RL-178
(Clothing security tags-4), (Checkpoint tags-4)
The Thin Line Between Customer Satisfaction and Loss of Profits
In any retail setting, you want to do everything possible to make sure your customers stay happy, and keep coming back to shop in your store. We all know that you have to make exceptions to the rules sometimes, but where do you draw the line? I recently observed something in a store that immediately got my attention, and made me wonder where the line should be drawn between making customers happy and following protocol regarding the use and removal of clothing security tags or any other merchandise protection devices.
A customer came into the store the other day carrying several pieces of clothing with clothing security tags still attached to the garments. The Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) alarm sounded as she walked into the store, and she approached an employee at the customer service desk. The customer said that she purchased the items, but the cashier failed to remove the Checkpoint tags from the clothing items that she purchased. What happened next was a bit disturbing to me at the time, but the employee had to make a judgement call.
The employee then removed the Checkpoint tags from the clothing items without even checking if the customer had a receipt for the items she claimed to have purchased. The customer then told the cashier helping her, that she lost the receipt for the purchase. As I witnessed this from a distance, I was in disbelief, and I then went to talk to the employee as the customer left the store. What I didn’t know at the time was that another nearby cashier remembered seeing that customer making the purchase earlier on in the day. Out of curiosity, I then asked the employee what they would have done if the other cashier hadn’t recognized the customer, and the cashier said that they probably would have done the same thing.
Depending on what your company or store policy is, what might normally happen in this situation is that the cashier should verify the receipt, and if the customer could not produce a receipt, then the matter would be referred to a supervisor. On the other hand, you may want to empower your cashiers to make reasonable decisions for purposes of customer satisfaction, provided that the adjustment for the customer wasn’t some absurd amount of money. Whether or not an exception is provided to the customer, the transaction should still be researched if possible. If you have video or register journal text available, it would be a good idea to take a look and see what actually happened. The cashier that should have removed the Checkpoint tags from the clothing should be talked to, as well as checking to see if the EAS alarm went off at the door when the customer originally exited the store with the merchandise. If the alarm didn’t sound, you may need to call and have your equipment serviced so something like this doesn’t happen again in the future.
Although the store policy didn’t say that you could remove clothing security tags based off of an employee’s memory of an earlier purchase, the cashier’s intentions were to make the customer happy so they would continue to shop in the store. Though this was most likely an honest mistake on the part of the original cashier, anyone who happened to be in the area when this conversation took place could try this in the future in order to have a cashier remove Checkpoint tags from stolen clothing items.
For more information about clothing security tags, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
In any retail setting, you want to do everything possible to make sure your customers stay happy, and keep coming back to shop in your store. We all know that you have to make exceptions to the rules sometimes, but where do you draw the line? I recently observed something in a store that immediately got my attention, and made me wonder where the line should be drawn between making customers happy and following protocol regarding the use and removal of clothing security tags or any other merchandise protection devices.
A customer came into the store the other day carrying several pieces of clothing with clothing security tags still attached to the garments. The Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) alarm sounded as she walked into the store, and she approached an employee at the customer service desk. The customer said that she purchased the items, but the cashier failed to remove the Checkpoint tags from the clothing items that she purchased. What happened next was a bit disturbing to me at the time, but the employee had to make a judgement call.
The employee then removed the Checkpoint tags from the clothing items without even checking if the customer had a receipt for the items she claimed to have purchased. The customer then told the cashier helping her, that she lost the receipt for the purchase. As I witnessed this from a distance, I was in disbelief, and I then went to talk to the employee as the customer left the store. What I didn’t know at the time was that another nearby cashier remembered seeing that customer making the purchase earlier on in the day. Out of curiosity, I then asked the employee what they would have done if the other cashier hadn’t recognized the customer, and the cashier said that they probably would have done the same thing.
Depending on what your company or store policy is, what might normally happen in this situation is that the cashier should verify the receipt, and if the customer could not produce a receipt, then the matter would be referred to a supervisor. On the other hand, you may want to empower your cashiers to make reasonable decisions for purposes of customer satisfaction, provided that the adjustment for the customer wasn’t some absurd amount of money. Whether or not an exception is provided to the customer, the transaction should still be researched if possible. If you have video or register journal text available, it would be a good idea to take a look and see what actually happened. The cashier that should have removed the Checkpoint tags from the clothing should be talked to, as well as checking to see if the EAS alarm went off at the door when the customer originally exited the store with the merchandise. If the alarm didn’t sound, you may need to call and have your equipment serviced so something like this doesn’t happen again in the future.
Although the store policy didn’t say that you could remove clothing security tags based off of an employee’s memory of an earlier purchase, the cashier’s intentions were to make the customer happy so they would continue to shop in the store. Though this was most likely an honest mistake on the part of the original cashier, anyone who happened to be in the area when this conversation took place could try this in the future in order to have a cashier remove Checkpoint tags from stolen clothing items.
For more information about clothing security tags, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
Checkpoint Systems-3
The Numbers Don’t Lie: Checkpoint Systems Deter Theft
When I hire a new employee, whether a cashier or a supervisor, part of their initial training involves how to handle shoplifters. Most of the time, they look at me in disbelief when I tell them about the theft issues we battle in our small retail pharmacy. All I have to do is show them the pages of detail sheets where I have scanned empty packages into our pilferage file. Or , depending on the day of the week, I can show them the basket of empty packages under my desk waiting to be scanned. After we go through our apprehension rules, we walk the store and I show them our antishoplifting tools, like our Checkpoint Systems, all the different size Alpha keepers, spider wraps, etc. We go over each tool, how it is applied, how it is removed, and what items are more likely to be used with the tools because they are commonly targeted.
Shoplifting is one of the most common crimes in the country. People generally don’t look at it as a “big deal.” Most incidents of theft can be chalked up as simple greed. They want something and they don’t want to pay for it. Many retailers are trending away from apprehension and going with lenient policies. Their employees are paid more per hour than the item that was stolen is even worth, so they don’t see prosecution as worth the trouble. The justice system is flawed in how it handles shoplifters. There’s no denying that. I see it over and over; we call the police, have them cuffed and stuffed, go to court five or more times, and then the thief gets a slap on the wrist. I have had the officer not show up, or even worse, I forgot the court date and didn’t show up, and the charges get dismissed. This is all really frustrating for any retailer. But I still want to stop shoplifting. I don’t give up, and I don’t ever let my guard down. I abide by my companies policies, but I also educate my staff.
Statistically speaking, one in eleven people will steal something today. Those people are caught less than half of the times they do it, and will be prosecuted even less than half of those times. This just perpetuates the problem.
I am a store manager, not a baby sitter. I don’t have time to monitor every single person that walks through the store in order to keep them from stealing. Loss prevention is not so much about catching thieves and putting them behind bars. That’s where a lot of stores get confused. They want to put up threatening signs, hassle every person coming through their front door, and inconvenience their customers. You can’t keep honest cash paying customers loyal to your store by treating them like criminals. Loss prevention is about truly preventing the loss from happening in the first place. Deterrence is the key to loss prevention. That’s why I rely on my antishoplifting tools. In my store, Checkpoint Systems are always ready and on patrol. My staff knows our mandatory list of items that must have an EAS label adhered before being put out for sale. There are items that must be encased in Alpha keepers and or wrapped in an Alpha spider wrap as well. Honestly, the empty packages add up, and those probably only reflect a quarter or what is really stolen. However, I do know that the tools we utilize are making a difference. With the addition of these valuable security measures, our shrink results have been cut in half. Fraudulent refunds have gone down dramatically since they can’t steal the stuff in the first place. Word has gotten out in the community, and incidents of theft have dropped off considerably. The numbers don’t lie; we are winning the battle and we have our Checkpoint Systems and all the gadgets that work with it to thank for that.
For more information on Checkpoint Systems, contact us or call: 1.770.426.0547 or Antishoplifting.net
When I hire a new employee, whether a cashier or a supervisor, part of their initial training involves how to handle shoplifters. Most of the time, they look at me in disbelief when I tell them about the theft issues we battle in our small retail pharmacy. All I have to do is show them the pages of detail sheets where I have scanned empty packages into our pilferage file. Or, depending on the day of the week, I can show them the basket of empty packages under my desk waiting to be scanned. After we go through our apprehension rules, we walk the store and I show them our antishoplifting tools, like our Checkpoint Systems, all the different size Alpha keepers, spider wraps, etc. We go over each tool, how it is applied, how it is removed, and what items are more likely to be used with the tools because they are commonly targeted.
Shoplifting is one of the most common crimes in the country. People generally don’t look at it as a “big deal.” Most incidents of theft can be chalked up as simple greed. They want something and they don’t want to pay for it. Many retailers are trending away from apprehension and going with lenient policies. Their employees are paid more per hour than the item that was stolen is even worth, so they don’t see prosecution as worth the trouble. The justice system is flawed in how it handles shoplifters. There’s no denying that. I see it over and over; we call the police, have them cuffed and stuffed, go to court five or more times, and then the thief gets a slap on the wrist. I have had the officer not show up, or even worse, I forgot the court date and didn’t show up, and the charges get dismissed. This is all really frustrating for any retailer. But I still want to stop shoplifting. I don’t give up, and I don’t ever let my guard down. I abide by my companies policies, but I also educate my staff. Statistically speaking, one in eleven people will steal something today. Those people are caught less than half of the times they do it, and will be prosecuted even less than half of those times. This just perpetuates the problem.
I am a store manager, not a baby sitter. I don’t have time to monitor every single person that walks through the store in order to keep them from stealing. Loss prevention is not so much about catching thieves and putting them behind bars. That’s where a lot of stores get confused. They want to put up threatening signs, hassle every person coming through their front door, and inconvenience their customers. You can’t keep honest cash paying customers loyal to your store by treating them like criminals. Loss prevention is about truly preventing the loss from happening in the first place. Deterrence is the key to loss prevention. That’s why I rely on my antishoplifting tools. In my store, Checkpoint Systems are always ready and on patrol. My staff knows our mandatory list of items that must have an EAS label adhered before being put out for sale. There are items that must be encased in Alpha keepers and or wrapped in an Alpha spider wrap as well. Honestly, the empty packages add up, and those probably only reflect a quarter or what is really stolen. However, I do know that the tools we utilize are making a difference. With the addition of these valuable security measures, our shrink results have been cut in half. Fraudulent refunds have gone down dramatically since they can’t steal the stuff in the first place. Word has gotten out in the community, and incidents of theft have dropped off considerably. The numbers don’t lie; we are winning the battle and we have our Checkpoint Systems and all the gadgets that work with it to thank for that.
For more information on Checkpoint Systems, contact us or call: 1.770.426.0547 or Antishoplifting.net
Return Fraud-4 , CP Labels-2, Stop Shoplifting-1
It’s Always That Time Of Year
I work for a small retail pharmacy, and I used to be surprised at what people would try to return to my store. Almost fifteen years later, I think I have seen it all. Many people have developed the mindset that it is okay to steal if you’re going to bring the item back and to get a refund. That sounds maniacal but it’s true. These folks have justified to themselves that stealing merchandise may be wrong, but that companies can absolutely afford to lose some money. Return fraud is becoming a bigger and much costlier issue for retailers because of this concept.
I had a lady come into my store yesterday, and she asked if we sold gift cards. I showed her where they were and she shopped the rack for a bit. Then she came up to the counter with several of them and tried to pay for them with one a store credit. I told her she couldn’t buy gift cards with store credit and she got really upset with me about it. These cards usually only have a few dollars on them anyway, but when I scanned it, it said there was $130 on it. I asked her which location had issued this card to her and she wouldn’t tell me. She said she had returned some fragrance sets she had received as gifts and the store gave her this huge credit. The whole thing screamed return fraud to me, and I simply couldn’t believe she had gotten away with it. When someone tries to bring back expensive items to my store to return, I hate to admit it, but I put them through the ringer. If they don’t have a receipt, they better have some way to prove they bought the items or I’ll send them back out the door. It’s hard enough to stop shoplifting, and you don’t want to encourage theft with a too lenient return policy. It doesn’t stop there though.
I volunteer with an organization that collects toys for children during the holidays. I help pack the boxes and bags based on the list their parents have provided. As part of the process, we black out the bar codes on all the packages that are given to these children. There was such rampant return fraud attributed to these toy giveaways, we had to do something. Basically, the parents would come pick up the toys, take them straight to a big box store to return them all, and pocket the money. This year I added another touch to help stop the problem. I donated several rolls of Checkpoint Labels to the toy drive. As we unpacked all the boxes and sorted them, we went through and attached labels to every single toy. We put them on the fronts of the packages and we concealed them inside others. That way, if a parent decided to try and take the free toys back to the store, the active Checkpoint Labels would cause the alarm to sound when they came in the door. I called the area stores that were usually hit with this appalling type of return fraud and alerted them to watch and listen for the labels as well.
Return fraud can be a year round problem. Swiftly dealing with it can also help stop shoplifting in your stores too, though. If the criminal knows you won’t take the merchandise back and give them the money for it, then there’s no need to take the chance of getting caught stealing it in the first place. It just makes sense.
For more information on how to stop return fraud, contact us or call: 1.770.426.0547
I work for a small retail pharmacy, and I used to be surprised at what people would try to return to my store. Almost fifteen years later, I think I have seen it all. Many people have developed the mindset that it is okay to steal if you’re going to bring the item back and to get a refund. That sounds maniacal but it’s true. These folks have justified to themselves that stealing merchandise may be wrong, but that companies can absolutely afford to lose some money. Return fraud is becoming a bigger and much costlier issue for retailers because of this concept.
I had a lady come into my store yesterday, and she asked if we sold gift cards. I showed her where they were and she shopped the rack for a bit. Then she came up to the counter with several of them and tried to pay for them with one a store credit. I told her she couldn’t buy gift cards with store credit and she got really upset with me about it. These cards usually only have a few dollars on them anyway, but when I scanned it, it said there was $130 on it. I asked her which location had issued this card to her and she wouldn’t tell me. She said she had returned some fragrance sets she had received as gifts and the store gave her this huge credit. The whole thing screamed return fraud to me, and I simply couldn’t believe she had gotten away with it. When someone tries to bring back expensive items to my store to return, I hate to admit it, but I put them through the ringer. If they don’t have a receipt, they better have some way to prove they bought the items or I’ll send them back out the door. It’s hard enough to stop shoplifting, and you don’t want to encourage theft with a too lenient return policy. It doesn’t stop there though.
I volunteer with an organization that collects toys for children during the holidays. I help pack the boxes and bags based on the list their parents have provided. As part of the process, we black out the bar codes on all the packages that are given to these children. There was such rampant return fraud attributed to these toy giveaways, we had to do something. Basically, the parents would come pick up the toys, take them straight to a big box store to return them all, and pocket the money. This year I added another touch to help stop the problem. I donated several rolls of Checkpoint Labels to the toy drive. As we unpacked all the boxes and sorted them, we went through and attached labels to every single toy. We put them on the fronts of the packages and we concealed them inside others. That way, if a parent decided to try and take the free toys back to the store, the active Checkpoint Labels would cause the alarm to sound when they came in the door. I called the area stores that were usually hit with this appalling type of return fraud and alerted them to watch and listen for the labels as well.
Return fraud can be a year round problem. Swiftly dealing with it can also help stop shoplifting in your stores too, though. If the criminal knows you won’t take the merchandise back and give them the money for it, then there’s no need to take the chance of getting caught stealing it in the first place. It just makes sense.
For more information on how to stop return fraud, contact us or call: 1.770.426.0547
