Alpha Security – 4 WC Blog 352
Retail anti-theft devices-3
Why Work Hard To Catch Criminals When You Can Save Yourself The Trouble With Retail Anti-Theft Devices?
How far would you go to catch a crook? I had a few employee theft cases that I would say qualified as being a little extreme. One that comes to mind involved a couple of part-time hires we brought on board for our holiday season. I was the Loss Prevention Manager for the store and assisted in all of our new hire orientation sessions. During the holidays we would hold orientations for groups ranging from 2 up to 30 people. In one particular orientation I noticed that two fellas were not paying attention and were joking back and forth. That caught my attention and I made a point to find out their names and where they would be working. I also noticed their attention was piqued when I gave the tour of the security office. I should note, I only kept a camera or two on screen and shut off all other monitors. I never gave away where my cameras were located, especially the covert ones. It was obvious my two new compadres were trying to take in as much as they could. I found out the guys would be working on our freight team in the early morning hours. I made a point to conduct a covert overnight surveillance after they had a few days of training under their belts. It was during this surveillance that I saw my new employees had been assigned to work in our electronics freight and that included the secure lock-up for backstock electronics! I thought I saw some suspicious activity but couldn’t confirm it. In those days we had limited camera coverage in our lock up areas and even over our salesfloor. Our retail anti-theft devices were limited to electronic article surveillance (EAS) soft tags. Alpha Security products were not a part of our theft prevention strategy at the time.
For my readers who are not familiar with Alpha Security retail anti-theft devices, these are a family of EAS products that can protect a wide variety of merchandise. Some products are locking cables, protective locking boxes, wire wraps (known as Spider Wrap) and hard tags. All of the devices are compatible with EAS pedestals and will activate the alarms if they are carried too close to doors where pedestals are situated. Tampering with these devices also results in alarms sounding that are built into Alpha’s products.
As I said, our company was not using Alpha Security at that time so many of our items were unprotected. Since merchandise was coming off of the trucks from the distribution center and the freight team was pushing it to the floor or the backroom, it was vulnerable to theft. I reworked my schedule around my suspects’ schedules. I also partnered with my District LP Manager and made him aware of the case. After several covert observations from my office with no definitive results I brought my L.P. team in overnight to assist me. We set up a covert camera, trying to get the best angle in the stock room. I then climbed on the steel shelving and hid behind merchandise on the top shelves. Now if you’ve ever seen the metal grating that serves as shelves for some big home improvement stores THAT is the stuff I was laying on. I will tell you that is one of the most uncomfortable positions I have ever had to maintain and especially when the subjects were in the stockroom with me. I did this at least three times and each time was a minimum of 6 hours. After several inconclusive surveillances in which suspicious behaviors were observed and merchandise went missing a district L.P. investigator came to assist me. Another 2 nights on the shelves and another 2 nights we only had suspicion but no firm evidence of a crime.
The Investigator was feeling pressure to close the case and so even though we only had one of the two suspects working, he conducted an interview. Since I was still relatively new to my job I deferred to his position and experience. Well, the interview yielded no admission and no merchandise was recovered. Needless to say neither employee returned to work. Days after the interview I found product packaging hidden behind plumbing access doors in one of the employee restrooms. As I look back on it now, I believe Alpha Security devices would have prevented the thefts I am certain the two employees were responsible for committing.
With all of the choices of retail anti-theft devices on the market today, there is little reason an internal merchandise theft case should ever have to get this big. Don’t go to great lengths to try to catch bad guys, just use Alpha Security products and save yourself the trouble.
Need information on Alpha Security? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
How far would you go to catch a crook? I had a few employee theft cases that I would say qualified as being a little extreme. One that comes to mind involved a couple of part-time hires we brought on board for our holiday season. I was the Loss Prevention Manager for the store and assisted in all of our new hire orientation sessions. During the holidays we would hold orientations for groups ranging from 2 up to 30 people. In one particular orientation I noticed that two fellas were not paying attention and were joking back and forth. That caught my attention and I made a point to find out their names and where they would be working. I also noticed their attention was piqued when I gave the tour of the security office. I should note, I only kept a camera or two on screen and shut off all other monitors. I never gave away where my cameras were located, especially the covert ones. It was obvious my two new compadres were trying to take in as much as they could. I found out the guys would be working on our freight team in the early morning hours. I made a point to conduct a covert overnight surveillance after they had a few days of training under their belts. It was during this surveillance that I saw my new employees had been assigned to work in our electronics freight and that included the secure lock-up for backstock electronics! I thought I saw some suspicious activity but couldn’t confirm it. In those days we had limited camera coverage in our lock up areas and even over our salesfloor. Our retail anti-theft devices were limited to electronic article surveillance (EAS) soft tags. Alpha Security products were not a part of our theft prevention strategy at the time.
For my readers who are not familiar with Alpha Security retail anti-theft devices, these are a family of EAS products that can protect a wide variety of merchandise. Some products are locking cables, protective locking boxes, wire wraps (known as Spider Wrap) and hard tags. All of the devices are compatible with EAS pedestals and will activate the alarms if they are carried too close to doors where pedestals are situated. Tampering with these devices also results in alarms sounding that are built into Alpha’s products.
As I said, our company was not using Alpha Security at that time so many of our items were unprotected. Since merchandise was coming off of the trucks from the distribution center and the freight team was pushing it to the floor or the backroom, it was vulnerable to theft. I reworked my schedule around my suspects’ schedules. I also partnered with my District LP Manager and made him aware of the case. After several covert observations from my office with no definitive results I brought my L.P. team in overnight to assist me. We set up a covert camera, trying to get the best angle in the stock room. I then climbed on the steel shelving and hid behind merchandise on the top shelves. Now if you’ve ever seen the metal grating that serves as shelves for some big home improvement stores THAT is the stuff I was laying on. I will tell you that is one of the most uncomfortable positions I have ever had to maintain and especially when the subjects were in the stockroom with me. I did this at least three times and each time was a minimum of 6 hours. After several inconclusive surveillances in which suspicious behaviors were observed and merchandise went missing a district L.P. investigator came to assist me. Another 2 nights on the shelves and another 2 nights we only had suspicion but no firm evidence of a crime.
The Investigator was feeling pressure to close the case and so even though we only had one of the two suspects working, he conducted an interview. Since I was still relatively new to my job I deferred to his position and experience. Well, the interview yielded no admission and no merchandise was recovered. Needless to say neither employee returned to work. Days after the interview I found product packaging hidden behind plumbing access doors in one of the employee restrooms. As I look back on it now, I believe Alpha Security devices would have prevented the thefts I am certain the two employees were responsible for committing.
With all of the choices of retail anti-theft devices on the market today, there is little reason an internal merchandise theft case should ever have to get this big. Don’t go to great lengths to try to catch bad guys, just use Alpha Security products and save yourself the trouble.
Need information on Alpha Security? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
It’s hell working in retail. There’s no sugar coating our jobs. We battle customer needs, employee relations issues, in-stock position, payroll, theft and the list just can go on for days. Sometimes, I go home completely worn out by the job; however, it’s days where I get a good bust that really keep me going. It’s very hard to Stop Shoplifting, but a keen set of eyes and quick reacting can often lead to great things.
To tell this story, we first have to go back; way back. To my very first year as an LP manager for my company. About 9 years. I was reviewing product returns from the previous day when I came across these flashlights that we didn’t carry. There was about 8, or 9 of them in the returns area, but they had our pricing labels attached to them. Finding it highly odd, I started doing a bit of research. I found the customer that returned them on camera and noted that he had a receipt. Even stranger. So I pulled the original transaction history and found where the sale took place; at a store a few miles up the road about a week prior.
According to the receipt, this guy purchased 9 flashlights at about $4.99 each. In reviewing the transaction video, he had a small basket full of assorted product. I even yelled at my computer screen when I saw my cashier remove various Checkpoint Tags from high dollar product, only for it to ring $4.99. He was actually able to leave the store with around $900 in product, and he only paid about $20. Then to add insult to injury, he went out and purchased some $.50 flashlights at another retailer, swapped the tags on those and returned them to me. He really is a genius. His total cost was about $5 for a $900 load. That’s a pretty good ROI if you ask me. With this video and information, I was able to enlist the help of local police. Eventually, flashlight guy was identified, but never arrested. As time went by, it drifted further from my mind as the demands of daily life took precedence, and well, I had to Stop Shoplifting in other areas of my store, ya’ know?
Fast forward to present day. I’m walking to the front office from the rear of the store. As I’m walking near the front exit doors, I hear my EAS tower sound. I immediately apologize to the customer for failing to remove the Checkpoint Tags and ask to view his receipt so I may address this with the cashier that assisted him. He was very understanding; thanked me for my professionalism and began talking. Talking a whole lot. As I was jotting down the cashier’s name, I noticed that the receipt was for a bunch of $4.99 flashlights. Like a scene out of a movie, a flash of light and vivid memories of years past came flooding back. As soon as I looked in the buggy he was pushing, I saw hundreds of dollars’ worth of product. And not one flashlight.
As if the stars couldn’t align even more on this day, a good friend of mine enters the store at this exact moment. My friend is a state trooper, who also happened to be on duty at the time. With his help, we bring my flashlight guy to the security office where I’m able to recover nearly $1,500 worth of product. The better part? He still had an active warrant for the theft that occurred at the same store nearly 9 years ago. Good day all around.
After he was led out in handcuffs, I approached the cashier that failed to remove the Checkpoint Tags on one of his products. Instead of scolding the cashier for doing so, I bought her a snack and thanked her for helping me close such an old case, albeit by sheer dumb-luck. Sometimes, to Stop Shoplifting, you have really put in the leg work, other times, you just have to be at the right place, at the right time.
For more information about Checkpoint Tags, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547.
Background Check Company-3 WC Blog 330
Pre-Employment Screening-3
If Your Employees Get Into Fights You Could Be Responsible Under Negligent Hiring Laws; A Background Check Company Can Protect You In Your Hiring Decisions
Did you know that as an employer you could potentially be held liable if someone you hire injures a customer or another employer? The internet is filled with videos of employee – customer altercations, some initiated by the customer and some by the employee but in all the situations the images are disturbing. I happened to see one video of a well-known fast food chain employee beating up a woman in front of the woman’s two-year old son. In this case the assault took place outside of the restaurant but the uniform was a dead giveaway and the NBC news affiliate website reported where the employee worked. In another video several employees from another fast food chain got into a fight with a patron. In the NBC6.com story it was reported that the customer was intoxicated but the employees began the physical altercation by throwing cups at the customer then came from behind the counter and started fighting. Videos also abound of employees fighting each other in retail stores, fast food restaurants and other locations. While one must be careful not to conclude that these videos are representative of the majority of American workers, it would be unwise to dismiss the possibility that this could happen in your business. There is also a possibility that if a fight takes place in your business and it involves one or more of your employees, you could be held responsible for injuries under “Negligent Hiring” and/or “Negligent Retention” Laws. To protect your business, employees and customers, it is wise to hire a background check company to conduct pre-employment screenings of applicants.
A background check company can dig into the personal history of someone you may be considering bringing onto your team. While your job application may ask if someone has been convicted of a felony, what resources do you have at your disposal to verify if the applicant lies and does not disclose a criminal past? In addition to conducting criminal background checks, a pre-employment screening can determine if the person has worked where they said they worked on their application. It may be that the person you are considering hiring has indicated they have received a degree from a college or university, without checking on it do you know if they are telling you the truth? Background check companies can do the legwork so that you can feel confident in the person you are considering working in your building.
The importance of making sure you are hiring the right person for a position is revealed when we consider what exactly is meant by “Negligent Hiring” or “Negligent Retention”. According to the website smallbusiness.findlaw.com, referring to negligent hiring or negligent retention, “The most common example of this is to hold the employer liable for the criminal conduct of an employee which is obviously outside the scope of employment. The basis for liability is that the employer acted carelessly in hiring a criminal for a job that the employer should have expected would expose others to harm.” In other words, if you don’t take precautions in your hiring practices and you hire a person with a criminal history and at some point an altercation or assault takes place, you may be held responsible. The website goes on to say, “… to avoid liability for negligent hiring, an employer should always run a background check on an employee…” http://smallbusiness.findlaw.com/liability-and-insurance/an-employer-s-liability-for-employee-s-acts.html It appears the only conclusion that can be made from this is that a pre-employment screening is the best way to keep from becoming liable in a lawsuit should one of your employees become involved in a fight, especially if injuries are sustained by the victim.
A background check company can be invaluable in your efforts to hire the best applicants and keep your business a safe place for customers and employees alike. Lawsuits are expensive and can drain your bank accounts, let professional investigators keep your company profitable.
Need information on a background check company? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
Did you know that as an employer you could potentially be held liable if someone you hire injures a customer or another employer? The internet is filled with videos of employee – customer altercations, some initiated by the customer and some by the employee but in all the situations the images are disturbing. I happened to see one video of a well-known fast food chain employee beating up a woman in front of the woman’s two-year old son. In this case the assault took place outside of the restaurant but the uniform was a dead giveaway and the NBC news affiliate website reported where the employee worked. In another video several employees from another fast food chain got into a fight with a patron. In the NBC6.com story it was reported that the customer was intoxicated but the employees began the physical altercation by throwing cups at the customer then came from behind the counter and started fighting. Videos also abound of employees fighting each other in retail stores, fast food restaurants and other locations. While one must be careful not to conclude that these videos are representative of the majority of American workers, it would be unwise to dismiss the possibility that this could happen in your business. There is also a possibility that if a fight takes place in your business and it involves one or more of your employees, you could be held responsible for injuries under “Negligent Hiring” and/or “Negligent Retention” Laws. To protect your business, employees and customers, it is wise to hire a background check company to conduct pre-employment screenings of applicants.
A background check company can dig into the personal history of someone you may be considering bringing onto your team. While your job application may ask if someone has been convicted of a felony, what resources do you have at your disposal to verify if the applicant lies and does not disclose a criminal past? In addition to conducting criminal background checks, a pre-employment screening can determine if the person has worked where they said they worked on their application. It may be that the person you are considering hiring has indicated they have received a degree from a college or university, without checking on it do you know if they are telling you the truth? Background check companies can do the legwork so that you can feel confident in the person you are considering working in your building.
The importance of making sure you are hiring the right person for a position is revealed when we consider what exactly is meant by “Negligent Hiring” or “Negligent Retention”. According to the website smallbusiness.findlaw.com, referring to negligent hiring or negligent retention, “The most common example of this is to hold the employer liable for the criminal conduct of an employee which is obviously outside the scope of employment. The basis for liability is that the employer acted carelessly in hiring a criminal for a job that the employer should have expected would expose others to harm.” In other words, if you don’t take precautions in your hiring practices and you hire a person with a criminal history and at some point an altercation or assault takes place, you may be held responsible. The website goes on to say, “… to avoid liability for negligent hiring, an employer should always run a background check on an employee…” http://smallbusiness.findlaw.com/liability-and-insurance/an-employer-s-liability-for-employee-s-acts.html It appears the only conclusion that can be made from this is that a pre-employment screening is the best way to keep from becoming liable in a lawsuit should one of your employees become involved in a fight, especially if injuries are sustained by the victim.
A background check company can be invaluable in your efforts to hire the best applicants and keep your business a safe place for customers and employees alike. Lawsuits are expensive and can drain your bank accounts, let professional investigators keep your company profitable.
Need information on a background check company? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
ALPHA SHARK TAGS ARE THE NEWEST, ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY TO STOP THE BILLIONS LOST IN RETURN FRAUD!
ML Blog 06
Return Fraud-5
Alpha Shark Tags- 3
Retailers lose billions each year to fraudulent refunds. Stores keep their return policies flexible in order to be customer-friendly. This opens the door to return fraud, which drains profits right at the point of sale. Return fraud is far more common than most retailers initially think. It’s a double-edged sword for retailers. We broaden return policies to take care of customers while at the same time inadvertently inviting fraudulent refunders to cause high dollar shrink.
As a Loss Prevention expert, I’ve seen several stores suffer return shrink. I once worked in a large store that completed $480,000 in no receipt returns in only a 1 year period. Out of the $480,000, they lost close to $192,000 in one year due to fraudulent returns. The store team knew their return percent for no receipt refunds was high, but had no clue the problem was this widespread. In that location, I prosecuted multiple high dollar cases each week. The majority of them pertained to shoplifters stealing merchandise, then returning that item at a later time. The thief will then receive a gift card or cash for your merchandise they stole. Another popular method is merchandise fraudulently being swapped for used merchandise that did not belong to the store. Subjects do this so they get a store refund, but also keep the actual item that they purchased. They will return one of their own used products, with your price tag attached to it. That way the cashier will scan the tag, thinking the returned item is the one the individual purchased. Now you are stuck with merchandise that is not yours, and they again receive a gift card or cash for the return. It’s called double dipping, causing a loss each time it happens. Another type of return fraud consists of “wardrobing”. Subjects will come into your store and return items that are already worn by them. Once you notice the items are worn, the subjects have the cash and you have to mark out the item that you cannot resell. Another big loss for your store. The numbers of return fraud cases I’ve prosecuted is at least equal to if not greater than the number of traditional shoplifting cases. Luckily, there is something new that retailers can do about it. Alpha Shark tags can be placed on your merchandise in order to prevent this type of fraud. They work as a strong, visual deterrent. They are small, and fit easily on your products. The tag cannot be placed back on the product after a customer removes the tag, which puts a stop to all of the types of fraudulent refunds. The item cannot be returned unless the security tag is in place, proving that the item is indeed the same item and not used by the customer. It does not get better than this!
There are multiple types of return fraud, so as retailers we have to think smarter when it comes to this type of fraud. Alpha Shark Tags are the newest, advanced technology to stop the billions lost in refunds. A lot of retailers I’ve worked for at first didn’t know what they could do to stop this rising trend. The stores would just accept their return percent and tell their associates to “be on the lookout” for fraudulent refunds. But what are you really doing to put a stop to it? Thieves know the ins and out of the system, so simply being on the lookout is not enough in this day and age. Investing in Alpha Shark Tags are the easiest way to stop the frustration of losing money daily due to fraudulent refunds.
For more information about Return Fraud, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547.
Retailers lose billions each year to fraudulent refunds. Stores keep their return policies flexible in order to be customer-friendly. This opens the door to return fraud, which drains profits right at the point of sale. Return fraud is far more common than most retailers initially think. It’s a double-edged sword for retailers. We broaden return policies to take care of customers while at the same time inadvertently inviting fraudulent refunders to cause high dollar shrink.
As a Loss Prevention expert, I’ve seen several stores suffer return shrink. I once worked in a large store that completed $480,000 in no receipt returns in only a 1 year period. Out of the $480,000, they lost close to $192,000 in one year due to fraudulent returns. The store team knew their return percent for no receipt refunds was high, but had no clue the problem was this widespread. In that location, I prosecuted multiple high dollar cases each week. The majority of them pertained to shoplifters stealing merchandise, then returning that item at a later time. The thief will then receive a gift card or cash for your merchandise they stole. Another popular method is merchandise fraudulently being swapped for used merchandise that did not belong to the store. Subjects do this so they get a store refund, but also keep the actual item that they purchased. They will return one of their own used products, with your price tag attached to it. That way the cashier will scan the tag, thinking the returned item is the one the individual purchased. Now you are stuck with merchandise that is not yours, and they again receive a gift card or cash for the return. It’s called double dipping, causing a loss each time it happens. Another type of return fraud consists of “wardrobing“. Subjects will come into your store and return items that are already worn by them. Once you notice the items are worn, the subjects have the cash and you have to mark out the item that you cannot resell. Another big loss for your store. The numbers of return fraud cases I’ve prosecuted is at least equal to if not greater than the number of traditional shoplifting cases. Luckily, there is something new that retailers can do about it. Alpha Shark tags can be placed on your merchandise in order to prevent this type of fraud. They work as a strong, visual deterrent. They are small, and fit easily on your products. The tag cannot be placed back on the product after a customer removes the tag, which puts a stop to all of the types of fraudulent refunds. The item cannot be returned unless the security tag is in place, proving that the item is indeed the same item and not used by the customer. It does not get better than this!
There are multiple types of return fraud, so as retailers we have to think smarter when it comes to this type of fraud. Alpha Shark Tags are the newest, advanced technology to stop the billions lost in refunds. A lot of retailers I’ve worked for at first didn’t know what they could do to stop this rising trend. The stores would just accept their return percent and tell their associates to “be on the lookout” for fraudulent refunds. But what are you really doing to put a stop to it? Thieves know the ins and out of the system, so simply being on the lookout is not enough in this day and age. Investing in Alpha Shark Tags are the easiest way to stop the frustration of losing money daily due to fraudulent refunds.
For more information about Return Fraud, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547.
Manger training to stop employee theft-3 WC Blog 327
Stop Shoplifting-5
Disgruntled Employees May Be Stealing And Disrupting Efforts To Stop Shoplifting; Manager Training To Stop Employee Theft Can Help You Prevent Both Problems
How happy are your employees? Sure they may seem like they are smiling when you are around but what about when you aren’t there. Are things as they seem? You may think this is an odd question for an article on theft prevention but there is more to this than you may realize. Employees who are not happy can grouse to other employees and even to customers but managers may not always be aware of it if they aren’t engaged with their staffs. Obviously this can lead to morale issues, but were you aware it could be something to look for as an indicator of employee theft? I also read an article recently that made me consider that if an employer is going to stop shoplifting they may want to focus on employee satisfaction. I’ll discuss this point a little later but the bigger picture here is that there may be activities in your store that could be indicators that theft could be or is occurring. Manager training to stop employee theft is available to store owners and leaders from Loss Prevention Systems, Inc.
By training your managers they can learn what behaviors employees may display that could tip them off that dishonest activity is taking place. You can also learn just how devastating theft can be on a business. Losses take place in the form of return fraud, credit fraud, passing, under ringing, gift card fraud, merchandise theft and of course there is shoplifting. Underestimate the impact of customer theft and you could be in for a nasty surprise when your next inventory results come in. Thieves learn where the easy targets are and when they find one they will exploit it so it is important to get the training that will teach managers how to stop shoplifting. You can also learn who the shoplifters are, how they are ripping your store off and how you should approach them. Manager training to stop employee theft and to stop shoplifting can pay off big dividends in the future.
I mentioned previously about the article I read and how it associated shoplifters with unhappy employees. In UFNews, a University of Florida web page, in an article titled, “The science of stealing”, by Allison Clark, February 16, 2016, the author has interviewed Read Hayes, co-director of the Loss Prevention Research Team at the University of Florida. Their department hosted a conference during which former shoplifters told the Loss Prevention officials in the audience their stories. One of the points made by the speakers according to the article was, “They also avoid stealing from stores where employees seem happy. Disgruntled or disengaged employees are less likely to notice theft – and more likely to look the other way if they do, they said.” (Emphasis mine). http://news.ufl.edu/articles/2016/02/the-science-of-stealing.php . Admittedly I was taken aback by this. While I always thought of happy employees being more service oriented and more likely to be productive, I had not thought that it could hinder a management team’s efforts to stop shoplifting.
One final word from the article and this did confirm what many of us in Loss Prevention already believed, but not necessarily for the reasons we thought. Customer service is a strong deterrent to stop shoplifting. I would say most of us would have pointed out that customer service removes the opportunity for the thief to get away with their crime. However, according to the article, “…when an employee looks you in the eye and starts a conversation, it’s often game over for thieves said the sole female shoplifter on the stage. “Partly it’s the customer service. It’s also that if someone has looked at me and talked to me, they can pick me out of a lineup.””. Think about that, engaging customers in conversation, saying hello, offering assistance and making eye contact can discourage criminals who understand the potential consequences if they are caught stealing!
Manager training to stop employee theft and prevent shoplifting are important tools to help you improve your stock shortage results and thereby improve profitability. Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. can teach you and your staff the signals that you may have disgruntled employees and how to prevent it. They can also teach you how to approach shoplifters so they leave your store alone. Customer service drives sales but, as the woman in the article said it also prevented her from shoplifting. Let Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. professional staff help educate your team.
Get more information on manager training to stop employee theft, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 now.
How happy are your employees? Sure they may seem like they are smiling when you are around but what about when you aren’t there. Are things as they seem? You may think this is an odd question for an article on theft prevention but there is more to this than you may realize. Employees who are not happy can grouse to other employees and even to customers but managers may not always be aware of it if they aren’t engaged with their staffs. Obviously this can lead to morale issues, but were you aware it could be something to look for as an indicator of employee theft? I also read an article recently that made me consider that if an employer is going to stop shoplifting they may want to focus on employee satisfaction. I’ll discuss this point a little later but the bigger picture here is that there may be activities in your store that could be indicators that theft could be or is occurring. Manager training to stop employee theft is available to store owners and leaders from Loss Prevention Systems, Inc.
By training your managers they can learn what behaviors employees may display that could tip them off that dishonest activity is taking place. You can also learn just how devastating theft can be on a business. Losses take place in the form of return fraud, credit fraud, passing, under ringing, gift card fraud, merchandise theft and of course there is shoplifting. Underestimate the impact of customer theft and you could be in for a nasty surprise when your next inventory results come in. Thieves learn where the easy targets are and when they find one they will exploit it so it is important to get the training that will teach managers how to stop shoplifting. You can also learn who the shoplifters are, how they are ripping your store off and how you should approach them. Manager training to stop employee theft and to stop shoplifting can pay off big dividends in the future.
I mentioned previously about the article I read and how it associated shoplifters with unhappy employees. In UFNews, a University of Florida web page, in an article titled, “The science of stealing”, by Allison Clark, February 16, 2016, the author has interviewed Read Hayes, co-director of the Loss Prevention Research Team at the University of Florida. Their department hosted a conference during which former shoplifters told the Loss Prevention officials in the audience their stories. One of the points made by the speakers according to the article was, “They also avoid stealing from stores where employees seem happy. Disgruntled or disengaged employees are less likely to notice theft – and more likely to look the other way if they do, they said.” (Emphasis mine). http://news.ufl.edu/articles/2016/02/the-science-of-stealing.php . Admittedly I was taken aback by this. While I always thought of happy employees being more service oriented and more likely to be productive, I had not thought that it could hinder a management team’s efforts to stop shoplifting.
One final word from the article and this did confirm what many of us in Loss Prevention already believed, but not necessarily for the reasons we thought. Customer service is a strong deterrent to stop shoplifting. I would say most of us would have pointed out that customer service removes the opportunity for the thief to get away with their crime. However, according to the article, “…when an employee looks you in the eye and starts a conversation, it’s often game over for thieves said the sole female shoplifter on the stage. “Partly it’s the customer service. It’s also that if someone has looked at me and talked to me, they can pick me out of a lineup.””. Think about that, engaging customers in conversation, saying hello, offering assistance and making eye contact can discourage criminals who understand the potential consequences if they are caught stealing!
Manager training to stop employee theft and prevent shoplifting are important tools to help you improve your stock shortage results and thereby improve profitability. Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. can teach you and your staff the signals that you may have disgruntled employees and how to prevent it. They can also teach you how to approach shoplifters so they leave your store alone. Customer service drives sales but, as the woman in the article said it also prevented her from shoplifting. Let Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. professional staff help educate your team.
Get more information on manager training to stop employee theft, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 now.
Protect Health and Beauty Products-3 WC Blog 294
Alpha Keepers-5
Prevent Shoplifting-3
Retail Anti-Theft Devices-3
Perplexed By Plexi-glass Panels, A Retail Loss Prevention Manager Offers Alpha Keepers As Better Retail Anti-Theft Devices
I will admit it I can be curious especially when it comes to retail anti-theft devices but my wife says I’m nosey. If I’m out shopping and I see something that looks like it is supposed to deter theft in some way I’m probably going to check it out. Not long ago I was visiting a chain store with my wife and we wandered through the household supplies section. I observed merchandise on the shelf and the front of the shelf had a clear, plexi-glass cover over it that appeared to be protecting the merchandise. I didn’t see a lock and there wasn’t enough space to remove a single item at a time so then I wondered if it was designed to prevent shoplifting or just keep items from falling off the shelf. When we got to the other end of the store we found more of these plexi-glass shields in use to protect health and beauty products and I couldn’t resist the temptation. I had to know what they would do so I tried to lift one up. Yikes! A chiming noise sounded all the way to the front of the store. Hmmm, would it do it again? It sure did and before I could test it once more my wife made me stop. Then it dawned on me, these were retail anti-theft devices to stop shoplifting and the chime was to alert employees to come to the area and offer assistance. We continued looking around this area for several minutes but no one came to see if I needed help. Since I have extensive experience in Retail Loss Prevention I was annoyed, what is the purpose of having any type of device to prevent shoplifting if it isn’t going to be used as intended? This is one of the reasons I like Alpha Keepers so much. They protect merchandise and still allow customers to take the product off the shelf and walk around with it or take it to the checkout counter.
Alpha Keepers are superior to lock up display cases, show cases and even plexi-glass shields. Alpha Keepers are made of a clear, polycarbonate material making them super-strong and difficult to break. They have a hinged, locking door that requires a special detachment tool to open them, keeping thieves from gaining access to the item in the box. Keepers also come in a variety sizes to cover a wide variety of merchandise. They can protect health and beauty products to electronics items such as SD cards. Since the Alpha boxes are clear, customers can pick up the box, view the packaging and read information to help them make an informed purchasing decision. Show cases only permit limited viewing and if a patron wants a closer look they have to find an employee to open the case and hover over them while the patron examines the product. Think about how uncomfortable this can be if the merchandise is some type of personal hygiene product! The employee also has to stay with the patron as long as that person wants to continue to browse products for example in a videogame display case. A Keeper requires no hovering and your employees can be productive with other customer service issues or tasks.
In the experience I referenced above, I have to assume the purpose of a chiming noise was to get an associate to check on me to ensure I wasn’t cleaning off the shelf of all the products. The lack of response did not impress me and I can only assume this was not an isolated incident. Had I been a thief there was nothing the system was doing to protect health and beauty products or the air fresheners at the other end of the store (not that I knew there was a high demand on the black market for air fresheners or scented candles). Alpha Keepers would be a better alternative for this store to prevent shoplifting. The only time an associate would need to respond to any noise would be to the electronic article surveillance antenna alarm if a criminal attempted to exit the building with merchandise protected in a Keeper box.
Rather than use retail anti-theft devices such as display cases that hinder customer access to products and require significant employee payroll hours over the course of a year to maintain, why not use Alpha Keepers? You will increase sales through increased customer access and you will decrease shortage through real product protection.
Alpha Keepers are important and we can help you with them. Call 1.770.426.0547and let’s talk.
I will admit it I can be curious especially when it comes to retail anti-theft devices but my wife says I’m nosey. If I’m out shopping and I see something that looks like it is supposed to deter theft in some way I’m probably going to check it out. Not long ago I was visiting a chain store with my wife and we wandered through the household supplies section. I observed merchandise on the shelf and the front of the shelf had a clear, plexi-glass cover over it that appeared to be protecting the merchandise. I didn’t see a lock and there wasn’t enough space to remove a single item at a time so then I wondered if it was designed to prevent shoplifting or just keep items from falling off the shelf. When we got to the other end of the store we found more of these plexi-glass shields in use to protect health and beauty products and I couldn’t resist the temptation. I had to know what they would do so I tried to lift one up. Yikes! A chiming noise sounded all the way to the front of the store. Hmmm, would it do it again? It sure did and before I could test it once more my wife made me stop. Then it dawned on me, these were retail anti-theft devices to stop shoplifting and the chime was to alert employees to come to the area and offer assistance. We continued looking around this area for several minutes but no one came to see if I needed help. Since I have extensive experience in Retail Loss Prevention I was annoyed, what is the purpose of having any type of device to prevent shoplifting if it isn’t going to be used as intended? This is one of the reasons I like Alpha Keepers so much. They protect merchandise and still allow customers to take the product off the shelf and walk around with it or take it to the checkout counter.
Alpha Keepers are superior to lock up display cases, show cases and even plexi-glass shields. Alpha Keepers are made of a clear, polycarbonate material making them super-strong and difficult to break. They have a hinged, locking door that requires a special detachment tool to open them, keeping thieves from gaining access to the item in the box. Keepers also come in a variety sizes to cover a wide variety of merchandise. They can protect health and beauty products to electronics items such as SD cards. Since the Alpha boxes are clear, customers can pick up the box, view the packaging and read information to help them make an informed purchasing decision. Show cases only permit limited viewing and if a patron wants a closer look they have to find an employee to open the case and hover over them while the patron examines the product. Think about how uncomfortable this can be if the merchandise is some type of personal hygiene product! The employee also has to stay with the patron as long as that person wants to continue to browse products for example in a videogame display case. A Keeper requires no hovering and your employees can be productive with other customer service issues or tasks.
In the experience I referenced above, I have to assume the purpose of a chiming noise was to get an associate to check on me to ensure I wasn’t cleaning off the shelf of all the products. The lack of response did not impress me and I can only assume this was not an isolated incident. Had I been a thief there was nothing the system was doing to protect health and beauty products or the air fresheners at the other end of the store (not that I knew there was a high demand on the black market for air fresheners or scented candles). Alpha Keepers would be a better alternative for this store to prevent shoplifting. The only time an associate would need to respond to any noise would be to the electronic article surveillance antenna alarm if a criminal attempted to exit the building with merchandise protected in a Keeper box.
Rather than use retail anti-theft devices such as display cases that hinder customer access to products and require significant employee payroll hours over the course of a year to maintain, why not use Alpha Keepers? You will increase sales through increased customer access and you will decrease shortage through real product protection.
Alpha Keepers are important and we can help you with them. Call 1.770.426.0547and let’s talk.
