Prevent Shoplifting -3 WC Blog 567
Alpha Security – 5
Break Out Of The Showcase Mindset With Alpha Security Products
SO, you want to prevent shoplifting in your store and you are determined that a display case is the best solution to your problem. I would like to make a case that there is a better solution than locking up merchandise in a showcase. To demonstrate that showcases are not the fool-proof solutions you may think they are. Take a minute to review the following cases (no pun intended, although it is funny now that I think about it):
• From wbtw.com by Kendall McGee, Feb 19,2018 – “The police report says the suspects…used a pry bar from the hardware section of the store to open a display case containing Apple iPhones”. Estimated value of the phones, $3,776.
• From delawareonline.com, by Alonzo Small, March 31, 2017 – “…police are seeking the public’s help in identifying a shoplifter who stole more than $2,000 worth of cologne…(the thief) proceeded to remove assorted cologne after opening the display cases with an unknown type of tool.”
• Patch.com, by Lorraine Swanson, Aug 6, 2017 – In an article, “Shoplifter Swipes Over $43,000 Worth Of Gold Earrings From Sears: Prosecutor” the story reports, “…is accused of cutting a security alarm on a display case and walking out of the shopping mall with $43,708 worth of assorted gold earrings.”
Showcases are a poor remedy to a bigger problem. That problem is how to prevent shoplifting with leaner payroll budgets as traditional stores struggle to stay competitive with their traditional competitors and now online rivals. The better way to stop thieves is to use Alpha Security retail anti-theft devices on your merchandise.
Bill Bregar, CEO of Loss Prevention Systems Inc. (LPSI) has made it the objective of his company to help retailers battle criminal shoplifters. With years of Retail Loss Prevention experience up to and including the Director level for National retail chain stores, Bill knows the constraints placed on small business owners. Alpha Security products are recommended by LPSI because they are nearly impossible for shoplifters to defeat and work hand-in-hand with Checkpoint electronic article surveillance towers. Trying to carry Alpha Security tagged items past a Checkpoint tower activates an alarm that gets a response from trained store personnel. Unlike items in a showcase that gets broken into and a bag is stuffed full and carried out a door, a tagged item is not going to be tampered with and is going to set off that tower. A video of someone who broke into a showcase probably won’t get your merchandise back for your store there is usually too much time that has gone past. An electronic article surveillance system gives live results. Staff members respond as soon as that alarm sounds. Real time alarms result in real time recoveries.
There is another downside to store showcases. They prevent honest shoppers from being able to look at the products inside of them. If they do see something they are attracted to they can’t handle it and read information on the packaging say for example the iPhones. Your customer wants to look at something? They can wait until you get someone over to open the case and show it to them. Wait! That’s right, you put the display cases in to save payroll because you can’t afford to have someone nearby the area to show merchandise to people who may not want to buy your goods. Now you have to have a call button so the employees you do have in the store can try to get to the showcase before the customer leaves. By using Alpha Security anti-theft devices on merchandise you have the protection you are wanting from a showcase without the interruption to customer service. The more accessible merchandise is to the customer the more sales a store will have. Increased sales means increased payroll so you can better serve your customers.
When stores are stretched so thin on payroll that shoplifters have time to break into showcases to steal then showcases are no longer the answer to prevent shoplifting. Let LPSI help you reduce stock shortage and improve sales with Alpha Security products. You won’t be disappointed and neither will your customers.
For more information about Alpha Security contact us or call 1.770.426.0547.
SO, you want to prevent shoplifting in your store and you are determined that a display case is the best solution to your problem. I would like to make a case that there is a better solution than locking up merchandise in a showcase. To demonstrate that showcases are not the fool-proof solutions you may think they are. Take a minute to review the following cases (no pun intended, although it is funny now that I think about it):
• From wbtw.com by Kendall McGee, Feb 19,2018 – “The police report says the suspects…used a pry bar from the hardware section of the store to open a display case containing Apple iPhones”. Estimated value of the phones, $3,776.
• From delawareonline.com, by Alonzo Small, March 31, 2017 – “…police are seeking the public’s help in identifying a shoplifter who stole more than $2,000 worth of cologne…(the thief) proceeded to remove assorted cologne after opening the display cases with an unknown type of tool.”
• Patch.com, by Lorraine Swanson, Aug 6, 2017 – In an article, “Shoplifter Swipes Over $43,000 Worth Of Gold Earrings From Sears: Prosecutor” the story reports, “…is accused of cutting a security alarm on a display case and walking out of the shopping mall with $43,708 worth of assorted gold earrings.”
Showcases are a poor remedy to a bigger problem. That problem is how to prevent shoplifting with leaner payroll budgets as traditional stores struggle to stay competitive with their traditional competitors and now online rivals. The better way to stop thieves is to use EAS retail anti-theft devices on your merchandise.
Bill Bregar, CEO of Loss Prevention Systems Inc. (LPSI) has made it the objective of his company to help retailers battle criminal shoplifters. With years of Retail Loss Prevention experience up to and including the Director level for National retail chain stores, Bill knows the constraints placed on small business owners. EAS products are recommended by LPSI because they are nearly impossible for shoplifters to defeat and work hand-in-hand with electronic article surveillance (EAS) towers. Trying to carry EAS tagged items past a EAS tower activates an alarm that gets a response from trained store personnel. Unlike items in a showcase that gets broken into and a bag is stuffed full and carried out a door, a tagged item is not going to be tampered with and is going to set off that tower. A video of someone who broke into a showcase probably won’t get your merchandise back for your store there is usually too much time that has gone past. An electronic article surveillance system gives live results. Staff members respond as soon as that alarm sounds. Real time alarms result in real time recoveries.
There is another downside to store showcases. They prevent honest shoppers from being able to look at the products inside of them. If they do see something they are attracted to they can’t handle it and read information on the packaging say for example the iPhones. Your customer wants to look at something? They can wait until you get someone over to open the case and show it to them. Wait! That’s right, you put the display cases in to save payroll because you can’t afford to have someone nearby the area to show merchandise to people who may not want to buy your goods. Now you have to have a call button so the employees you do have in the store can try to get to the showcase before the customer leaves. By using EAS anti-theft devices on merchandise you have the protection you are wanting from a showcase without the interruption to customer service. The more accessible merchandise is to the customer the more sales a store will have. Increased sales means increased payroll so you can better serve your customers.
When stores are stretched so thin on payroll that shoplifters have time to break into showcases to steal then showcases are no longer the answer to prevent shoplifting. Let LPSI help you reduce stock shortage and improve sales with EAS products. You won’t be disappointed and neither will your customers.
For more information about how to prevent shoplifting, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547.
Employee theft- 4 WC blog 635
Manager Training To Stop Employee Theft-3
Don’t Be Surprised By Who May Be Guilty Of Employee Theft
If you are anything like me you hate theft and you especially abhor employee theft. For many of you small store owners you may not have more than three to five people working for you so employees stealing from you isn’t much of a concern, right? You might even be in a position where the only people working for your business are relatives and friends. They would never be a concern for you after all they are close to you. You may be surprised to learn that hiring friends and relatives may not be the best idea in the world after all. Not only can it lead to damaged relationships you could also find your business is not as secure from theft as you thought it was.
Below are some examples of stories that may grab your attention:
• From the eagletribune.com, Dec 27, 2017, by Breanna Bedlestein: “Plaistow woman accused of embezzling $400,000 from family business”
• bizjournals.com, June 27, 2018 by James Dornbrook: “Local woman gets 2 years for embezzling $466,000 from her family’s company”
• fredricksburg.com, Jun28, 2018, by Allison Brophy Champion: “Former Culpeper brewery partner pleads guilty in embezzlement case”
• hartfordbusiness.com, June 13, 2018, by Gregory Seay: “Former Middletown mayor arrested again on embezzlement charges”
In each of these cases a relative or friend who became a business partner was charged with or pled guilty to embezzlement from the business. Now if you are insistent on hiring family or friends to work for you it may not be comfortable to run employee background checks. Let’s face it, that isn’t going to be a pleasant discussion. That makes it even more critical that you go through manager training to stop employee theft.
In three of the cases listed above the embezzlement reached $400,000 or more before the accused party was caught. As a business owner you have to know the various methods employees (even family members) will use to steal from your company. Catching the theft only after this much has been taken could cause a business failure. Regardless of what the court orders for restitution chances are you will never recoup the full amount lost from the theft. It is also important to remember we have only looked at embezzlement cases. Employee theft may include merchandise, property, credit cards and outright cash theft. Manager training to stop employee theft will provide you with the information you need to know the ways employees steal and the indicators that will point to the activity.
The question becomes how do you get the training you need? Self-help videos won’t have sufficient information. Websites may offer it but then how do you know which ones are reliable? There are books on Loss Prevention but book reading and having a live trainer are not equivalent. The best source of training comes from people who have actual Retail Loss Prevention experience and have investigated numerous employee theft cases. There is no substitute for experience and that is why a company like Loss Prevention Systems Inc. (LPSI) is a logical choice to provide Manager training to stop employee theft. Having nearly 18 years of Retail Loss Prevention experience myself I know that the training programs offered by LPSI are effective. The instruction you will receive will prepare you with the information necessary to look at your store operations with a critical eye. Any attempts at theft will be easier to pick out and act on much earlier than it would for someone with no training. Losses become far less and may actually end up being realistically recoverable.
Employee theft can happen to any retailer from any quarter, even a relative or a friend. The trust a business owner places in a relative or friend can unfortunately be misplaced trust. Being trained on theft identification and prevention can be the difference between keeping a business open and being forced to close down. Find out how LPSI can meet all you training needs.
Need information on manager training to stop employee theft? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
If you are anything like me you hate theft and you especially abhor employee theft. For many of you small store owners you may not have more than three to five people working for you so employees stealing from you isn’t much of a concern, right? You might even be in a position where the only people working for your business are relatives and friends. They would never be a concern for you after all they are close to you. You may be surprised to learn that hiring friends and relatives may not be the best idea in the world after all. Not only can it lead to damaged relationships you could also find your business is not as secure from theft as you thought it was.
Below are some examples of stories that may grab your attention:
• From the eagletribune.com, Dec 27, 2017, by Breanna Bedlestein: “Plaistow woman accused of embezzling $400,000 from family business”
• bizjournals.com, June 27, 2018 by James Dornbrook: “Local woman gets 2 years for embezzling $466,000 from her family’s company”
• fredricksburg.com, Jun28, 2018, by Allison Brophy Champion: “Former Culpeper brewery partner pleads guilty in embezzlement case”
• hartfordbusiness.com, June 13, 2018, by Gregory Seay: “Former Middletown mayor arrested again on embezzlement charges”
In each of these cases a relative or friend who became a business partner was charged with or pled guilty to embezzlement from the business. Now if you are insistent on hiring family or friends to work for you it may not be comfortable to run employee background checks. Let’s face it, that isn’t going to be a pleasant discussion. That makes it even more critical that you go through manager training to stop employee theft.
In three of the cases listed above the embezzlement reached $400,000 or more before the accused party was caught. As a business owner you have to know the various methods employees (even family members) will use to steal from your company. Catching the theft only after this much has been taken could cause a business failure. Regardless of what the court orders for restitution chances are you will never recoup the full amount lost from the theft. It is also important to remember we have only looked at embezzlement cases. Employee theft may include merchandise, property, credit cards and outright cash theft. Manager training to stop employee theft will provide you with the information you need to know the ways employees steal and the indicators that will point to the activity.
The question becomes how do you get the training you need? Self-help videos won’t have sufficient information. Websites may offer it but then how do you know which ones are reliable? There are books on Loss Prevention but book reading and having a live trainer are not equivalent. The best source of training comes from people who have actual Retail Loss Prevention experience and have investigated numerous employee theft cases. There is no substitute for experience and that is why a company like Loss Prevention Systems Inc. (LPSI) is a logical choice to provide Manager training to stop employee theft. Having nearly 18 years of Retail Loss Prevention experience myself I know that the training programs offered by LPSI are effective. The instruction you will receive will prepare you with the information necessary to look at your store operations with a critical eye. Any attempts at theft will be easier to pick out and act on much earlier than it would for someone with no training. Losses become far less and may actually end up being realistically recoverable.
Employee theft can happen to any retailer from any quarter, even a relative or a friend. The trust a business owner places in a relative or friend can unfortunately be misplaced trust. Being trained on theft identification and prevention can be the difference between keeping a business open and being forced to close down. Find out how LPSI can meet all you training needs.
Need information on manager training to stop employee theft? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
Retail Theft Prevention -4 WC Blog 549
Checkpoint Security System -4
Safe Response To Checkpoint Security System Alarms
Along with retail theft prevention how important is the safety of your store? I’m not referring to accidents I am referring to safety from violent incidents. Not long ago there was an incident in the building where I work. An employee’s teenage child overheard a conversation among three people who were preparing to leave the building. There was a comment that they were going to “get” someone. The employee’s daughter reported the conversation and the staff contacted the police who stopped the group in the parking lot. I heard that two of our staff members decided to leave the building to “see if they could see where the group went”. I learned that the two employees went out through different exits. Had one of these employees walked upon the group there is no telling whether an encounter might have escalated. Two people are always better than one since there is strength in numbers. If they felt it was important to leave the building to protect someone, or to see where the group was heading they should have left together. In retail Loss Prevention when we stopped a suspected shoplifter we tried to have a witness with us. It is even good practice to have a witness when responding to a Checkpoint Security System alarm (when possible). When two or more people are working together it makes it easier to address someone who may be upset or trying to steal.
It is important to know how a Checkpoint Security System works in order to understand why it is good practice to have two people respond to an alarm. The Checkpoint system is a retail theft prevention system composed of electronic article surveillance (EAS) tags attached to merchandise, detachment devices and towers located near entrance/exit doors. EAS tags can be attached to a variety of product lines since they come in adhesive label form or hard tag designs. Detuning pads and detachment devices are kept at the store registers to remove or “turn off” tags AFTER a piece of merchandise is scanned at the register. The towers are big receivers that can sense when a Checkpoint tag is in its field of detection. The vast majority of alarms take place when a shoplifter is trying to sneak merchandise out of the store. A trained employee responds to alarms and conducts a check of the receipt to determine what caused the alarm. It is the possible responses of the “customer” that can make it better to have a second person respond to an alarm.
When a customer causes an EAS alarm there are several reactions I have encountered over my 27+ years in retail. The first reaction is surprise for the alarm. This customer may have merchandise in their shopping cart that was overlooked by the cashier. They may have merchandise from another store that uses similar retail theft protection devices and merchandise was not deactivated there. A good employee can take care of these customers easily and get them on their way. Another reaction is the shocked patron who gets irritated at the inconvenience of the alarm. It makes no difference if it was their fault for overlooking an item or they have merchandise from another business this customer is going to have an attitude. The employee who responds to this customer must be tactful and ready to apologize for the inconvenience of the alarm especially if it is determined it was a cashier’s error. Having a second person nearby as a witness is good in these situations. I have encountered customers who decided to use it to cause a scene despite my apology and attempt to “correct” the error. Your witness in this case can validate that every effort was made not to embarrass or inconvenience the patron. Finally there is the real shoplifter trying to steal merchandise by getting it past the Checkpoint Security System. They don’t want to be in the store too long and they still want to get the merchandise out. If one person responds the shoplifter may attempt to intimidate and threaten violence if they aren’t allowed to leave. When two employees are present the shoplifter may be loud but they tend to be less threatening. By the way, if you aren’t sure how to handle these situations or want help on retail theft prevention Loss Prevention Systems Inc. offers several training classes that you will find helpful.
It is unfortunate but today in retail the threat of violence is something every store owner has to be concerned with. Being aware of how to de-escalate situations and having a witness to customer/employee interactions is always a good idea when possible. Prevent shortage with a Checkpoint Security System and get training from Loss Prevention Systems Inc. on how to stop shoplifting and properly respond to system alarms.
Get more information on retail theft prevention, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
Along with retail theft prevention how important is the safety of your store? I’m not referring to accidents I am referring to safety from violent incidents. Not long ago there was an incident in the building where I work. An employee’s teenage child overheard a conversation among three people who were preparing to leave the building. There was a comment that they were going to “get” someone. The employee’s daughter reported the conversation and the staff contacted the police who stopped the group in the parking lot. I heard that two of our staff members decided to leave the building to “see if they could see where the group went”. I learned that the two employees went out through different exits. Had one of these employees walked upon the group there is no telling whether an encounter might have escalated. Two people are always better than one since there is strength in numbers. If they felt it was important to leave the building to protect someone, or to see where the group was heading they should have left together. In retail Loss Prevention when we stopped a suspected shoplifter we tried to have a witness with us. It is even good practice to have a witness when responding to an electronic article surveillance (EAS) security system alarm (when possible). When two or more people are working together it makes it easier to address someone who may be upset or trying to steal.
It is important to know how an EAS security system works in order to understand why it is good practice to have two people respond to an alarm. The EAS system is a retail theft prevention system composed of electronic article surveillance tags attached to merchandise, detachment devices and towers located near entrance/exit doors. EAS tags can be attached to a variety of product lines since they come in adhesive label form or hard tag designs. Detuning pads and detachment devices are kept at the store registers to remove or “turn off” tags AFTER a piece of merchandise is scanned at the register. The towers are big receivers that can sense when a EAS tag is in its field of detection. The vast majority of alarms take place when a shoplifter is trying to sneak merchandise out of the store. A trained employee responds to alarms and conducts a check of the receipt to determine what caused the alarm. It is the possible responses of the “customer” that can make it better to have a second person respond to an alarm.
When a customer causes an EAS alarm there are several reactions I have encountered over my 27+ years in retail. The first reaction is surprise for the alarm. This customer may have merchandise in their shopping cart that was overlooked by the cashier. They may have merchandise from another store that uses similar retail theft protection devices and merchandise was not deactivated there. A good employee can take care of these customers easily and get them on their way. Another reaction is the shocked patron who gets irritated at the inconvenience of the alarm. It makes no difference if it was their fault for overlooking an item or they have merchandise from another business this customer is going to have an attitude. The employee who responds to this customer must be tactful and ready to apologize for the inconvenience of the alarm especially if it is determined it was a cashier’s error. Having a second person nearby as a witness is good in these situations. I have encountered customers who decided to use it to cause a scene despite my apology and attempt to “correct” the error. Your witness in this case can validate that every effort was made not to embarrass or inconvenience the patron. Finally there is the real shoplifter trying to steal merchandise by getting it past the EAS security system. They don’t want to be in the store too long and they still want to get the merchandise out. If one person responds the shoplifter may attempt to intimidate and threaten violence if they aren’t allowed to leave. When two employees are present the shoplifter may be loud but they tend to be less threatening. By the way, if you aren’t sure how to handle these situations or want help on retail theft prevention Loss Prevention Systems Inc. offers several training classes that you will find helpful.
It is unfortunate but today in retail the threat of violence is something every store owner has to be concerned with. Being aware of how to de-escalate situations and having a witness to customer/employee interactions is always a good idea when possible. Prevent shortage with a EAS security system and get training from Loss Prevention Systems Inc. on how to stop shoplifting and properly respond to system alarms.
Get more information on retail theft prevention, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
Applicant Management System-4 WC Blog 581
Pre-employment Screening-4
drug screening -5
An Applicant Management System Helps Curtail Criminal Activity Pt.1
In 2017 retail shrinkage increased to an average of 1.44% from a rate of 1.38% in 2016 according to the National Retail Federation’s 2017 National Retail Security Survey (pg. 8). Shoplifting accounted for 36.5% of shortage and employee theft about 30% (a decrease from the 2016 rate of 35.8%) (pg. 8). Before I am ready to hoot and holler over the decrease in reported internal theft, I note that “administrative and paperwork” related shrink climbed from 16.8% in 2016 to 21.3% in 2017. I am a bit skeptical of the numbers since the decrease in internal theft is almost the same as the increase in administrative shortage. Even if the numbers are true it is disconcerting to think nearly a third of all store losses are due to dishonest employees. When a third of losses are caused by dishonest workers the question has to be asked, “Who are stores hiring?” The CEO and founder of Loss Prevention Systems Inc., Bill Bregar has apparently asked this question because his company has introduced an applicant management system as well as pre-employment screening and drug screening. It is the goal of Loss Prevention Systems Inc. to help stores reduce shrinkage. By assisting stores in their hiring practices, employee related criminal activity can be eliminated.
The applicant management system is a one-stop shop for tracking job applicants and potential candidates a store owner or manager may be interested in. Paper applications are a messy method for keeping records on candidates for new job postings. Papers get lost, placed in the wrong folders or left out on desks which can have security implications and are simply cumbersome to handle. An applicant management system is an online database that provides employers with the ability to conduct the handling of candidate profiles in a single location. For example, it can allow an employer to set up questions that will help weed out unqualified people from the job pool by their responses. Forms for applicants to sign such as an agreement to drug screening and background checks can be electronically signed and submitted. Email correspondence can be completed with specific candidates through the system. Having been involved with job searches and the requisite paperwork I know that there a numerous headaches that can be avoided with such a system in place.
I do not think it is coincidental that a number of categories listed in the survey under “Employee Integrity Screening” including drug screening and criminal conviction checks dropped in overall use by retail. According to those retailers that were surveyed:
• The use of criminal conviction checks dropped by 4.1%
• Businesses conducting drug screenings (laboratory) were lower by 15.1%
• Driving history checks went down by 13.1%
• Those using pre-employment honesty testing was lower by .5%
It was interesting that categories of screenings that actually went up were:
• Verifications of employment history by 11.6%
• Education verifications increased by 7.9%
It makes no sense to me that businesses would choose to decrease criminal background checks and drug screening of job candidates.
In an article “Should You Hire Someone With A Criminal Record?“ in Kellogg Insight, there was a cause for concern for retailers found by the authors of the study the article was based on. In a section of the article, “Trouble in Sales”, the writer notes, “The researchers saw no difference in customer service jobs. But when they examined sales positions, they found that employees with criminal records had a 28% higher risk of being terminated for misconduct than coworkers without records.” https://insight.kellogg.northwestern.edu/article/should-you-hire-someone-with-a-criminal-record With the heightened risk of employee theft from those who have criminal backgrounds it would behoove retail owners to do MORE pre-employment screening not less.
In part 2 of this article we will continue the discussion on the importance of using an applicant management system to not only stay organized but to ensure the best people are hired. Criminal history and drug use does play a role in the increase in shortage and profitability of stores. Managers and owners must understand the impact it has on the store as well as the reasons some retailers are moving away from drug testing and pre-employment screening. In the meantime, know that having the right people on staff makes a big difference in store productivity and sales.
Get more information on an applicant management system, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
In 2017 retail shrinkage increased to an average of 1.44% from a rate of 1.38% in 2016 according to the National Retail Federation’s 2017 National Retail Security Survey (pg. 8). Shoplifting accounted for 36.5% of shortage and employee theft about 30% (a decrease from the 2016 rate of 35.8%) (pg. 8). Before I am ready to hoot and holler over the decrease in reported internal theft, I note that “administrative and paperwork” related shrink climbed from 16.8% in 2016 to 21.3% in 2017. I am a bit skeptical of the numbers since the decrease in internal theft is almost the same as the increase in administrative shortage. Even if the numbers are true it is disconcerting to think nearly a third of all store losses are due to dishonest employees. When a third of losses are caused by dishonest workers the question has to be asked, “Who are stores hiring?” The CEO and founder of Loss Prevention Systems Inc., Bill Bregar has apparently asked this question because his company has introduced an applicant management system as well as pre-employment screening and drug screening. It is the goal of Loss Prevention Systems Inc. to help stores reduce shrinkage. By assisting stores in their hiring practices, employee related criminal activity can be eliminated.
The applicant management system is a one-stop shop for tracking job applicants and potential candidates a store owner or manager may be interested in. Paper applications are a messy method for keeping records on candidates for new job postings. Papers get lost, placed in the wrong folders or left out on desks which can have security implications and are simply cumbersome to handle. An applicant management system is an online database that provides employers with the ability to conduct the handling of candidate profiles in a single location. For example, it can allow an employer to set up questions that will help weed out unqualified people from the job pool by their responses. Forms for applicants to sign such as an agreement to drug screening and background checks can be electronically signed and submitted. Email correspondence can be completed with specific candidates through the system. Having been involved with job searches and the requisite paperwork I know that there a numerous headaches that can be avoided with such a system in place.
I do not think it is coincidental that a number of categories listed in the survey under “Employee Integrity Screening” including drug screening and criminal conviction checks dropped in overall use by retail. According to those retailers that were surveyed:
• The use of criminal conviction checks dropped by 4.1%
• Businesses conducting drug screenings (laboratory) were lower by 15.1%
• Driving history checks went down by 13.1%
• Those using pre-employment honesty testing was lower by .5%It was interesting that categories of screenings that actually went up were:
• Verifications of employment history by 11.6%
• Education verifications increased by 7.9%It makes no sense to me that businesses would choose to decrease criminal background checks and drug screening of job candidates.
In an article “Should You Hire Someone With A Criminal Record?“ in Kellogg Insight, there was a cause for concern for retailers found by the authors of the study the article was based on. In a section of the article, “Trouble in Sales”, the writer notes, “The researchers saw no difference in customer service jobs. But when they examined sales positions, they found that employees with criminal records had a 28% higher risk of being terminated for misconduct than coworkers without records.” https://insight.kellogg.northwestern.edu/article/should-you-hire-someone-with-a-criminal-record With the heightened risk of employee theft from those who have criminal backgrounds it would behoove retail owners to do MORE pre-employment screening not less.
In part 2 of this article we will continue the discussion on the importance of using an applicant management system to not only stay organized but to ensure the best people are hired. Criminal history and drug use does play a role in the increase in shortage and profitability of stores. Managers and owners must understand the impact it has on the store as well as the reasons some retailers are moving away from drug testing and pre-employment screening. In the meantime, know that having the right people on staff makes a big difference in store productivity and sales.
Get more information on an applicant management system, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
Prevent shoplifting-3 wc blog 586
Retail Anti-Theft Devices-3
Alpha Keepers-4
Avoid Physical Altercations With Shoplifters Use Alpha Keepers To Protect Merchandise
I have been working in retail for a very long time and much of that was in Loss Prevention where I would prevent shoplifting. I recently read an article in an online magazine about the thoughts readers had on a video of a teenager and Loss Prevention Associate in a physical altercation. Many of the readers felt that the Loss Prevention Agent was at least partially to blame. Now I am going to add my two cents to this issue but I want to make something clear first. Though I have been involved in altercations in my Loss Prevention Career and in MOST of the altercations there was no use of retail anti-theft devices such as Alpha Keepers to protect the merchandise from being stolen. My career dates back to 1990 when we were not using many protective devices on merchandise though they were available in limited designs. The department store I worked for had few guidelines for L.P. Associates so I was generally free to do what was necessary to catch the bud guy (or gal). If someone chose to struggle or I felt they might flee I could grab a fistful of shirt or a belt to control the suspect. If a thief chose to fight there was no requirement for us to be punching bags or throw up our hands and say maybe I’ll get you next time. Drop the merchandise and we might let you run off. We could also be reasonably sure the police were going to be at our store within minutes of a call for assistance. Later, when I was a Loss Prevention Manager for another company we had more restrictions but we were not required to have to let someone go if they assaulted us. We had by this time begun to use more protective devices including Alpha Keepers for open display video game software.
I know most of you are familiar with the retail anti-theft devices on the market but you may not know about Alpha Keepers. Keepers are clear, hard plastic boxes with locking lids. Inside the lid is the heart of the unit that communicates with the electronic article surveillance towers stores install at their entrances and exits. A Keeper box triggers the sensor in the surveillance towers when it is carried in the detection range of the towers. The other key component is the tamper alarm for the box if a shoplifter tried to force it open. Both alarms are loud enough to draw the attention of store workers who respond and prevent shoplifting and recover merchandise through customer service and/or receipt checks. My first experience with these devices made me a believer as I saw dramatic decreases of shortage in video games we placed on open endcap displays.
I do have my thoughts on the question posed in the article and they are mixed. There was a time I would have absolutely had no qualms about Loss Prevention employees using force to prevent crooks from getting away. I would say I now am in favor of a measured response. To tie the hands of trained Loss Prevention Associates and have an absolute 100% hands-off policy is asking for trouble. I am convinced that once that policy is in place your efforts to prevent shoplifting will be almost useless unless you are aggressively using retail anti-theft devices. You must also ensure employees are trained on quick responses to EAS alarms and how to conduct THOROUGH receipt and bag checks.
Alpha Keepers and other devices will deter the shoplifter who is acting on a whim. Those who are professionals or aggressive will not be deterred in your store and will ignore attempts to stop them and should an employee try to stand in front of them they will shove their way past. The word will get out about your policy and it will be taken advantage of. What will your policy be if an employee is shoved? Are you going to allow the police to be called? Some stores won’t. Are you going to file a police report for shoplifting? Many do not and even if you want to can you tell the police what was stolen? My position is that I don’t want an altercation but the current trend of throwing up hands and allowing thieves to walk all over stores is foolish.
All of the above said, a hands off policy is probably the best option for a store with no L.P. staff. Whether you allow some contact or no contact you still need to prevent theft of DVD’s, CD’s, video games and more with Alpha Keepers. Keep your merchandise safe and more importantly your staff safe and Keepers will help do both.
Get more information on Alpha Keepers, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today
I have been working in retail for a very long time and much of that was in Loss Prevention where I would prevent shoplifting. I recently read an article in an online magazine about the thoughts readers had on a video of a teenager and Loss Prevention Associate in a physical altercation. Many of the readers felt that the Loss Prevention Agent was at least partially to blame. Now I am going to add my two cents to this issue but I want to make something clear first. Though I have been involved in altercations in my Loss Prevention Career and in MOST of the altercations there was no use of retail anti-theft devices such as Keepers to protect the merchandise from being stolen. My career dates back to 1990 when we were not using many protective devices on merchandise though they were available in limited designs. The department store I worked for had few guidelines for L.P. Associates so I was generally free to do what was necessary to catch the bud guy (or gal). If someone chose to struggle or I felt they might flee I could grab a fistful of shirt or a belt to control the suspect. If a thief chose to fight there was no requirement for us to be punching bags or throw up our hands and say maybe I’ll get you next time. Drop the merchandise and we might let you run off. We could also be reasonably sure the police were going to be at our store within minutes of a call for assistance. Later, when I was a Loss Prevention Manager for another company we had more restrictions but we were not required to have to let someone go if they assaulted us. We had by this time begun to use more protective devices including Keepers for open display video game software.
I know most of you are familiar with the retail anti-theft devices on the market but you may not know about Keepers. Keepers are clear, hard plastic boxes with locking lids. Inside the lid is the heart of the unit that communicates with the electronic article surveillance towers stores install at their entrances and exits. A Keeper box triggers the sensor in the surveillance towers when it is carried in the detection range of the towers. The other key component is the tamper alarm for the box if a shoplifter tried to force it open. Both alarms are loud enough to draw the attention of store workers who respond and prevent shoplifting and recover merchandise through customer service and/or receipt checks. My first experience with these devices made me a believer as I saw dramatic decreases of shortage in video games we placed on open endcap displays.
I do have my thoughts on the question posed in the article and they are mixed. There was a time I would have absolutely had no qualms about Loss Prevention employees using force to prevent crooks from getting away. I would say I now am in favor of a measured response. To tie the hands of trained Loss Prevention Associates and have an absolute 100% hands-off policy is asking for trouble. I am convinced that once that policy is in place your efforts to prevent shoplifting will be almost useless unless you are aggressively using retail anti-theft devices. You must also ensure employees are trained on quick responses to EAS alarms and how to conduct THOROUGH receipt and bag checks.
Keepers and other devices will deter the shoplifter who is acting on a whim. Those who are professionals or aggressive will not be deterred in your store and will ignore attempts to stop them and should an employee try to stand in front of them they will shove their way past. The word will get out about your policy and it will be taken advantage of. What will your policy be if an employee is shoved? Are you going to allow the police to be called? Some stores won’t. Are you going to file a police report for shoplifting? Many do not and even if you want to can you tell the police what was stolen? My position is that I don’t want an altercation but the current trend of throwing up hands and allowing thieves to walk all over stores is foolish.
All of the above said, a hands off policy is probably the best option for a store with no L.P. staff. Whether you allow some contact or no contact you still need to prevent theft of DVD’s, CD’s, video games and more with Keepers. Keep your merchandise safe and more importantly your staff safe and Keepers will help do both.
Get more information on Keepers, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today
I came across a story about a couple shoplifting and I wondered whether the store could have used Sensormatic hard tags to prevent the thefts that took place. I also wondered what the couple was thinking in terms of the merchandise they were accused of stealing. First, according to baynews9.com, on July 18, 2018 in a story by Spectrum News Staff, two people are accused of shoplifting alcohol and vacuums worth $3,000. The couple in question was accused of stealing $1,200 in vacuum cleaners at 6a.m. and a few hours later returning to steal $1,700 worth of alcohol. During my years as a Loss Prevention Manager I worked with the Loss Prevention personnel of this company and know that they do a good job of stopping theft. I do shop their stores and I do see some areas where I believe they could improve their security tagging. One area is in the wine and spirits aisle. I don’t purchase the products but I do make a point of looking at theft prevention strategies in use and frankly I don’t see merchandise protection devices in use to stop shoplifting.
If I could offer one piece of advice to this particular chain and to ALL store owners for that matter, consider using Sensormatic hard tags on these products to keep them from being stolen. The Sensormatic 9kG Multi-Purpose tag is the perfect choice for the task. A hard tag with a steel cable and nylon strap it can be secured around the neck of a bottle. In doing so retailers are assured that any attempt to conceal and carry merchandise out of a store is going to be thwarted with an electronic article surveillance alarm. The adjustable strap allows merchants to protect nearly any bottle in their inventory. If store owners need more reason to use the tags the “multi-purpose” portion of the name should be an enticement. This tag can be used on sporting goods, power tools and luggage! When a tag can be used in more than one category of merchandise to stop shoplifting it always makes it a more cost-effective choice of device.
I bring the story about the theft up because if a major retailer with a Loss Prevention Department can be taken twice in one day by the same couple what is the potential damage the same couple could do to a small business? I know the folks in their Loss Prevention Departments are good at what they do and they know how to catch crooks. Small retailers need to find ways to fight crime too and they aren’t going to have retail theft departments. If the bad guys in the report can get $1,700 worth of alcohol past trained Loss Prevention teams how much will they get away with from your stores? $1,200 in vacuum cleaners is no small potatoes either. Big retailers may be able to absorb the cost of this many vacuums but how much shrink will that represent for your company? Bill Bregar, founder of Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. has been consulting with small and medium retailers on retail shrink and theft issues since 1983. He recommends Sensormatic systems to clients as part of a comprehensive solution to stop shoplifting and drive up profits.
Hopefully I have whet your appetite for more information on how you can prevent alcohol and other theft. Sensormatic hard tags are a phenomenal tool for businesses to seriously impede criminals from cleaning house in your store. Learn more about how you can benefit from the resources offered by Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. and Sensormatic anti-theft devices.
Get more information on Sensormatic hard tags, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.
