What kind of person thinks it is okay to go to the store, buy an outfit, wear it out on the town and then return it for a full cash refund. For most customers, they would not dream of such a thing. Most normal customers know it is nothing short of return fraud. But for one in six women across the nation, it is a normal and acceptable way to shop. In their heads, they have made up excuses and told themselves that they are just borrowing the items for the night. Wardrobing is the sneaky way to stay stylish, and they do not consider their actions as return fraud at all. It is very costly to look good and stay up to date on the current fashions. In this social media bound world, they cannot take the chance that they may be tagged in a group picture wearing the same outfit from the last weekend’s party. Talk about a photo bomb.
These women want to look fabulous at every event without having to move into the poor house. Weddings, job interviews, proms, and other big events are the major excuses many women use for wardrobing. She can’t show up the bride in her dress, but she can certainly make sure she is the best dressed guest there. Wardrobing success involves some planning ahead. She has to make sure she is fully aware of the store’s return policy. How long can she keep the dress? Does she have to bring it back the next day or can she wait a couple weeks? That matters because she really hopes when she brings the items back, there will be different people working that day. She knows she will need to bring her original proof of purchase back with her. If she loses the receipt, she knows that will be a deal breaker. Can she claim the dress ended up fitting too tightly or that the garment was poorly made? She has to know for sure she can get away with tucking in the price tag and avoiding red wine all night. Then she knows she just needs some air freshener to do a good job covering the smoke and sweat smell, so she can take the walk of shame back in there and get her money back.
Many stores have begun making changes to their return policies to combat this free rent mentality. Some have added restocking fees to their merchandise. Some have shortened their return time periods. Some smart retailers have started adding gadgets called Alpha Shark Tags to their return policy, however, and that seems to be the most effective way to stop wardrobing so far. These tags are clipped directly on to the garment, right on the front, where they cannot be hidden or tucked away. The customer is told at the time or purchase about the store’s restrictions on returns. They should be shown the Alpha Shark Tags and told- do not remove it and expect to return it. Once the customer gets home with the item, the tag can be removed with a pair of household scissors. There is no way to reattach the tag once it has been cut. Free rent amounts to nothing short of return fraud and Alpha Shark Tags are here to help your store put a stop to it.
Putting a stop to wardrobing is important and we can help you with it. Contact us or call today: 1.770.426.0547
What kind of person thinks it is okay to go to the store, buy an outfit, wear it out on the town and then return it for a full cash refund. For most customers, they would not dream of such a thing. Most normal customers know it is nothing short of return fraud. But for one in six women across the nation, it is a normal and acceptable way to shop. In their heads, they have made up excuses and told themselves that they are just borrowing the items for the night. Wardrobing is the sneaky way to stay stylish, and they do not consider their actions as return fraud at all. It is very costly to look good and stay up to date on the current fashions. In this social media bound world, they cannot take the chance that they may be tagged in a group picture wearing the same outfit from the last weekend’s party. Talk about a photo bomb.
These women want to look fabulous at every event without having to move into the poor house. Weddings, job interviews, proms, and other big events are the major excuses many women use for wardrobing. She can’t show up the bride in her dress, but she can certainly make sure she is the best dressed guest there. Wardrobing success involves some planning ahead. She has to make sure she is fully aware of the store’s return policy. How long can she keep the dress? Does she have to bring it back the next day or can she wait a couple weeks? That matters because she really hopes when she brings the items back, there will be different people working that day. She knows she will need to bring her original proof of purchase back with her. If she loses the receipt, she knows that will be a deal breaker. Can she claim the dress ended up fitting too tightly or that the garment was poorly made? She has to know for sure she can get away with tucking in the price tag and avoiding red wine all night. Then she knows she just needs some air freshener to do a good job covering the smoke and sweat smell, so she can take the walk of shame back in there and get her money back.
Many stores have begun making changes to their return policies to combat this free rent mentality. Some have added restocking fees to their merchandise. Some have shortened their return time periods. Some smart retailers have started adding gadgets called Alpha Shark Tags to their return policy, however, and that seems to be the most effective way to stop wardrobing so far. These tags are clipped directly on to the garment, right on the front, where they cannot be hidden or tucked away. The customer is told at the time or purchase about the store’s restrictions on returns. They should be shown the Alpha Shark Tags and told- do not remove it and expect to return it. Once the customer gets home with the item, the tag can be removed with a pair of household scissors. There is no way to reattach the tag once it has been cut. Free rent amounts to nothing short of return fraud and Alpha Shark Tags are here to help your store put a stop to it.
Putting a stop to wardrobing is important and we can help you with it. Contact us or call today: 1.770.426.0547
I wasn't sure if it was stress, me getting older or perhaps something more serious going on, but for the last few months, I've been suffering from migraines on a recurrent basis. The straw that broke the camel's back came when I had to leave work in the middle of a large investigation because I just couldn't see straight. I had to see my doctor. I go in and he says that migraines can have several triggers. He can't find anything and recommend me to my eye doctor, gives me a script and tells me to come back in a week. Done. It seems like whether it's my dentist, doctor, or now eye doc, I always seem to bring up Alpha Thunder Tags to someone in the office.
I go ahead and make an appointment to rule out eye problems. I get to the office, check in and wait. As I'm waiting, I see the office staff all using tablets. There's not a desktop PC in the house. My name is called. I walk with the nurse who's using a tablet. She runs a few basic tests, records the info on the tablet. Doc comes in the room; you guessed it, uses a tablet. So while we're discussing which is better or worse, I ask the doc if he's ever considered that someone could steal his tablets. Since he doesn't work in the LP industry, he of course doesn't. Alas, another opportunity for me to talk about Alpha Thunder Tags.
Once I tell him what I actually do for a living, we talk for a bit about tablet theft. He's surprised to hear my point of view. He tells me that he even hired a tech firm to install the latest technology to keep his patient files confidential and impervious to outside hackers, but never really consider falling victim to a tablet theft. All that money spent to keep the data safe could easily be circumvented if a thief made off when a physical tablet.
Not only do you have to worry about a patient or a thief walking in stealing the tablet, but you also have to think about a dishonest employee. While no one wants to think they're employees would steal from them; unfortunately it happens. Often. The absolute best way to prevent tablet theft in your office is to utilize a physical security measure such as the Alpha Thunder Tag. It's a rather small investment that will provide an immediate return on investment in not only real dollars, but in protecting your practice and your patient.
Oh, by the way, it turns out, nothing was wrong with my eyes. I went back and saw my primary doc like he asked and after a few more tests, I found that my nasal cavities remain in a congested and filled state. One over-the- counter allergy drug later, and I no longer have migraines, I sleep better and my girlfriend says I don't snore anymore.
Imagine that.
For more information about Alpha Thunder Tags contact us or call 1.770.426.0547.
Pre-employment screening-3 WC Blog 192
Background Check Company-3
Employee background checks-3
Interviewing Skills Are Not Enough; Employee Background Checks Can
Prevent Poor Hiring Choices Part I
As a business owner, how do you decide who you should hire for a job? Do you base your decisions strictly on your ability to interview applicants? Are you a shrewd judge of character and can “just tell” if someone isn’t being honest with you during a job interview? Maybe you just know the right questions to ask in order to find that right person for the job. If you don’t have any Human Resources experience, I want to give you fair warning that you are walking a very risky path filled with potential pitfalls. First, if you are “winging it” or making your own questions without the proper experience in the hiring process, you could be setting yourself up for a lawsuit. Likewise, if your sole means of hiring someone is the interview and you are not conducting an employee background check, you may be exposing yourself and your company to unnecessary liability.
Employee background checks can be cursory inquiries, looking at an applicant’s driving history or conducting credit checks. It may also involve verifying work history, confirming dates of employment and positions held within a company. Often this is enough information for hiring applicants for entry level positions. Frequently high school students or college graduates for that matter won’t have a significant amount of work under their belt and so this may be ample information to make an informed decision before hiring someone.
On the other hand, more thorough pre-employment screening may be necessary for a position that requires a special skill set, or may bring someone into contact with children. For example, one of my children is attending college to become a teacher. As part of their agreement to be accepted into the teaching program, the students are required to be fingerprinted and undergo a background check. The school takes the safety of the children that may be taught by these future education graduates very seriously. What about your business? Who are your clients? Who are you possibly bringing into your workplace and exposing your employees to? “Gut feelings” and your intuition during an interview may not be enough to identify future superstars from super problems.
So how can a business owner, even the owner of a very small business seeking to expand to their first hired employee conduct thorough pre-employment screenings? First, hire a Background Check Company to help you determine what might be important to check on for the position you are seeking to fill. If the job will have an employee parking cars as a valet, it might be beneficial to have a driving record check included in a record inspection. Perhaps you own a plumbing business and you are seeking to expand and need a licensed plumber to work with you. How do you know your applicants are certified plumbers, simply because they said so on their application? A Background Check Company can validate certifications, schooling and training the applicant says they have graduated from or been certified in.
You may not have much experience in looking at job applications. I can tell you from experience, a lot of people misrepresent themselves or their backgrounds on applications. In my current position in a college, we advertise for open positions and in our job ads set specific background or experience we are looking for in an applicant. It never ceases to amaze me the number of times I see an answer to a question on an application that indicates a person has a certain amount of experience, but nowhere on the application or a resume can I find that set of skills. For example, we may ask, “Do you have experience working non-traditional hours?” The applicant says yes to the question, but everything on the application and resume indicate they have experience working only 8am-4pm Monday – Friday! Now, let me be clear, those are not non-traditional hours, so someone is trying to look good on an application but does not meet the job requirements.
A Background Check Company can conduct pre-employment screening for a company that ensures an applicant is being honest on an application and a good choice to hire. In part two of this series we will review certain things employers can and cannot ask applicants and how a Background Check Company might help save you some headaches and money.
Employee Background Checks are important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.
As a business owner, how do you decide who you should hire for a job? Do you base your decisions strictly on your ability to interview applicants? Are you a shrewd judge of character and can “just tell” if someone isn’t being honest with you during a job interview? Maybe you just know the right questions to ask in order to find that right person for the job. If you don’t have any Human Resources experience, I want to give you fair warning that you are walking a very risky path filled with potential pitfalls. First, if you are “winging it” or making your own questions without the proper experience in the hiring process, you could be setting yourself up for a lawsuit. Likewise, if your sole means of hiring someone is the interview and you are not conducting an employee background check, you may be exposing yourself and your company to unnecessary liability.
Employee background checks can be cursory inquiries, looking at an applicant’s driving history or conducting credit checks. It may also involve verifying work history, confirming dates of employment and positions held within a company. Often this is enough information for hiring applicants for entry level positions. Frequently high school students or college graduates for that matter won’t have a significant amount of work under their belt and so this may be ample information to make an informed decision before hiring someone.
On the other hand, more thorough pre-employment screening may be necessary for a position that requires a special skill set, or may bring someone into contact with children. For example, one of my children is attending college to become a teacher. As part of their agreement to be accepted into the teaching program, the students are required to be fingerprinted and undergo a background check. The school takes the safety of the children that may be taught by these future education graduates very seriously. What about your business? Who are your clients? Who are you possibly bringing into your workplace and exposing your employees to? “Gut feelings” and your intuition during an interview may not be enough to identify future superstars from super problems.
So how can a business owner, even the owner of a very small business seeking to expand to their first hired employee conduct thorough pre-employment screenings? First, hire a Background Check Company to help you determine what might be important to check on for the position you are seeking to fill. If the job will have an employee parking cars as a valet, it might be beneficial to have a driving record check included in a record inspection. Perhaps you own a plumbing business and you are seeking to expand and need a licensed plumber to work with you. How do you know your applicants are certified plumbers, simply because they said so on their application? A Background Check Company can validate certifications, schooling and training the applicant says they have graduated from or been certified in.
You may not have much experience in looking at job applications. I can tell you from experience, a lot of people misrepresent themselves or their backgrounds on applications. In my current position in a college, we advertise for open positions and in our job ads set specific background or experience we are looking for in an applicant. It never ceases to amaze me the number of times I see an answer to a question on an application that indicates a person has a certain amount of experience, but nowhere on the application or a resume can I find that set of skills. For example, we may ask, “Do you have experience working non-traditional hours?” The applicant says yes to the question, but everything on the application and resume indicate they have experience working only 8am-4pm Monday – Friday! Now, let me be clear, those are not non-traditional hours, so someone is trying to look good on an application but does not meet the job requirements.
A Background Check Company can conduct pre-employment screening for a company that ensures an applicant is being honest on an application and a good choice to hire. In part two of this series we will review certain things employers can and cannot ask applicants and how a Background Check Company might help save you some headaches and money.
Employee Background Checks are important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.
Stop Shoplifting-4 WC Blog 157
Checkpoint labels-3
“Witless” Protection Program; Trying To Stop Shoplifting And Dumb Criminals, True Loss Prevention Stories Part I
Over the course of my careers, I have had to stop shoplifting, arrest intoxicated persons, conduct traffic stops for traffic violations, etc. Looking back on my U.S. Air Force experiences and my Loss Prevention experiences, I have to wonder what some people were thinking (or not thinking as the case may be) when they committed their crimes. Some people commit criminal acts, and in return for testifying against others, they are exonerated or given plea deals, they may even be placed in a Witness Protection Program. I have never dealt with those people. I, on the other hand, have dealt with some who should have been placed in a “Witless Protection Program” because they just…well, let my examples speak for themselves.
In one store which I worked, our team frequently focused efforts to stop shoplifting in the jewelry department where we saw a high stock shortage percentage. One day I watched a teenage girl as she stopped at a jewelry counter and began looking at earrings on countertop displays. I observed her select and place a pair of earrings in her pants pocket and head for the doors. Our earrings did not have any Checkpoint labels on the backers so unfortunately, no alarm sounded when people would exit with stolen earrings. Well, that turned out to be the case this time. The young lady exited, no alarm sounded, but I knew she had the merchandise so I stopped her and returned with her to go to the security office. As we arrived in the office, my shoplifter had a sudden “asthma attack”. I might have taken it seriously had I not observed her sliding the earrings from her pocket and trying to hide them underneath her posterior as she slid down the wall to the floor. She was very dramatic, wheezing, breathing hard and holding her chest with her free hand. I informed my suspect that if she got a break during her asthma attack I would appreciate it if she could hand me the earrings she had taken out of her pocket and was sitting on. It didn’t take too long before the “asthma attack” was over. Earrings recovered and teenager turned over to mom.
It isn’t always easy to stop shoplifting of some merchandise because it is so small it can be hard to detect. Then there are situations when it is apparent someone has stolen merchandise, but the suspect is clueless. In another store where I was the Loss Prevention Manager I encountered a “Nitwit” thief who decided to steal a Maglight flashlight. If you aren’t familiar with these items they are the large, aluminum flashlights often carried by police officers. This particular flashlight is nearly one foot in length. I watched from the end of the aisle as the perpetrator removed the flashlight from the peghook and placed it down the front of his pants. It was so long it stuck out of the top of his waistband. These items were protected with Checkpoint labels and when I followed him to the front of the store, as he started through the Checkpoint antennas, the alarm did sound and I stopped him. Once we were back in the security office he tried to deny he had anything despite the alarm activation AND until I pointed out the part of the flashlight that I could see! Yes, another candidate for the “Witless Protection Program”.
During my time in the U.S. Air Force, I was a Law Enforcement Specialist. On one occasion when I was on patrol I received a call to respond to a location for an attempted suicide. When I arrived I pulled in front of a red, fastback Ford Mustang and noticed a young man was sitting on the curb in front of this unique, classic car looking rather sheepish. The driver who was standing beside the suspect told me the young man had decided to try to kill himself by jumping in front of his car. The driver turned the Airman over to my custody and left. As I took the slightly inebriated Airman into custody I explained to him that the next time he decided to try to commit suicide, it would be best not to do it in front of the Base Commander’s car! My prisoner would have been a perfect fit for the “Witless Protection Program”.
There are plenty of thieves and just plain dumb criminals out there. Some are shoplifters. For those who shoplift Checkpoint labels work and can stop shoplifting. Keep your “wits” about you and protect the merchandise in your store and keep profits up.
Need information on Checkpoint labels? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
Over the course of my careers, I have had to stop shoplifting, arrest intoxicated persons, conduct traffic stops for traffic violations, etc. Looking back on my U.S. Air Force experiences and my Loss Prevention experiences, I have to wonder what some people were thinking (or not thinking as the case may be) when they committed their crimes. Some people commit criminal acts, and in return for testifying against others, they are exonerated or given plea deals, they may even be placed in a Witness Protection Program. I have never dealt with those people. I, on the other hand, have dealt with some who should have been placed in a “Witless Protection Program” because they just…well, let my examples speak for themselves.
In one store which I worked, our team frequently focused efforts to stop shoplifting in the jewelry department where we saw a high stock shortage percentage. One day I watched a teenage girl as she stopped at a jewelry counter and began looking at earrings on countertop displays. I observed her select and place a pair of earrings in her pants pocket and head for the doors. Our earrings did not have any Checkpoint labels on the backers so unfortunately, no alarm sounded when people would exit with stolen earrings. Well, that turned out to be the case this time. The young lady exited, no alarm sounded, but I knew she had the merchandise so I stopped her and returned with her to go to the security office. As we arrived in the office, my shoplifter had a sudden “asthma attack”. I might have taken it seriously had I not observed her sliding the earrings from her pocket and trying to hide them underneath her posterior as she slid down the wall to the floor. She was very dramatic, wheezing, breathing hard and holding her chest with her free hand. I informed my suspect that if she got a break during her asthma attack I would appreciate it if she could hand me the earrings she had taken out of her pocket and was sitting on. It didn’t take too long before the “asthma attack” was over. Earrings recovered and teenager turned over to mom.
It isn’t always easy to stop shoplifting of some merchandise because it is so small it can be hard to detect.Then there are situations when it is apparent someone has stolen merchandise, but the suspect is clueless. In another store where I was the Loss Prevention Manager I encountered a “Nitwit” thief who decided to steal a Maglight flashlight. If you aren’t familiar with these items they are the large, aluminum flashlights often carried by police officers. This particular flashlight is nearly one foot in length. I watched from the end of the aisle as the perpetrator removed the flashlight from the peghook and placed it down the front of his pants. It was so long it stuck out of the top of his waistband. These items were protected with Checkpoint labels and when I followed him to the front of the store, as he started through the Checkpoint antennas, the alarm did sound and I stopped him. Once we were back in the security office he tried to deny he had anything despite the alarm activation AND until I pointed out the part of the flashlight that I could see! Yes, another candidate for the “Witless Protection Program”.
During my time in the U.S. Air Force, I was a Law Enforcement Specialist. On one occasion when I was on patrol I received a call to respond to a location for an attempted suicide. When I arrived I pulled in front of a red, fastback Ford Mustang and noticed a young man was sitting on the curb in front of this unique, classic car looking rather sheepish. The driver who was standing beside the suspect told me the young man had decided to try to kill himself by jumping in front of his car. The driver turned the Airman over to my custody and left. As I took the slightly inebriated Airman into custody I explained to him that the next time he decided to try to commit suicide, it would be best not to do it in front of the Base Commander’s car! My prisoner would have been a perfect fit for the “Witless Protection Program”.
There are plenty of thieves and just plain dumb criminals out there. Some are shoplifters. For those who shoplift Checkpoint labels work and can stop shoplifting. Keep your “wits” about you and protect the merchandise in your store and keep profits up.
Need information on Checkpoint labels? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
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.
Alpha Thunder Tags-4 WC Blog 191
Checkpoint Classic N10-3
i-pad theft-3
Tablet theft – 3
Need a Prescription To Prevent Mobile Medical Device Theft? Use An Alpha Thunder Tag And Classic N10 Antenna.
The use of mobile technology in healthcare is becoming routine. Go into a hospital and laptop computers on carts are wheeled around from room to room as nurses assist patients and gather personal medical information. In a dentist office the staff are calling out patients from the tablet they are holding with the patient’s information at their fingertip. Go to a corner pharmacy for a nurse practitioner visit and the first thing to do is complete a patient profile on an i-pad device attached to the counter of a private both or table. Electronic storage of information is so much easier than the cumbersome task of filling out form after form of paperwork. The opportunities for dropping pages or losing a patient’s folder are less likely when the information is stored in a digital format. But Doctor’s offices aren’t the only ones that benefit from using mobile medical devices. Pharmacies are also finding that the same devices can help improve the delivery and accuracy of their services. One precaution that all medical providers must take however, is to protect against i-pad theft or tablet theft. Not only is the device itself an expense no one wants to replace, but the lost data is more of a concern since confidential patient information is at risk once a device is missing.
It is possible to protect against tablet theft or i-pad theft if an office will invest in two things, a Checkpoint Classic N10 antenna system for each point of exit to a building and Alpha Thunder Tags. The Classic N10 antenna is an electronic article surveillance (EAS) detection system that picks up radio frequency signals emitted from an EAS tag, such as Alpha Thunder Tags. When the tag is within a certain distance from the antenna, the antenna alarm activates and sounds loud enough that staff members can respond and recover an item being removed from the building. Occasionally a thief will drop an item when an alarm sounds, again offering an opportunity for recovery of stolen equipment.
The Thunder Tags are small enough that they can be applied to almost any mobile devices using an adhesive supplied by the manufacturer. Thunder Tags have a tamper alarm that will sound if someone attempts to remove it from a device without using the proper detachment tool. The 3-alarm Alpha Thunder Tags also have an internal alarm that sounds when an item protected with a tag is removed from a building through the EAS antennas. With the protection of the Checkpoint Classic N10 antenna and the tags, mobile medical devices will be safe within the hospital or office environment.
Pharmacies can benefit with the introduction of mobile medical technology, just as other medical fields are doing. According to a report titled “Evaluating Mobile Medical Applications” by Conor Hanrahan, Timothy Dy Aungst and Sabrina Cole, from the web site www.ashp.org, one application being explored used the camera in mobile devices. The researchers state, “Another ongoing project includes utilizing the camera of a smart device to conduct pill identification” (pg6). While the pill or a picture of a pill should be no cause for privacy concern, what if a patient shares information through a mobile device because they have mixed up pills or cannot recall what a pill is? A patient’s personal information may be on record with the pharmacy and that information helps them determine the pill a client sends in a picture. Strict control of mobile devices is critical so this information is not compromised. The report also claims that, “Future research will investigate the utilization of mobile apps to improve patient health through diet and exercise trackers, and as ways to increase medication adherence.”
Increased pharmacy apps will continue to drive mobile device use in drugstores, pharmacies and other drug dispensaries. Maintaining client confidentiality and protecting the devices is extremely important to the facility and the patients. I-pad theft and tablet theft can be prevented if Checkpoint Classic N10 antennas are placed at entrances/exits and Alpha Thunder Tags are installed on every mobile medical device.
Need information on Alpha Thunder Tags? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
http://www.ashp.org/DocLibrary/Bookstore/For-Institutions/Mobile-Medical-Apps.pdf
The use of mobile technology in healthcare is becoming routine. Go into a hospital and laptop computers on carts are wheeled around from room to room as nurses assist patients and gather personal medical information. In a dentist office the staff are calling out patients from the tablet they are holding with the patient’s information at their fingertip. Go to a corner pharmacy for a nurse practitioner visit and the first thing to do is complete a patient profile on an i-pad device attached to the counter of a private both or table. Electronic storage of information is so much easier than the cumbersome task of filling out form after form of paperwork. The opportunities for dropping pages or losing a patient’s folder are less likely when the information is stored in a digital format. But Doctor’s offices aren’t the only ones that benefit from using mobile medical devices. Pharmacies are also finding that the same devices can help improve the delivery and accuracy of their services. One precaution that all medical providers must take however, is to protect against i-pad theft or tablet theft. Not only is the device itself an expense no one wants to replace, but the lost data is more of a concern since confidential patient information is at risk once a device is missing.
It is possible to protect against tablet theft or i-pad theft if an office will invest in two things, a Checkpoint Classic N10 antenna system for each point of exit to a building and Alpha Thunder Tags. The Classic N10 antenna is an electronic article surveillance (EAS) detection system that picks up radio frequency signals emitted from an EAS tag, such as Alpha Thunder Tags. When the tag is within a certain distance from the antenna, the antenna alarm activates and sounds loud enough that staff members can respond and recover an item being removed from the building. Occasionally a thief will drop an item when an alarm sounds, again offering an opportunity for recovery of stolen equipment.
The Thunder Tags are small enough that they can be applied to almost any mobile devices using an adhesive supplied by the manufacturer. Thunder Tags have a tamper alarm that will sound if someone attempts to remove it from a device without using the proper detachment tool. The 3-alarm Alpha Thunder Tags also have an internal alarm that sounds when an item protected with a tag is removed from a building through the EAS antennas. With the protection of the Checkpoint Classic N10 antenna and the tags, mobile medical devices will be safe within the hospital or office environment.
Pharmacies can benefit with the introduction of mobile medical technology, just as other medical fields are doing. According to a report titled “Evaluating Mobile Medical Applications” by Conor Hanrahan, Timothy Dy Aungst and Sabrina Cole, from the web site www.ashp.org, one application being explored used the camera in mobile devices. The researchers state, “Another ongoing project includes utilizing the camera of a smart device to conduct pill identification” (pg6). While the pill or a picture of a pill should be no cause for privacy concern, what if a patient shares information through a mobile device because they have mixed up pills or cannot recall what a pill is? A patient’s personal information may be on record with the pharmacy and that information helps them determine the pill a client sends in a picture. Strict control of mobile devices is critical so this information is not compromised. The report also claims that, “Future research will investigate the utilization of mobile apps to improve patient health through diet and exercise trackers, and as ways to increase medication adherence.”
Increased pharmacy apps will continue to drive mobile device use in drugstores, pharmacies and other drug dispensaries. Maintaining client confidentiality and protecting the devices is extremely important to the facility and the patients. I-pad theft and tablet theft can be prevented if Checkpoint Classic N10 antennas are placed at entrances/exits and Alpha Thunder Tags are installed on every mobile medical device.
Need information on Alpha Thunder Tags? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
