Employee Theft-5 WC Blog 590
Stop Shoplifting-3
Increased Turnover Leads To A Higher Risk Of Employee Theft
It may never have occurred to you but turnover in a store can lead to employee theft and make it more difficult to stop shoplifting. Each time a new employee is hired into a business there is a certain amount of unknown. The management team does not really know this person unless they have worked with them somewhere else. If a pre-employment background check was not completed it is not known if the person has a criminal history. An interview process may not be a reliable indicator of who it is you are hiring. There are those people who can project one image in an interview and they are someone completely different in the workplace. Having a stable business with little turnover can be in the best interest of a store owner. New hires may also be reluctant to provide aggressive customer service to shoplifting suspects. This can increase external theft in a store. Let’s be honest retail tends to have a lot of turnover and therefore owners can expect to fill job openings on a regular basis. With this challenge, it is important that manager training to prevent employee theft and stop shoplifting is a priority.
How do you as a store owner train your managers on how to identify and prevent theft activity if you are not an expert in it yourself? The best solution would be to seek the services of Loss Prevention Systems Inc. to conduct manager training to stop employee theft. The owner and CEO of Loss Prevention Systems Inc., Bill Bregar has developed a training program that instructs managers at any level of the retail business. Bill brings a wealth of knowledge from his experience as a U.S. Army Military Policeman to his positions at the National Director level for large retail chains. He has incorporated these experiences into training programs that are proven to help small business owners significantly reduce employee pilferage and shoplifting. As someone with 4 years of U.S. Air Force Law Enforcement experience and over 17 years in retail Loss Prevention and Loss Prevention Management myself, I am impressed with the training opportunities offered by Loss Prevention Systems Inc. The quality and depth of information in an understandable format is unparalleled.
How much of an issue can turnover really be in retail? According to ”Linkedin’s data on half-a-billion professionals” turnover in retail and consumer products had the second highest turnover rate at 13%. Linkedin, “These 3 Industries Have The Highest Talent Turnover Rates”, by Michael Booz, March 15, 2018. https://business.linkedin.com/talent-solutions/blog/trends-and-research/2018/the-3-industries-with-the-highest-turnover-rates Chances are if you have not experienced this type of turnover you are doing something that most managers are not doing to keep people on board. This also means you are probably in the minority of store managers. Whatever you are doing to keep your people, keep doing it. But even you need to know that if you are going to grow your business you are going to hire people and as a result you must know how to prevent employee theft from taking place.
A good training program is going to cover:
• How pre-employment screening and drug testing reduce the chance of hiring people who may steal from your business.
• The importance of customer service to stop shoplifting and how to do it effectively.
• Indicators that dishonest employees are stealing or shoplifters are active in your store.
• Retail anti-theft devices and systems.
• Various methods of theft used by employees.
• Various methods of theft employed by shoplifters.
• How to properly respond to electronic article surveillance alarms and do so safely.
Loss Prevention Systems Inc. incorporates all of these points into the different training sessions they offer their customers.
According to the website statisticbrain.com 75% of employees have stolen from their employer and 37.5% have stolen at least twice from their employer. The more turnover your company experiences the more likely you are to have employee theft taking place. Learn what you can do to decrease the chance of hiring a crook and how to identify them if they start to steal through Loss Prevention Systems Inc. training classes.
Need information on employee theft? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
It may never have occurred to you but turnover in a store can lead to employee theft and make it more difficult to stop shoplifting. Each time a new employee is hired into a business there is a certain amount of unknown. The management team does not really know this person unless they have worked with them somewhere else. If a pre-employment background check was not completed it is not known if the person has a criminal history. An interview process may not be a reliable indicator of who it is you are hiring. There are those people who can project one image in an interview and they are someone completely different in the workplace. Having a stable business with little turnover can be in the best interest of a store owner. New hires may also be reluctant to provide aggressive customer service to shoplifting suspects. This can increase external theft in a store. Let’s be honest retail tends to have a lot of turnover and therefore owners can expect to fill job openings on a regular basis. With this challenge, it is important that manager training to prevent employee theft and stop shoplifting is a priority.
How do you as a store owner train your managers on how to identify and prevent theft activity if you are not an expert in it yourself? The best solution would be to seek the services of Loss Prevention Systems Inc. to conduct manager training to stop employee theft. The owner and CEO of Loss Prevention Systems Inc., Bill Bregar has developed a training program that instructs managers at any level of the retail business. Bill brings a wealth of knowledge from his experience as a U.S. Army Military Policeman to his positions at the National Director level for large retail chains. He has incorporated these experiences into training programs that are proven to help small business owners significantly reduce employee pilferage and shoplifting. As someone with 4 years of U.S. Air Force Law Enforcement experience and over 17 years in retail Loss Prevention and Loss Prevention Management myself, I am impressed with the training opportunities offered by Loss Prevention Systems Inc. The quality and depth of information in an understandable format is unparalleled.
How much of an issue can turnover really be in retail? According to ”Linkedin’s data on half-a-billion professionals” turnover in retail and consumer products had the second highest turnover rate at 13%. Linkedin, “These 3 Industries Have The Highest Talent Turnover Rates”, by Michael Booz, March 15, 2018. https://business.linkedin.com/talent-solutions/blog/trends-and-research/2018/the-3-industries-with-the-highest-turnover-rates Chances are if you have not experienced this type of turnover you are doing something that most managers are not doing to keep people on board. This also means you are probably in the minority of store managers. Whatever you are doing to keep your people, keep doing it. But even you need to know that if you are going to grow your business you are going to hire people and as a result you must know how to prevent employee theft from taking place.
A good training program is going to cover:
• How pre-employment screening and drug testing reduce the chance of hiring people who may steal from your business.
• The importance of customer service to stop shoplifting and how to do it effectively.
• Indicators that dishonest employees are stealing or shoplifters are active in your store.
• Retail anti-theft devices and systems.
• Various methods of theft used by employees.
• Various methods of theft employed by shoplifters.
• How to properly respond to electronic article surveillance alarms and do so safely.
Loss Prevention Systems Inc. incorporates all of these points into the different training sessions they offer their customers.
According to the website statisticbrain.com 75% of employees have stolen from their employer and 37.5% have stolen at least twice from their employer. The more turnover your company experiences the more likely you are to have employee theft taking place. Learn what you can do to decrease the chance of hiring a crook and how to identify them if they start to steal through Loss Prevention Systems Inc. training classes.
Need information on employee theft? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
Can Loss Prevention Be Free? -3 WC Blog 539
Free Loss Prevention Calculator-3
Take The Guess Work Out Of Shortage Reduction By Using The Free Loss Prevention Calculator
It seems like it would be an odd question to ask retailers whose business is selling stuff but can loss prevention be free? I am certain that the majority of readers will be thinking that there would have to be a catch because nothing comes without a cost even if it is a hidden cost. I think of my sons going to college. Both were able to go “for free” taking into account the scholarships they were being given each semester. The money from the scholarships covered all of their necessary education expenses. It looks great on the surface but there is/was a catch. In the event their grades fell/fall below a certain grade point average they would lose those scholarships and they would be responsible for paying for their classes. That was a heavy weight for my older son to carry and one my younger son is still dealing with in his senior year of college. This is not a complaint, as we are extremely grateful that the scholarships have been available to enable them to attend school. It is only an acknowledgement that there is a certain price associated with the acceptance of the “free” scholarship. Loss Prevention Systems Inc. founder Bill Bregar knows that there is skepticism when anything is offered as free. His company, Loss Prevention Systems Inc. is focused on making stores profitable through shortage reduction and theft prevention. To do this he recommends stores install a Checkpoint System that will pay for itself. That’s right, an anti-theft system can reduce shortage and ultimately be free and by trying the Free Loss Prevention Calculator you can find out it is true.
How free is this tool? Anyone can access the Loss prevention Systems Inc. website, click on the ROI Calculator and begin inputting numbers. There is no registration required, click on the link for the ROI Calc. at the top of the page and the form is right there. A manager or owner will enter the amount of their store’s annual sales and the amount he/she may want to spend on a Checkpoint security system. The Free Loss Prevention Calculator has a default estimated shrinkage calculation built into it of 1.2%. This is about the national average for retail shortage. The calculator assumes store shrinkage will be reduced to .65%, slightly less than a half of a percent reduction with the installation of a Checkpoint system. The actual results could be even better than this meaning greater cash savings. The number of months it would take for a system to pay for itself is calculated at the bottom of the page. Can loss prevention be free? The numbers are displayed right on your screen. After a system has paid for itself over the months figured in the calculation then ongoing savings are yours to reinvest, save or use to grow your business.
How sure am I that an electronic article surveillance system works? I have worked extensively in Retail Loss Prevention as a Loss Prevention Officer and a Loss Prevention Manager. In those positions I used Checkpoint equipment and I have seen it work. I have also worked with electronic article surveillance tags and antennas in a college library and I have recovered a number of books and media materials from patrons who would otherwise have walked out with them. As the writer of the article I am sure some of you are still a bit skeptical of my claims so maybe I can ease your concerns after you read this information from retaildive.com, by Dan O’shea, March 6, 2017 in an article titled, “Dollar General tags Checkpoint for EAS deployment in 2800 stores”. According to Mr. O’Shea, ““Source tagging alone reduced theft of high-risk items by 44% in our stores” said an unnamed vice president of loss prevention at a major North American drugstore chain quoted by Checkpoint in the press release touting the Dollar General deal.”” The article mentioned that the Dollar General stores had experienced positive results in deterring theft through a trial of Checkpoint systems in a limited number of their stores. Surely the installation of EAS systems in 2800 stores is a testimony to the impact of a Checkpoint System in a store.
You may not be the owner of 2800 stores but theft in those stores you do own can hurt more than theft in a national chain. You may not be able to afford 1.2% or greater shortage. That means you should be the one asking, Can loss prevention be free?” Use the Free Loss Prevention Calculator and see the answer for yourself. You will be pleasantly surprised.
The Free Loss Prevention Calculator is important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.
It seems like it would be an odd question to ask retailers whose business is selling stuff but can loss prevention be free? I am certain that the majority of readers will be thinking that there would have to be a catch because nothing comes without a cost even if it is a hidden cost. I think of my sons going to college. Both were able to go “for free” taking into account the scholarships they were being given each semester. The money from the scholarships covered all of their necessary education expenses. It looks great on the surface but there is/was a catch. In the event their grades fell/fall below a certain grade point average they would lose those scholarships and they would be responsible for paying for their classes. That was a heavy weight for my older son to carry and one my younger son is still dealing with in his senior year of college. This is not a complaint, as we are extremely grateful that the scholarships have been available to enable them to attend school. It is only an acknowledgement that there is a certain price associated with the acceptance of the “free” scholarship. Loss Prevention Systems Inc. founder Bill Bregar knows that there is skepticism when anything is offered as free. His company, Loss Prevention Systems Inc. is focused on making stores profitable through shortage reduction and theft prevention. To do this he recommends stores install a Checkpoint System that will pay for itself. That’s right, an anti-theft system can reduce shortage and ultimately be free and by trying the Free Loss Prevention Calculator you can find out it is true.
How free is this tool? Anyone can access the Loss prevention Systems Inc. website, click on the ROI Calculator and begin inputting numbers. There is no registration required, click on the link for the ROI Calc. at the top of the page and the form is right there. A manager or owner will enter the amount of their store’s annual sales and the amount he/she may want to spend on a Checkpoint security system. The Free Loss Prevention Calculator has a default estimated shrinkage calculation built into it of 1.2%. This is about the national average for retail shortage. The calculator assumes store shrinkage will be reduced to .65%, slightly less than a half of a percent reduction with the installation of a Checkpoint system. The actual results could be even better than this meaning greater cash savings. The number of months it would take for a system to pay for itself is calculated at the bottom of the page. Can loss prevention be free? The numbers are displayed right on your screen. After a system has paid for itself over the months figured in the calculation then ongoing savings are yours to reinvest, save or use to grow your business.
How sure am I that an electronic article surveillance system works? I have worked extensively in Retail Loss Prevention as a Loss Prevention Officer and a Loss Prevention Manager. In those positions I used Checkpoint equipment and I have seen it work. I have also worked with electronic article surveillance tags and antennas in a college library and I have recovered a number of books and media materials from patrons who would otherwise have walked out with them. As the writer of the article I am sure some of you are still a bit skeptical of my claims so maybe I can ease your concerns after you read this information from retaildive.com, by Dan O’shea, March 6, 2017 in an article titled, “Dollar General tags Checkpoint for EAS deployment in 2800 stores”. According to Mr. O’Shea, ““Source tagging alone reduced theft of high-risk items by 44% in our stores” said an unnamed vice president of loss prevention at a major North American drugstore chain quoted by Checkpoint in the press release touting the Dollar General deal.”” The article mentioned that the Dollar General stores had experienced positive results in deterring theft through a trial of Checkpoint Systems in a limited number of their stores. Surely the installation of EAS systems in 2800 stores is a testimony to the impact of a Checkpoint System in a store.
You may not be the owner of 2800 stores but theft in those stores you do own can hurt more than theft in a national chain. You may not be able to afford 1.2% or greater shortage. That means you should be the one asking, Can loss prevention be free?” Use the Free Loss Prevention Calculator and see the answer for yourself. You will be pleasantly surprised.
The Free Loss Prevention Calculator is important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.
Can Loss Prevention Be Free? -3 WC Blog 539Free Loss Prevention Calculator-3Take The Guess Work Out Of Shortage Reduction By Using The Free Loss Prevention Calculator It seems like it would be an odd question to ask retailers whose business is selling stuff but can loss prevention be free? I am certain that the majority of readers will be thinking that there would have to be a catch because nothing comes without a cost even if it is a hidden cost. I think of my sons going to college. Both were able to go “for free” taking into account the scholarships they were being given each semester. The money from the scholarships covered all of their necessary education expenses. It looks great on the surface but there is/was a catch. In the event their grades fell/fall below a certain grade point average they would lose those scholarships and they would be responsible for paying for their classes. That was a heavy weight for my older son to carry and one my younger son is still dealing with in his senior year of college. This is not a complaint, as we are extremely grateful that the scholarships have been available to enable them to attend school. It is only an acknowledgement that there is a certain price associated with the acceptance of the “free” scholarship. Loss Prevention Systems Inc. founder Bill Bregar knows that there is skepticism when anything is offered as free. His company, Loss Prevention Systems Inc. is focused on making stores profitable through shortage reduction and theft prevention. To do this he recommends stores install a Checkpoint System that will pay for itself. That’s right, an anti-theft system can reduce shortage and ultimately be free and by trying the Free Loss Prevention Calculator you can find out it is true. How free is this tool? Anyone can access the Loss prevention Systems Inc. website, click on the ROI Calculator and begin inputting numbers. There is no registration required, click on the link for the ROI Calc. at the top of the page and the form is right there. A manager or owner will enter the amount of their store’s annual sales and the amount he/she may want to spend on a Checkpoint security system. The Free Loss Prevention Calculator has a default estimated shrinkage calculation built into it of 1.2%. This is about the national average for retail shortage. The calculator assumes store shrinkage will be reduced to .65%, slightly less than a half of a percent reduction with the installation of a Checkpoint system. The actual results could be even better than this meaning greater cash savings. The number of months it would take for a system to pay for itself is calculated at the bottom of the page. Can loss prevention be free? The numbers are displayed right on your screen. After a system has paid for itself over the months figured in the calculation then ongoing savings are yours to reinvest, save or use to grow your business. How sure am I that an electronic article surveillance system works? I have worked extensively in Retail Loss Prevention as a Loss Prevention Officer and a Loss Prevention Manager. In those positions I used Checkpoint equipment and I have seen it work. I have also worked with electronic article surveillance tags and antennas in a college library and I have recovered a number of books and media materials from patrons who would otherwise have walked out with them. As the writer of the article I am sure some of you are still a bit skeptical of my claims so maybe I can ease your concerns after you read this information from retaildive.com, by Dan O’shea, March 6, 2017 in an article titled, “Dollar General tags Checkpoint for EAS deployment in 2800 stores”. According to Mr. O’Shea, ““Source tagging alone reduced theft of high-risk items by 44% in our stores” said an unnamed vice president of loss prevention at a major North American drugstore chain quoted by Checkpoint in the press release touting the Dollar General deal.”” The article mentioned that the Dollar General stores had experienced positive results in deterring theft through a trial of Checkpoint systems in a limited number of their stores. Surely the installation of EAS systems in 2800 stores is a testimony to the impact of a Checkpoint System in a store. You may not be the owner of 2800 stores but theft in those stores you do own can hurt more than theft in a national chain. You may not be able to afford 1.2% or greater shortage. That means you should be the one asking, Can loss prevention be free?” Use the Free Loss Prevention Calculator and see the answer for yourself. You will be pleasantly surprised.The Free Loss Prevention Calculator is important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.
ARE RETAIL ANTI THEFT DEVICES THE BEST STRATEGY FOR LOSS PREVENTION?
As an LP Manager for a rather large company, I often find myself in meetings with other retailers and our law enforcement partners. These “networking” meetings bring together a lot of good information, but it also shows the vulnerabilities of smaller stores in our communities and the necessity for even the smallest of retailers to Prevent Shoplifting.
Just last week, I was invited to a merchant/law enforcement meeting that was hosted by a local Sheriff’s Office. There were the big retailers represented, but what surprised me was the shear amount of smaller, “mom and pop” store managers and owners that came out. I had learned that over the last couple of weeks, several detectives had been making contact with these smaller stores and getting them onboard to come to our meeting, as they continued to express great frustration to the police regarding shoplifters in the area. If anyone can give you advice on how to Prevent Shoplifting, it’s a room full of career Loss Prevention guys and girls.
As it normally does, the questions normally drift to people asking what Retail Anti Theft Device is going to stop people from stealing out of their store. For me, that’s always such a hard question to answer; I know, from my years of experience, there is nothing out there, short of locking everything behind glass, that will completely Prevent Shoplifting. So, just like a shoplifter, I approach this question with caution.
First, you have to understand that in order to be effective against criminals; you have to take a multi-pronged approached. Having one singular Retail Anti Theft Device on a hot product probably isn’t going to make much impact. Now, combine that device with a solid EAS tower, good cameras, with public view monitors, a culture of great customer interaction and service and you’ve got the makings of a winning combination.
That’s the biggest challenge I face with smaller business owners. They don’t have the years of LP experience that I do. It’s almost like when I’m explaining a case to my grandmother. I’ll tell her that someone stole from my store, but they got away. She’ll ask if the car was on video and then will be flabbergasted that I can’t zoom in on the license plate from 2 blocks away like she saw on last week’s episode of Law and Order.
So yes, your store absolutely needs to have the latest in EAS technology to help stem those external losses. Just remember that a well-trained and attentive employee who engages every, single customer can be just as, if not more effective to your loss prevention strategy than any one Retail Anti Theft Device.
Get more information on Alpha Tech, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
As an LP Manager for a rather large company, I often find myself in meetings with other retailers and our law enforcement partners. These “networking” meetings bring together a lot of good information, but it also shows the vulnerabilities of smaller stores in our communities and the necessity for even the smallest of retailers to Prevent Shoplifting.
Just last week, I was invited to a merchant/law enforcement meeting that was hosted by a local Sheriff’s Office. There were the big retailers represented, but what surprised me was the shear amount of smaller, “mom and pop” store managers and owners that came out. I had learned that over the last couple of weeks, several detectives had been making contact with these smaller stores and getting them onboard to come to our meeting, as they continued to express great frustration to the police regarding shoplifters in the area. If anyone can give you advice on how to Prevent Shoplifting, it’s a room full of career Loss Prevention guys and girls.
As it normally does, the questions normally drift to people asking what Retail Anti Theft Device is going to stop people from stealing out of their store. For me, that’s always such a hard question to answer; I know, from my years of experience, there is nothing out there, short of locking everything behind glass, that will completely Prevent Shoplifting. So, just like a shoplifter, I approach this question with caution.
First, you have to understand that in order to be effective against criminals; you have to take a multi-pronged approached. Having one singular Retail Anti Theft Device on a hot product probably isn’t going to make much impact. Now, combine that device with a solid EAS tower, good cameras, with public view monitors, a culture of great customer interaction and service and you’ve got the makings of a winning combination.
That’s the biggest challenge I face with smaller business owners. They don’t have the years of LP experience that I do. It’s almost like when I’m explaining a case to my grandmother. I’ll tell her that someone stole from my store, but they got away. She’ll ask if the car was on video and then will be flabbergasted that I can’t zoom in on the license plate from 2 blocks away like she saw on last week’s episode of Law and Order.
So yes, your store absolutely needs to have the latest in EAS technology to help stem those external losses. Just remember that a well-trained and attentive employee who engages every, single customer can be just as, if not more effective to your loss prevention strategy than any one Retail Anti Theft Device.
Get more information on Alpha Tech, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
Applicant Management System – 3 WC Blog 543
Applicant Tracking System – 4
Losing Patience With Lost Paperwork? Try An Applicant Tracking System
Where is an applicant tracking system when I need one?! I found myself asking this very question the other day as I was trying to find out where a job applicant’s paperwork had gone to. I work for a state agency and while I love my job I get super annoyed at how slow our hiring process tends to be. When we have an open position it seems like we have to jump through all kinds of hoops to get the applicant on board once we choose our top candidate. Oh, did I mention that much of our process is still paper-based? This means we are printing papers, completing them and sending them to several different locations in our bureaucracy for further processing. On this particular occasion our paperwork got lost somewhere and I had to work with my supervisor and our department’s administrative assistant to find out where it was. In the meantime our candidate was on hold, we couldn’t make a formal job offer until the paperwork was approved. It turned out the paperwork was sitting on someone’s desk waiting for an approval signature and then it would be sent back to our Human Resource Department. At that point we could make our offer and set a start date for our new hire. Had we been using an Applicant Management System the “missing” paperwork would never have been an issue.
An Applicant Management System is a service offered by Loss Prevention Systems Inc. (LPSI) that helps retailers take the headache out of the hiring process. LPSI founder Bill Bregar has held positions as a National Director of Loss Prevention for retail chains and is also a Licensed Private Investigator. He has been involved in all levels of the hiring process and understands the challenges of hiring new employees. It is for this reason LPSI offers an applicant tracking system, pre-employment screening and a drug test panel for small and medium sized retailers. The time spent keeping track of files and documents can be better spent on other areas of the business. In many situations the store owner and manager also serves as the human resources and hiring manager. With no one else to take care of all that hiring a new employee involves finding a solution to make the task easier is essential. The applicant tracking system keeps all of the hiring forms and background check releases in one electronic location eliminating the need for paper files. All relevant documentation is in a convenient location so there is no need to worry about lost papers or wondering whose desk a form may be sitting on.
As former Loss Prevention Manager and an employee in an academic environment I am also keenly aware of the need to keep personal information secure. In my Loss Prevention role I had to keep investigation records locked up and information was on a need to know basis. In an academic job I have to be cognizant of FERPA (Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act) regulations regarding the protection of student privacy rights. Mishandling of papers with personal or private information could land me in hot water. The same protections must be given to sensitive information your applicants give you. You may be handling social security numbers, dates of birth, phone numbers and addresses. You have an obligation to keep this secure and electronic documents in an applicant management system are the surest method of protection.
There is an old saying I like to quote, “Don’t work harder work smarter.” Why make the hiring process more difficult than it needs to be when you can keep everything in one easy to manage location? You may not be able to hire a Human Resources Manager to keep up with your hiring process but you CAN afford to use an Applicant Tracking System. Try it out and then start thinking about how you can use that extra time to increase your sales!
Need information on an Applicant Tracking System? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
Where is an applicant tracking system when I need one?! I found myself asking this very question the other day as I was trying to find out where a job applicant’s paperwork had gone to. I work for a state agency and while I love my job I get super annoyed at how slow our hiring process tends to be. When we have an open position it seems like we have to jump through all kinds of hoops to get the applicant on board once we choose our top candidate. Oh, did I mention that much of our process is still paper-based? This means we are printing papers, completing them and sending them to several different locations in our bureaucracy for further processing. On this particular occasion our paperwork got lost somewhere and I had to work with my supervisor and our department’s administrative assistant to find out where it was. In the meantime our candidate was on hold, we couldn’t make a formal job offer until the paperwork was approved. It turned out the paperwork was sitting on someone’s desk waiting for an approval signature and then it would be sent back to our Human Resource Department. At that point we could make our offer and set a start date for our new hire. Had we been using an Applicant Management System the “missing” paperwork would never have been an issue.
An Applicant Management System is a service offered by Loss Prevention Systems Inc. (LPSI) that helps retailers take the headache out of the hiring process. LPSI founder Bill Bregar has held positions as a National Director of Loss Prevention for retail chains and is also a Licensed Private Investigator. He has been involved in all levels of the hiring process and understands the challenges of hiring new employees. It is for this reason LPSI offers an applicant tracking system, pre-employment screening and a drug test panel for small and medium sized retailers. The time spent keeping track of files and documents can be better spent on other areas of the business. In many situations the store owner and manager also serves as the human resources and hiring manager. With no one else to take care of all that hiring a new employee involves finding a solution to make the task easier is essential. The applicant tracking system keeps all of the hiring forms and background check releases in one electronic location eliminating the need for paper files. All relevant documentation is in a convenient location so there is no need to worry about lost papers or wondering whose desk a form may be sitting on.
As former Loss Prevention Manager and an employee in an academic environment I am also keenly aware of the need to keep personal information secure. In my Loss Prevention role I had to keep investigation records locked up and information was on a need to know basis. In an academic job I have to be cognizant of FERPA (Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act) regulations regarding the protection of student privacy rights. Mishandling of papers with personal or private information could land me in hot water. The same protections must be given to sensitive information your applicants give you. You may be handling social security numbers, dates of birth, phone numbers and addresses. You have an obligation to keep this secure and electronic documents in an applicant management system are the surest method of protection.
There is an old saying I like to quote, “Don’t work harder work smarter.” Why make the hiring process more difficult than it needs to be when you can keep everything in one easy to manage location? You may not be able to hire a Human Resources Manager to keep up with your hiring process but you CAN afford to use an Applicant Tracking System. Try it out and then start thinking about how you can use that extra time to increase your sales!
Need information on an Applicant Tracking System? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
Retail Theft Prevention-5 WC Blog 458
Checkpoint System-5
Attitude And Store Culture Contribute To Retail Theft Prevention And Reduced Shortage
Store managers, I am going to relate a story that happened to me in a grocery store during a recent shopping trip I made with my wife. It was my turn to check out. The cashier and the bagging clerk were chit chatting. I was barely acknowledged as I pulled out my customer loyalty card, I think I interrupted a conversation between these two clerks. I stood at the credit card reader and watched my items being scanned while the cashier continued to chit chat with her friend. I found myself getting irritated as these two employees were conversing and seemingly ignoring me. As the clerk scanned a piece of meat and started to place it in the bag my wife pointed out that she had overlooked a coupon on the packaging. The employee removed the coupon scanned it and completed the sale, handed me the receipt with a half-hearted thank-you. She never pointed out our accumulated “rewards” points or the survey we could take. As a former Retail Loss Prevention Manager and currently still working part-time in retail I found I was irritated not only at the lack of customer service but the lack of attention to retail theft prevention. I have little doubt in my mind that had I been trying to sneak merchandise out on the bottom of my cart the cashier would not have caught it and the bagger may not have done so either.
Retail theft prevention is more than just having a Loss Prevention employee working for your store it is a culture that is embraced by store employees. In fact there are many stores that cannot afford any type of Loss Prevention person in the building but what they can afford is a Checkpoint System. Employees who possess customer service skill can deter a significant amount of theft. Stores using a Checkpoint System have employees trained to properly tag merchandise and respond to Checkpoint pedestal alarms. This training can make an even bigger impact on stock shortage.The fact is shoplifters don’t want attention and don’t want to hassle with anti-theft devices. Theft Prevention begins with a store culture that emphasizes customer service and a willingness to make some type of investment in anti-theft technology.
My encounter with the cashier and the bagger was a glimpse into a store with bigger issues. I shop at this store frequently and I don’t encounter many smiling faces. One of the newer managers smiles and greets guests but many of those who have been in this store for a lengthy period of time fail to exhibit outgoing personalities. This starts to influence the new and younger employees and becomes infectious. When employees aren’t engaging customers shoplifters notice and get comfortable stealing from these locations. Happy staff members greet people, engage in conversation or maybe just look someone in the eye and smile but all of these demonstrate recognition. Recognition is a deterrent to thieves and therefore it a method of retail theft prevention.
The other piece to this puzzle is the Checkpoint System. The pedestal alarms require a quick and effective response from a worker who is willing to interact with people and do so with a positive attitude. A staff member who responds to an alarm with a lackadaisical attitude or an overly aggressive or accusatory disposition is going to be ineffective at recovering merchandise. A shoplifter is going to respond in kind to an angry employee and if the responder is unconcerned or shrugs off the alarm the shoplifter is going to continue out the door. The employee with the negative attitude is going to be less than thorough in tagging merchandise and that also hinders the effectiveness of a Checkpoint System. If a tagger is only tagging half of the merchandise they are supposed to tag the shoplifters will find the half that are not protected and steal those and that is a blow to the retail theft prevention plans of a store.
It is the role of store leaders and owners to hire the right people and ensure a work environment is one that is enjoyable to be in. Leading by example and modeling those attitudes lends credibility to those leaders and increases their effectiveness when they talk to an employee about their impact on retail theft prevention when they don’t meet expectations. Drive great shortage results with a Checkpoint System and superior customer service.
A Checkpoint System is important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.
Store managers, I am going to relate a story that happened to me in a grocery store during a recent shopping trip I made with my wife. It was my turn to check out. The cashier and the bagging clerk were chit chatting. I was barely acknowledged as I pulled out my customer loyalty card, I think I interrupted a conversation between these two clerks. I stood at the credit card reader and watched my items being scanned while the cashier continued to chit chat with her friend. I found myself getting irritated as these two employees were conversing and seemingly ignoring me. As the clerk scanned a piece of meat and started to place it in the bag my wife pointed out that she had overlooked a coupon on the packaging. The employee removed the coupon scanned it and completed the sale, handed me the receipt with a half-hearted thank-you. She never pointed out our accumulated “rewards” points or the survey we could take. As a former Retail Loss Prevention Manager and currently still working part-time in retail I found I was irritated not only at the lack of customer service but the lack of attention to retail theft prevention. I have little doubt in my mind that had I been trying to sneak merchandise out on the bottom of my cart the cashier would not have caught it and the bagger may not have done so either.
Retail theft prevention is more than just having a Loss Prevention employee working for your store it is a culture that is embraced by store employees. In fact there are many stores that cannot afford any type of Loss Prevention person in the building but what they can afford is a Checkpoint System. Employees who possess customer service skill can deter a significant amount of theft. Stores using a Checkpoint System have employees trained to properly tag merchandise and respond to Checkpoint pedestal alarms. This training can make an even bigger impact on stock shortage.The fact is shoplifters don’t want attention and don’t want to hassle with anti-theft devices. Theft Prevention begins with a store culture that emphasizes customer service and a willingness to make some type of investment in anti-theft technology.
My encounter with the cashier and the bagger was a glimpse into a store with bigger issues. I shop at this store frequently and I don’t encounter many smiling faces. One of the newer managers smiles and greets guests but many of those who have been in this store for a lengthy period of time fail to exhibit outgoing personalities. This starts to influence the new and younger employees and becomes infectious. When employees aren’t engaging customers shoplifters notice and get comfortable stealing from these locations. Happy staff members greet people, engage in conversation or maybe just look someone in the eye and smile but all of these demonstrate recognition. Recognition is a deterrent to thieves and therefore it a method of retail theft prevention.
The other piece to this puzzle is the Checkpoint System. The pedestal alarms require a quick and effective response from a worker who is willing to interact with people and do so with a positive attitude. A staff member who responds to an alarm with a lackadaisical attitude or an overly aggressive or accusatory disposition is going to be ineffective at recovering merchandise. A shoplifter is going to respond in kind to an angry employee and if the responder is unconcerned or shrugs off the alarm the shoplifter is going to continue out the door. The employee with the negative attitude is going to be less than thorough in tagging merchandise and that also hinders the effectiveness of a Checkpoint System. If a tagger is only tagging half of the merchandise they are supposed to tag the shoplifters will find the half that are not protected and steal those and that is a blow to the retail theft prevention plans of a store.
It is the role of store leaders and owners to hire the right people and ensure a work environment is one that is enjoyable to be in. Leading by example and modeling those attitudes lends credibility to those leaders and increases their effectiveness when they talk to an employee about their impact on retail theft prevention when they don’t meet expectations. Drive great shortage results with a Checkpoint System and superior customer service.
A Checkpoint System is important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.
Alpha Keepers-4 WC Blog 478
Retail Anti-Theft Devices-4
Alpha Keepers Keep Products Safe
When I think of strong, durable retail anti-theft devices I think of one product in particular that keeps products safe from theft. Before I tell you what it is I have a bit of trivia for those who may be history buffs. How many of you know what a castle “keep” is? If you know congratulations! If you don’t know, a castle keep is basically a final defensive tower or stronghold within a castle. According to Medieval-Castle.com it is, “a castle within a castle as it has traditionally been used as a final defensive structure.” In other words the “keep” is a strongpoint for defending against castle assailants who may have breached the walls of a castle. Now to the analogy I want to make. When it comes to retail anti-theft devices Alpha Keepers is definitely a favorite of mine and provides a great defense against criminals who want to steal you blind.
Alpha Keepers are clear boxes with a locking lid that provides security for a wide variety of products. Because they are clear, customers can view the merchandise inside the box and read product information on labels. Your customers can also pick up the box and walk around the store with the merchandise until they are ready to check out. The merchant is comfortable knowing that the box is sturdy enough to prevent a thief from breaking into it and taking the product. Unlike the risks usually associated with open display products, items in Keepers means they are accessible but secure. This eliminates the need for display cases, call buttons and staff available with a key to open a case. Worried about someone taking merchandise and the Keeper out the door? No need, these retail anti-theft devices are equipped with electronic article surveillance (EAS) technology and interact with EAS pedestals. If a Keeper box gets too close to a pedestal an alarm in the pedestal sounds an alert. Store personnel respond and recover the Keeper with the merchandise inside of it. And did I mention that if a shoplifter tries to force open a box an alarm also sounds and employees respond to that location and recover the merchandise and box?
My analogy to the castle keep is this; shoplifters take advantage of stores where they know there is no protection for merchandise. Your store is your castle and the domain where you have set your flag and determined that you are going to be THE store shoppers will want to visit. Shoplifters are those who want to attack your castle and plunder your goods. If they find a weakness they will take advantage of it. They won’t attack the stores that are well defended, they get caught! They go to the locations where they find there is little or no security in place and then they attack it. I know it sounds a little extreme but the truth is shoplifters do victimize the weak and they return over and over again. Oh and by return, I mean in the same day not just over periods of time. Having worked in Retail Loss Prevention for nearly 17 years I have watched it happen.
How do the shoplifters know the weak stores? They walk in and look for EAS pedestals at the front doors, Public View monitors at front entrances and camera domes in the ceiling. They also see if they can find the use of retail anti-theft devices, such as Alpha Keepers being used. If they determine it is a vulnerable store they will begin plundering it, especially if they are part of an Organized Retail Crime group.
By protecting merchandise with Alpha Keepers merchants are setting up their castle within a castle. EAS pedestals, cameras and customer service are the castle walls that provide the first line of defense against the intruders. Alpha boxes represent the “Keep” the final stronghold. They work and they will stop the shoplifters who want to take your treasures without paying for them. They also keep the merchandise on the shelves for the customers who want to shop with you, and that drives sales!
Need information on Alpha Keepers? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
When I think of strong, durable retail anti-theft devices I think of one product in particular that keeps products safe from theft. Before I tell you what it is I have a bit of trivia for those who may be history buffs. How many of you know what a castle “keep” is? If you know congratulations! If you don’t know, a castle keep is basically a final defensive tower or stronghold within a castle. According to Medieval-Castle.com it is, “a castle within a castle as it has traditionally been used as a final defensive structure.” In other words the “keep” is a strongpoint for defending against castle assailants who may have breached the walls of a castle. Now to the analogy I want to make. When it comes to retail anti-theft devices Alpha Keepers is definitely a favorite of mine and provides a great defense against criminals who want to steal you blind.
Alpha Keepers are clear boxes with a locking lid that provides security for a wide variety of products. Because they are clear, customers can view the merchandise inside the box and read product information on labels. Your customers can also pick up the box and walk around the store with the merchandise until they are ready to check out. The merchant is comfortable knowing that the box is sturdy enough to prevent a thief from breaking into it and taking the product. Unlike the risks usually associated with open display products, items in Keepers means they are accessible but secure. This eliminates the need for display cases, call buttons and staff available with a key to open a case. Worried about someone taking merchandise and the Keeper out the door? No need, these retail anti-theft devices are equipped with electronic article surveillance (EAS) technology and interact with EAS pedestals. If a Keeper box gets too close to a pedestal an alarm in the pedestal sounds an alert. Store personnel respond and recover the Keeper with the merchandise inside of it. And did I mention that if a shoplifter tries to force open a box an alarm also sounds and employees respond to that location and recover the merchandise and box?
My analogy to the castle keep is this; shoplifters take advantage of stores where they know there is no protection for merchandise. Your store is your castle and the domain where you have set your flag and determined that you are going to be THE store shoppers will want to visit. Shoplifters are those who want to attack your castle and plunder your goods. If they find a weakness they will take advantage of it. They won’t attack the stores that are well defended, they get caught! They go to the locations where they find there is little or no security in place and then they attack it. I know it sounds a little extreme but the truth is shoplifters do victimize the weak and they return over and over again. Oh and by return, I mean in the same day not just over periods of time. Having worked in Retail Loss Prevention for nearly 17 years I have watched it happen.
How do the shoplifters know the weak stores? They walk in and look for EAS pedestals at the front doors, Public View monitors at front entrances and camera domes in the ceiling. They also see if they can find the use of retail anti-theft devices, such as Alpha Keepers being used. If they determine it is a vulnerable store they will begin plundering it, especially if they are part of an Organized Retail Crime group.
By protecting merchandise with Alpha Keepers merchants are setting up their castle within a castle. EAS pedestals, cameras and customer service are the castle walls that provide the first line of defense against the intruders. Alpha boxes represent the “Keep” the final stronghold. They work and they will stop the shoplifters who want to take your treasures without paying for them. They also keep the merchandise on the shelves for the customers who want to shop with you, and that drives sales!
Need information on Alpha Keepers? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
