Bottle Lock-3 WC Blog 186
Bottle Locks-5
Liquor bottle security-4
Bars And Grocery Store Businesses Aren’t The Only Establishments That Can Benefit From Using Bottle Locks: Part 1
If you are like me there are only a few businesses I can think of off the top of my head that sell or serve alcohol. What comes to mind for me are alcohol beverage control (ABC) stores in some states, grocery stores, and bars. With those in mind, I have written a number of articles on the need to use bottle locks to prevent and deter theft. I am a proponent of using anti-theft devices as much as possible to keep thieves from accessing product and to also keep prices down. What I had not considered before was all the other locations where alcohol may be sold. I went to the ttb.gov website (alcohol and tobacco tax and trade bureau) and found an entire listing of retail beverage alcohol dealers. Some of the businesses listed deal only with beer or mini bottles for mixing drinks, and these may not benefit from liquor bottle security, but for those that use or sell from full size wine or liquor bottles, bottle locks can help keep expenses down.
Bottle locks are covers that are placed on the tops of bottles and lock in place. Once locked it requires a special detachment key to remove the lock so drinks can be poured. Without a key it is nearly impossible to remove a lock and attempts to force a bottle lock off will likely cause a bottle to break. Keeping bottles on store shelves secured deters theft. If a bottle in a bar has already been opened, locks prevent unauthorized persons from gaining access and pouring without paying, or stealing an entire bottle outright which costs the business money.
So what locations does the government list as retail beverage alcohol dealers? Some of these are obvious and I will list them first:
• Clubs
• Convenience Stores
• Stores
• Liquor Stores
• Lounges
• Package Stores
• Private Clubs
• Restaurants
• State Stores
• Supermarkets
• Taverns
A number of these may sound very similar, such as “state stores” and “liquor stores”. Often the names are interchangeable depending on the state in which you live. Clubs may include nightclubs, bars, and vary from private clubs only in the aspect that one requires some type of membership to enter and the other is open to the public. Lounges may also be known to some people as clubs. The distinctions are probably made by the website to minimize the opportunity for someone to try to intentionally manipulate the “type” of establishment they are operating.
In each of these businesses, clearly liquor bottle security can play an important role. Clubs, bars and taverns sell alcoholic beverages by the glass, requiring a bartender to pour and mix the drinks. There have been numbers of incidents where patrons have gone behind a bar or reached over the bar and stolen a bottle that has been left within their reach. In some cases dishonest bar and club employees have stolen bottles of wines and spirits and taken them home. If bottle locks were in use, and detachment tools strictly controlled, this type of theft would be prevented and therefore profits would improve. Even after a bottle has been opened and a drink(s) sold from it in a bar, the bottle is re-capped. The bottle lock can easily be placed back on the bottle and the bottle left safely behind the bar.
State stores and supermarkets that sell wines and/or spirits benefit in improved in-stocks and reduced theft when they employ a bottle lock on each beverage. Not only is there the deterrent effect when thieves notice the liquor bottle security device in place, but there is also the EAS antenna factor that comes into play. Shoplifters notice the antennas when they enter the store and consider whether they are going to take the chance of stealing something and setting off the alarm.
In part 2 of this article I will share some other venues where liquor may be sold and how they too could benefit from using liquor bottle security. In the meantime, start using bottle locks today and watch your in-stocks and profits start to grow!
Get more information on liquor bottle security. Contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 now.
If you are like me there are only a few businesses I can think of off the top of my head that sell or serve alcohol. What comes to mind for me are alcohol beverage control (ABC) stores in some states, grocery stores, and bars. With those in mind, I have written a number of articles on the need to use bottle locks to prevent and deter theft. I am a proponent of using anti-theft devices as much as possible to keep thieves from accessing product and to also keep prices down. What I had not considered before was all the other locations where alcohol may be sold. I went to the ttb.gov website (alcohol and tobacco tax and trade bureau) and found an entire listing of retail beverage alcohol dealers. Some of the businesses listed deal only with beer or mini bottles for mixing drinks, and these may not benefit from liquor bottle security, but for those that use or sell from full size wine or liquor bottles, bottle locks can help keep expenses down.
Bottle locks are covers that are placed on the tops of bottles and lock in place. Once locked it requires a special detachment key to remove the lock so drinks can be poured. Without a key it is nearly impossible to remove a lock and attempts to force a bottle lock off will likely cause a bottle to break. Keeping bottles on store shelves secured deters theft. If a bottle in a bar has already been opened, locks prevent unauthorized persons from gaining access and pouring without paying, or stealing an entire bottle outright which costs the business money.
So what locations does the government list as retail beverage alcohol dealers? Some of these are obvious and I will list them first:
• Clubs
• Convenience Stores
• Stores• Liquor Stores
• Lounges
• Package Stores
• Private Clubs
• Restaurants
• State Stores
• Supermarkets
• Taverns
A number of these may sound very similar, such as “state stores” and “liquor stores”. Often the names are interchangeable depending on the state in which you live. Clubs may include nightclubs, bars, and vary from private clubs only in the aspect that one requires some type of membership to enter and the other is open to the public. Lounges may also be known to some people as clubs.The distinctions are probably made by the website to minimize the opportunity for someone to try to intentionally manipulate the “type” of establishment they are operating.
In each of these businesses, clearly liquor bottle security can play an important role. Clubs, bars and taverns sell alcoholic beverages by the glass, requiring a bartender to pour and mix the drinks. There have been numbers of incidents where patrons have gone behind a bar or reached over the bar and stolen a bottle that has been left within their reach. In some cases dishonest bar and club employees have stolen bottles of wines and spirits and taken them home. If bottle locks were in use, and detachment tools strictly controlled, this type of theft would be prevented and therefore profits would improve. Even after a bottle has been opened and a drink(s) sold from it in a bar, the bottle is re-capped. The bottle lock can easily be placed back on the bottle and the bottle left safely behind the bar.
State stores and supermarkets that sell wines and/or spirits benefit in improved in-stocks and reduced theft when they employ a bottle lock on each beverage. Not only is there the deterrent effect when thieves notice the liquor bottle security device in place, but there is also the EAS antenna factor that comes into play. Shoplifters notice the antennas when they enter the store and consider whether they are going to take the chance of stealing something and setting off the alarm.
In part 2 of this article I will share some other venues where liquor may be sold and how they too could benefit from using liquor bottle security. In the meantime, start using bottle locks today and watch your in-stocks and profits start to grow!
Get more information on liquor bottle security. Contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 now.
SEEING IS BELIEVING WITH ALPHA SPIDER WRAPS
I was in my store the other day when I noticed some new products being unboxed by the store team members. It was a line of binoculars and the corresponding PDQ display. It was an entire line from this vendor, so the prices ranged from about $20 all the way up to $350. The only problem was that no one in the buying office thought about how we would prevent shoplifting here. Pretty much par for the course.
The store gets the fixture set up and it is abundantly clear that these high end items are going to be a target for thieves. There’s no peg on the fixture, so I can’t use a peg-lock. A hard pencil tag wouldn’t be very effective and a soft tag just wouldn’t do much in this particular situation. I start rummaging through the warehouse trying to find something to protect my profits with. There, in a corner, I see a box. “Alpha Spider Wraps’ on the side. I think I found what will work.
I’m a huge fan of the Alpha Spider Wraps; I just forgot I had a box in the warehouse. If there is one tag that can prevent shoplifting, it’s this one. The tags are perfect for awkwardly shaped packaging, like binoculars. The ones I had were three alarm, but if you can also go with a 2 alarm to save a little on the cost. So that means they will sound the EAS podium if taken out, alarm if someone tampers with them on the floor, and emit an audible alert once taken past the EAS pedestal.
I was able to tag every item I had over $99 with what I had on hand. My other store down the road didn’t react to the direction I sent and shoplifters targeted the product almost immediately, whereas, we didn’t lose a single unit that was secured with an Alpha Spider Wrap. Could that be fluke? Absolutely not! Shoplifters are like water, where they will take the path of least resistance. If they are targeting a specific item and it’s secured with an EAS device, chances are, they will continue “shopping” until they find a place where those items are unsecured and free for the taking. I’ve personally watched as shoplifters will systematically go through racks and racks of clothing, looking for that one item that was looked over and isn’t secured with an EAS device. Don’t let it happen to you!
While not everyone can prevent shoplifting completely, and not every EAS device is completely impervious to defeat, Alpha Spider Wraps are my go-to tag whenever I need to be confident that a high dollar item won’t grow legs!
Get more information on Alpha Spider Wraps, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
I was in my store the other day when I noticed some new products being unboxed by the store team members. It was a line of binoculars and the corresponding PDQ display. It was an entire line from this vendor, so the prices ranged from about $20 all the way up to $350. The only problem was that no one in the buying office thought about how we would prevent shoplifting here. Pretty much par for the course.
The store gets the fixture set up and it is abundantly clear that these high end items are going to be a target for thieves. There’s no peg on the fixture, so I can’t use a peg-lock. A hard pencil tag wouldn’t be very effective and a soft tag just wouldn’t do much in this particular situation. I start rummaging through the warehouse trying to find something to protect my profits with. There, in a corner, I see a box. “Alpha Spider Wraps’ on the side. I think I found what will work.
I’m a huge fan of the Alpha Spider Wraps; I just forgot I had a box in the warehouse. If there is one tag that can prevent shoplifting, it’s this one. The tags are perfect for awkwardly shaped packaging, like binoculars. The ones I had were three alarm, but if you can also go with a 2 alarm to save a little on the cost. So that means they will sound the EAS podium if taken out, alarm if someone tampers with them on the floor, and emit an audible alert once taken past the EAS pedestal.
I was able to tag every item I had over $99 with what I had on hand. My other store down the road didn’t react to the direction I sent and shoplifters targeted the product almost immediately, whereas, we didn’t lose a single unit that was secured with an Alpha Spider Wrap. Could that be fluke? Absolutely not! Shoplifters are like water, where they will take the path of least resistance. If they are targeting a specific item and it’s secured with an EAS device, chances are, they will continue “shopping” until they find a place where those items are unsecured and free for the taking. I’ve personally watched as shoplifters will systematically go through racks and racks of clothing, looking for that one item that was looked over and isn’t secured with an EAS device. Don’t let it happen to you!
While not everyone can prevent shoplifting completely, and not every EAS device is completely impervious to defeat, Alpha Spider Wraps are my go-to tag whenever I need to be confident that a high dollar item won’t grow legs!
Get more information on Alpha Spider Wraps, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
Alpha Thunder Tag-3 WC Blog 196
i-pad theft-3
I-pad Innovations In The Medical Field Put Information At Doctor’s Fingertips; Alpha Thunder Tags Protect That Data
New and innovative uses for i-pads and tablets are constantly being found in the medical field. From apps for medical students that familiarize students with murmurs, stenosis (for non-medical readers, an abnormal narrowing of a body passage or opening) or gallops (an abnormal heart rhythm that pounds in the chest) called “Littman SoundBuilder” to “Eponyms” used by doctors and healthcare providers for looking up disease information or symptoms (information found in meded.umn.edu). These applications are helping doctors to better diagnose and treat patients with information available at the touch of a finger to a screen. As the use of the mobile medical devices grows in hospitals and doctor’s offices, so does the chance of an i-pad theft or tablet theft. From a dishonest employee stealing a device from a secured office to a customer picking up a tablet left unattended on a counter, opportunities abound for a device to be taken and the information contained in it to be compromised. This is very concerning if the device holds patient data. The possibility of medical device theft can be significantly reduced if the medical office attaches an Alpha Thunder Tag to their i-pads or tablets.
An Alpha Thunder Tag is a theft prevention device that is attached directly to the item that is to be protected, in this case a medical i-pad. It should be noted that the Tag can be attached to medical computer tablets and laptops just as well as an i-pad. The tag has a tamper alarm that is activated when an attempt is made to pry it off. It also activates an electronic article surveillance (EAS) antenna when carried into the vicinity of the antenna. When properly set up, a hospital or medical office has antennas established at all entry/exit points. This keeps someone from slipping a device out of a side or back door without attracting attention. One of the fantastic features of a Thunder Tag is that is can be “sensed” by the antennas even when it is hidden in a bag or purse or under clothing. When the antenna alarm is set off, a loud noise and electronic lights built into the antenna warns employees an i-pad theft is taking place.
In what ways are medical i-pads and tablets being used in the medical field that is making them a game changer in the way medical care is being delivered (and potentially increasing the likelihood of theft)? In a 17 July 2016 post, on cnbc.com titled, “The doctor is in…your i-Pad! Cleveland Clinic’s digital push”, by Trent Gillies, one new thing the Cleveland Clinic has been trying out is a “virtual visit” “with a doctor using a tablet, smart phone, or desktop.” Interviewing Cleveland Clinic President and CEO, Toby Cosgrove, Cosgrove points out that virtual visits allow patients to avoid lines and waiting times. He allows that the visits are not for checking on a cardiac disease, but would be suitable for looking at skin problems, or a follow up from a heart surgery or a surgery where a doctor just needs to see how an incision is healing.
Another use for the i-pad in medicine comes from the UTHealth Medical School. On their website, med.uth.edu in an article, “ipads come in handy in gross anatomy”, it states that “students are using the tablets to look up anatomical drawings while examining bodies.” Books and computers posed problems for the students, “The problem is that cadavers are preserved with a chemical called phenol, which can get on book pages and washable computer keyboards…lab officials wrapped the iPads in clear plastic bags which protect the tablets while allowing students to call up information on the touchscreen.”
Whatever the use, mobile devices are becoming more common in the medical world and so are the opportunities for i-pad theft or tablet theft depending on which device is being employed. Protecting against the theft of the devices is not difficult, use an Alpha Thunder Tag on each device and protect your practice and patients from medical device and identity theft.
Need information on i-pad theft? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now
New and innovative uses for i-pads and tablets are constantly being found in the medical field. From apps for medical students that familiarize students with murmurs, stenosis (for non-medical readers, an abnormal narrowing of a body passage or opening) or gallops (an abnormal heart rhythm that pounds in the chest) called “Littman SoundBuilder” to “Eponyms” used by doctors and healthcare providers for looking up disease information or symptoms (information found in meded.umn.edu). These applications are helping doctors to better diagnose and treat patients with information available at the touch of a finger to a screen. As the use of the mobile medical devices grows in hospitals and doctor’s offices, so does the chance of an i-pad theft or tablet theft. From a dishonest employee stealing a device from a secured office to a customer picking up a tablet left unattended on a counter, opportunities abound for a device to be taken and the information contained in it to be compromised. This is very concerning if the device holds patient data. The possibility of medical device theft can be significantly reduced if the medical office attaches an Alpha Thunder Tag to their i-pads or tablets.
An Alpha Thunder Tag is a theft prevention device that is attached directly to the item that is to be protected, in this case a medical i-pad. It should be noted that the Tag can be attached to medical computer tablets and laptops just as well as an i-pad. The tag has a tamper alarm that is activated when an attempt is made to pry it off. It also activates an electronic article surveillance (EAS) antenna when carried into the vicinity of the antenna. When properly set up, a hospital or medical office has antennas established at all entry/exit points. This keeps someone from slipping a device out of a side or back door without attracting attention. One of the fantastic features of a Thunder Tag is that is can be “sensed” by the antennas even when it is hidden in a bag or purse or under clothing. When the antenna alarm is set off, a loud noise and electronic lights built into the antenna warns employees an i-pad theft is taking place.
In what ways are medical i-pads and tablets being used in the medical field that is making them a game changer in the way medical care is being delivered (and potentially increasing the likelihood of theft)? In a 17 July 2016 post, on cnbc.com titled, “The doctor is in…your i-Pad! Cleveland Clinic’s digital push”, by Trent Gillies, one new thing the Cleveland Clinic has been trying out is a “virtual visit” “with a doctor using a tablet, smart phone, or desktop.” Interviewing Cleveland Clinic President and CEO, Toby Cosgrove, Cosgrove points out that virtual visits allow patients to avoid lines and waiting times. He allows that the visits are not for checking on a cardiac disease, but would be suitable for looking at skin problems, or a follow up from a heart surgery or a surgery where a doctor just needs to see how an incision is healing.
Another use for the i-pad in medicine comes from the UTHealth Medical School. On their website, med.uth.edu in an article, “ipads come in handy in gross anatomy”, it states that “students are using the tablets to look up anatomical drawings while examining bodies.” Books and computers posed problems for the students, “The problem is that cadavers are preserved with a chemical called phenol, which can get on book pages and washable computer keyboards…lab officials wrapped the iPads in clear plastic bags which protect the tablets while allowing students to call up information on the touchscreen.”
Whatever the use, mobile devices are becoming more common in the medical world and so are the opportunities for i-pad theft or tablet theft depending on which device is being employed. Protecting against the theft of the devices is not difficult, use an Alpha Thunder Tag on each device and protect your practice and patients from medical device and identity theft.
Need information on i-pad theft? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now
Clothing Security- 3 WC Blog 212
Clothing Security Tags-3
Checkpoint Tags-5
Checkpoint Tags Eliminated Need To Chase Shoplifters
Chasing shoplifters has become taboo in the retail industry as companies have determined the risks to employees, as well as the shoplifters are too great. There was a time though, when there were few rules governing pursuit and I was fortunate to have worked as a Loss Prevention Officer for a department store when it was still permitted. I will say, in hindsight and the benefit of years of wisdom, chasing is not smart, no merchandise is more valuable than someone’s well-being and safety. That said, those chases sometimes resulted in some funny stories. I had one incident when a young man decided to steal a ball cap or a couple of ball caps from our store. I don’t recall how many he was taking for sure. We had clothing security tags on some of our clothes but at that point, we had not started tagging baseball hats and he tried to take advantage of it.
To clarify for some readers who may be new to retail or merchandise protection, clothing security tags come in a variety of types and styles. There are some manufacturers that provide clothing security by incorporating electronic article surveillance (EAS) tags in their manufacturer hang tags. Frequently, Checkpoint Tags are used for this because of their reliability to activate EAS antennas when someone tries to sneak tagged items out of a store. Checkpoint Tags also come in hard tag designs that are easily seen and deter theft because shoplifters know that they will activate antennas. They also know how difficult clothing security hard tags are to defeat and remove from merchandise. Generally, tampering with these types of tags damages merchandise and renders them unserviceable. Checkpoint Tags of all types provide retailers with security against theft and therefore aid in increasing the profits of a store.
As I mentioned, the young man in this situation was looking at ball caps and I was watching him on closed circuit television because he was in an area of the store where shortage was high. When he decided on a hat(s) he did the usual shoplifter moves of looking around and up at the ceiling. I’ve never understood the looking at the ceiling because you can’t see the camera inside the dome, but that is a story for another time. When the shoplifter apparently felt it was safe, he pulled off the manufacturer tags not knowing if they had Checkpoint tags in them I suppose, and hid the hat(s) under his shirt. I left the office and followed him as he exited the store. I identified myself to him, told him I wanted to talk to him about the hat under his shirt and he decided to run. “Here we go again!” I thought as I took off after him. I chased my culprit across a street to a restaurant where he stopped and sat down on the sidewalk. He decided he was too tired and out of breath to continue…I could sympathize, I was pretty tired too. I put him in a control position so he couldn’t run anymore before the police arrived. While we waited I asked if he had anything on him that he wouldn’t want the police to find. He said he did and asked if he could hide it under the newspaper rack next to him. I told him that was fine with me. He pulled out a scale used for weighing marijuana and hid it under the rack. When the police arrived they handcuffed the suspect, and I told them about the scale the suspect had hidden. They pulled it out and added a charge of possessing drug paraphernalia to his shoplifting crime. The suspect looked at me in disbelief and said, “I thought you said I could hide it!” I reminded him I did allow him to hide it, I kept my word, I just never said I wouldn’t tell the police where it was. I was always careful about what I would tell a shoplifter and I would never promise what I couldn’t or wouldn’t deliver.
As our company expanded the use of clothing security on merchandise, eventually we did find a clothing security tag that we used on baseball hats. As we did use them, the theft in that department dropped dramatically. Try them out yourself and see the benefits of using clothing security tags and more specifically, Checkpoint tags to prevent shoplifting. They can also prevent the need to chase a thief!
Need information on Checkpoint Tags? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
Chasing shoplifters has become taboo in the retail industry as companies have determined the risks to employees, as well as the shoplifters are too great. There was a time though, when there were few rules governing pursuit and I was fortunate to have worked as a Loss Prevention Officer for a department store when it was still permitted. I will say, in hindsight and the benefit of years of wisdom, chasing is not smart, no merchandise is more valuable than someone’s well-being and safety. That said, those chases sometimes resulted in some funny stories. I had one incident when a young man decided to steal a ball cap or a couple of ball caps from our store I don’t recall how many he was taking for sure. We had clothing security tags on some of our clothes but at that point, we had not started tagging baseball hats and he tried to take advantage of it.
To clarify for some readers who may be new to retail or merchandise protection, clothing security tags come in a variety of types and styles. There are some manufacturers that provide clothing security by incorporating electronic article surveillance (EAS) tags in their manufacturer hang tags. Frequently, Checkpoint Tags are used for this because of their reliability to activate EAS antennas when someone tries to sneak tagged items out of a store. Checkpoint Tags also come in hard tag designs that are easily seen and deter theft because shoplifters know that they will activate antennas. They also know how difficult clothing security hard tags are to defeat and remove from merchandise. Generally, tampering with these types of tags damages merchandise and renders them unserviceable. Checkpoint Tags of all types provide retailers with security against theft and therefore aid in increasing the profits of a store.
As I mentioned, the young man in this situation was looking at ball caps and I was watching him on closed circuit television because he was in an area of the store where shortage was high. When he decided on a hat(s) he did the usual shoplifter moves of looking around and up at the ceiling. I’ve never understood the looking at the ceiling because you can’t see the camera inside the dome, but that is a story for another time. When the shoplifter apparently felt it was safe, he pulled off the manufacturer tags not knowing if they had Checkpoint tags in them I suppose, and hid the hat(s) under his shirt. I left the office and followed him as he exited the store. I identified myself to him, told him I wanted to talk to him about the hat under his shirt and he decided to run. “Here we go again!” I thought as I took off after him. I chased my culprit across a street to a restaurant where he stopped and sat down on the sidewalk. He decided he was too tired and out of breath to continue…I could sympathize, I was pretty tired too. I put him in a control position so he couldn’t run anymore before the police arrived. While we waited I asked if he had anything on him that he wouldn’t want the police to find. He said he did and asked if he could hide it under the newspaper rack next to him. I told him that was fine with me. He pulled out a scale used for weighing marijuana and hid it under the rack. When the police arrived they handcuffed the suspect, and I told them about the scale the suspect had hidden. They pulled it out and added a charge of possessing drug paraphernalia to his shoplifting crime. The suspect looked at me in disbelief and said, “I thought you said I could hide it!” I reminded him I did allow him to hide it, I kept my word, I just never said I wouldn’t tell the police where it was. I was always careful about what I would tell a shoplifter and I would never promise what I couldn’t or wouldn’t deliver.
As our company expanded the use of clothing security on merchandise, eventually we did find a clothing security tag that we used on baseball hats. As we did use them, the theft in that department dropped dramatically. Try them out yourself and see the benefits of using clothing security tags and more specifically, Checkpoint tags to prevent shoplifting. They can also prevent the need to chase a thief!
Need information on Checkpoint Tags? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
Pre-employment Screening- 5 WC Blog 193
Background Check Company-5
Interviewing Skills Are Not Enough; Employee Background Checks Can
Prevent Poor Hiring Choices Part 2
In part 1 I discussed how employers think they can rely on their interview skills in order to try to find the best candidate for a job (and not do so well). I also talked about how an employer might need specific job skills or certifications for a position they wish to fill and how a Background Check Company can verify training, schooling and certifications. In part 2 of this article, I want to discuss the advantages that a Background Check Company may offer that can help you avoid asking the wrong interview questions and still get the information you need.
A Background Check Company is one that can investigate a potential new employee through a pre-employment screening and validate information they have provided in a job application or on a resume. Business owners may not have the expertise to ask the necessary questions that will lead to making a sound hiring decision. A Background Check Company can confirm employment dates an applicant has listed for a prior job. If your potential new hire will be working with financial transactions, a pre-employment screening can reveal if a candidate has liens or bankruptcies or judgements against him/her. Such revelations could determine if this might be a red flag issue for you. There are a significant number of areas a properly completed background check can validate or disprove an applicant’s claims.
If you are unfamiliar with procedures and guidelines for hiring employees and conducting interviews, you could easily ask interview questions that could lead to discrimination lawsuits even if your intent was harmless. For example, you might be curious as to whether the applicant was in the military because you served. You might be interested in where they have lived in the past because you enjoy travelling. Perhaps the applicant seems to be your age and you are curious to know about their age. All of these questions could be harmless in your mind, but at the same time illegal to ask.
According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), “As a general rule, the information obtained and requested through the pre-employment process should be limited to those essential for determining if a person is qualified for the job; whereas information regarding race, sex, national origin, age and religion are irrelevant in such determinations.” The specifics on the website can be unclear and so organizations have made lists of questions they say should not be asked by employers during an interview.
According to Prairie View A&M, on pvamu.edu, below is a list of questions that they say may not be asked during an interview:
• Questions regarding foreign addresses which would intentionally or unintentionally indicate national origin
• Whether applicant owns or rents home or lives in an apartment
• Names and relationships of persons with whom applicant resides
• “How old are you?”
• Birth Date
• “Have you ever been arrested?”
• Whether other members of the applicant’s family are U.S. citizens
• “Of what country are you a citizen?”
• Require proof of citizenship prior to employment
• Questions regarding national, race or religious affiliation of schools attended
• Names and addresses of applicant’s relatives
Other areas that one must be careful when inquiring about include organizations an applicant may belong to, military disciplinary action they may have been involved in, and even an applicant’s gender.
By allowing a Background Check Company to conduct pre-employment screenings of candidates, they can focus on verifying the information on an application while the business owner can ask position related questions in an interview. A screening can uncover information a prospective employee may try to hide from a potential employer. It can also help an employer be confident that they truly have hired the best candidate. Hire a pre-employment screening company and get great employees!
Get more information on Background heck Companies, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
In part 1 I discussed how employers think they can rely on their interview skills in order to try to find the best candidate for a job (and not do so well). I also talked about how an employer might need specific job skills or certifications for a position they wish to fill and how a Background Check Company can verify training, schooling and certifications. In part 2 of this article, I want to discuss the advantages that a Background Check Company may offer that can help you avoid asking the wrong interview questions and still get the information you need.
A Background Check Company is one that can investigate a potential new employee through a pre-employment screening and validate information they have provided in a job application or on a resume. Business owners may not have the expertise to ask the necessary questions that will lead to making a sound hiring decision. A Background Check Company can confirm employment dates an applicant has listed for a prior job. If your potential new hire will be working with financial transactions, a pre-employment screening can reveal if a candidate has liens or bankruptcies or judgements against him/her. Such revelations could determine if this might be a red flag issue for you. There are a significant number of areas a properly completed background check can validate or disprove an applicant’s claims.
If you are unfamiliar with procedures and guidelines for hiring employees and conducting interviews, you could easily ask interview questions that could lead to discrimination lawsuits even if your intent was harmless. For example, you might be curious as to whether the applicant was in the military because you served. You might be interested in where they have lived in the past because you enjoy travelling. Perhaps the applicant seems to be your age and you are curious to know about their age. All of these questions could be harmless in your mind, but at the same time illegal to ask.
According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), “As a general rule, the information obtained and requested through the pre-employment process should be limited to those essential for determining if a person is qualified for the job; whereas information regarding race, sex, national origin, age and religion are irrelevant in such determinations.” The specifics on the website can be unclear and so organizations have made lists of questions they say should not be asked by employers during an interview.
According to Prairie View A&M, on pvamu.edu, below is a list of questions that they say may not be asked during an interview:
• Questions regarding foreign addresses which would intentionally or unintentionally indicate national origin
• Whether applicant owns or rents home or lives in an apartment
• Names and relationships of persons with whom applicant resides
• “How old are you?”
• Birth Date
• “Have you ever been arrested?”
• Whether other members of the applicant’s family are U.S. citizens
• “Of what country are you a citizen?”
• Require proof of citizenship prior to employment
• Questions regarding national, race or religious affiliation of schools attended
• Names and addresses of applicant’s relatives
Other areas that one must be careful when inquiring about include organizations an applicant may belong to, military disciplinary action they may have been involved in, and even an applicant’s gender.
By allowing a Background Check Company to conduct pre-employment screenings of candidates, they can focus on verifying the information on an application while the business owner can ask position related questions in an interview. A screening can uncover information a prospective employee may try to hide from a potential employer. It can also help an employer be confident that they truly have hired the best candidate. Hire a pre-employment screening company and get great employees!
Get more information on Background heck Companies, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
Retail Theft Prevention-3 WC blog 218
Stop Shoplifting-3
Checkpoint security system-4
Checkpoint tags-3
Security Enhancement; From Military Gates To Checkpoint Security System EAS Antennas
Once I was stationed on a temporary duty assignment to an Air Force base in Italy. I took to the new assignment eagerly. It was interesting for me to see how the operations varied from how things were done at my stateside base. Bases operated differently based on their mission assignments. For example, some bases have aircraft assigned to them that require stricter access to get to them. When I arrived to this base, things were a little heated in some parts of the world and we were supplementing the security forces already in place. In a way this was similar to my later experiences in retail loss prevention. When we had a spike in theft activity we would sometimes bring in Loss Prevention officers from our other stores to supplement our security in an attempt to stop shoplifting that was taking place. We would also make sure our Checkpoint security system was tested daily to be sure all the equipment was functioning, thereby maximizing our effectiveness at retail theft prevention. I know they aren’t on the same level, but there are similarities in how each improves security concerns.
In the Air Force, manned installation entry gates control access to the base. Security personnel monitor who is coming and going and can close gates as necessary. During times of increased security, military working dogs and their handlers may supplement the entry control point. In retail we use Checkpoint security system electronic article surveillance (EAS) antennas for retail theft prevention. The antennas are a visible deterrent since would-be thieves know that the antennas detect Checkpoint tags on merchandise when someone tries to steal merchandise. When someone does try to exit through an EAS antenna with stolen product that is tagged, the alarm in the antenna sounds and staff respond to identify the issue and recover the merchandise. Stores with security staff may even prosecute a shoplifter. If theft increases, stores may use Checkpoint tags on additional merchandise to try to stop shoplifting. As I mentioned previously, we occasionally sent additional security to a store to stop a problem.
Getting back to my temporary duty assignment in Italy; things were a little heated and while most of the citizens I came into contact with were very nice, there were some who were not so happy with the U.S. presence there. One day we learned there were going to be protests against the base and the base compounds situated around the town. Not all base facilities were located in one place and so there were several locations that had to be staffed with Security Police. I was assigned to a walled compound with a full gate that could be pulled open or closed and locked. I went to my post and was told an Italian Air Force counterpart would arrive shortly to assist. A few hours later, no Italian counterpart arrived but I did see the protesters making their way down the road in my direction. There were communist flags mixed with home-made signs in the crowd. I will admit I was becoming a little uneasy as I could peer through the closed gates and see this collection of people getting closer to my post. I made a radio call to try to find out if my Italian back-up was on his way, but no one had any information on his whereabouts. The protesters started to walk by my location, shouting and yelling and waving their signs, flags and banners and looking in my direction but they did not make any move directly towards me (did I emphasize I was still alone?). About half the crowd had passed by me when all of the sudden they stopped, no more yelling, no shouting they just walked away in their own directions. I was perplexed, I was fairly certain there was nothing I had done to cause this dispersion. I was amused to learn later, it was lunch time and they were breaking for a couple hours to eat and sleep. I had to give them credit, they had their priorities straight! It was not until I worked Black Fridays in retail that I would see similar mobs again.
Retail theft prevention is not as important as installation security but for the store owner it is still a big deal. A Checkpoint security system may not stop a protesting mob but it can enhance store security and stop shoplifting and improve store profits. Invest in a Checkpoint security system and Checkpoint tags, the impact will be nearly as quick as a mob breaking for lunch.
Need information on Checkpoint Security Systems? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
Once I was stationed on a temporary duty assignment to an Air Force base in Italy. I took to the new assignment eagerly. It was interesting for me to see how the operations varied from how things were done at my stateside base. Bases operated differently based on their mission assignments. For example, some bases have aircraft assigned to them that require stricter access to get to them. When I arrived to this base, things were a little heated in some parts of the world and we were supplementing the security forces already in place. In a way this was similar to my later experiences in retail loss prevention. When we had a spike in theft activity we would sometimes bring in Loss Prevention officers from our other stores to supplement our security in an attempt to stop shoplifting that was taking place. We would also make sure our Checkpoint security system was tested daily to be sure all the equipment was functioning, thereby maximizing our effectiveness at retail theft prevention. I know they aren’t on the same level, but there are similarities in how each improves security concerns.
In the Air Force, manned installation entry gates control access to the base. Security personnel monitor who is coming and going and can close gates as necessary. During times of increased security, military working dogs and their handlers may supplement the entry control point. In retail we use Checkpoint security system electronic article surveillance (EAS) antennas for retail theft prevention. The antennas are a visible deterrent since would-be thieves know that the antennas detect Checkpoint tags on merchandise when someone tries to steal merchandise. When someone does try to exit through an EAS antenna with stolen product that is tagged, the alarm in the antenna sounds and staff respond to identify the issue and recover the merchandise. Stores with security staff may even prosecute a shoplifter. If theft increases, stores may use Checkpoint tags on additional merchandise to try to stop shoplifting. As I mentioned previously, we occasionally sent additional security to a store to stop a problem.
Getting back to my temporary duty assignment in Italy; things were a little heated and while most of the citizens I came into contact with were very nice, there were some who were not so happy with the U.S. presence there. One day we learned there were going to be protests against the base and the base compounds situated around the town. Not all base facilities were located in one place and so there were several locations that had to be staffed with Security Police. I was assigned to a walled compound with a full gate that could be pulled open or closed and locked. I went to my post and was told an Italian Air Force counterpart would arrive shortly to assist. A few hours later, no Italian counterpart arrived but I did see the protesters making their way down the road in my direction. There were communist flags mixed with home-made signs in the crowd. I will admit I was becoming a little uneasy as I could peer through the closed gates and see this collection of people getting closer to my post. I made a radio call to try to find out if my Italian back-up was on his way, but no one had any information on his whereabouts. The protesters started to walk by my location, shouting and yelling and waving their signs, flags and banners and looking in my direction but they did not make any move directly towards me (did I emphasize I was still alone?). About half the crowd had passed by me when all of the sudden they stopped, no more yelling, no shouting they just walked away in their own directions. I was perplexed, I was fairly certain there was nothing I had done to cause this dispersion. I was amused to learn later, it was lunch time and they were breaking for a couple hours to eat and sleep. I had to give them credit, they had their priorities straight! It was not until I worked Black Fridays in retail that I would see similar mobs again.
Retail theft prevention is not as important as installation security but for the store owner it is still a big deal. A Checkpoint security system may not stop a protesting mob but it can enhance store security and stop shoplifting and improve store profits. Invest in a Checkpoint security system and Checkpoint tags, the impact will be nearly as quick as a mob breaking for lunch.
Need information on Checkpoint Security Systems? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
