Alpha Keepers-6, Protect Health and Beauty Products-1, Prevent Shoplifting-1
Only Eight Miles Away
I work for a small retail pharmacy and I have recently been transferred to a different location. It’s only about eight miles from my previous store. I have a long list of stuff to correct in this store, but one of my blue chips is utilizing Alpha Keepers. I don’t know if it’s good or bad, but they have plenty of them already. In fact, this store has a multitude of sealed boxes of Alpha Keepers upstairs in their loft. I could build a small fort with them if I had the time. Instead, I’ve been bringing them downstairs and installing them in many areas I used at my previous store. I was in an inner city setting and now my store is out in the middle of nowhere. The store setting is completely different, but considering boosters are our primary problem, the targets will still be the same.
In our business, we must use Alpha Keepers to protect health and beauty products. It’s what we specialize in selling other than the prescription drugs we dispense, so it’s imperative to be in stock on the additional items our customers and patients may be in need of. We sell a lot of high retail stomach remedies and allergy medications that are very popular in the flea market setting. The boosters are hired by the flea market vendors to come in and steal specific items they want for their booths. They come in and wipe out entire sections of merchandise. Sometimes we are fortunate enough to recognize their huge shoplifter bags they carry, or we realize what they are up to before they are able to escape. More often, however, they come in and help themselves and create losses for the store. The boosters get away many more times than they are caught, and they are paid pennies on the dollar for the actual value of the stolen items. Yet, they keep coming back and keep stealing, taking the chances and hoping we don’t catch on. None of our stores are immune to boosters, so I was really stunned to see that this store was not using the tools, like the Alpha Keepers, that were so readily available to them.
The staff is not new and they all act as though they want to prevent shoplifting. I even found a note in the office that was written to the previous manager just a few weeks ago. The assistant had noticed that a certain cold medication was being stolen on a regular basis. She had a small stack of papers stapled together that were the records of what had been stolen in the last months. A box or two was listed on each sheet. But, other than the note, she had not acted on the issue she had discovered. So when we received a truck a couple days ago, when I got those items out of the delivery boxes, I immediately encased them in Alpha Keepers before displaying them on the shelves in the cough and cold section. I actually had to add them to that exact same item in my previous store. That specific medicine is popular among teens for abuse. Apparently, if you take enough of them the cough suppressant makes you high. I’ll never understand how someone decided to try to take enough cold medicine to get a buzz, but I’m nobody’s judge. I do know how to stop the theft of these particular boxes, and the answer is not hiding them behind the checkout counter. All I need to do is lock them into Alpha Keepers and they will remain on the shelf until sold to an honest customer.
For more information on what Alpha Keepers can do for you, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 or Preventshopliftingloss.net
I work for a small retail pharmacy and I have recently been transferred to a different location. It’s only about eight miles from my previous store. I have a long list of stuff to correct in this store, but one of my blue chips is utilizing Alpha Keepers. I don’t know if it’s good or bad, but they have plenty of them already. In fact, this store has a multitude of sealed boxes of Alpha Keepers upstairs in their loft. I could build a small fort with them if I had the time. Instead, I’ve been bringing them downstairs and installing them in many areas I used at my previous store. I was in an inner city setting and now my store is out in the middle of nowhere. The store setting is completely different, but considering boosters are our primary problem, the targets will still be the same.
In our business, we must use Alpha Keepers to protect health and beauty products. It’s what we specialize in selling other than the prescription drugs we dispense, so it’s imperative to be in stock on the additional items our customers and patients may be in need of. We sell a lot of high retail stomach remedies and allergy medications that are very popular in the flea market setting. The boosters are hired by the flea market vendors to come in and steal specific items they want for their booths. They come in and wipe out entire sections of merchandise. Sometimes we are fortunate enough to recognize their huge shoplifter bags they carry, or we realize what they are up to before they are able to escape. More often, however, they come in and help themselves and create losses for the store. The boosters get away many more times than they are caught, and they are paid pennies on the dollar for the actual value of the stolen items. Yet, they keep coming back and keep stealing, taking the chances and hoping we don’t catch on. None of our stores are immune to boosters, so I was really stunned to see that this store was not using the tools, like the Alpha Keepers, that were so readily available to them.
The staff is not new and they all act as though they want to prevent shoplifting. I even found a note in the office that was written to the previous manager just a few weeks ago. The assistant had noticed that a certain cold medication was being stolen on a regular basis. She had a small stack of papers stapled together that were the records of what had been stolen in the last months. A box or two was listed on each sheet. But, other than the note, she had not acted on the issue she had discovered. So when we received a truck a couple days ago, when I got those items out of the delivery boxes, I immediately encased them in Alpha Keepers before displaying them on the shelves in the cough and cold section. I actually had to add them to that exact same item in my previous store. That specific medicine is popular among teens for abuse. Apparently, if you take enough of them the cough suppressant makes you high. I’ll never understand how someone decided to try to take enough cold medicine to get a buzz, but I’m nobody’s judge. I do know how to stop the theft of these particular boxes, and the answer is not hiding them behind the checkout counter. All I need to do is lock them into Alpha Keepers and they will remain on the shelf until sold to an honest customer.
For more information on what Alpha Keepers can do for you, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 or Preventshopliftingloss.net
Employee Background Checks – 3 WC blog 07
pre-employment screening -4
The Hidden Costs Of Not Conducting Employee Background Checks
Have you ever had to let an employee go after they have been caught stealing, or lying about something they had omitted on an application? If you have had to let an employee go, have you ever asked yourself afterwards if there was something you should have caught on their application or during the interview process that could have prevented the hire in the first place? Even an experienced hiring manager can overlook information on an application that might have raised a red flag about an applicant. Employee Background Checks can be invaluable in making the right hiring decisions.
There are many reasons businesses have to fill positions, sometimes it is due to growth, which is the best of all reasons. Positions also open up because employees leave to seek opportunities elsewhere for personal reasons. Unfortunately, positions frequently open up due to an employee who has been caught stealing, violating company policy or for falsifying an application. Many times the employees in the last category could have been weeded out with a pre- employment screening. Thorough employee background checks can include such things as criminal background checks, employment credit checks, motor vehicle records and even sex offender registries. When a check confirms a problem exists, the hiring process can stop for that applicant and save a lot of problems for an employer down the road.
One of the commonly overlooked expenses of running a business is the hiring process. When an employer has to fill a position there is the expense of advertising, whether it is posted online or in a newspaper. Someone’s time is required to review applications and schedule interviews, using time that might be better spent elsewhere in a business. Larger companies have Human Resource personnel that may handle most of this, but I can tell you from experience, other store managers assist in the interview process. Small businesses may have to rely on an office manager or even the owner/operator to handle all of the hiring functions. If managers are focused on staffing, who is overseeing the operations critical to running the business? Hiring is always going to take place, but how much hiring could be avoided if a strong pre-employment screening program was being utilized?
Consider also that the hiring process does not end when the employee is hired and has accepted a position. The new employee has to be properly trained for the new position they were hired to fill. What costs are expended by businesses in training and development? It doesn’t matter whether someone is hired to bag groceries or supervise a shift, that employee must be properly trained. Failure on the part of an owner or manager to properly train a new employee has its own consequences. So how much time and effort will be expended training that new employee? That may depend on the job, the trainee and the quality of the trainer. The bottom line is that it is still time and money that perhaps could be better spent elsewhere.
If a company is filling a vacancy because an employee was caught stealing or committing fraud, what is THAT cost? What did the employee take? Was it cash, merchandise, or company property that was stolen? Even when the dishonest employee is caught and admits to theft, it can be difficult to be certain ALL theft was accounted for in the termination process. Can an employer be certain the former employee will pay restitution? Did the employee defraud a customer? Can that even be quantified in terms of loss of prestige for the business and the negative experience of the customer? A pre-employment screening might be enough for a business to avoid that nightmare.
The process of hiring and staffing a business can be a drain on a business’s resources. It requires time and money to recruit and train new employees. If the wrong person is hired it can cost a business a lot more than time and money, it can result in lost merchandise, money and even reputation. Using pre-employment screening and employee background checks can assist businesses in avoiding hiring pitfalls and protect the investment spent in the hiring process.
For more information about employee background checks contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
Have you ever had to let an employee go after they have been caught stealing, or lying about something they had omitted on an application? If you have had to let an employee go, have you ever asked yourself afterwards if there was something you should have caught on their application or during the interview process that could have prevented the hire in the first place? Even an experienced hiring manager can overlook information on an application that might have raised a red flag about an applicant. Employee Background Checks can be invaluable in making the right hiring decisions.
There are many reasons businesses have to fill positions, sometimes it is due to growth, which is the best of all reasons. Positions also open up because employees leave to seek opportunities elsewhere for personal reasons. Unfortunately, positions frequently open up due to an employee who has been caught stealing, violating company policy or for falsifying an application. Many times the employees in the last category could have been weeded out with a pre- employment screening. Thorough employee background checks can include such things as criminal background checks, employment credit checks, motor vehicle records and even sex offender registries. When a check confirms a problem exists, the hiring process can stop for that applicant and save a lot of problems for an employer down the road.
One of the commonly overlooked expenses of running a business is the hiring process. When an employer has to fill a position there is the expense of advertising, whether it is posted online or in a newspaper. Someone’s time is required to review applications and schedule interviews, using time that might be better spent elsewhere in a business. Larger companies have Human Resource personnel that may handle most of this, but I can tell you from experience, other store managers assist in the interview process. Small businesses may have to rely on an office manager or even the owner/operator to handle all of the hiring functions. If managers are focused on staffing, who is overseeing the operations critical to running the business? Hiring is always going to take place, but how much hiring could be avoided if a strong pre-employment screening program was being utilized?
Consider also that the hiring process does not end when the employee is hired and has accepted a position. The new employee has to be properly trained for the new position they were hired to fill. What costs are expended by businesses in training and development? It doesn’t matter whether someone is hired to bag groceries or supervise a shift, that employee must be properly trained. Failure on the part of an owner or manager to properly train a new employee has its own consequences. So how much time and effort will be expended training that new employee? That may depend on the job, the trainee and the quality of the trainer. The bottom line is that it is still time and money that perhaps could be better spent elsewhere.
If a company is filling a vacancy because an employee was caught stealing or committing fraud, what is THAT cost? What did the employee take? Was it cash, merchandise, or company property that was stolen? Even when the dishonest employee is caught and admits to theft, it can be difficult to be certain ALL theft was accounted for in the termination process. Can an employer be certain the former employee will pay restitution? Did the employee defraud a customer? Can that even be quantified in terms of loss of prestige for the business and the negative experience of the customer? A pre-employment screening might be enough for a business to avoid that nightmare.
The process of hiring and staffing a business can be a drain on a business’s resources. It requires time and money to recruit and train new employees. If the wrong person is hired it can cost a business a lot more than time and money, it can result in lost merchandise, money and even reputation. Using pre-employment screening and employee background checks can assist businesses in avoiding hiring pitfalls and protect the investment spent in the hiring process.
For more information about employee background checks contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
Alpha Thunder Tag-4 WC Blog 36
tablet theft-3
Critical Care Of Mobile Medical Devices with Thunder Tag
I am going to start out by saying, “I am not a doctor and I don’t play one on tv”. There is my dose of humor for the day, much better than having to take two aspirins and calling me in the morning. Ok, I think I’m done for now. Now for the real topic I wanted to discuss today, mobile devices and the increasing use of them in the medical field. As the growth and use of mobile devices has exploded around the U.S. and the world, so it has also in the medical field. More and more nurses and doctors are accessing medical records electronically, rather than having the older paper charts and clip boards. Part of this stems from the federal government mandating the use of electronic health records (E.H.R.) in the health industry. While the benefits include faster access to medical records, the ability to share medical history more quickly, improved accuracy and less risk of losing papers, there is an increased risk of losing devices. The Alpha Thunder Tag can protect against tablet theft and ipad theft and the associated cost of losing them, be it the actual hardware or the potential for liability risk.
The Alpha Thunder Tag is secured to a handheld device with an adhesive backing that attaches the Anti-Theft device to the back of the tablet or ipad. The tag has a plunger built into it that presses against the back of the device and if the device is tampered with, the security device has a built in alarm that will sound. Further protection is afforded if the building where the devices are being used has an electronic article surveillance system in place. Should someone attempt to leave the building with a tablet that is protected by the tag the EAS antenna will sound alerting staff of the event. If the 3 Alarm version of the Thunder Tag is used, not only will the antenna alarm, but the device itself will alarm as well.
Medical information is secure in electronic format, but like any other technology if a device were lost or stolen, there are no guarantees that information cannot be accessed by someone with the knowhow or ability to breach encryption or other safeguards. What are the implications if patient medical records were to be accessed by unauthorized persons? What could someone do if they had such private medical information? Consideration must also be given to what other information is tied to a patient’s records? Billing information? A patient’s address? HIPAA laws were created to protect patient’s rights and privacy, so it seems to me that protecting the way the data is carried and shared is as important as the information itself. The Alpha Thunder Tag can be used to prevent tablet theft by keeping the devices where they belong, in the confines of the medical building.
Tablet theft isn’t the only issue, the size of tablets makes them easy to misplace. In the hustle and activity of a busy hospital, a medical provider could easily place a tablet or ipad in a medical jacket pocket. Once the work day is over, if it is forgotten about, the jacket may be worn home and with it the device in the pocket. The Alpha Thunder Tag will set off an EAS antenna and alert the person who has forgotten about the device, reminding them to return it to charging station or desk where they are kept.
Technology advances for hospitals and medical offices is improving the ability of medical providers to give care faster and more accurately with the use mobile devices. This mobility also means increased opportunity for the loss or theft of tablets or ipads. Alpha Technology Thunder Tags can provide the protection necessary to prevent these devices from leaving the building and creating potential liability issues.
For more information on Alpha Thunder Tags contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
I am going to start out by saying, “I am not a doctor and I don’t play one on tv”. There is my dose of humor for the day, much better than having to take two aspirins and calling me in the morning. Ok, I think I’m done for now. Now for the real topic I wanted to discuss today, mobile devices and the increasing use of them in the medical field. As the growth and use of mobile devices has exploded around the U.S. and the world, so it has also in the medical field. More and more nurses and doctors are accessing medical records electronically, rather than having the older paper charts and clip boards. Part of this stems from the federal government mandating the use of electronic health records (E.H.R.) in the health industry. While the benefits include faster access to medical records, the ability to share medical history more quickly, improved accuracy and less risk of losing papers, there is an increased risk of losing devices. The Alpha Thunder Tag can protect against tablet theft and ipad theft and the associated cost of losing them, be it the actual hardware or the potential for liability risk.
The Alpha Thunder Tag is secured to a handheld device with an adhesive backing that attaches the Anti-Theft device to the back of the tablet or ipad. The tag has a plunger built into it that presses against the back of the device and if the device is tampered with, the security device has a built in alarm that will sound. Further protection is afforded if the building where the devices are being used has an electronic article surveillance system in place. Should someone attempt to leave the building with a tablet that is protected by the tag the EAS antenna will sound alerting staff of the event. If the 3 Alarm version of the Thunder Tag is used, not only will the antenna alarm, but the device itself will alarm as well.
Medical information is secure in electronic format, but like any other technology if a device were lost or stolen, there are no guarantees that information cannot be accessed by someone with the knowhow or ability to breach encryption or other safeguards. What are the implications if patient medical records were to be accessed by unauthorized persons? What could someone do if they had such private medical information? Consideration must also be given to what other information is tied to a patient’s records? Billing information? A patient’s address? HIPAA laws were created to protect patient’s rights and privacy, so it seems to me that protecting the way the data is carried and shared is as important as the information itself. The Alpha Thunder Tag can be used to prevent tablet theft by keeping the devices where they belong, in the confines of the medical building.
Tablet theft isn’t the only issue, the size of tablets makes them easy to misplace. In the hustle and activity of a busy hospital, a medical provider could easily place a tablet or ipad in a medical jacket pocket. Once the work day is over, if it is forgotten about, the jacket may be worn home and with it the device in the pocket. The Alpha Thunder Tag will set off an EAS antenna and alert the person who has forgotten about the device, reminding them to return it to charging station or desk where they are kept.
Technology advances for hospitals and medical offices is improving the ability of medical providers to give care faster and more accurately with the use mobile devices. This mobility also means increased opportunity for the loss or theft of tablets or ipads. Alpha Technology Thunder Tags can provide the protection necessary to prevent these devices from leaving the building and creating potential liability issues.
For more information on Alpha Thunder Tags contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
