragrances, and health and beauty products to name a few. They are reusable with your cashier removing the keeper from the merchandise at checkout and recycling it back to place on other merchandise.
With shoplifting being our number one potential loss causing event, we need to ensure that we are not making it easy for shoplifters to leave with our merchandise. Utilize retail anti-theft devices to their maximum advantage and prevent shoplifting – be it by the neighborhood youth or by the professional organized retail criminal.
For more information on Alpha Keepers, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
Stop Shoplifting-4, Checkpoint Systems-4, Checkpoint labels-2, retail anti-theft device-1
Either Watch The Door Or Set Up A Checkpoint
I work for a small retail pharmacy, and we utilize many different forms of electronic article surveillance. We really have to. Cameras are great, but they are generally for reactive purposes. When you find a section wiped out, you go back and review footage to see if you can find the culprits. When you make the choice to use tools like Checkpoint security tags and Checkpoint labels, Alpha keepers, and Alpha spider wraps, you are actively engaging in theft deterrence. Otherwise your choices are to lock everything up behind glass in cases. You can’t logically stand at the front door and monitor each and every person entering and exiting, while still ringing people up and providing customer service. In one particular store I went into today, they had no type of retail anti-theft device and the lone employee in the store was doing absolutely nothing to stop shoplifting.
I had just worked ten hours, and then went home to a teenager begging to go to the local beauty supply store. I agree, of course, because I am a sucker. It’s a small place, but they have a lot of very expensive items. Salon brand nail polishes, cosmetics, hair colors and professional hair salon tools are just a small sampling of the merchandise this place carries. When we walked in the front door, the loss prevention guru in me noticed there was no sign of Checkpoint Systems. I hear a voice come from the rear of the store asking if we need any help. The woman is at the back of the aisle closest to the wall, pricing inventory. She cannot see the front door; she can only hear the bell ring when it opens. We tell her we are fine, and she puts her head back down to work on whatever she’s got herself into. I think right then, if it’s up to this employee to stop shoplifting, the manager or owner of this store may as well throw in the towel. So we are looking around, and the bell over the door dings again, the employee offers help from her corner in no man’s land, and the young woman that entered says she is fine just like we did. The good thing for the store employee is that I had a bad feeling about this fellow shopper.
I walked around the corner while my daughter lost herself in the hair color aisle, and I watched the newcomer. She went to the most expensive nail color rack, the good ones you find in the way too expensive nail salons, and looked around. She didn’t see me watching her, and she started shoving bottle after bottle into her bag. No Checkpoint Systems and no one at the register or even near the front door, for that matter, meant she was going to get a big haul. Unfortunately for her, even when I am not at work, I will step in and stop shoplifting in it’s tracks. I was still in my store uniform shirt and still had on my nice official looking name tag. I was not about to let this lady stuff her bag full of $12 each nail polishes and run out the door. I walked right up behind her and said quietly that she had until the count of two to put her bag down on the floor and step away from it. Her shoulders slumped and without turning around, she followed the orders. (I know, right!!) She turned around then and saw me; her face was ghost white and her eyes were huge. She stammered out she was going to pay for those. I just looked her right in the eyes and told her to bend down, pick up the bag, dump it and leave. She complied, and she never even questioned the other store emblem sewn onto the sleeve of my shirt or printed on my name tag. I do wonder what that employee thought when she found that pile of nail polishes in the floor.
I hate to think about how much inventory this store is losing. It literally makes me shiver. With the addition of Checkpoint Systems, they could be protecting their valuable merchandise. They could identify what they lose the most of and tack on some Checkpoint labels and tags. Then when these yahoos come in there to wipe them out, they will get a big loud surprise as soon as they get too close to the door with unpaid items. If you have employees like this, holding keys to your business and running the show while you’re gone, you need to see what Checkpoint Systems can do for you.
For more information on ways to Stop Shoplifting, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
I work for a small retail pharmacy, and we utilize many different forms of electronic article surveillance. We really have to. Cameras are great, but they are generally for reactive purposes. When you find a section wiped out, you go back and review footage to see if you can find the culprits. When you make the choice to use tools like Checkpoint security tags and Checkpoint labels, Alpha keepers, and Alpha spider wraps, you are actively engaging in theft deterrence. Otherwise your choices are to lock everything up behind glass in cases. You can’t logically stand at the front door and monitor each and every person entering and exiting, while still ringing people up and providing customer service. In one particular store I went into today, they had no type of retail anti-theft device and the lone employee in the store was doing absolutely nothing to stop shoplifting.
I had just worked ten hours, and then went home to a teenager begging to go to the local beauty supply store. I agree, of course, because I am a sucker. It’s a small place, but they have a lot of very expensive items. Salon brand nail polishes, cosmetics, hair colors and professional hair salon tools are just a small sampling of the merchandise this place carries. When we walked in the front door, the loss prevention guru in me noticed there was no sign of Checkpoint Systems. I hear a voice come from the rear of the store asking if we need any help. The woman is at the back of the aisle closest to the wall, pricing inventory. She cannot see the front door; she can only hear the bell ring when it opens. We tell her we are fine, and she puts her head back down to work on whatever she’s got herself into. I think right then, if it’s up to this employee to stop shoplifting, the manager or owner of this store may as well throw in the towel. So we are looking around, and the bell over the door dings again, the employee offers help from her corner in no man’s land, and the young woman that entered says she is fine just like we did. The good thing for the store employee is that I had a bad feeling about this fellow shopper.
I walked around the corner while my daughter lost herself in the hair color aisle, and I watched the newcomer. She went to the most expensive nail color rack, the good ones you find in the way too expensive nail salons, and looked around. She didn’t see me watching her, and she started shoving bottle after bottle into her bag. No Checkpoint Systems and no one at the register or even near the front door, for that matter, meant she was going to get a big haul. Unfortunately for her, even when I am not at work, I will step in and stop shoplifting in it’s tracks. I was still in my store uniform shirt and still had on my nice official looking name tag. I was not about to let this lady stuff her bag full of $12 each nail polishes and run out the door. I walked right up behind her and said quietly that she had until the count of two to put her bag down on the floor and step away from it. Her shoulders slumped and without turning around, she followed the orders. (I know, right!!) She turned around then and saw me; her face was ghost white and her eyes were huge. She stammered out she was going to pay for those. I just looked her right in the eyes and told her to bend down, pick up the bag, dump it and leave. She complied, and she never even questioned the other store emblem sewn onto the sleeve of my shirt or printed on my name tag. I do wonder what that employee thought when she found that pile of nail polishes in the floor.
I hate to think about how much inventory this store is losing. It literally makes me shiver. With the addition of Checkpoint Systems, they could be protecting their valuable merchandise. They could identify what they lose the most of and tack on some Checkpoint labels and tags. Then when these yahoos come in there to wipe them out, they will get a big loud surprise as soon as they get too close to the door with unpaid items. If you have employees like this, holding keys to your business and running the show while you’re gone, you need to see what Checkpoint Systems can do for you.
For more information on ways to Stop Shoplifting, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
Medical Field-4 , Checkpoint N10-1 , Alpha Thunder Tag-1 , Checkpoint Systems-1
Protect Techno Tools For The Medical Field
Many doctor’s offices are upgrading their facilities and adding technology to help streamline the process of visits. It makes the patients’ check in process better and can make the whole visit quicker. Purchasing these devices, however, can be a big investment for the practice. Many in the medical field are looking at what they need, but they may not be looking into how to protect those gadgets from theft. In the retail business, we have dealt with our mobile scanners being stolen by our customers, so it should come as no surprise that patients at a doctor’s office would be willing to steal their tools. And this is a much more costly loss than a few tongue depressors and rubber gloves.
My doctor is in an old building, with ancient equipment and old furniture in the waiting room. It’s a pretty standard process in there; it’s only the clipboards and other basics. I still like it because it’s comfortable. But I went with my husband today for a visit to his doctor. It wasn’t just fancy and very modern; the whole place had a new and futuristic look. It was like college meets medical field. Everything was digital. I was pretty impressed with the setup. When people check in at the front desk, they scan their palms to identify themselves. Then, after they verify everything, the patient is handed a paging type of device. We were instructed to sit in the main waiting room and remain until the device alerted us to the exam room. After a period of time, this device activates and displays a room number. We got on the elevator and went to the upper floor. When we got off, we saw a blinking light outside the room he had been assigned to. No one really interacted with us, but we knew exactly what to do and where to go. When we got in the room, after a short wait, the nurse came in and took the device. I couldn’t help but wonder what happens if she forgets to take it from the patient. A day at the office is not always relaxing and routine, especially when you’re dealing with sick people. I imagine there have been cases of these devices being stolen.
Like I said, I’m in retail, so theft of equipment does happen. Our scanners would show up on online auction sites on a regular basis, so it wouldn’t be a big surprise to find these things on there as well. Fortunately there are tools to combat this type of theft. Just like in retail, Checkpoint Systems has a solution for the medical field. There is a combination of tools offered that will secure those devices and keep them on the premises where they belong, even if a patient were to accidentally attempt to remove one. First there is the Checkpoint N10, a compact detection system that’s just as effective as the ones we use in our retail stores. This almost invisible monitoring choice can be attached to the door so they are not in the way or detract from the professional look of the office. Add another tool, the Alpha Thunder Tag, and the circle is complete. These tags attach to the device that needs to be protected and they are the trigger for the alarm if someone tries to remove it from the premises. They will also self-alarm if they are tampered with, or if the patient would try to remove them from the device. It’s a win-win package for the security needed in the new age of the medical field.
For more information on these devices and more, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
Many doctor’s offices are upgrading their facilities and adding technology to help streamline the process of visits. It makes the patients’ check in process better and can make the whole visit quicker. Purchasing these devices, however, can be a big investment for the practice. Many in the medical field are looking at what they need, but they may not be looking into how to protect those gadgets from theft. In the retail business, we have dealt with our mobile scanners being stolen by our customers, so it should come as no surprise that patients at a doctor’s office would be willing to steal their tools. And this is a much more costly loss than a few tongue depressors and rubber gloves.
My doctor is in an old building, with ancient equipment and old furniture in the waiting room. It’s a pretty standard process in there; it’s only the clipboards and other basics. I still like it because it’s comfortable. But I went with my husband today for a visit to his doctor. It wasn’t just fancy and very modern; the whole place had a new and futuristic look. It was like college meets medical field. Everything was digital. I was pretty impressed with the setup. When people check in at the front desk, they scan their palms to identify themselves. Then, after they verify everything, the patient is handed a paging type of device. We were instructed to sit in the main waiting room and remain until the device alerted us to the exam room. After a period of time, this device activates and displays a room number. We got on the elevator and went to the upper floor. When we got off, we saw a blinking light outside the room he had been assigned to. No one really interacted with us, but we knew exactly what to do and where to go. When we got in the room, after a short wait, the nurse came in and took the device. I couldn’t help but wonder what happens if she forgets to take it from the patient. A day at the office is not always relaxing and routine, especially when you’re dealing with sick people. I imagine there have been cases of these devices being stolen.
Like I said, I’m in retail, so theft of equipment does happen. Our scanners would show up on online auction sites on a regular basis, so it wouldn’t be a big surprise to find these things on there as well. Fortunately there are tools to combat this type of theft. Just like in retail, Checkpoint Systems has a solution for the medical field. There is a combination of tools offered that will secure those devices and keep them on the premises where they belong, even if a patient were to accidentally attempt to remove one. First there is the Checkpoint N10, a compact detection system that’s just as effective as the ones we use in our retail stores. This almost invisible monitoring choice can be attached to the door so they are not in the way or detract from the professional look of the office. Add another tool, the Alpha Thunder Tag, and the circle is complete. These tags attach to the device that needs to be protected and they are the trigger for the alarm if someone tries to remove it from the premises. They will also self-alarm if they are tampered with, or if the patient would try to remove them from the device. It’s a win-win package for the security needed in the new age of the medical field.
For more information on these devices and more, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
