Low Profile Checkpoint System – 3 WC Blog 505
Checkpoint Overhead System – 4
Raise Profits With A Low Profile Checkpoint System
For retailers longing for a low profile Checkpoint system Loss Prevention Systems Inc. has the answer to your predicament. Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) is a great way to prevent shoplifting in stores. Just the presence of towers positioned at the front doors and tags on products can be all that is needed to turn a shoplifter around and send them out the door to commit their crimes somewhere else. As a former Retail Loss Prevention Manager for 14 years and possessing 27 years of retail experience I have seen the impact on theft reduction EAS can have in a store. I am also aware that while there are some stores that have an EAS system the owners would love to see the towers go away. Some feel they are a distraction and others believe they make customers feel like they are not trusted when they walk into the building (especially if it is an upscale look the retailer is attempting to present). This is not to imply the owners don’t want the protections of EAS they just don’t want the first thing a customer sees when they walk into a store to be the tower. This is why Bill Bregar, CEO of Loss Prevention Systems Inc. has introduced the Checkpoint Overhead System into the lineup of Checkpoint products offered by LPSI.
It is important to discuss the differences between the traditional towers most of the readers are familiar with and the Checkpoint Overhead System. Both operate using electronic article surveillance technology where an EAS tag emits a radio wave that is received by a tower and the tower then makes a loud (and annoying) beeping sound and flashes lights. The alarm and lights get the attention of employees who check on the cause of the activation and conduct receipt checks determining the cause for the alarm and recovering merchandise in the process. The EAS system itself is wonderful at preventing theft and pays for itself in the process. The issue that some owners have, as I mentioned in the beginning is that the appearance of the towers can be a distraction to some. The low profile Checkpoint system takes the distraction of the tower out of the equation. Because it mounts to the ceiling there are no antennas on the floor and the Checkpoint Overhead System is out of sight of the customer. It offers all the protection of EAS, none of the visual distraction.
Some of you who already have an EAS system may be asking if the low profile Checkpoint system can be as effective as the EAS towers you currently have or at least are familiar with. Yes there is an added perk to using them. I remember once as a Loss Prevention Associate a number of years ago I had a VERY tall gentleman, fill a garbage bag with merchandise, toss it over his shoulder and walk out of the store. The would-be shoplifter walked right through our EAS towers but he was so tall the tagged items were not picked up by the receivers! The Checkpoint Overhead System eliminates this potential problem. System coverage all the way to the floor from the ceiling ensures nothing can get past the unit without being captured by the unit.
You may also be wondering if you have to use different Checkpoint tags than what you already have if you were to transition to the new low profile Checkpoint system. The answer to that question is, “No.” The tags you currently use are compatible with the new system and require no changes or adjustments to the tags you are already using. The only thing that changes is the look of the store without the towers at the front doors.
EAS protection to prevent shoplifting is important and it adds profit to the bottom line of a store. Recognizing the fact that there are malls that will not permit EAS towers and retailers who want an upscale look the Checkpoint Overhead System is the right fit for you. Don’t allow mall policies or appearance concerns keep you from making business decisions that impact your profitability. Have a low profile Checkpoint system installed.
Need information on a low profile Checkpoint system? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
For retailers longing for a low profile Checkpoint system Loss Prevention Systems Inc. has the answer to your predicament. Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) is a great way to prevent shoplifting in stores. Just the presence of towers positioned at the front doors and tags on products can be all that is needed to turn a shoplifter around and send them out the door to commit their crimes somewhere else. As a former Retail Loss Prevention Manager for 14 years and possessing 27 years of retail experience I have seen the impact on theft reduction EAS can have in a store. I am also aware that while there are some stores that have an EAS system the owners would love to see the towers go away. Some feel they are a distraction and others believe they make customers feel like they are not trusted when they walk into the building (especially if it is an upscale look the retailer is attempting to present). This is not to imply the owners don’t want the protections of EAS they just don’t want the first thing a customer sees when they walk into a store to be the tower. This is why Bill Bregar, CEO of Loss Prevention Systems Inc. has introduced the Checkpoint Overhead System into the lineup of Checkpoint products offered by LPSI.
It is important to discuss the differences between the traditional towers most of the readers are familiar with and the Checkpoint Overhead System. Both operate using electronic article surveillance technology where an EAS tag emits a radio wave that is received by a tower and the tower then makes a loud (and annoying) beeping sound and flashes lights. The alarm and lights get the attention of employees who check on the cause of the activation and conduct receipt checks determining the cause for the alarm and recovering merchandise in the process. The EAS system itself is wonderful at preventing theft and pays for itself in the process. The issue that some owners have, as I mentioned in the beginning is that the appearance of the towers can be a distraction to some. The low profile Checkpoint system takes the distraction of the tower out of the equation. Because it mounts to the ceiling there are no antennas on the floor and the Checkpoint Overhead System is out of sight of the customer. It offers all the protection of EAS, none of the visual distraction.
Some of you who already have an EAS system may be asking if the low profile Checkpoint system can be as effective as the EAS towers you currently have or at least are familiar with. Yes there is an added perk to using them. I remember once as a Loss Prevention Associate a number of years ago I had a VERY tall gentleman, fill a garbage bag with merchandise, toss it over his shoulder and walk out of the store. The would-be shoplifter walked right through our EAS towers but he was so tall the tagged items were not picked up by the receivers! The Checkpoint Overhead System eliminates this potential problem. System coverage all the way to the floor from the ceiling ensures nothing can get past the unit without being captured by the unit.
You may also be wondering if you have to use different Checkpoint tags than what you already have if you were to transition to the new low profile Checkpoint system. The answer to that question is, “No.” The tags you currently use are compatible with the new system and require no changes or adjustments to the tags you are already using. The only thing that changes is the look of the store without the towers at the front doors.
EAS protection to prevent shoplifting is important and it adds profit to the bottom line of a store. Recognizing the fact that there are malls that will not permit EAS towers and retailers who want an upscale look the Checkpoint Overhead System is the right fit for you. Don’t allow mall policies or appearance concerns keep you from making business decisions that impact your profitability. Have a low profile Checkpoint system installed.
Need information on a low profile Checkpoint system? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
Prevent Shoplifting-4 WC Blog 440
Alpha Keepers-4
Canine Crooks And Other Criminal Capers Can Be Prevented With Alpha Keepers
As I have been spending time on the internet looking for the latest crime trends I came across a recent trend that has me very concerned as a Loss Prevention professional…animal theft. You read that correctly animal theft, specifically dogs and birds gone bad. I had no idea that it was taking place but it is happening in stores world-wide and I have to “paws” and wonder, what happens to birds that steal, instead of going to the big house do they go to the bird house? If given bail, would they take flight? When dogs try to get away are they “fleaing” the scene of the crime? Does the store owner call the pawlice when they suspect there are cat burglars? How do you prevent shoplifting by these furry friends? I’m not sure if they would prove to be deterrents to critter criminals, but I do know that Alpha Keepers can stop human shoplifters. By now you’re wondering if I’m kidding about all of these stories of corrupt canines and birds preying on store owners. I will let you decide for yourself:
• January 10, 2017, Washingtonpost.com, “’Sneaky’ squirrels have stolen dozens of candy bars from this convenience store”, by Karen Brulliard
• September 11, 2015, mirror.co.uk, “Shoplifting seagull is chased around store by furious owner after pinching packet of peanuts”, by Alexander Lerche
• May 19,2017, nbcnews.com, “Dog Caught on Camera Stealing Bread From Store”
• December 6, 2013, HUFFPOST, “Shoplifting Dog Caught Stealing Bones From Store, Burying Them Out Back”, by Ryan Grenoble
There are more such stories you would go ape over like the monkey in India stealing cash from a jewelry store, time.com, June 6, 2016, by Cady Lang, but no more horsing around. It is a serious problem and though it is hard to prevent shoplifting, it is not impossible.
The first thing store owners can do to deter and stop criminals from stealing is to use Alpha Keepers to keep merchandise safe. Keepers are locking, see-through boxes that hold a varied array of products and still give shoppers the convenience of viewing and carrying items around the store. When Keepers are used, in many instances locking showcases can be eliminated. This frees up employees from having to spend time locking and unlocking cases and they can provide more valuable customer service elsewhere. Keepers also work with electronic article surveillance (EAS) pedestals. When an Alpha Keeper box is too close to an EAS pedestal it causes alarms and flashing lights in the pedestal to turn on and nearby store staff members respond and recover merchandise before it is taken out of the building. Keepers prevent shoplifting through deterrence. Shoplifters don’t want to attempt to forcibly remove merchandise from the box and risk someone hearing them and they are bulky making it harder to hide if they are thinking about stealing.
While this article started by sharing criminal animal antics on a more serious note there are human criminals victimizing pet stores and other retailers and cleaning them out. For example a story in Yahoo News, March 15, 2017, “’Sticky Fingers’ busts US Retail Theft Ring”, the article reports that, “While electronics goods were most favored, they also ran a sideline in expensive flea collars pinched from pet stores”. In a May 17, 2017 story in nwi.com, by Lauren Cross, “Police: Hobart Petco theft suspect stole ‘thousands of dollars’ in flea meds”, a suspect was reported, “…allegedly stealing “several hundred dollars-worth” of Frontline flea and tick prevention medication…” If these stores resort to using Alpha Keepers in the future, there is a good chance they can prevent shoplifting from taking place again.
Retailer owners don’t get “ticked” off by shoplifters stealing from you. Whether it is a flea collar or a DVD there are Alpha Keepers that will probably suit your needs to reduce theft and in turn boost sales.
Alpha Keepers are important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.
As I have been spending time on the internet looking for the latest crime trends I came across a recent trend that has me very concerned as a Loss Prevention professional…animal theft. You read that correctly animal theft, specifically dogs and birds gone bad. I had no idea that it was taking place but it is happening in stores world-wide and I have to “paws” and wonder, what happens to birds that steal, instead of going to the big house do they go to the bird house? If given bail, would they take flight? When dogs try to get away are they “fleaing” the scene of the crime? Does the store owner call the pawlice when they suspect there are cat burglars? How do you prevent shoplifting by these furry friends? I’m not sure if they would prove to be deterrents to critter criminals, but I do know that Alpha Keepers can stop human shoplifters. By now you’re wondering if I’m kidding about all of these stories of corrupt canines and birds preying on store owners. I will let you decide for yourself:
• January 10, 2017, Washingtonpost.com, “’Sneaky’ squirrels have stolen dozens of candy bars from this convenience store”, by Karen Brulliard
• September 11, 2015, mirror.co.uk, “Shoplifting seagull is chased around store by furious owner after pinching packet of peanuts”, by Alexander Lerche
• May 19,2017, nbcnews.com, “Dog Caught on Camera Stealing Bread From Store”
• December 6, 2013, HUFFPOST, “Shoplifting Dog Caught Stealing Bones From Store, Burying Them Out Back”, by Ryan Grenoble
There are more such stories you would go ape over like the monkey in India stealing cash from a jewelry store, time.com, June 6, 2016, by Cady Lang, but no more horsing around. It is a serious problem and though it is hard to prevent shoplifting, it is not impossible.
The first thing store owners can do to deter and stop criminals from stealing is to use Alpha Keepers to keep merchandise safe. Keepers are locking, see-through boxes that hold a varied array of products and still give shoppers the convenience of viewing and carrying items around the store. When Keepers are used, in many instances locking showcases can be eliminated. This frees up employees from having to spend time locking and unlocking cases and they can provide more valuable customer service elsewhere. Keepers also work with electronic article surveillance (EAS) pedestals. When an Alpha Keeper box is too close to an EAS pedestal it causes alarms and flashing lights in the pedestal to turn on and nearby store staff members respond and recover merchandise before it is taken out of the building. Keepers prevent shoplifting through deterrence. Shoplifters don’t want to attempt to forcibly remove merchandise from the box and risk someone hearing them and they are bulky making it harder to hide if they are thinking about stealing.
While this article started by sharing criminal animal antics on a more serious note there are human criminals victimizing pet stores and other retailers and cleaning them out. For example a story in Yahoo News, March 15, 2017, “’Sticky Fingers’ busts US Retail Theft Ring”, the article reports that, “While electronics goods were most favored, they also ran a sideline in expensive flea collars pinched from pet stores”. In a May 17, 2017 story in nwi.com, by Lauren Cross, “Police: Hobart Petco theft suspect stole ‘thousands of dollars’ in flea meds”, a suspect was reported, “…allegedly stealing “several hundred dollars-worth” of Frontline flea and tick prevention medication…” If these stores resort to using Alpha Keepers in the future, there is a good chance they can prevent shoplifting from taking place again.
Retailer owners don’t get “ticked” off by shoplifters stealing from you. Whether it is a flea collar or a DVD there are Alpha Keepers that will probably suit your needs to reduce theft and in turn boost sales.
Alpha Keepers are important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.
Training to reduce employee theft-3 WC Blog 482
Employee theft-3
Employee Theft May Impact You More Than You Realize Part 2
In Part 1 of this article I talked about how training to reduce employee theft is a must for store owners and managers. The problem is it isn’t as easy as doing a quick internet search and learning from whatever search result happens to pop up. Who is it that is giving advice? Do they really know anything about internal theft? To get training that will make a difference you want to learn from people with experience in the field of Retail Loss Prevention. You want people that know different methods of employee theft and understand that frequently patience in an investigation is necessary to find out how extensive a theft case may be. It is also important that trainers can demonstrate what a store owner or manager can do to minimize the chance that someone will steal from their employer. If training is done well owners and managers should have the tools to help prevent theft from happening or catch it sooner if it does.
Where can you go to get trustworthy training to reduce employee theft? Loss Prevention Systems Inc. is the best resource for information. Professionals from the Loss Prevention Management field incorporate years of experiences and investigations into a comprehensive training session that prepares managers to understand employee theft. You can learn the cues that employees may give to indicate they are thinking about stealing. Find out steps you can take to minimize the risk of hiring the wrong person in the first place. Did you know that a dishonest worker could be hurting your store’s reputation by stealing from customers? All of these are things that are best learned from someone who has dealt with theft and fraud and can speak from real life experiences.
One of the issues with employee theft is it does not always show up in obvious ways and if you do not know what you are looking for it can have a significant impact on your business. For example, I once had a return desk employee who was keeping receipts from customers and doing fraudulent returns from them. This cashier was doing legitimate returns for customers from the receipts and then keeping the receipts. If there were other items that had not been returned on the receipt she would pretend to do a return of one of the items on the receipt but there was no merchandise. Aside from getting money dishonestly for something that was not returned, she was also causing stock shortage issues with inventory. The inventory system assumed the merchandise was put back into our inventory or returned and defected out. In either case it was an item that was put back in inventory that had not made it there. It caused shortage that was only corrected when I caught the employee and she signed an admission form for all of the fraudulent returns and a promissory note that she would pay restitution for the losses she caused. Think for a moment what it would do to your inventory if you have a worker doing the same thing and you have no training to identify that it is taking place. What would the ramifications be?
I mentioned that employees can damage the reputation of a business if it isn’t caught early. I once had an employee who was stealing from our customers. The shoppers were supposed to receive a gift card with the purchase of a particular item. This cashier was keeping the gift card unless a customer returned mentioned they had not received it. On one occasion a victim didn’t speak with the cashier she spoke with a manager (which initiated my investigation). After spending quite a bit of time reviewing video and conducting live surveillances I caught the employee doing it to other customers. Had enough time gone by it could have really hurt our reputation with shoppers.
Left unchecked dishonest employees can hurt a company and the integrity of the business within the community. The chances of this happening can be minimal if an owner and managers take time to go through training to reduce employee theft. Find out more about how training from Loss Prevention Systems Inc. can make your business more profitable now and in the future.
Get more information on Training To Reduce Employee Theft. Contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
In Part 1 of this article I talked about how training to reduce employee theft is a must for store owners and managers. The problem is it isn’t as easy as doing a quick internet search and learning from whatever search result happens to pop up. Who is it that is giving advice? Do they really know anything about internal theft? To get training that will make a difference you want to learn from people with experience in the field of Retail Loss Prevention. You want people that know different methods of employee theft and understand that frequently patience in an investigation is necessary to find out how extensive a theft case may be. It is also important that trainers can demonstrate what a store owner or manager can do to minimize the chance that someone will steal from their employer. If training is done well owners and managers should have the tools to help prevent theft from happening or catch it sooner if it does.
Where can you go to get trustworthy training to reduce employee theft? Loss Prevention Systems Inc. is the best resource for information. Professionals from the Loss Prevention Management field incorporate years of experiences and investigations into a comprehensive training session that prepares managers to understand employee theft. You can learn the cues that employees may give to indicate they are thinking about stealing. Find out steps you can take to minimize the risk of hiring the wrong person in the first place. Did you know that a dishonest worker could be hurting your store’s reputation by stealing from customers? All of these are things that are best learned from someone who has dealt with theft and fraud and can speak from real life experiences.
One of the issues with employee theft is it does not always show up in obvious ways and if you do not know what you are looking for it can have a significant impact on your business. For example, I once had a return desk employee who was keeping receipts from customers and doing fraudulent returns from them. This cashier was doing legitimate returns for customers from the receipts and then keeping the receipts. If there were other items that had not been returned on the receipt she would pretend to do a return of one of the items on the receipt but there was no merchandise. Aside from getting money dishonestly for something that was not returned, she was also causing stock shortage issues with inventory. The inventory system assumed the merchandise was put back into our inventory or returned and defected out. In either case it was an item that was put back in inventory that had not made it there. It caused shortage that was only corrected when I caught the employee and she signed an admission form for all of the fraudulent returns and a promissory note that she would pay restitution for the losses she caused. Think for a moment what it would do to your inventory if you have a worker doing the same thing and you have no training to identify that it is taking place. What would the ramifications be?
I mentioned that employees can damage the reputation of a business if it isn’t caught early. I once had an employee who was stealing from our customers. The shoppers were supposed to receive a gift card with the purchase of a particular item. This cashier was keeping the gift card unless a customer returned mentioned they had not received it. On one occasion a victim didn’t speak with the cashier she spoke with a manager (which initiated my investigation). After spending quite a bit of time reviewing video and conducting live surveillances I caught the employee doing it to other customers. Had enough time gone by it could have really hurt our reputation with shoppers.
Left unchecked dishonest employees can hurt a company and the integrity of the business within the community. The chances of this happening can be minimal if an owner and managers take time to go through training to reduce employee theft. Find out more about how training from Loss Prevention Systems Inc. can make your business more profitable now and in the future.
Get more information on Training To Reduce Employee Theft. Contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
Return Fraud-3 WC Blog 435
Wardrobing-4
Alpha Shark Tags-4
Liberal Return Policies Do Not Mean Retailers Have To Put Up With Wardrobing Return Fraud If They Use Alpha Shark Tags
In the effort to increase sales and drive customer satisfaction many stores have implemented extremely liberal return and refund policies. I understand the premise behind this, make things easier for the customer, trust that they will not abuse your policies and they are more likely to be long-term patrons. Customer service can make or break a business and so balancing the need for making a profit with keeping your customer base happy can be tricky. In the office supplies store I work for we try hard to make reasonable returns for our patrons. A customer may bring back an ink cartridge for a printer without a receipt and explain that they had picked out the wrong one. They may be required to produce a picture I.D. but unless they have completed too many no receipt returns they will be able to get a refund. It’s good business. Many times they will turn around and purchase the correct cartridge. For non-clothing merchandise this can be easier to do than conducting refunds for clothing, whether the customer has the receipt or not. There are customers who engage in something called wardrobing and this fraud can make it hard on store managers to not tighten up return policies. Stores do have one sure method to fight this type of return fraud and that is the use of Alpha Shark Tags on clothing.
What is wardrobing? Why is it so deceptive? What are Alpha Shark Tags and how can they prevent this kind of fraud? Wardrobing is an intentional act of purchasing clothing with the knowledge that the clothes will be worn a time or two and returned for a full refund. It is deceptive because of the intent behind it and those who do it find ways to keep the tags intact on the merchandise. Sometimes the tags are taped inside the clothes for example up the sleeve of a shirt, or hanging inside the collar. In extreme cases the perpetrator will use a swift tag attachment gun to reattach tags to clothing. In this type of fraud the “customer” has the original receipt and all tags match up to it. Alpha Shark Tags prevent this type of return fraud because they can only be removed once and that is by being cut off. When merchandise is purchased these tags are left on the items. The customer gets the item home, tries it on again and if they are sure they want the item, the customer cuts off the tag and wears the item. The store has a crystal clear return policy that lets the patron know they cannot make a return once the tag is removed.
Why can’t the customer who is intent on wardrobing simply hide the Alpha Shark Tag like they do with the manufacturer hang tags? The reason is that the tags are a bright red color so they stand out on the clothing. When properly pinned in a highly visible location such as on a shirt sleeve or pant leg seam the tag can’t be concealed. It becomes obvious to others that the person wearing the clothing intends to return it. The façade of someone trying to look like they have an ever-growing wardrobe is stripped bare.
Does the use of the Shark Tag hurt the retailer who is trying to be flexible with their customers? I don’t believe it does. The customers who are honest will understand the purpose of the tags. The tags don’t negate the ability of a customer to return defective merchandise if a tag has been removed. What they do prevent is someone wearing clothes to a party, getting them stained with food or drink or drowned in perfume or cologne and then getting a refund the next day.
Is a liberal return policy what drives profits? I don’t know that it does. I think what drives sales is great customer service, beginning with a friendly sales staff. Sales are driven when we take time to talk with our customers, learn what they are looking for and give advice on what we honestly think will enhance their purchase or their needs. Honest customers don’t expect a retailer to be the victim of return fraud or to lose money they want fair treatment and usually will reciprocate in kind.
Alpha Shark Tags are important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547 now.
In the effort to increase sales and drive customer satisfaction many stores have implemented extremely liberal return and refund policies. I understand the premise behind this, make things easier for the customer, trust that they will not abuse your policies and they are more likely to be long-term patrons. Customer service can make or break a business and so balancing the need for making a profit with keeping your customer base happy can be tricky. In the office supplies store I work for we try hard to make reasonable returns for our patrons. A customer may bring back an ink cartridge for a printer without a receipt and explain that they had picked out the wrong one. They may be required to produce a picture I.D. but unless they have completed too many no receipt returns they will be able to get a refund. It’s good business. Many times they will turn around and purchase the correct cartridge. For non-clothing merchandise this can be easier to do than conducting refunds for clothing, whether the customer has the receipt or not. There are customers who engage in something called wardrobing and this fraud can make it hard on store managers to not tighten up return policies. Stores do have one sure method to fight this type of return fraud and that is the use of Alpha Shark Tags on clothing.
What is wardrobing? Why is it so deceptive? What are Alpha Shark Tags and how can they prevent this kind of fraud? Wardrobing is an intentional act of purchasing clothing with the knowledge that the clothes will be worn a time or two and returned for a full refund. It is deceptive because of the intent behind it and those who do it find ways to keep the tags intact on the merchandise. Sometimes the tags are taped inside the clothes for example up the sleeve of a shirt, or hanging inside the collar. In extreme cases the perpetrator will use a swift tag attachment gun to reattach tags to clothing. In this type of fraud the “customer” has the original receipt and all tags match up to it. Alpha Shark Tags prevent this type of return fraud because they can only be removed once and that is by being cut off. When merchandise is purchased these tags are left on the items. The customer gets the item home, tries it on again and if they are sure they want the item, the customer cuts off the tag and wears the item. The store has a crystal clear return policy that lets the patron know they cannot make a return once the tag is removed.
Why can’t the customer who is intent on wardrobing simply hide the Alpha Shark Tag like they do with the manufacturer hang tags? The reason is that the tags are a bright red color so they stand out on the clothing. When properly pinned in a highly visible location such as on a shirt sleeve or pant leg seam the tag can’t be concealed. It becomes obvious to others that the person wearing the clothing intends to return it. The façade of someone trying to look like they have an ever-growing wardrobe is stripped bare.
Does the use of the Shark Tag hurt the retailer who is trying to be flexible with their customers? I don’t believe it does. The customers who are honest will understand the purpose of the tags. The tags don’t negate the ability of a customer to return defective merchandise if a tag has been removed. What they do prevent is someone wearing clothes to a party, getting them stained with food or drink or drowned in perfume or cologne and then getting a refund the next day.
Is a liberal return policy what drives profits? I don’t know that it does. I think what drives sales is great customer service, beginning with a friendly sales staff. Sales are driven when we take time to talk with our customers, learn what they are looking for and give advice on what we honestly think will enhance their purchase or their needs. Honest customers don’t expect a retailer to be the victim of return fraud or to lose money they want fair treatment and usually will reciprocate in kind.
Alpha Shark Tags are important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547 now.
Pre-employment screening – 3 WC Blog 428
Background check company-3
Pre-employment Screening Or Hiring Assessments; Is One A Better Tool Than The Other For Staffing Your Business? Part 1
I have a question for you store owners, ( I am addressing you but I really hope that some of those in positions of authority to make decisions regarding hiring in larger companies will read this article too). How many of you utilize those hiring assessments when you are having prospective employees complete your applications? You know the ones I’m talking about they ask a prospective employee five different times what they would do if they saw a manager stealing. The catch is that the question is worded differently each time and some of those times it is asked in a confusing manner that requires the applicant to be very careful when reading the question. I know the intent behind the surveys. The idea is to see if the applicant is being consistent and too many inconsistencies results in a failing score. When managers see the score they automatically disregard that applicant. The other problem with the assessments is that many are measuring the strength of an applicant’s responses. Too many “mediocre” responses and scores are lowered. How do I know this? First, as a Loss Prevention Manager and Logistics Manager for nearly 14 years for a major retailer I have been involved with the hiring process, I know how these things read. I have also been on the applicant’s end of one of these. I will go into that a little later. Before I do that I want to let store managers and human resource managers know that there is a more effective method of hiring great people without losing good ones due to what I consider a flawed and quite frankly, flawed evaluation process. Pre-employment Screening is a much more effective method of evaluating a potential candidate.
Pre-employment screening is the process of having a prospective employee’s history verified. The easiest way to get this done is to hire a background check company to do the legwork for you. These companies specialize in contacting references on an applicant’s application. They can validate a person’s work history along with other personal information that might include a criminal background check, a driving history, and past residences where they say they have lived. What does it matter if a person lists the wrong place where they once lived on their application? It could be that your applicant has been moving to avoid something. It might be they are trying to skip around to avoid credit collectors or worse, law enforcement officials. The professionals that work for background check companies know where to find information someone may be trying to hide and they know why that information is important.
So, why am I so vehemently opposed to hiring assessments? Am I against trying to minimize the chances of hiring a bad apple? Not at all, I just know that they can and do take strong candidates out of your hiring pool. I also know that if someone is clever they will answer what will get them through that assessment, whether they are a good applicant or not. When I was between jobs a number of years ago I applied for a department manager job for a retailer and took the assessment. Mind you I had experience as a military Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO), a Bachelor of Arts degree, about 18 years of retail experience and 14 of that in management. I failed to meet the company’s minimum score for a department manager. The store manager could not allow me to retake the test for 6 months but I could take the sales associate assessment. I knew then what the test was looking for and scored a 100%. The manager said he had never seen that score before. I was hired for the associate position. I took that knowledge and when my children were applying for jobs I told them how to answer questions. All three were able to get jobs the first time around. No, don’t worry, I won’t give away any tips but I want you to understand a Pre-employment screening is a much more reliable tool than that silly assessment.
In Part 2, I will explain further why I dislike assessments so much. I will also explain more on why I believe a Background Check Company is a much better alternative to ensure you are hiring a great team of employees.
Pre-employment screening is important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.
I have a question for you store owners, (I am addressing you but I really hope that some of those in positions of authority to make decisions regarding hiring in larger companies will read this article too). How many of you utilize those hiring assessments when you are having prospective employees complete your applications? You know the ones I’m talking about they ask a prospective employee five different times what they would do if they saw a manager stealing. The catch is that the question is worded differently each time and some of those times it is asked in a confusing manner that requires the applicant to be very careful when reading the question. I know the intent behind the surveys. The idea is to see if the applicant is being consistent and too many inconsistencies results in a failing score. When managers see the score they automatically disregard that applicant. The other problem with the assessments is that many are measuring the strength of an applicant’s responses. Too many “mediocre” responses and scores are lowered. How do I know this? First, as a Loss Prevention Manager and Logistics Manager for nearly 14 years for a major retailer I have been involved with the hiring process, I know how these things read. I have also been on the applicant’s end of one of these. I will go into that a little later. Before I do that I want to let store managers and human resource managers know that there is a more effective method of hiring great people without losing good ones due to what I consider a flawed and quite frankly, flawed evaluation process. Pre-employment Screening is a much more effective method of evaluating a potential candidate.
Pre-employment screening is the process of having a prospective employee’s history verified. The easiest way to get this done is to hire a background check company to do the legwork for you. These companies specialize in contacting references on an applicant’s application. They can validate a person’s work history along with other personal information that might include a criminal background check, a driving history, and past residences where they say they have lived. What does it matter if a person lists the wrong place where they once lived on their application? It could be that your applicant has been moving to avoid something. It might be they are trying to skip around to avoid credit collectors or worse, law enforcement officials. The professionals that work for background check companies know where to find information someone may be trying to hide and they know why that information is important.
So, why am I so vehemently opposed to hiring assessments? Am I against trying to minimize the chances of hiring a bad apple? Not at all, I just know that they can and do take strong candidates out of your hiring pool. I also know that if someone is clever they will answer what will get them through that assessment, whether they are a good applicant or not. When I was between jobs a number of years ago I applied for a department manager job for a retailer and took the assessment. Mind you I had experience as a military Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO), a Bachelor of Arts degree, about 18 years of retail experience and 14 of that in management. I failed to meet the company’s minimum score for a department manager. The store manager could not allow me to retake the test for 6 months but I could take the sales associate assessment. I knew then what the test was looking for and scored a 100%. The manager said he had never seen that score before. I was hired for the associate position. I took that knowledge and when my children were applying for jobs I told them how to answer questions. All three were able to get jobs the first time around. No, don’t worry, I won’t give away any tips but I want you to understand a Pre-employment screening is a much more reliable tool than that silly assessment.
In Part 2, I will explain further why I dislike assessments so much. I will also explain more on why I believe a Background Check Company is a much better alternative to ensure you are hiring a great team of employees.
Pre-employment screening is important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.
Electronic Article Surveillance-5 WC Blog 523
Checkpoint Hard Tags-4
Stop Shoplifting-3
Reduce Shortage With Checkpoint Hard Tags And Training
Electronic Article Surveillance tags are effective in stores to reduce internal theft and to stop shoplifting. Go to almost any national retail chain store and you will see them in use. It may be a soft adhesive tag attached to a package or Checkpoint hard tags attached to clothing and softlines goods. As a Loss Prevention Manager I was blessed with consistently low shortage results after my store inventory cycles. Out of 13 years of taking inventory, 11 of those were well under 1% shrinkage. Two years I had shortage results slightly over 1% and those both offset with the following year inventory and one of those was an overage. There were a number of factors that I credit to that success but one of the biggest was that our company required the use of Checkpoint tags on a LOT of merchandise. I found that they deterred many criminals who were intending to steal. When deterrence didn’t work and someone was determined to try to take tagged merchandise, the electronic article surveillance towers at the doors would alarm. In many cases our employees recovered merchandise that was dropped as the criminal was more concerned with running away and I can’t begin to tell you the number of recoveries made as a result of a detailed receipt check by a trained staff member. This brings me to the main point of this article. The other day I made a purchase and was leaving this store (a national big box retailer) and another customer was walking out at the same time. The alarm sounded and we both stopped but no one came to check our receipts. We looked at each other and continued on our way. As an experienced Loss Prevention Manager I know how effective tags can be but they will only be effective if store management makes them a security priority.
It is easy for me to get carried away on a topic and forget that not all of the readers are going to know exactly what Checkpoint hard tags are or how electronic article surveillance works. Hard tags are anti-theft devices that are pinned to softlines goods which can include clothing, bedding, towels, shower curtains, accessories such as purses, hats and belts. I have even seen creative Loss Prevention Managers use them on blister packages such as multi-tools, and small power tools. The tags are designed to close so tightly that they are almost seamless. This means they are nearly impossible to defeat through tampering. The great thing about the tags is that they come in several design such as the Gen 3 tag so that even a designer dress can have one attached and it will still have a sleek look. The Checkpoint hard tags are also built so that the pins won’t damage material. There is no excuse for a store owner or manager not to use them. The way the tags work is first through visual deterrence. They stop shoplifting because criminals see them and know what they are and usually don’t want to take the risk of getting caught when the alarm at the door sounds. The second way is that they activate the electronic article surveillance alarm towers positioned at the front doors. The alarm is meant to attract an immediate response from a store employee who conducts a receipt check and locates the cause of the alarm. The would-be thief either buys the merchandise or leaves empty handed and store employees now know who they are.
Retailers, Checkpoint tags work. I have provided evidence from my own experience but I want to stress that it required employees to respond to those alarms and they had to be properly trained. Installing an electronic article surveillance system and placing EAS tags on merchandise will deter some theft but if no one responds to alarms criminals catch on pretty quickly. In the same manner the customer and I left the big box store and noticed no one checked on the alarm as we exited, thieves will do the same to your business. Oh and as a side note, employees who are stealing will also get comfortable if they know that no one is going to check on them if they set off an alarm.
You can have great shortage results but it requires the right tools and training. Loss Prevention Systems Inc (LPSI). can help set you on the road to success with Checkpoint hard tags and EAS towers. LPSI founder Bill Bregar can provide you with the training you need to stop shoplifting and employee theft and the proper ways to handle EAS alarms. Check out LPSI and learn how you can make your store more profitable.
Checkpoint hard tags are important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.
Electronic Article Surveillance tags are effective in stores to reduce internal theft and to stop shoplifting. Go to almost any national retail chain store and you will see them in use. It may be a soft adhesive tag attached to a package or Checkpoint hard tags attached to clothing and softlines goods. As a Loss Prevention Manager I was blessed with consistently low shortage results after my store inventory cycles. Out of 13 years of taking inventory, 11 of those were well under 1% shrinkage. Two years I had shortage results slightly over 1% and those both offset with the following year inventory and one of those was an overage. There were a number of factors that I credit to that success but one of the biggest was that our company required the use of Checkpoint tags on a LOT of merchandise. I found that they deterred many criminals who were intending to steal. When deterrence didn’t work and someone was determined to try to take tagged merchandise, the electronic article surveillance towers at the doors would alarm. In many cases our employees recovered merchandise that was dropped as the criminal was more concerned with running away and I can’t begin to tell you the number of recoveries made as a result of a detailed receipt check by a trained staff member. This brings me to the main point of this article. The other day I made a purchase and was leaving this store (a national big box retailer) and another customer was walking out at the same time. The alarm sounded and we both stopped but no one came to check our receipts. We looked at each other and continued on our way. As an experienced Loss Prevention Manager I know how effective tags can be but they will only be effective if store management makes them a security priority.
It is easy for me to get carried away on a topic and forget that not all of the readers are going to know exactly what Checkpoint hard tags are or how electronic article surveillance works. Hard tags are anti-theft devices that are pinned to softlines goods which can include clothing, bedding, towels, shower curtains, accessories such as purses, hats and belts. I have even seen creative Loss Prevention Managers use them on blister packages such as multi-tools, and small power tools. The tags are designed to close so tightly that they are almost seamless. This means they are nearly impossible to defeat through tampering. The great thing about the tags is that they come in several design such as the Gen 3 tag so that even a designer dress can have one attached and it will still have a sleek look. The Checkpoint hard tags are also built so that the pins won’t damage material. There is no excuse for a store owner or manager not to use them. The way the tags work is first through visual deterrence. They stop shoplifting because criminals see them and know what they are and usually don’t want to take the risk of getting caught when the alarm at the door sounds. The second way is that they activate the electronic article surveillance alarm towers positioned at the front doors. The alarm is meant to attract an immediate response from a store employee who conducts a receipt check and locates the cause of the alarm. The would-be thief either buys the merchandise or leaves empty handed and store employees now know who they are.
Retailers, Checkpoint tags work. I have provided evidence from my own experience but I want to stress that it required employees to respond to those alarms and they had to be properly trained. Installing an electronic article surveillance system and placing EAS tags on merchandise will deter some theft but if no one responds to alarms criminals catch on pretty quickly. In the same manner the customer and I left the big box store and noticed no one checked on the alarm as we exited, thieves will do the same to your business. Oh and as a side note, employees who are stealing will also get comfortable if they know that no one is going to check on them if they set off an alarm.
You can have great shortage results but it requires the right tools and training. Loss Prevention Systems Inc (LPSI). can help set you on the road to success with Checkpoint hard tags and EAS towers. LPSI founder Bill Bregar can provide you with the training you need to stop shoplifting and employee theft and the proper ways to handle EAS alarms. Check out LPSI and learn how you can make your store more profitable.
Checkpoint hard tags are important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.
