Alpha Thunder Tag-4 WC Blog 216
Checkpoint Classic N10-3
i-pad theft-4
Tablet Theft-4
Mobile Medical Devices Allow Doctors To Visit Patients Online – Those Devices Need To Be Protected With Alpha Thunder Tags Part 1
Have you ever had to go to a doctor’s office and then wait to be seen? It isn’t much fun, especially when it’s your first visit and you have to complete all of the background information, medical history, insurance information, etc. The other day I had to make such a visit to a doctor’s office/clinic for a family member. The one upside was that this was a new facility so we were the only people waiting to be seen except, the television monitor indicated one other patient was being seen “online”. Online?! It was interesting that someone not at the clinic was being seen before us. We finished our paperwork and my family member was called in to see the doctor. The wait wasn’t as long as I am used to from other experiences so I was pleasantly surprised. While I waited in the lobby I was reading some of the literature about this particular medical provider chain. I found that they have on online consultation they can provide to their patients. That would explain the online patient that was ahead of us. The picture they showed on the advertisement had a patient with a tablet and their website information. Now, since I write about mobile medical devices and protecting against i-pad theft and tablet theft using Alpha Thunder Tags, I couldn’t help but have my curiosity piqued. Does this provider use medical tablets or i-pads on their end to conduct online visits? If they do, are they taking precautions to protect those devices from theft?
Facilities that are using mobile medical devices must be careful to protect those devices or they risk compromising patient information. Medical i-pad theft or tablet theft can be prevented if a facility uses an Alpha Thunder Tag on a device and installs Checkpoint Classic N10 antennas on their entrances/exits. The Alpha Thunder Tag is attached to each mobile device with an adhesive backing. The tags are electronic article surveillance ready, and emit a radio frequency signal that can be read by the Checkpoint Classic N10 antenna. If someone tries to steal one of the devices protected with a tag, an alarm in the antenna activates an audible signal and the built in flashing LED lights are set off. Employees from the clinic or hospital can respond to the alarm and recover the stolen goods. The Thunder Tag has a tamper alarm so that if someone decides to try to be clever and remove the tag, the alarm built into the tag activates.
If space for an electronic article surveillance antenna (EAS) in your doorways is a concern, the Checkpoint Classic N10 is the perfect solution. It is designed to take up very little room, fitting comfortably in standard entry ways. Though they do not take up the area that the antennas in large retail stores do, they still provide the same high level detection capabilities. If a tablet theft or i-pad theft is taking place and the device is concealed in a briefcase, purse or in a pocket, the antenna will still detect the Thunder Tag.
So, getting back to my clinic visit, I was intrigued by the advertisement and when I got home, I looked up information on the company’s website. According to their information, a patient only needs to set up an account and they can see a doctor using their phone, tablet or computer. The information did not specify how the doctor “sees” the patient. My inkling is that with a computer, the doctor is somewhat locked into one place for consultations. With a mobile device, they could be moving within the clinic and multitasking. It is even possible that an i-pad or tablet would be the better solution so they can do the consultation and still have the ability to look up medical information using medical apps that are now available to healthcare providers. Of course, this is speculation on my part, but with the growing use of mobile medical devices and the fact this provider seems to be on the cutting edge of technology, I would be surprised if they were not using mobile devices for their service.
It is great that healthcare providers are using the power of technology to improve patient services and cutting down the length of time required to see a doctor. Mobile devices are helping to make great strides in medicine, even to the point that doctors can consult with each other in remote locations. With all these advances, it only makes sense to protect against medical i-pad theft and tablet theft with Alpha Thunder Tags and Classic N10 antennas. Why risk losing a device when security is a phone call away!
Need information on Alpha Thunder Tags? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
Have you ever had to go to a doctor’s office and then wait to be seen? It isn’t much fun, especially when it’s your first visit and you have to complete all of the background information, medical history, insurance information, etc. The other day I had to make such a visit to a doctor’s office/clinic for a family member. The one upside was that this was a new facility so we were the only people waiting to be seen except, the television monitor indicated one other patient was being seen “online”. Online?! It was interesting that someone not at the clinic was being seen before us. We finished our paperwork and my family member was called in to see the doctor. The wait wasn’t as long as I am used to from other experiences so I was pleasantly surprised. While I waited in the lobby I was reading some of the literature about this particular medical provider chain. I found that they have on online consultation they can provide to their patients. That would explain the online patient that was ahead of us. The picture they showed on the advertisement had a patient with a tablet and their website information. Now, since I write about mobile medical devices and protecting against i-pad theft and tablet theft using Alpha Thunder Tags, I couldn’t help but have my curiosity piqued. Does this provider use medical tablets or i-pads on their end to conduct online visits? If they do, are they taking precautions to protect those devices from theft?
Facilities that are using mobile medical devices must be careful to protect those devices or they risk compromising patient information. Medical i-pad theft or tablet theft can be prevented if a facility uses an Alpha Thunder Tag on a device and installs Checkpoint Classic N10 antennas on their entrances/exits. The Alpha Thunder Tag is attached to each mobile device with an adhesive backing. The tags are electronic article surveillance ready, and emit a radio frequency signal that can be read by the Checkpoint Classic N10 antenna. If someone tries to steal one of the devices protected with a tag, an alarm in the antenna activates an audible signal and the built in flashing LED lights are set off. Employees from the clinic or hospital can respond to the alarm and recover the stolen goods. The Thunder Tag has a tamper alarm so that if someone decides to try to be clever and remove the tag, the alarm built into the tag activates.
If space for an electronic article surveillance antenna (EAS) in your doorways is a concern, the Checkpoint Classic N10 is the perfect solution. It is designed to take up very little room, fitting comfortably in standard entry ways. Though they do not take up the area that the antennas in large retail stores do, they still provide the same high level detection capabilities. If a tablet theft or i-pad theft is taking place and the device is concealed in a briefcase, purse or in a pocket, the antenna will still detect the Thunder Tag.
So, getting back to my clinic visit, I was intrigued by the advertisement and when I got home, I looked up information on the company’s website. According to their information, a patient only needs to set up an account and they can see a doctor using their phone, tablet or computer. The information did not specify how the doctor “sees” the patient. My inkling is that with a computer, the doctor is somewhat locked into one place for consultations. With a mobile device, they could be moving within the clinic and multitasking. It is even possible that an i-pad or tablet would be the better solution so they can do the consultation and still have the ability to look up medical information using medical apps that are now available to healthcare providers. Of course, this is speculation on my part, but with the growing use of mobile medical devices and the fact this provider seems to be on the cutting edge of technology, I would be surprised if they were not using mobile devices for their service.
It is great that healthcare providers are using the power of technology to improve patient services and cutting down the length of time required to see a doctor. Mobile devices are helping to make great strides in medicine, even to the point that doctors can consult with each other in remote locations. With all these advances, it only makes sense to protect against medical i-pad theft and tablet theft with Alpha Thunder Tags and Classic N10 antennas. Why risk losing a device when security is a phone call away!
Need information on Alpha Thunder Tags? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
JM Blog 11 Alpha Hard Tags
Key words KW – Alpha Ink Tag 5
KW- Prevent Shoplifting 5
Alpha Ink Tags; Remove The Reward And Reduce The Risk
To prevent shoplifting retail operators, must see the full scope of why shoplifting occurs. This quest to understand, to know, why a problem exists is the only path to truly ending a problem. We cannot afford to invest in programs and expend energy targeting issues we cannot impact or ones that are not the real problem. We live in a system where the risks and costs of being caught stealing carries little in the way of real consequence and the potential rewards of theft far outweigh what little impact the system does have. In to this place comes the Alpha Ink Tag and with it a measure of control for the retailer to shift the risk/reward dynamic.
How can an MPS device like an Alpha Ink Tag impact an issue as broad as this? How can the Alpha Ink Tag do anything beyond a normal clothing tag to prevent shoplifting? It does it by targeting the reward side of the equation. It hits the shoplifter in the one are that the system cannot, right in the pocket.
Those who steal for financial reasons are playing the long game, betting on an unstable enterprise with the full knowledge that at some point they will lose. It’s true, everyone gets caught eventually but they don’t view this in the same way those of us on the right side of the law do. For these shoplifters being caught is a cost of doing business. A cost they don’t care about paying, so long as they have profited enough to cover the expense.
Sadly, this mindset is the same one that good business people use. If every fourth project is a potential failure but the ones before it succeeded and the next one could be a win you roll the dice. Even if you fail you have already paid for that loss with your success. Shoplifting is the same dynamic. Every win creates a cushion that makes taking a loss an acceptable outcome. To prevent shoplifting, we need to hit the thieves in the same place they hit us, the pocketbook.
The Alpha device does just that. The removal of these tags causes a release of ink that ruins the clothing they are attached to. Once the garment is ruined it is worthless to the thief. They took the risk and you ensured that they get no reward. With one single device, you not only work to prevent shoplifting but also make their business model ineffective.
With this single device, you will have targeted both the symptom and the source of the problem. If a shoplifter needs to put themselves at risk of detection by targeting merchandise which you have protected in your store they will think twice. If, after this, they proceed only to have the Alpha Ink Tag destroy their ill-gotten gains, reducing its value to zero, they will quickly find you a poor investment of their time.
Trying to prevent shoplifting will always be a task that is ever changing. Motives and methods are ever evolving. The tools we have combat the thieves, the way we use those tools and our mindset regarding the issue must also change. The Alpha Ink Tag is a single device that covers multiple aspects of the problem while remaining a practical solution. There will always be a need, always be greed and we have to accept that. What we do not have to do is idly sit by while the system allows for the rewards of theft to outweigh the risk. We can’t fix the system but we can tip the scales back in our favor. Protect your merchandise and remove the reward and reduce your risk.
Need information on Alpha Ink Tags? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now
To prevent shoplifting retail operators, must see the full scope of why shoplifting occurs. This quest to understand, to know, why a problem exists is the only path to truly ending a problem. We cannot afford to invest in programs and expend energy targeting issues we cannot impact or ones that are not the real problem. We live in a system where the risks and costs of being caught stealing carries little in the way of real consequence and the potential rewards of theft far outweigh what little impact the system does have. In comes the Alpha Ink Tag and with it a measure of control for the retailer to shift the risk/reward dynamic.
How can an MPS device like an Alpha Ink Tag impact an issue as broad as this? How can the Alpha Ink Tag do anything beyond a normal clothing tag to prevent shoplifting? It does it by targeting the reward side of the equation. It hits the shoplifter in the one are that the system cannot, right in the pocket.
Those who steal for financial reasons are playing the long game, betting on an unstable enterprise with the full knowledge that at some point they will lose. It’s true, everyone gets caught eventually but they don’t view this in the same way those of us on the right side of the law do. For these shoplifters being caught is a cost of doing business. A cost they don’t care about paying, so long as they have profited enough to cover the expense.
Sadly, this mindset is the same one that good business people use. If every fourth project is a potential failure but the ones before it succeeded and the next one could be a win you roll the dice. Even if you fail you have already paid for that loss with your success. Shoplifting is the same dynamic. Every win creates a cushion that makes taking a loss an acceptable outcome. To prevent shoplifting, we need to hit the thieves in the same place they hit us, the pocketbook.
The Alpha device does just that. The removal of these tags causes a release of ink that ruins the clothing they are attached to. Once the garment is ruined it is worthless to the thief. They took the risk and you ensured that they get no reward. With one single device, you not only work to prevent shoplifting but also make their business model ineffective.
With this single device, you will have targeted both the symptom and the source of the problem. If a shoplifter needs to put themselves at risk of detection by targeting merchandise which you have protected in your store they will think twice. If, after this, they proceed only to have the Alpha Ink Tag destroy their ill-gotten gains, reducing its value to zero, they will quickly find you a poor investment of their time.
Trying to prevent shoplifting will always be a task that is ever changing. Motives and methods are ever evolving. The tools we have combat the thieves, the way we use those tools and our mindset regarding the issue must also change. The Alpha Ink Tag is a single device that covers multiple aspects of the problem while remaining a practical solution. There will always be a need, always be greed and we have to accept that. What we do not have to do is idly sit by while the system allows for the rewards of theft to outweigh the risk. We can’t fix the system but we can tip the scales back in our favor. Protect your merchandise and remove the reward and reduce your risk.
Need information on Alpha Ink Tags? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now
According to the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) website, http://www.fmi.org/research-resources/supermarket-facts, Supermarket Sales By Department 2015 (% of total supermarket store sales) 2014 Supermarket Sales of alcoholic beverages amounted to $21,296.639 (millions of dollars) or 4.4% of total grocery store sales. It is interesting to note that according to the 2014-2015 Global Retail Theft Barometer Supermarkets/Grocery Retailers experienced 1.35% stock shortage results. The number one shortage category under “Food and Beverages” was wines and spirits (pg. 55). The GRTB goes on to report that approximately 50% of shortage in Supermarkets/ Grocery retailers is due to dishonest employees and 31% is due to shoplifting (pg. 54). My question to grocery store owners is this, “If 4.4% of your total sales are coming from the sale of alcoholic beverages and your number one category for shortage is from wines and spirits, what in the world are you doing to curb this threat to your business? If you haven’t given it much thought, I would like to suggest considering the use of bottle locks from Alpha Security.
Bottle Locks are locking devices that fit over the tops of wine and liquor bottles. When securely placed on the top of the cap of a bottle the lock cannot be removed safely without the use of a detachment key. This means any attempted theft and tampering with a lock could likely result in a broken bottle. An Alpha bottle lock is also sensitive to electronic article surveillance (EAS) antennas meaning that if a shoplifter tries to sneak a bottle past EAS antennas the antenna alarm will be set off. This warning gives store employees an opportunity to respond to the alarm and recover the merchandise before it is removed from the premises.
As an anti-theft tool, bottle locks impact both internal and external theft. Employees who may have been able to remove merchandise that was not protected by concealing product in bags, purses or under clothing are no longer able to do so without setting off an alarm. If proper procedures are enforced in a store, all alarm activations are treated the same and an inspection will reveal stolen merchandise. Employees and customers are equally subject to package checks and receipt reviews when they are the cause of an EAS antenna alarm. When employees know they are not exempted from scrutiny they tend to curtail dishonest activity. Shoplifters who have hit a store in the past shy away when they notice an EAS system is installed.
Aside from preventing theft an added benefit of using Alpha Security bottle locks on wines and spirits is that the devices are reusable. The locks are placed on products at the store by staff and when a bottle is purchased it goes through the point of sale where the merchandise is rung up and the bottle lock is then removed. Usually a store will have a collection box at the register and the locks are gathered for placement on new product as it is received. Stores are not required to continually purchase new anti-theft devices, making this an economical means of protecting a business. For those business owners who are concerned with environmental issues, the ability to recycle and reuse bottle locks is something to consider. Alpha Security anti-theft products are designed to be used over and over again so that a business doesn’t have to purchase new replacements.
If you sell wine or spirits in your grocery store and almost 4.5% of your sales come from this product line it is important to protect merchandise. Using a bottle lock on each of your bottles is important, especially when this is the number one stolen item in grocery stores.
Need information on bottle locks? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
EMPLOYEE BACKGROUND CHECKS AND THE EFFECTS THEY HAVE ON SHRINK
A core part of my job is investigating employee theft. Even with stringent hiring practices, constant training and always conducting employee background checks prior to hiring someone, dishonest employees are always a problem. It’s a game of statistics, really. I have 30 stores in my region. 70 or so employees at each store location. That’s a little over 2,000 employees. If just 5% of employees will steal something (and that’s being very conservative) that means at any given time, about 100 employees in my region will be engaging in nefarious activities. That means a great deal of my time is spent investigating and resolving these types of thefts. That all means that there are numerous folks that are terminated for theft.
I was looking for a new computer recently and decided to try out a new electronics store that had recently come into the market. I start browsing and an employee comes up behind me and asks if I need help. As I turn around, I (and her) quickly realize that our paths have crossed once before. She had stolen quite a substantial amount of product from my store about a year ago. I guess this new store doesn’t see a benefit in pre-employment screening. I decide I don’t want a computer from the store and head out. As I’m leaving, I hear a voice yell my name. I look over and an old high school buddy of mine is actually the manager of the store. I walk over to chat a bit.
The conversation ultimately goes to what I’m up to, and I mention that his salesperson wasn’t the most honest when she worked for my company. Looking like I just shot his dog, he confesses that the one thing he does not like about the company is that they do not run an employee background check on potential candidates. He also tells me that the same team member is suspected of stealing speakers, but they don’t have cameras in the store either. For a minute, I thought I had traveled into some alternate dimension where shrink wasn’t a concern for brick and mortar retailers.
I don’t know what became of that employee. I never did return to that store. Not because I morally disagreed with their LP practices. I don’t care if a store doesn’t do a thorough pre-employment screening; it’s not my company. The reason I didn’t make a purchase was the prices were just too high. I could buy the same item down the road at a competitor for 15-20% less. Could their higher prices be a sign that they are struggling to profit? Could that grasp for profit come from shrink? Maybe.
Think of your own business and your own customers. You always want to provide customers with the best possible experience; most often, that means having the lowest price around. As a retailer, you have to do all that is in your power to keep operating costs down in order to maximize the profit out of every item you sell. Part of that equation is limiting your exposure to shrink. Just as you apply security tags to high theft items, you should use an employee background check to prevent bad apples from being introduced into your basket. A simple and painless pre-employment screening can really make the difference of using red ink, or black on your next P+L.
Employee Background Check is important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.
A core part of my job is investigating employee theft. Even with stringent hiring practices, constant training and always conducting employee background checks prior to hiring someone, dishonest employees are always a problem. It’s a game of statistics, really. I have 30 stores in my region. 70 or so employees at each store location. That’s a little over 2,000 employees. If just 5% of employees will steal something (and that’s being very conservative) that means at any given time, about 100 employees in my region will be engaging in nefarious activities. That means a great deal of my time is spent investigating and resolving these types of thefts. That all means that there are numerous folks that are terminated for theft.
I was looking for a new computer recently and decided to try out a new electronics store that had recently come into the market. I start browsing and an employee comes up behind me and asks if I need help. As I turn around, I (and her) quickly realize that our paths have crossed once before. She had stolen quite a substantial amount of product from my store about a year ago. I guess this new store doesn’t see a benefit in pre-employment screening. I decide I don’t want a computer from the store and head out. As I’m leaving, I hear a voice yell my name. I look over and an old high school buddy of mine is actually the manager of the store. I walk over to chat a bit.
The conversation ultimately goes to what I’m up to, and I mention that his salesperson wasn’t the most honest when she worked for my company. Looking like I just shot his dog, he confesses that the one thing he does not like about the company is that they do not run an employee background check on potential candidates. He also tells me that the same team member is suspected of stealing speakers, but they don’t have cameras in the store either. For a minute, I thought I had traveled into some alternate dimension where shrink wasn’t a concern for brick and mortar retailers.
I don’t know what became of that employee. I never did return to that store. Not because I morally disagreed with their LP practices. I don’t care if a store doesn’t do a thorough pre-employment screening; it’s not my company. The reason I didn’t make a purchase was the prices were just too high. I could buy the same item down the road at a competitor for 15-20% less. Could their higher prices be a sign that they are struggling to profit? Could that grasp for profit come from shrink? Maybe.
Think of your own business and your own customers. You always want to provide customers with the best possible experience; most often, that means having the lowest price around. As a retailer, you have to do all that is in your power to keep operating costs down in order to maximize the profit out of every item you sell. Part of that equation is limiting your exposure to shrink. Just as you apply security tags to high theft items, you should use an employee background check to prevent bad apples from being introduced into your basket. A simple and painless pre-employment screening can really make the difference of using red ink, or black on your next P+L.
Employee Background Check is important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.
Electronic Article Surveillance-3 WC blog 101
Checkpoint hard Tags-3
Stop Shoplifting -4
Gen 3 Checkpoint Hard Tags Can Keep You From Feeling Blue From Jean Theft
Ask anyone who has been in Loss Prevention and they can probably tell you about a shoplifter or a group of shoplifters who they will always remember. It may because of what they were stealing or the manner of theft. It may even be how they acted once they were stopped. I have a number of these stories from my many years as a Loss Prevention Associate and a Loss Prevention Manager. While I enjoy being able to share these experiences, I also like to be able to share what may have prevented the situation and the lessons learned so that retail owners and managers may be able to prevent shoplifting incidents in their stores. Many of the lessons learned involve merchandise protection strategies that would have been useful to stop shoplifting before it got out of hand. One of the Checkpoint hard tags I wish I had access to was the Checkpoint Gen 3 Checkpoint tag.
Before I go on with my story, let me share a bit of information on what the Gen 3 Checkpoint hard tags are so that it makes sense how it would have made a difference for our store. The Gen 3 tag is a two-piece hard tag that is pinned together through a piece of clothing. It has an aesthetically appealing disc shaped design that does not take away from the appearance of a garment. Yet, while it has a pleasing look it is durable, tamper resistant and difficult to take off without the proper removal device. It is built to activate electronic article surveillance antennas in the event of an attempt to shoplift the merchandise it is attached to. The alarm activation elicits response from store personnel so they can recover the merchandise before it is removed from the store.
In the case I referenced earlier, I was the Loss Prevention Manager for a big box retailer. We had been experiencing a sharp increase in the loss of denim jeans from our store and I had to try to put a stop to it. We had two issues that we were contending with, one being that we are in a tourist area and we had a lot of people wearing backpacks to the store and we did not check them at when they walked in or hold them at our return desk due to liability concerns. Second, we did not have enough security staff to be in the store during all hours of operation so it was apparent when we did not have a uniformed security officer at our front doors. I had our team begin doing live surveillances on the jean wall and leaving a camera on them when we were not there, reviewing that video when we were back at work. The only protections to stop shoplifting of the merchandise at the time were soft Checkpoint tags applied to the manufacturer hang tag. Unfortunately, we were finding the manufacturer tags and the electronic article surveillance tags lying around the store and in the fitting rooms. Eventually our efforts with surveillance paid off and we got a suspect on camera.
We had some foreign student workers who were brought in to work for tourist oriented businesses in our area during the summer. Some of these student workers were known to be stealing in a number of stores but it was not always easy to catch them since they tended to work in groups. Through live video surveillance we did see a couple of young ladies filling their purses with several pair of jeans after removing tags and we apprehended them. This did not completely stop shoplifting of denims, but it did seem to slow down significantly after this arrest. The shoplifters had their work visas revoked and they received fines for the theft.
The lesson I hope those reading this article will take away is that had the Gen 3 Checkpoint hard tags been available to us, we could have taken better steps to protect the merchandise and not suffered the losses we did before catching our thieves. If you have hard to tag merchandise, look at the electronic article surveillance options available to stop shoplifting offered by Checkpoint.
For more information on Checkpoint hard tags contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
Ask anyone who has been in Loss Prevention and they can probably tell you about a shoplifter or a group of shoplifters who they will always remember. It may because of what they were stealing or the manner of theft. It may even be how they acted once they were stopped. I have a number of these stories from my many years as a Loss Prevention Associate and a Loss Prevention Manager. While I enjoy being able to share these experiences, I also like to be able to share what may have prevented the situation and the lessons learned so that retail owners and managers may be able to prevent shoplifting incidents in their stores. Many of the lessons learned involve merchandise protection strategies that would have been useful to stop shoplifting before it got out of hand. One of the Checkpoint hard tags I wish I had access to was the Checkpoint Gen 3 Checkpoint tag.
Before I go on with my story, let me share a bit of information on what the Gen 3 Checkpoint hard tags are so that it makes sense how it would have made a difference for our store. The Gen 3 tag is a two-piece hard tag that is pinned together through a piece of clothing. It has an aesthetically appealing disc shaped design that does not take away from the appearance of a garment. Yet, while it has a pleasing look it is durable, tamper resistant and difficult to take off without the proper removal device. It is built to activate electronic article surveillance antennas in the event of an attempt to shoplift the merchandise it is attached to. The alarm activation elicits response from store personnel so they can recover the merchandise before it is removed from the store.
In the case I referenced earlier, I was the Loss Prevention Manager for a big box retailer. We had been experiencing a sharp increase in the loss of denim jeans from our store and I had to try to put a stop to it. We had two issues that we were contending with, one being that we are in a tourist area and we had a lot of people wearing backpacks to the store and we did not check them when they walked in or hold them at our return desk due to liability concerns. Second, we did not have enough security staff to be in the store during all hours of operation so it was apparent when we did not have a uniformed security officer at our front doors. I had our team begin doing live surveillances on the jean wall and leaving a camera on them when we were not there, reviewing that video when we were back at work. The only protections to stop shoplifting of the merchandise at the time were soft Checkpoint tags applied to the manufacturer hang tag. Unfortunately, we were finding the manufacturer tags and the electronic article surveillance tags lying around the store and in the fitting rooms. Eventually our efforts with surveillance paid off and we got a suspect on camera.
We had some foreign student workers who were brought in to work for tourist oriented businesses in our area during the summer. Some of these student workers were known to be stealing in a number of stores but it was not always easy to catch them since they tended to work in groups. Through live video surveillance we did see a couple of young ladies filling their purses with several pair of jeans after removing tags and we apprehended them.This did not completely stop shoplifting of denims, but it did seem to slow down significantly after this arrest. The shoplifters had their work visas revoked and they received fines for the theft.
The lesson I hope those reading this article will take away is that had the Gen 3 Checkpoint hard tags been available to us, we could have taken better steps to protect the merchandise and not suffered the losses we did before catching our thieves. If you have hard to tag merchandise, look at the electronic article surveillance options available to stop shoplifting offered by Checkpoint.
For more information on Checkpoint hard tags, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
JM Blog 7 ROI 9/28/2016
Key words KW – Free Loss Prevention Calculator 5
KW- Loss Prevention Calculator 4
Spending Increases Profits? Free Loss Prevention Calculator Makes ROI As Easy As Clicking A Mouse
As anyone in business will tell you that it is profits that make everything else ok. No one bats an eyelash at the money spent on an advertisement when sales spike a few percentage points the day after. In Loss prevention we never have such an easy or obvious way to show how we increased profits, no easy graph to show your return on investment. As a result, getting approval for new expenses is often a challenge; after all it isn’t like we can pull up a Loss Prevention Calculator on our PC to show how quickly our work will impact the bottom line. Right? What if I told you there was a Free Loss Prevention Calculator available to do just that?
A Free Loss Prevention Calculator you ask? That seems rather magical now doesn’t it? Well it isn’t but what this Loss Prevention Calculator is a tool to put hard values at your fingertips to determine your ROI. Trust me, after several years in loss prevention I can tell you that investing in shoplifting prevention systems will increase profits. As for your ROI you can be sure that these investments can be looked at know that the profits question is a matter of when, not if, the system will pay for itself. Beauty is that after a system has paid for itself it actually makes you money.
I know this concept is not going to be easy for some people to take, after all we can clearly see the line item expense on the P&L but what we can’t see is the number of people who don’t steal. It can be a tough sell but that’s where the Free Loss Prevention Calculator comes in. Using average values, you will be able to see an actual number, not a guess, not a ball park but an actual number when making this ROI decision.
When I first started out I had this same conceptual argument over a few different shrink reduction strategies. Management pushed back against the LP initiatives because they couldn’t see the ROI. I finally got through to the operations team when, after a particularly productive meeting, I threw out the number $5000, the amount that I knew we had recently recovered. Management didn’t seem to think this was significant and I didn’t have a Loss Prevention Calculator to show them. I was frustrated
Then it hit me. I made a point to them they couldn’t argue with. I asked the loudest of the managers a simple question. I said “If the District Manager came here and said he had a way for you to increase your profit line by $5000 would you tell him that you weren’t going to do what he suggested because you couldn’t see the ROI of his idea? Would you tell him you were too busy or that you were simply ok with only making X dollars and that adding $5000 more wasn’t worth your time? ”No one had an answer to that question.
What we did have was an understanding. An understanding that no one is too busy and no investment is unreasonable if it is guaranteed to increase profits. I didn’t have the luxury of a Loss Prevention Calculator; much less a Free Loss Prevention Calculator but now we all have access to this tool. For all of us the time spent fighting for buy in on an idea or initiative is, quite frankly time we could use elsewhere, like making money. Take advantage of this tool and add some punch to your next pitch, use the Free Loss Prevention Calculator to show exactly how much and how long your investment will become a profit.
Need information on our Free Loss Prevention Calculator? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now
As anyone in business will tell you that it is profits that make everything else ok. No one bats an eyelash at the money spent on an advertisement when sales spike a few percentage points the day after. In Loss prevention we never have such an easy or obvious way to show how we increased profits, no easy graph to show your return on investment. As a result, getting approval for new expenses is often a challenge; after all it isn’t like we can pull up a Loss Prevention Calculator on our PC to show how quickly our work will impact the bottom line. Right? What if I told you there was a Free Loss Prevention Calculator available to do just that?
A Free Loss Prevention Calculator you ask? That seems rather magical now doesn’t it? Well it isn’t but what this Loss Prevention Calculator is a tool to put hard values at your fingertips to determine your ROI. Trust me, after several years in loss prevention I can tell you that investing in shoplifting prevention systems will increase profits. As for your ROI you can be sure that these investments can be looked at know that the profits question is a matter of when, not if, the system will pay for itself. Beauty is that after a system has paid for itself it actually makes you money.
I know this concept is not going to be easy for some people to take, after all we can clearly see the line item expense on the P&L but what we can’t see is the number of people who don’t steal. It can be a tough sell but that’s where the Free Loss Prevention Calculator comes in. Using average values, you will be able to see an actual number, not a guess, not a ball park but an actual number when making this ROI decision.
When I first started out I had this same conceptual argument over a few different shrink reduction strategies. Management pushed back against the LP initiatives because they couldn’t see the ROI. I finally got through to the operations team when, after a particularly productive meeting, I threw out the number $5000, the amount that I knew we had recently recovered. Management didn’t seem to think this was significant and I didn’t have a Loss Prevention Calculator to show them. I was frustrated.
Then it hit me. I made a point to them they couldn’t argue with. I asked the loudest of the managers a simple question. I said “If the District Manager came here and said he had a way for you to increase your profit line by $5000 would you tell him that you weren’t going to do what he suggested because you couldn’t see the ROI of his idea? Would you tell him you were too busy or that you were simply ok with only making X dollars and that adding $5000 more wasn’t worth your time? ”No one had an answer to that question.
What we did have was an understanding. An understanding that no one is too busy and no investment is unreasonable if it is guaranteed to increase profits. I didn’t have the luxury of a Loss Prevention Calculator; much less a Free Loss Prevention Calculator but now we all have access to this tool. For all of us the time spent fighting for buy in on an idea or initiative is, quite frankly time we could use elsewhere, like making money. Take advantage of this tool and add some punch to your next pitch, use the Free Loss Prevention Calculator to show exactly how much and how long your investment will become a profit.
Need information on our Free Loss Prevention Calculator? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now
