Return Fraud-5 WC Blog 393
Wardrobing-5
Online Clothing Rental Stores Are Not A Remedy To Return Fraud Caused By Wardrobing
For retailers clothing return fraud has been a problem for many years. Customers come in to find an outfit they like, purchase it and take it home. The customer removes or hides the tags and wears the garments out to an event or just to be seen in public. Often this is to impress their friends and give the appearance that they are purchasing new clothes on a regular basis. After they wear the clothes once or twice the purchaser puts the clothing tags back on the merchandise or if they had taped them up they allow the tags to hang loose again. The clothes are then returned to the store and the customer has the original receipt and seeks a full refund. This type of return fraud is known as wardrobing.
You may be wondering why a store would allow wardrobing to take place. Perhaps you own a small retail clothing shop yourself and can’t understand how someone could let this happen. It may surprise you but if you have been selling clothes for any length of time you have probably been the victim of a clothing return scam and didn’t realize it. Office supply stores and even online sites provide easy access to the purchase of ticketing guns that use the plastic hangers that hold manufacturer hang tags on clothing. It isn’t difficult to take off and replace tags in this fashion. The other trick is simply to tuck a tag up the sleeve of a shirt or jacket or down the neck and tape it against the material to avoid it falling out and being seen by others. Aside from possible stains or odors, when the tags are in place again it can be very hard to know the clothing had been worn. I have often joked that it would be better if stores just rented clothes and it wouldn’t matter if people wore the garments and returned them.
I bring this all up because the other day I saw a commercial for an online retailer that rents clothes out. For a moment I thought that it sounded like a good idea. Then I looked into a couple of similar websites that advertised services that closely resembled the advertisement I had watched on television. I did a little digging and found that what it looks like these retailers do is have customers sign up for subscriptions and then pay a monthly fee or they charge for an item to be rented and an additional charge if it is not returned on time. Some websites even give an option to rent the item for one price or purchase it outright for another price. While this does sound good and could provide opportunities for a person to wear a rented wardrobe I am not convinced it will do any good in preventing wardrobing among the swindlers who engage in the activity.
Here is what I am saying, if someone wardrobes, the perpetrator does not want to pay anything for the clothing they are purchasing. Their mindset is to appear to be buying the clothes and then return them for a full refund. The act of wardrobing is to avoid paying anything at all for the clothing. Therefore, renting clothes online or purchasing a subscription is not going to appeal to people who commit return fraud.
I did find it interesting that at least one of the clothing rental companies I looked up appears to use wardrobing tags on their merchandise. In their FAQ section they remind a client not to remove the “security tag” until they have tried on the merchandise to ensure it fits. If it is removed the client is charged the rental fee when it is returned. This sounds much like Alpha Shark Tags which are one- time use tags that are to be cut off by a customer, not the store. Once cut off it prevents the item from being able to be returned whether it is to a traditional brick and mortar store or an online retailer.
Return fraud is a drain on retailers. From the amount of time a salesperson spends helping the fraudster to the determination of what to do with the merchandise when it is returned. Is the garment serviceable? Are there stains or odors? Does it have to be cleaned or marked out of stock and destroyed? All of these things can cost the store more money. Don’t allow return fraud to hurt your profit line, use Alpha Shark Tags and don’t worry if you have or have not been a victim in the past, you won’t be again.
Need information on return fraud? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
For retailers clothing return fraud has been a problem for many years. Customers come in to find an outfit they like, purchase it and take it home. The customer removes or hides the tags and wears the garments out to an event or just to be seen in public. Often this is to impress their friends and give the appearance that they are purchasing new clothes on a regular basis. After they wear the clothes once or twice the purchaser puts the clothing tags back on the merchandise or if they had taped them up they allow the tags to hang loose again. The clothes are then returned to the store and the customer has the original receipt and seeks a full refund. This type of return fraud is known as wardrobing.
You may be wondering why a store would allow wardrobing to take place. Perhaps you own a small retail clothing shop yourself and can’t understand how someone could let this happen. It may surprise you but if you have been selling clothes for any length of time you have probably been the victim of a clothing return scam and didn’t realize it. Office supply stores and even online sites provide easy access to the purchase of ticketing guns that use the plastic hangers that hold manufacturer hang tags on clothing. It isn’t difficult to take off and replace tags in this fashion. The other trick is simply to tuck a tag up the sleeve of a shirt or jacket or down the neck and tape it against the material to avoid it falling out and being seen by others. Aside from possible stains or odors, when the tags are in place again it can be very hard to know the clothing had been worn. I have often joked that it would be better if stores just rented clothes and it wouldn’t matter if people wore the garments and returned them.
I bring this all up because the other day I saw a commercial for an online retailer that rents clothes out. For a moment I thought that it sounded like a good idea. Then I looked into a couple of similar websites that advertised services that closely resembled the advertisement I had watched on television. I did a little digging and found that what it looks like these retailers do is have customers sign up for subscriptions and then pay a monthly fee or they charge for an item to be rented and an additional charge if it is not returned on time. Some websites even give an option to rent the item for one price or purchase it outright for another price. While this does sound good and could provide opportunities for a person to wear a rented wardrobe I am not convinced it will do any good in preventing wardrobing among the swindlers who engage in the activity.
Here is what I am saying, if someone wardrobes, the perpetrator does not want to pay anything for the clothing they are purchasing. Their mindset is to appear to be buying the clothes and then return them for a full refund. The act of wardrobing is to avoid paying anything at all for the clothing. Therefore, renting clothes online or purchasing a subscription is not going to appeal to people who commit return fraud.
I did find it interesting that at least one of the clothing rental companies I looked up appears to use wardrobing tags on their merchandise. In their FAQ section they remind a client not to remove the “security tag” until they have tried on the merchandise to ensure it fits. If it is removed the client is charged the rental fee when it is returned. This sounds much like Alpha Shark Tags which are one- time use tags that are to be cut off by a customer, not the store. Once cut off it prevents the item from being able to be returned whether it is to a traditional brick and mortar store or an online retailer.
Return fraud is a drain on retailers. From the amount of time a salesperson spends helping the fraudster to the determination of what to do with the merchandise when it is returned. Is the garment serviceable? Are there stains or odors? Does it have to be cleaned or marked out of stock and destroyed? All of these things can cost the store more money. Don’t allow return fraud to hurt your profit line, use Alpha Shark Tags and don’t worry if you have or have not been a victim in the past, you won’t be again.
Need information on return fraud? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
Pre-employment screening – 3 WC Blog 403
Background Check Company -3
Don’t Be Fooled By Applicants Who Aren’t Who They Say They Are; Pre-employment Screening Keeps Things Real
I LOVE listening to my favorite oldies while I’m writing. Who doesn’t love the Ventures, The Beach Boys or The Beatles? How about Chuck Berry? Don’t forget Elvis Presley, Clarence “Frogman” Henry or Doo Wop with Gene Chandler and “The Duke Earl”? It becomes a little discouraging when, as I browse through online sites like YouTube, to watch some of the videos of these groups that I see commenters arguing about who stole who’s notes or lyrics. For example I was listening to “Surfin’ U.S.A.” by the Beach Boys and then the nasty little comments by a few of the Chuck Berry fans pointed to the Beach Boys lyrics being played to a Chuck Berry tune. Okay, they have a point, but it turns out to be only part of the truth. The WHOLE story is that the song was done as a tribute to Mr. Berry’s song “Sweet Little Sixteen” but according to the website Songfacts, the Beach Boys failed to get his permission first and Mr. Berry did threaten to sue the group but they wound up paying him royalties. How about other music controversies? Elvis Presley did not first sing “Hound Dog”, that actually was first sung by blues singer Willie Mae “Big Mamma” Thornton in 1952. Presley recorded his rock and roll version in 1956. For some readers who may not be quite as old as me, or enjoy the oldies, a somewhat more recent controversy took place when 80’s rapper “Vanilla Ice” “…sampled the base line to the 1981 Queen/Bowie collaboration “Under Pressure” (Rolling Stone, “Songs On Trial: 10 Landmark Music Copyright Cases”, by Jordon Runtagh, June 8, 2016). Now before you go ballistic wondering what in the world ANY of this has to do with Retail Loss Prevention hear me out. If you didn’t know any different and you took them at face value, you would assume the artists who recorded the music were the originals unless their album cover (or CD cover) stated otherwise. The same applies to job applicants. Unless you conduct a pre-employment screening you assume what the applicant says about themselves is true. How do you learn fact from fiction and avoid a problem down the road?
Pre-employment screening is a process in which a background check company receives the personal information on a job applicant and the information is verified. For example, if a social security number is provided the company can ensure the applicant is the person to whom the number actually belongs. The background check company can look at credit histories for applicants to determine if they might pose some risk of financial fraud to your business. And how about a person’s work history? You are looking for someone with a specific skill set and an applicant says they have work experience that qualifies them for the job you need to fill. Are they who they say they are or are they taking someone else’s work history and passing it off as their own? See? Much like my music analogy, “You don’t always get what you want” (to steal a line from a Rolling Stones song) unless you get a company to validate a candidate’s credentials.
I would also like to point out that there are ramifications when a band or artist is found guilty of using music or lyrics that “belong” to someone else. According to fuse.tv Johnny Cash used the lyrics from “Crescent City Blues” by Gordon Jenkins for his hit song “Folsom Prison Blues” and had to pay the composer $75,000 for the lyrics and the tune (this was disappointing to me since I have been a big Cash fan since I was a young boy). From the NME music website, George Harrison was found guilty of “subconscious plagiarism” with his song “My Sweet Lord” copying the music of The Chiffons hit “He’s So Fine”. According to the article, while the term means he unintentionally plagiarized he, “Still had to pay 1.6 m in damages, though.” What costs might you incur if you don’t take care to look at a candidate’s history? You may end of firing him or her and going through the hiring process again. You could end up with someone stealing from you. It is possible you could hire someone who has a criminal history that is not compatible with your business. There are a number of bad things that could result from not conducting pre-employment screening. Sing a happy tune when you use a background check company to hire people who are who they say they are.
Pre-employment screening is important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.
I LOVE listening to my favorite oldies while I’m writing. Who doesn’t love the Ventures, The Beach Boys or The Beatles? How about Chuck Berry? Don’t forget Elvis Presley, Clarence “Frogman” Henry or Doo Wop with Gene Chandler and “The Duke Earl”? It becomes a little discouraging when, as I browse through online sites like YouTube, to watch some of the videos of these groups that I see commenters arguing about who stole who’s notes or lyrics. For example I was listening to “Surfin’ U.S.A.” by the Beach Boys and then the nasty little comments by a few of the Chuck Berry fans pointed to the Beach Boys lyrics being played to a Chuck Berry tune. Okay, they have a point, but it turns out to be only part of the truth. The WHOLE story is that the song was done as a tribute to Mr. Berry’s song “Sweet Little Sixteen” but according to the website Songfacts, the Beach Boys failed to get his permission first and Mr. Berry did threaten to sue the group but they wound up paying him royalties. How about other music controversies? Elvis Presley did not first sing “Hound Dog”, that actually was first sung by blues singer Willie Mae “Big Mamma” Thornton in 1952. Presley recorded his rock and roll version in 1956. For some readers who may not be quite as old as me, or enjoy the oldies, a somewhat more recent controversy took place when 80’s rapper “Vanilla Ice” “…sampled the base line to the 1981 Queen/Bowie collaboration “Under Pressure” (Rolling Stone, “Songs On Trial: 10 Landmark Music Copyright Cases”, by Jordon Runtagh, June 8, 2016). Now before you go ballistic wondering what in the world ANY of this has to do with Retail Loss Prevention hear me out. If you didn’t know any different and you took them at face value, you would assume the artists who recorded the music were the originals unless their album cover (or CD cover) stated otherwise. The same applies to job applicants. Unless you conduct a pre-employment screening you assume what the applicant says about themselves is true. How do you learn fact from fiction and avoid a problem down the road?
Pre-employment screening is a process in which a background check company receives the personal information on a job applicant and the information is verified. For example, if a social security number is provided the company can ensure the applicant is the person to whom the number actually belongs. The background check company can look at credit histories for applicants to determine if they might pose some risk of financial fraud to your business. And how about a person’s work history? You are looking for someone with a specific skill set and an applicant says they have work experience that qualifies them for the job you need to fill. Are they who they say they are or are they taking someone else’s work history and passing it off as their own? See? Much like my music analogy, “You don’t always get what you want” (to steal a line from a Rolling Stones song) unless you get a company to validate a candidate’s credentials.
I would also like to point out that there are ramifications when a band or artist is found guilty of using music or lyrics that “belong” to someone else. According to fuse.tv Johnny Cash used the lyrics from “Crescent City Blues” by Gordon Jenkins for his hit song “Folsom Prison Blues” and had to pay the composer $75,000 for the lyrics and the tune (this was disappointing to me since I have been a big Cash fan since I was a young boy). From the NME music website, George Harrison was found guilty of “subconscious plagiarism” with his song “My Sweet Lord” copying the music of The Chiffons hit “He’s So Fine”. According to the article, while the term means he unintentionally plagiarized he, “Still had to pay 1.6 m in damages, though.” What costs might you incur if you don’t take care to look at a candidate’s history? You may end of firing him or her and going through the hiring process again. You could end up with someone stealing from you. It is possible you could hire someone who has a criminal history that is not compatible with your business. There are a number of bad things that could result from not conducting pre-employment screening. Sing a happy tune when you use a background check company to hire people who are who they say they are.
Pre-employment screening is important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.
Checkpoint Tags- 4 WC Blog 452
Stop Shoplifting-3
Electronic Article Surveillance-3
Squeal With Delight When You Find Out What Checkpoint Tags Can Do For Your Store
I was recently out shopping with my wife and out of the blue I heard a child start screaming. I then heard her mom or caregiver trying to calm her down but the young child was not quieting down. I turned to my wife and pointed out that someone was apparently not happy. It didn’t just get our attention it got the attention of other patrons who were also commenting on the child. I remember as an U.S. Air Force Security Policeman responding to a call to the Airman’s Club where a fight was in progress. Once I got there it wasn’t hard to locate the two people having the altercation all I had to do was follow the screaming and the crowd. How many of us sitting at a traffic light have heard the screeching of tires as someone slams on the brakes? Instinctively we grip the steering wheel harder and look in the rearview mirror to see if someone is about to slam into us. Loud noises attract attention, there’s no getting around it. That is one of the many benefits of using Checkpoint Tags on merchandise to stop shoplifting. The last thing shoplifters wants to do when stealing is to attract attention to themselves. Well, the second to the last thing, the last thing they want to do is get caught and sent to jail.
Checkpoint Tags are electronic article surveillance devices that are attached to merchandise to deter and stop shoplifting. They deter criminals because they are built to be visible when placed in a high profile location on a piece of merchandise. For example on a pair of slacks a tag would be placed on the waistband or on a seam near the knee. Seeing it, the would-be thief recognizes that the item is protected and steers away from it. Because the tags are built with electronic article surveillance technology they create an alarm when carried in the vicinity of Checkpoint towers near the exits of a store. The alarm blares throughout the store attracting attention and workers respond and follow response procedures that recover merchandise for the store. Another unique aspect of the tags is that they have built in tamper alarms. When a shoplifter attempts to pry at the device to open it a loud sound squeals and employees go to the location where the sound is coming from. Again a theft is prevented due to the design of the tags.
I want to go back to what I mentioned earlier about screaming/screeching and squealing attracting attention. What is it during a scary movie that makes everyone in the theater jump? That’s correct, the blood curdling scream from the would-be victim. I am sure many of you reading this article have seen the movie “Psycho” and recall the shower scene and the screaming Vera Miles (trivia fact, Janet Leigh was not available for that scene according to imdb.com). The point is a scream ALWAYS draws a response from people. The retail store where my daughter works often refers to the Checkpoint Tags they use as “screamers” rather than their actual name. This variation is an appropriate reference to the noise these tags send out when someone attempts to defeat them.
As a retail owner or manager, think about what it could mean for your bottom line if you were to start protecting your merchandise with electronic article surveillance tags. Simply the threat of screaming tags or beeping towers would deter shoplifters. Employees trained to respond to alarms in the store or at the doors could make a significant reduction in store shortage. Stop shoplifting in your building, keep your store shelves filled and rely on the proven effectiveness of Checkpoint Tags to reduce shrink and prepare to be amazed at the effect it will have on profits.
Need information on Checkpoint Tags? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
I was recently out shopping with my wife and out of the blue I heard a child start screaming. I then heard her mom or caregiver trying to calm her down but the young child was not quieting down. I turned to my wife and pointed out that someone was apparently not happy. It didn’t just get our attention it got the attention of other patrons who were also commenting on the child. I remember as an U.S. Air Force Security Policeman responding to a call to the Airman’s Club where a fight was in progress. Once I got there it wasn’t hard to locate the two people having the altercation all I had to do was follow the screaming and the crowd. How many of us sitting at a traffic light have heard the screeching of tires as someone slams on the brakes? Instinctively we grip the steering wheel harder and look in the rearview mirror to see if someone is about to slam into us. Loud noises attract attention, there’s no getting around it. That is one of the many benefits of using Checkpoint Tags on merchandise to stop shoplifting. The last thing shoplifters wants to do when stealing is to attract attention to themselves. Well, the second to the last thing, the last thing they want to do is get caught and sent to jail.
Checkpoint Tags are electronic article surveillance devices that are attached to merchandise to deter and stop shoplifting. They deter criminals because they are built to be visible when placed in a high profile location on a piece of merchandise. For example on a pair of slacks a tag would be placed on the waistband or on a seam near the knee. Seeing it, the would-be thief recognizes that the item is protected and steers away from it. Because the tags are built with electronic article surveillance technology they create an alarm when carried in the vicinity of Checkpoint towers near the exits of a store. The alarm blares throughout the store attracting attention and workers respond and follow response procedures that recover merchandise for the store. Another unique aspect of the tags is that they have built in tamper alarms. When a shoplifter attempts to pry at the device to open it a loud sound squeals and employees go to the location where the sound is coming from. Again a theft is prevented due to the design of the tags.
I want to go back to what I mentioned earlier about screaming/screeching and squealing attracting attention. What is it during a scary movie that makes everyone in the theater jump? That’s correct, the blood curdling scream from the would-be victim. I am sure many of you reading this article have seen the movie “Psycho” and recall the shower scene and the screaming Vera Miles (trivia fact, Janet Leigh was not available for that scene according to imdb.com). The point is a scream ALWAYS draws a response from people. The retail store where my daughter works often refers to the Checkpoint Tags they use as “screamers” rather than their actual name. This variation is an appropriate reference to the noise these tags send out when someone attempts to defeat them.
As a retail owner or manager, think about what it could mean for your bottom line if you were to start protecting your merchandise with electronic article surveillance tags. Simply the threat of screaming tags or beeping towers would deter shoplifters. Employees trained to respond to alarms in the store or at the doors could make a significant reduction in store shortage. Stop shoplifting in your building, keep your store shelves filled and rely on the proven effectiveness of Checkpoint Tags to reduce shrink and prepare to be amazed at the effect it will have on profits.
Need information on Checkpoint Tags? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
Classic N10 – 5 WC Blog 401
Bug Tag -4
Maintaining Space In Medical Facility Halls And Doorways Does Not Mean Electronic Article Surveillance Protection Is Out Of The Question; The Classic N10 Tower Is A Perfect Solution
In the past year I have been in hospitals and doctors offices far more than I would like. In some of those cases the hallways had ample room for gurneys and staff to rush by me as I walked to the rooms I was visiting. Admittedly when I heard the quick pace of feet and clatter of wheels, whether there was enough room or not, I found myself stepping against the wall. Instinctively I knew that if that was my loved one I would want them to get through to surgery as quickly as possible. Sometimes I would pass groups of doctors who were on their rounds reviewing notes on their i-Pads and tablets and discussing the patients they were ready to see or had just seen. In some cases this took place in the area of the nurse’s station and space was a little tighter. Again, being aware that they were busy I would make efforts to stay out of their way. As I reflect on those hospital and office visits I think about the activities that went on around me. Medical personnel with new technology in hand, life-saving equipment lining hallways, professional medical care givers moving patients in and out of rooms and down those same halls. It can start to feel a bit claustrophobic. Putting on my Loss Prevention hat I thought about all of these factors and what if questions. What if there is Tablet theft of those medical tablets? What if an electronic article surveillance (EAS) system could be installed to prevent i-Pad theft? Would there be room for the necessary EAS towers like the Checkpoint Classic N10?
In order to proceed with the answers to my questions it is only proper to explain what the Bug Tag and the Classic N10 are. The Tag is simply an anti-theft device that is stuck to a computer tablet and it interacts with an EAS tower. If a tagged mobile medical device is carried too close to a tower the tower alarm sounds a loud beeping noise and lights in the tower flash, alerting nearby employees someone is trying to walk out with a mobile device. If someone is trying to steal a medical tablet by tampering with a Bug Tag, an internal tag alarm sounds also alerting personnel of an attempted theft. The Classic N10 is an EAS tower specifically designed to fit smaller entryways and hallways. They don’t take up the same amount of space a traditional tower takes up. This allows ease of access even if something is being rushed through a hall or doorway such as a patient on a gurney or nurse rushing through a door with a crash cart. These towers won’t interfere with personnel or equipment.
It was only recently that I learned there is an organization that focuses on hospital space standards. The American Society for Healthcare Engineering looks at hospitals and issues related to effective building designs. In an article on their website, “ICC Considers Changing Corridor Width Rules to Reflect Shift from Life Safety Concerns”, by Deanna Martin, ASHE senior communications specialist, discussed the rules and regulations regarding hospital hallway widths. She mentions diverse views on whether the width requirements take into consideration equipment such as crash carts and whether they count against those measurements. Regardless of what the regulations may or may not say concerning medical facility halls, you can easily see how setting up a Classic N10 tower would take up a smaller amount of space and still accommodate the needs of complying with ICC codes.
Medical tablets and i-Pads would be protected from theft and the potential for compromised patient information since they would have a Bug Tag. Doorways and Hallways where you would want to keep mobile devices restricted to could be protected with EAS.
Keep patient data safe on mobile devices and keep lives safe with open corridors at the same time. Use a Bug Tag on tablets and Classic N10 towers in halls and doors. See how effective an EAS system can be for your medical facility.
For more information about Classic N10 contact us or call 1.770.426.0547.
In the past year I have been in hospitals and doctors offices far more than I would like. In some of those cases the hallways had ample room for gurneys and staff to rush by me as I walked to the rooms I was visiting. Admittedly when I heard the quick pace of feet and clatter of wheels, whether there was enough room or not, I found myself stepping against the wall. Instinctively I knew that if that was my loved one I would want them to get through to surgery as quickly as possible. Sometimes I would pass groups of doctors who were on their rounds reviewing notes on their i-Pads and tablets and discussing the patients they were ready to see or had just seen. In some cases this took place in the area of the nurse’s station and space was a little tighter. Again, being aware that they were busy I would make efforts to stay out of their way. As I reflect on those hospital and office visits I think about the activities that went on around me. Medical personnel with new technology in hand, life-saving equipment lining hallways, professional medical care givers moving patients in and out of rooms and down those same halls. It can start to feel a bit claustrophobic. Putting on my Loss Prevention hat I thought about all of these factors and what if questions. What if there is Tablet theft of those medical tablets? What if an electronic article surveillance (EAS) system could be installed to prevent i-Pad theft? Would there be room for the necessary EAS towers like the Checkpoint Classic N10?
In order to proceed with the answers to my questions it is only proper to explain what the Bug Tag and the Classic N10 are. The Tag is simply an anti-theft device that is stuck to a computer tablet and it interacts with an EAS tower. If a tagged mobile medical device is carried too close to a tower the tower alarm sounds a loud beeping noise and lights in the tower flash, alerting nearby employees someone is trying to walk out with a mobile device. If someone is trying to steal a medical tablet by tampering with a Bug Tag, an internal tag alarm sounds also alerting personnel of an attempted theft. The Classic N10 is an EAS tower specifically designed to fit smaller entryways and hallways. They don’t take up the same amount of space a traditional tower takes up. This allows ease of access even if something is being rushed through a hall or doorway such as a patient on a gurney or nurse rushing through a door with a crash cart. These towers won’t interfere with personnel or equipment.
It was only recently that I learned there is an organization that focuses on hospital space standards. The American Society for Healthcare Engineering looks at hospitals and issues related to effective building designs. In an article on their website, “ICC Considers Changing Corridor Width Rules to Reflect Shift from Life Safety Concerns”, by Deanna Martin, ASHE senior communications specialist, discussed the rules and regulations regarding hospital hallway widths. She mentions diverse views on whether the width requirements take into consideration equipment such as crash carts and whether they count against those measurements. Regardless of what the regulations may or may not say concerning medical facility halls, you can easily see how setting up a Classic N10 tower would take up a smaller amount of space and still accommodate the needs of complying with ICC codes.
Medical tablets and i-Pads would be protected from theft and the potential for compromised patient information since they would have a Bug Tag. Doorways and Hallways where you would want to keep mobile devices restricted to could be protected with EAS towers.
Keep patient data safe on mobile devices and keep lives safe with open corridors at the same time. Use a Bug Tag on tablets and Classic N10 towers in halls and doors. See how effective an EAS system can be for your medical facility.
For more information about Classic N10 contact us or call 1.770.426.0547.
SAY NO TO SHOPLIFTING BY UTILIZING EAS LABELS IN YOUR STORE NOW!
EAS Labels- 4 ML Blog 17
Stop Shoplifting – 3
Working in Loss Prevention shows you all aspects of shoplifting. Each day as you are watching for thieves, you never know what will happen or what technique you will observe. One day you are catching a thoroughly experienced thief who steals for a living. The next day you are catching a mom pushing a stroller with kids. Other times you may catch a group of 5 kids, not thinking about the seriousness of what they are doing. Some days you run into extremely strange situations that make you wonder what the person was thinking! You just never know. Just last month, I had a strange incident with EAS Labels! My store now uses them every day to stop shoplifting!
One morning I was on CCTV, scanning CCTV on a very slow morning. Slow, I thought! I had a subject enter the store acting very suspiciously. She paced the sales floor for close to 20 minutes, looking for associates and acting extremely nervous. This is a behavior I know too well from shoplifters, so I had to be patient and continue to observe. I kept CCTV on her due to these behaviors. After she finally felt “safe” to steal, she started rapidly selecting our highest dollar product out of the home décor department. I noticed all of the product was small, and would be easily concealable in a large purse she was carrying. After selecting 8 items priced between $39.99 and $79.00, she AGAIN paced the sales floor appearing very paranoid for another 20 minutes. I knew at this point, this was going to be a long, drawn out shoplifting incident. I continued to watch, and finally the subject started pulling each price tag off each item. After pulling the tags, she walked the floor looking for a trash can to conceal the ripped tags in. The subject finally concealed each item slowly into her purse. However, one thing struck me as extremely odd. Why go through all this trouble scoping out the sales floor & pulling tags but not removing the EAS Labels!!? It didn’t make any sense. That should be the first thing you want off, especially with how they alarm at the door! The subject ended up walking the floor for another 45 minutes before finally exiting the building! Finally, she looks like she is making her way for an exit. While exiting, the alarm went ballistic! She panicked, quickly dumping all product on ground, just as I thought would happen. She ran to her vehicle, and took off as fast as she could. The store associates and I ran outside to where she dumped. I was able to recover all product from outside the store! EAS Labels saved us from taking a loss on this product! After this incident, I had several other occurrences where the labels worked to stop shoplifting. Less worry, more product on the shelf. Another positive element is how extremely easy they are to apply, and an inexpensive fix.
I invested a lot of time into this case. But the payoff was massive! Especially showing my store team that the labels we have in place works to stop shoplifting. This was a strange shoplifter case, but it helped illustrate for store management why we utilize EAS labels anytime we receive high dollar product to place on the shelves! You will see a decrease in theft trends once you utilize the same program as me.
Need information on EAS Labels? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
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Working in Loss Prevention shows you all aspects of shoplifting. Each day as you are watching for thieves, you never know what will happen or what technique you will observe. One day you are catching a thoroughly experienced thief who steals for a living. The next day you are catching a mom pushing a stroller with kids. Other times you may catch a group of 5 kids, not thinking about the seriousness of what they are doing. Some days you run into extremely strange situations that make you wonder what the person was thinking! You just never know. Just last month, I had a strange incident with EAS Labels! My store now uses them every day to stop shoplifting!
One morning I was on CCTV, scanning CCTV on a very slow morning. Slow, I thought! I had a subject enter the store acting very suspiciously. She paced the sales floor for close to 20 minutes, looking for associates and acting extremely nervous. This is a behavior I know too well from shoplifters, so I had to be patient and continue to observe. I kept CCTV on her due to these behaviors. After she finally felt “safe” to steal, she started rapidly selecting our highest dollar product out of the home décor department. I noticed all of the product was small, and would be easily concealable in a large purse she was carrying. After selecting 8 items priced between $39.99 and $79.00, she AGAIN paced the sales floor appearing very paranoid for another 20 minutes. I knew at this point, this was going to be a long, drawn out shoplifting incident. I continued to watch, and finally the subject started pulling each price tag off each item. After pulling the tags, she walked the floor looking for a trash can to conceal the ripped tags in. The subject finally concealed each item slowly into her purse. However, one thing struck me as extremely odd. Why go through all this trouble scoping out the sales floor & pulling tags but not removing the EAS Labels!!? It didn’t make any sense. That should be the first thing you want off, especially with how they alarm at the door! The subject ended up walking the floor for another 45 minutes before finally exiting the building! Finally, she looks like she is making her way for an exit. While exiting, the alarm went ballistic! She panicked, quickly dumping all product on ground, just as I thought would happen. She ran to her vehicle, and took off as fast as she could. The store associates and I ran outside to where she dumped. I was able to recover all product from outside the store! EAS Labels saved us from taking a loss on this product! After this incident, I had several other occurrences where the labels worked to stop shoplifting. Less worry, more product on the shelf. Another positive element is how extremely easy they are to apply, and an inexpensive fix.
I invested a lot of time into this case. But the payoff was massive! Especially showing my store team that the labels we have in place works to stop shoplifting. This was a strange shoplifter case, but it helped illustrate for store management why we utilize EAS labels anytime we receive high dollar product to place on the shelves! You will see a decrease in theft trends once you utilize the same program as me.
Need information on EAS Labels? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
REDUCE SHRINKAGE BY UTILZING THE ALPHA HANG TAG IMMEDIATELY!
Prevent Shoplifitng-3 ML Blog 22
Alpha Hang Tag- 4
Shoplifting is one of the most serious problems in retailers. A lot of stores may not realize how MASSIVE the problem is. Shoplifters are one of the highest contributors to shrinkage for the retail industry. Shrinkage costs the retailers over $45 billion each year! It takes a massive bite right out of your bottom line. With this said, are you doing enough to put a stop to shrinkage in your location? Retailers have many ways to protect their assets from thieves. In Loss Prevention, I utilize the most advanced security devices available and always embrace new technology. Most retailers will place regular hard tags and wraps on their products as a theft deterrent to prevent shoplifting. That program works as a prevention for boxed and clothing items, but not for our clamshell packaged merchandise. This leaves many high dollar product without proper security protection from thieves. Many stores are forgetting about those areas, which leads to a trending high amount of loss each year. By utilizing an Alpha Hang Tag, you finally put a stop to shrink in these areas!
I have worked as Loss Prevention Manager in several different retail locations. Several of them did not realize the newest technology out there for merchandise protection. I would start working at a new location, and it would never fail I would only see hard tags, ink tags, or spider wraps. One of my locations had a big electronics department. 60 percent of the product in this department consisted of clamshell products. They would have heavy TV’s spider wrapped, leaving pegs of merchandise over $200.00 priced without protection. I understand why they were doing the 60 inch TV’s, due to the high price point. However, I had to explain to them that the chance of a heavy TV walking out the door was rarer then several people stealing the smaller pegged, high dollar items. I pulled their shrink reports, and was able to show them the difference. They did not have any TVs missing in a 3 years trend! They did have high shrink each year in the pegged products. Yet they were still protecting only the TVs, versus the most stolen items? They had to start thinking smarter than the shoplifters to prevent shoplifting in their store. I had to change their way of thinking, and help them understand the importance of utilizing the Alpha Hang Tag. Once I conducted a meeting with the managers, there was a few concerns by them. One manager asked “Why can’t we just use locking peg hooks, since we already have some in the back?”. I explained, “If we place the merchandise on a locking peg hook, its normal to think it was protected and the merchandise could not be removed unless an associate unlocked the peg. However, a thief can come through with a knife and cut the top of the plastic off easily”. Locking pegs are also not customer friendly for retailers, making the customer wait till they find an associate. I needed to show them what has worked for me in the past. I started with a story that I know all too well. I watched one evening via CCTV, 2 shoplifters come through an aisle of high dollar merchandise on pegs. I noticed one of the subjects, digging an item out of his pocket. It ended up being a Kershaw Knife. Next, I saw on camera him cut a whole row of product off. The second subject grabs all of the product, stuffing them into an empty bag. After concealing, the first subject exits and gets the car ready for the second subject. He pulls up to the curb, and the subject with the bag filled jumps in! Not only did he get away with 8 expensive items, but it could have been a scary situation for associates and customers! Once I explained my story to the managers, everyone knew we had to change the culture! We had to put a stop to the thieves from coming in, using knives to steal items right underneath our nose. After figuring out where the issue was, I was able to get approval to order the Alpha Hang Tag. I received my first shipment in quickly, and we placed them on our high dollar pegged products. After 2 months of usage and tracking, we found 0 product was cut off by thieves. This was a huge win for my store! Now they understand what action plans really work to prevent shoplifting. One feedback received was how much they liked the size of the Alpha Hang tag is, making it very customer friendly for shopping. It is also extremely easy to put on, so it does not take inordinate amounts of time for the associates to put on. I have had heard nothing but positive feedback from the store staff after utilizing our new security tags!
After having such a high success rate, I was able to obtain approval to order more and place it on other products as well. The store team trusted my expertise, leading to using the best products out there! The following year, we had a shrink reduction in our problem areas. The best part for the store was not finding tons of cut open packaging daily, knowing that we were able to prevent shoplifting!
Get more information on the Alpha Hang Tag, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
Shoplifting is one of the most serious problems in retailers. A lot of stores may not realize how MASSIVE the problem is. Shoplifters are one of the highest contributors to shrinkage for the retail industry. Shrinkage costs the retailers over $45 billion each year! It takes a massive bite right out of your bottom line. With this said, are you doing enough to put a stop to shrinkage in your location? Retailers have many ways to protect their assets from thieves. In Loss Prevention, I utilize the most advanced security devices available and always embrace new technology. Most retailers will place regular hard tags and wraps on their products as a theft deterrent to prevent shoplifting. That program works as a prevention for boxed and clothing items, but not for our clamshell packaged merchandise. This leaves many high dollar product without proper security protection from thieves. Many stores are forgetting about those areas, which leads to a trending high amount of loss each year. By utilizing an Alpha Hang Tag, you finally put a stop to shrink in these areas!
I have worked as Loss Prevention Manager in several different retail locations. Several of them did not realize the newest technology out there for merchandise protection. I would start working at a new location, and it would never fail I would only see hard tags, ink tags, or spider wraps. One of my locations had a big electronics department. 60 percent of the product in this department consisted of clamshell products. They would have heavy TV’s spider wrapped, leaving pegs of merchandise over $200.00 priced without protection. I understand why they were doing the 60 inch TV’s, due to the high price point. However, I had to explain to them that the chance of a heavy TV walking out the door was rarer then several people stealing the smaller pegged, high dollar items. I pulled their shrink reports, and was able to show them the difference. They did not have any TVs missing in a 3 years trend! They did have high shrink each year in the pegged products. Yet they were still protecting only the TVs, versus the most stolen items? They had to start thinking smarter than the shoplifters to prevent shoplifting in their store. I had to change their way of thinking, and help them understand the importance of utilizing the Alpha Hang Tag. Once I conducted a meeting with the managers, there was a few concerns by them. One manager asked “Why can’t we just use locking peg hooks, since we already have some in the back?”. I explained, “If we place the merchandise on a locking peg hook, its normal to think it was protected and the merchandise could not be removed unless an associate unlocked the peg. However, a thief can come through with a knife and cut the top of the plastic off easily”. Locking pegs are also not customer friendly for retailers, making the customer wait till they find an associate. I needed to show them what has worked for me in the past. I started with a story that I know all too well. I watched one evening via CCTV, 2 shoplifters come through an aisle of high dollar merchandise on pegs. I noticed one of the subjects, digging an item out of his pocket. It ended up being a Kershaw Knife. Next, I saw on camera him cut a whole row of product off. The second subject grabs all of the product, stuffing them into an empty bag. After concealing, the first subject exits and gets the car ready for the second subject. He pulls up to the curb, and the subject with the bag filled jumps in! Not only did he get away with 8 expensive items, but it could have been a scary situation for associates and customers! Once I explained my story to the managers, everyone knew we had to change the culture! We had to put a stop to the thieves from coming in, using knives to steal items right underneath our nose. After figuring out where the issue was, I was able to get approval to order the Alpha Hang Tag. I received my first shipment in quickly, and we placed them on our high dollar pegged products. After 2 months of usage and tracking, we found 0 product was cut off by thieves. This was a huge win for my store! Now they understand what action plans really work to prevent shoplifting. One feedback received was how much they liked the size of the Alpha Hang tag is, making it very customer friendly for shopping. It is also extremely easy to put on, so it does not take inordinate amounts of time for the associates to put on. I have had heard nothing but positive feedback from the store staff after utilizing our new security tags!
After having such a high success rate, I was able to obtain approval to order more and place it on other products as well. The store team trusted my expertise, leading to using the best products out there! The following year, we had a shrink reduction in our problem areas. The best part for the store was not finding tons of cut open packaging daily, knowing that we were able to prevent shoplifting!
Get more information on the Alpha Hang Tag, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
