Clothing security- 4 WC Blog 524
Checkpoint tags-5
Checkpoint Tags Help Offset Tight Employee Budgets
Clothing security can be difficult for small and medium size retailers that have limited resources. As a Retail Loss prevention Manager I had to deal with shoplifters and employees who have stolen clothes so I have seen the various methods employed by criminals. One of the favorite forms of theft for shoplifters and I include employees in this, is the use of fitting rooms and restrooms to commit their crimes. Rather than trying to hide merchandise in a purse, shopping bag or under their clothing and risk being observed by store cameras or plain clothes security they go where they know that cameras are not permitted. Thieves know that most stores restrict Loss Prevention personnel from making what are known as “fitting room” stops and the same applies to restrooms. In order to prevent shoplifting many of the large retailers will spend payroll on a fitting room attendant. This person’s job is supposed to be taking all merchandise from a customer, separating the items, inspecting to be sure nothing is in between items and there are not multiple items on a single hanger. It may not be feasible for smaller stores to spend scarce payroll dollars on a fitting room attendant. This is where clothing security can be enhanced in the form of Checkpoint tags available from Loss Prevention Systems Inc.
Checkpoint tags for clothing are available in a sturdy design that is built to prevent shoplifters from defeating them. Tugged, pulled, pried or beaten on these tags will hold up to the most severe punishment. Of course it should be pointed out that in my encounters with anyone trying to pull a tag off of clothing they are usually putting so much effort into it they become obvious. Those shoplifters that choose to try to conceal tagged clothing and attempt to get out of a store will set off an electronic article surveillance (EAS) alarm pedestal. The alarms and lights of the pedestals are so bright and noisy that employees respond and recover merchandise through a check of the culprit’s receipt. An employee well trained on appropriate EAS alarm response knows how to keep encounters calm and recover merchandise without a nasty confrontation.
The question arises, “Why can’t I just look in a fitting room and if there are empty hangers then I can simply stop the suspect?” You can never be absolutely sure that a hanger is an indicator of theft. Some people try on clothes and if they find a garment they like they don’t bother putting it back on a hanger. When I was a Loss Prevention Associate and brand new to the retail world I worked in a department store. I vividly recall going into a fitting room and bringing out a handful of clothes hangers. I showed them to the associates at the register and told them that someone had probably stolen the items that went on those hangers. The associates were none too pleased with me, a guy new to L.P. and retail. One of the associates took the hangers and told me that they do count items going in and out, not necessarily hangers. That associate, who is now my wife, kindly reminds me of that encounter from time to time to keep me humble. Clothing security was a priority then and items were counted but we did not use Checkpoint tags as much then as we should have. Clothing alarm tags can reduce the need to have a fitting room attendant for stores without the payroll to staff that position.
Restrooms can be another problem altogether because they are often in a corner or out of the main aisles of the store. EAS towers can be placed outside of the restrooms and if merchandise with Checkpoint tags is taken in the tower alarms will sound there too. Towers can’t be placed outside of a fitting room because the purpose of a fitting room is to take merchandise in to try on. Security tags on clothes provide protection for retailers when they can’t afford to place a person at the fitting room. As I mentioned if they tamper with tags they will damage the clothes, leave the tags in place and they will activate alarms.
If you have the resources to afford a fitting room attendant to stop shoplifting then continue to do so and let Checkpoint tags be a supplement to your security efforts. If you don’t have the resources, tag all of your merchandise with clothing security tags and watch your profits grow.
Get more information on Checkpoint tags, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
Clothing security can be difficult for small and medium size retailers that have limited resources. As a Retail Loss prevention Manager I had to deal with shoplifters and employees who have stolen clothes so I have seen the various methods employed by criminals. One of the favorite forms of theft for shoplifters and I include employees in this, is the use of fitting rooms and restrooms to commit their crimes. Rather than trying to hide merchandise in a purse, shopping bag or under their clothing and risk being observed by store cameras or plain clothes security they go where they know that cameras are not permitted. Thieves know that most stores restrict Loss Prevention personnel from making what are known as “fitting room” stops and the same applies to restrooms. In order to prevent shoplifting many of the large retailers will spend payroll on a fitting room attendant. This person’s job is supposed to be taking all merchandise from a customer, separating the items, inspecting to be sure nothing is in between items and there are not multiple items on a single hanger. It may not be feasible for smaller stores to spend scarce payroll dollars on a fitting room attendant. This is where clothing security can be enhanced in the form of Checkpoint tags available from Loss Prevention Systems Inc.
Checkpoint tags for clothing are available in a sturdy design that is built to prevent shoplifters from defeating them. Tugged, pulled, pried or beaten on these tags will hold up to the most severe punishment. Of course it should be pointed out that in my encounters with anyone trying to pull a tag off of clothing they are usually putting so much effort into it they become obvious. Those shoplifters that choose to try to conceal tagged clothing and attempt to get out of a store will set off an electronic article surveillance (EAS) alarm pedestal. The alarms and lights of the pedestals are so bright and noisy that employees respond and recover merchandise through a check of the culprit’s receipt. An employee well trained on appropriate EAS alarm response knows how to keep encounters calm and recover merchandise without a nasty confrontation.
The question arises, “Why can’t I just look in a fitting room and if there are empty hangers then I can simply stop the suspect?” You can never be absolutely sure that a hanger is an indicator of theft. Some people try on clothes and if they find a garment they like they don’t bother putting it back on a hanger. When I was a Loss Prevention Associate and brand new to the retail world I worked in a department store. I vividly recall going into a fitting room and bringing out a handful of clothes hangers. I showed them to the associates at the register and told them that someone had probably stolen the items that went on those hangers. The associates were none too pleased with me, a guy new to L.P. and retail. One of the associates took the hangers and told me that they do count items going in and out, not necessarily hangers. That associate, who is now my wife, kindly reminds me of that encounter from time to time to keep me humble. Clothing security was a priority then and items were counted but we did not use Checkpoint tags as much then as we should have. Clothing alarm tags can reduce the need to have a fitting room attendant for stores without the payroll to staff that position.
Restrooms can be another problem altogether because they are often in a corner or out of the main aisles of the store. EAS towers can be placed outside of the restrooms and if merchandise with Checkpoint tags is taken in the tower alarms will sound there too. Towers can’t be placed outside of a fitting room because the purpose of a fitting room is to take merchandise in to try on. Security tags on clothes provide protection for retailers when they can’t afford to place a person at the fitting room. As I mentioned if they tamper with tags they will damage the clothes, leave the tags in place and they will activate alarms.
If you have the resources to afford a fitting room attendant to stop shoplifting then continue to do so and let Checkpoint tags be a supplement to your security efforts. If you don’t have the resources, tag all of your merchandise with clothing security tags and watch your profits grow.
Get more information on Checkpoint tags, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
CHECKPOINT LABELS SCARE BOOSTERS FROM WALKING OUT THE DOOR WITH OVER $4K WORTH OF PRODUCT!
Checkpoint Labels: 4 ML Blog 19
Stop Shoplifting: 3
When working in retail, you put in strenuous hours to make sales and protect your bottom line. Each day you check sales and track how your location is doing. You do so much to get customers into your store daily, but what are you doing to stop the theft from happening? A lot of retailers do not realize how much theft is taking place, until their inventory numbers come out with an increase in shrink. Why not be proactive, and KNOW that you are doing everything you can to keep your merchandise on the shelf. With an increase in shrink, you have to cut hours and make adjustments due to the amount of loss that you have. This should not have to take place, after your entire year’s worth of hard work put in. A thief can wipe out a shelf within minutes, and you lose massive amounts of money. Stop waiting till the numbers show a clear increase in shrink, before doing something about it! You can easily stop shoplifting and protect your store’s assets by utilizing Checkpoint labels, on virtually any product you sell.
Whether you are trying to protect high dollar clothing or even food products, Checkpoint Labels put a stop to theft. As a Senior Loss Prevention Manger, I investigate several different types of thefts. A majority of my focus is specifically on high dollar thefts and organized retail criminals. Last month, I busted a group of 3 subjects, who tried to steal $4,352 worth of merchandise! This included expensive jackets, hoodies, and sportswear. The 3 boosters walk into my store, selecting the items quickly without any regard for the prices. One of the subjects did not even TRY to act like he was shopping. He pulled 7 of the coats right off the rack within seconds. I knew right then, it was going down! I purposely had these items tagged, due to the dollar amount and being a trending high theft product. These thieves were not use to having this type of product tagged from other retailers. They each select a backpack from one of our fixtures, after making all of their selections. They go into the fitting room, and come out with all of the items now concealed into the backpacks! If I wasn’t watching them on camera, associates would have never known they just concealed that much product. They were busy helping another customer, and never saw them even enter the fitting room. The 3 subjects now are finished and start heading for the exit. They had no idea we utilize Checkpoint Labels on our products! They concealed so fast in the fitting room, they didn’t take the labels off! As they exit, the alarm system starts sounding extremely loud! They drop the backpacks and go into panic mode! Then run into the parking lot very quickly. I then get their license plate and quickly grab all of the dumped backpacks for recovery. I came back into the store and we totaled up the merchandise they attempted to steal. We could not believe they almost got away with over 4k worth of merchandise in once instance. What if they hit us 4 times in a year? That would be on the low end of attempts. Think of how much you could do for your store with $20,000 dollars? Boosters normally target a location 4 times in a MONTH. If they target us that much, we would shrink out a massive amount just from 1 group when totaling the numbers. I am glad we use advanced merchandise protection to help keep our high dollar merchandise out from the hands of thieves. My store really likes that they can be used for a large variety of products. They are also extremely durable to stop shoplifting. I have investigated numerous amounts of cases just like this one. With the system alarming, it deters high dollar merchandise from walking straight out of the door. This is why, every retailer should invest in these products.
From petty thieves to organized retail criminals, Checkpoint Labels are an advanced form of security devices to stop shoplifting. After all of your hard work to make sales, you should not have to worry about thieves. Give yourself peace of mind, and put a stop to shrink in your store.
For more information about Checkpoint Labels, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547.
When working in retail, you put in strenuous hours to make sales and protect your bottom line. Each day you check sales and track how your location is doing. You do so much to get customers into your store daily, but what are you doing to stop the theft from happening? A lot of retailers do not realize how much theft is taking place, until their inventory numbers come out with an increase in shrink. Why not be proactive, and KNOW that you are doing everything you can to keep your merchandise on the shelf. With an increase in shrink, you have to cut hours and make adjustments due to the amount of loss that you have. This should not have to take place, after your entire year’s worth of hard work put in. A thief can wipe out a shelf within minutes, and you lose massive amounts of money. Stop waiting till the numbers show a clear increase in shrink, before doing something about it! You can easily stop shoplifting and protect your store’s assets by utilizing Checkpoint labels, on virtually any product you sell.
Whether you are trying to protect high dollar clothing or even food products, Checkpoint Labels put a stop to theft. As a Senior Loss Prevention Manger, I investigate several different types of thefts. A majority of my focus is specifically on high dollar thefts and organized retail criminals. Last month, I busted a group of 3 subjects, who tried to steal $4,352 worth of merchandise! This included expensive jackets, hoodies, and sportswear. The 3 boosters walk into my store, selecting the items quickly without any regard for the prices. One of the subjects did not even TRY to act like he was shopping. He pulled 7 of the coats right off the rack within seconds. I knew right then, it was going down! I purposely had these items tagged, due to the dollar amount and being a trending high theft product. These thieves were not use to having this type of product tagged from other retailers. They each select a backpack from one of our fixtures, after making all of their selections. They go into the fitting room, and come out with all of the items now concealed into the backpacks! If I wasn’t watching them on camera, associates would have never known they just concealed that much product. They were busy helping another customer, and never saw them even enter the fitting room. The 3 subjects now are finished and start heading for the exit. They had no idea we utilize Checkpoint Labels on our products! They concealed so fast in the fitting room, they didn’t take the labels off! As they exit, the alarm system starts sounding extremely loud! They drop the backpacks and go into panic mode! Then run into the parking lot very quickly. I then get their license plate and quickly grab all of the dumped backpacks for recovery. I came back into the store and we totaled up the merchandise they attempted to steal. We could not believe they almost got away with over 4k worth of merchandise in once instance. What if they hit us 4 times in a year? That would be on the low end of attempts. Think of how much you could do for your store with $20,000 dollars? Boosters normally target a location 4 times in a MONTH. If they target us that much, we would shrink out a massive amount just from 1 group when totaling the numbers. I am glad we use advanced merchandise protection to help keep our high dollar merchandise out from the hands of thieves. My store really likes that they can be used for a large variety of products. They are also extremely durable to stop shoplifting. I have investigated numerous amounts of cases just like this one. With the system alarming, it deters high dollar merchandise from walking straight out of the door. This is why, every retailer should invest in these products.
From petty thieves to organized retail criminals, Checkpoint Labels are an advanced form of security devices to stop shoplifting. After all of your hard work to make sales, you should not have to worry about thieves. Give yourself peace of mind, and put a stop to shrink in your store.
For more information about Checkpoint Labels, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547.
Electronic Article Surveillance-5 WC Blog 523
Checkpoint Hard Tags-4
Stop Shoplifting-3
Reduce Shortage With Checkpoint Hard Tags And Training
Electronic Article Surveillance tags are effective in stores to reduce internal theft and to stop shoplifting. Go to almost any national retail chain store and you will see them in use. It may be a soft adhesive tag attached to a package or Checkpoint hard tags attached to clothing and softlines goods. As a Loss Prevention Manager I was blessed with consistently low shortage results after my store inventory cycles. Out of 13 years of taking inventory, 11 of those were well under 1% shrinkage. Two years I had shortage results slightly over 1% and those both offset with the following year inventory and one of those was an overage. There were a number of factors that I credit to that success but one of the biggest was that our company required the use of Checkpoint tags on a LOT of merchandise. I found that they deterred many criminals who were intending to steal. When deterrence didn’t work and someone was determined to try to take tagged merchandise, the electronic article surveillance towers at the doors would alarm. In many cases our employees recovered merchandise that was dropped as the criminal was more concerned with running away and I can’t begin to tell you the number of recoveries made as a result of a detailed receipt check by a trained staff member. This brings me to the main point of this article. The other day I made a purchase and was leaving this store (a national big box retailer) and another customer was walking out at the same time. The alarm sounded and we both stopped but no one came to check our receipts. We looked at each other and continued on our way. As an experienced Loss Prevention Manager I know how effective tags can be but they will only be effective if store management makes them a security priority.
It is easy for me to get carried away on a topic and forget that not all of the readers are going to know exactly what Checkpoint hard tags are or how electronic article surveillance works. Hard tags are anti-theft devices that are pinned to softlines goods which can include clothing, bedding, towels, shower curtains, accessories such as purses, hats and belts. I have even seen creative Loss Prevention Managers use them on blister packages such as multi-tools, and small power tools. The tags are designed to close so tightly that they are almost seamless. This means they are nearly impossible to defeat through tampering. The great thing about the tags is that they come in several design such as the Gen 3 tag so that even a designer dress can have one attached and it will still have a sleek look. The Checkpoint hard tags are also built so that the pins won’t damage material. There is no excuse for a store owner or manager not to use them. The way the tags work is first through visual deterrence. They stop shoplifting because criminals see them and know what they are and usually don’t want to take the risk of getting caught when the alarm at the door sounds. The second way is that they activate the electronic article surveillance alarm towers positioned at the front doors. The alarm is meant to attract an immediate response from a store employee who conducts a receipt check and locates the cause of the alarm. The would-be thief either buys the merchandise or leaves empty handed and store employees now know who they are.
Retailers, Checkpoint tags work. I have provided evidence from my own experience but I want to stress that it required employees to respond to those alarms and they had to be properly trained. Installing an electronic article surveillance system and placing EAS tags on merchandise will deter some theft but if no one responds to alarms criminals catch on pretty quickly. In the same manner the customer and I left the big box store and noticed no one checked on the alarm as we exited, thieves will do the same to your business. Oh and as a side note, employees who are stealing will also get comfortable if they know that no one is going to check on them if they set off an alarm.
You can have great shortage results but it requires the right tools and training. Loss Prevention Systems Inc (LPSI). can help set you on the road to success with Checkpoint hard tags and EAS towers. LPSI founder Bill Bregar can provide you with the training you need to stop shoplifting and employee theft and the proper ways to handle EAS alarms. Check out LPSI and learn how you can make your store more profitable.
Checkpoint hard tags are important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.
Electronic Article Surveillance tags are effective in stores to reduce internal theft and to stop shoplifting. Go to almost any national retail chain store and you will see them in use. It may be a soft adhesive tag attached to a package or Checkpoint hard tags attached to clothing and softlines goods. As a Loss Prevention Manager I was blessed with consistently low shortage results after my store inventory cycles. Out of 13 years of taking inventory, 11 of those were well under 1% shrinkage. Two years I had shortage results slightly over 1% and those both offset with the following year inventory and one of those was an overage. There were a number of factors that I credit to that success but one of the biggest was that our company required the use of Checkpoint tags on a LOT of merchandise. I found that they deterred many criminals who were intending to steal. When deterrence didn’t work and someone was determined to try to take tagged merchandise, the electronic article surveillance towers at the doors would alarm. In many cases our employees recovered merchandise that was dropped as the criminal was more concerned with running away and I can’t begin to tell you the number of recoveries made as a result of a detailed receipt check by a trained staff member. This brings me to the main point of this article. The other day I made a purchase and was leaving this store (a national big box retailer) and another customer was walking out at the same time. The alarm sounded and we both stopped but no one came to check our receipts. We looked at each other and continued on our way. As an experienced Loss Prevention Manager I know how effective tags can be but they will only be effective if store management makes them a security priority.
It is easy for me to get carried away on a topic and forget that not all of the readers are going to know exactly what Checkpoint hard tags are or how electronic article surveillance works. Hard tags are anti-theft devices that are pinned to softlines goods which can include clothing, bedding, towels, shower curtains, accessories such as purses, hats and belts. I have even seen creative Loss Prevention Managers use them on blister packages such as multi-tools, and small power tools. The tags are designed to close so tightly that they are almost seamless. This means they are nearly impossible to defeat through tampering. The great thing about the tags is that they come in several design such as the Gen 3 tag so that even a designer dress can have one attached and it will still have a sleek look. The Checkpoint hard tags are also built so that the pins won’t damage material. There is no excuse for a store owner or manager not to use them. The way the tags work is first through visual deterrence. They stop shoplifting because criminals see them and know what they are and usually don’t want to take the risk of getting caught when the alarm at the door sounds. The second way is that they activate the electronic article surveillance alarm towers positioned at the front doors. The alarm is meant to attract an immediate response from a store employee who conducts a receipt check and locates the cause of the alarm. The would-be thief either buys the merchandise or leaves empty handed and store employees now know who they are.
Retailers, Checkpoint tags work. I have provided evidence from my own experience but I want to stress that it required employees to respond to those alarms and they had to be properly trained. Installing an electronic article surveillance system and placing EAS tags on merchandise will deter some theft but if no one responds to alarms criminals catch on pretty quickly. In the same manner the customer and I left the big box store and noticed no one checked on the alarm as we exited, thieves will do the same to your business. Oh and as a side note, employees who are stealing will also get comfortable if they know that no one is going to check on them if they set off an alarm.
You can have great shortage results but it requires the right tools and training. Loss Prevention Systems Inc (LPSI). can help set you on the road to success with Checkpoint hard tags and EAS towers. LPSI founder Bill Bregar can provide you with the training you need to stop shoplifting and employee theft and the proper ways to handle EAS alarms. Check out LPSI and learn how you can make your store more profitable.
Checkpoint hard tags are important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.
Stop Shoplifting – 4 WC Blog 451
Checkpoint Security System – 4
Employees With A Vested Interest In Shortage Reduction Can Make A Checkpoint Security System More Powerful
Lowering stock shortage and how to stop shoplifting are topics we frequently talk about in retail. We discuss issues related to improper markdowns and front end cashiering errors. We make shortage actions plans to try to nail down how we are going to focus on improving high shrinkage departments. We talk about theft and fraud and the need to prevent it but when it comes down to the rubber meeting the road what do we really do to stop shoplifting? What are store owners and managers really willing to do to make an impact on this aspect of shortage? I am going to ask if a store owner is willing to take it seriously enough to invest in a Checkpoint Security System.
What is a Checkpoint Security System? It is a system built to directly stop shoplifting and retail theft through the use of radio frequency enabled tags and receiving pedestals. Tags and labels that send out radio waves are applied to all sorts of merchandise. Hard tags can be pinned to clothing, bedding, towels and other softlines goods. Labels can be placed on all sorts of surfaces, cardboard, shrink wrap, plastics, etc. Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) pedestals are set up near the store exits and entrances have a detection field designed to pick up the radio waves being sent out by the tags and labels. When tagged merchandise is carried into this detection field alarms sound and LED lights in the pedestals flash warning store employees that tagged merchandise is being carried out of the store. Trained employees know how to respond to these alarm activations and resolve them through receipt checks. Usually recoveries are from shoplifters attempting to get merchandise out of the store but some recoveries include merchandise that was overlooked in the bottom of a shopping cart. Think about the implications that has on shortage reduction from attempted theft AND operational errors at the point of sale.
Continuing with my point on taking shortage reduction seriously employers need to understand that theft related shortage comprised 81% of shortage in North America according to the 2014-2015 Global Retail Theft Barometer. This leaves only 19% of losses attributed to operational errors and problems and vendor shortage and fraud. If an employer is focusing a shortage action plan and most efforts on these areas it is a poor plan. A better plan would be to spend money on a Checkpoint Security System and the tags, labels and accessories associated with it. Also spend the time training the store staff on how to tag merchandise properly and how to respond appropriately to EAS alarm activations. When employees are trained on proper tag placement, tagging becomes consistent and fewer pieces of merchandise are missed in the process. Trained employees answer the pedestal alarm with tact and with the knowledge of how to do a thorough inspection of a receipt and packages. They have the confidence to approach someone who has activated that alarm and can recover unpaid merchandise without making accusations of shoplifting even if that was the offender’s intent.
Why should employees expend any more effort on shortage reduction than any other aspect of the business? There’s incentive for the store owners, it makes the business more profitable profitable when shortage is brought down. In some stores managers receive bonuses when they meet certain financial goals for a store, such as low shortage and meeting sales objectives. Often the store employees receive no additional incentive to help the store reduce shrinkage. I worked for a retailer that would give bonuses to store managers for the achievements of goals which included beating shortage objectives but the hourly employees had no additional perks. The only benefit that the employees would receive was a better percentage increase at annual review time if the store met financial goals. The company I work for now has just announced that if a store beats its shortage objective this year full time and part time employees will receive bonuses. That is a great incentive for employees to buy into a theft reduction plan for a store.
So what should a business expect when employees have a vested interest in the profitability of the store? Employees will not just speak of great customer service they will demonstrate it to discourage theft and improve sales. They will be aggressive in tagging products to stop shoplifting. They will want to learn how to properly use the Checkpoint Security System, testing the equipment and learning how to respond to alarms properly. Find out for yourself how profitable your company can be when you invest in Checkpoint Systems and the talented people who work for you.
For more information about Checkpoint Security Systems contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
Lowering stock shortage and how to stop shoplifting are topics we frequently talk about in retail. We discuss issues related to improper markdowns and front end cashiering errors. We make shortage actions plans to try to nail down how we are going to focus on improving high shrinkage departments. We talk about theft and fraud and the need to prevent it but when it comes down to the rubber meeting the road what do we really do to stop shoplifting? What are store owners and managers really willing to do to make an impact on this aspect of shortage? I am going to ask if a store owner is willing to take it seriously enough to invest in a Checkpoint Security System.
What is a Checkpoint Security System? It is a system built to directly stop shoplifting and retail theft through the use of radio frequency enabled tags and receiving pedestals. Tags and labels that send out radio waves are applied to all sorts of merchandise. Hard tags can be pinned to clothing, bedding, towels and other softlines goods. Labels can be placed on all sorts of surfaces, cardboard, shrink wrap, plastics, etc. Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) pedestals are set up near the store exits and entrances have a detection field designed to pick up the radio waves being sent out by the tags and labels. When tagged merchandise is carried into this detection field alarms sound and LED lights in the pedestals flash warning store employees that tagged merchandise is being carried out of the store. Trained employees know how to respond to these alarm activations and resolve them through receipt checks. Usually recoveries are from shoplifters attempting to get merchandise out of the store but some recoveries include merchandise that was overlooked in the bottom of a shopping cart. Think about the implications that has on shortage reduction from attempted theft AND operational errors at the point of sale.
Continuing with my point on taking shortage reduction seriously employers need to understand that theft related shortage comprised 81% of shortage in North America according to the 2014-2015 Global Retail Theft Barometer. This leaves only 19% of losses attributed to operational errors, problems, vendor shortage and fraud. If an employer is focusing a shortage action plan and most efforts on these areas it is a poor plan. A better plan would be to spend money on a Checkpoint Security System and the tags, labels and accessories associated with it. Also spend the time training the store staff on how to tag merchandise properly and how to respond appropriately to EAS alarm activations. When employees are trained on proper tag placement, tagging becomes consistent and fewer pieces of merchandise are missed in the process. Trained employees answer the pedestal alarm with tact and with the knowledge of how to do a thorough inspection of a receipt and packages. They have the confidence to approach someone who has activated that alarm and can recover unpaid merchandise without making accusations of shoplifting even if that was the offender’s intent.
Why should employees expend any more effort on shortage reduction than any other aspect of the business? There’s incentive for the store owners, it makes the business more profitable profitable when shortage is brought down. In some stores managers receive bonuses when they meet certain financial goals for a store, such as low shortage and meeting sales objectives. Often the store employees receive no additional incentive to help the store reduce shrinkage. I worked for a retailer that would give bonuses to store managers for the achievements of goals which included beating shortage objectives but the hourly employees had no additional perks. The only benefit that the employees would receive was a better percentage increase at annual review time if the store met financial goals. The company I work for now has just announced that if a store beats its shortage objective this year full time and part time employees will receive bonuses. That is a great incentive for employees to buy into a theft reduction plan for a store.
So what should a business expect when employees have a vested interest in the profitability of the store? Employees will not just speak of great customer service they will demonstrate it to discourage theft and improve sales. They will be aggressive in tagging products to stop shoplifting. They will want to learn how to properly use the Checkpoint Security System, testing the equipment and learning how to respond to alarms properly. Find out for yourself how profitable your company can be when you invest in Checkpoint Systems and the talented people who work for you.
For more information about Checkpoint Security Systems contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
Stop shoplifting-4 WC Blog 479
Training To Reduce Employee Theft-3
Jump For Joy When You Learn How To Stop Shoplifting
How do you train employees to stop shoplifting whether they are Loss Prevention personnel, store employees or managers? Well, a long time ago when I first entered the world of Retail Loss Prevention it was all OJT (On The Job Training). My new boss showed me how cameras worked, what to look for to identify shoplifters. I had to go through the store’s orientation class and work the salesfloor and cashiering for a week. Once I started catching shoplifters on my own we had very few limits on what we could or could not do. One of the things we could do then that is almost never permitted today is chasing a shoplifter. That being the case I had a number of funny and scary situations I was involved in but there was one that was funny and scary at the same time.
Before I go further with my story I would like to digress for a moment and discuss training for managers to impact shortage. Many large businesses have manager training that includes at least a segment by a Loss Prevention department that deals with issues of theft. Smaller and privately owned retail store owners may not have this kind of training available to them. Training to reduce employee theft and stop shoplifting is critical for any retail management team. Not knowing the methods employees may use to steal from a store means the dishonest employees can take advantage of management. Not being able to identify how shoplifters commit their crimes and what can prevent these activities can lead to unsustainable shortage. Loss Prevention Systems Inc. (LPSI) has training sessions available to provide the same (or better) training than the big corporations give their managers. LPSI offers managers courses on training to reduce employee theft and how to stop shoplifting. Employees will learn the methods these criminals use and how to prevent them as well as teaching on what NOT to do when it comes to shoplifters.
With that said I return to my story. Remember that we had no rules that governed us in what we could or could not do to catch a shoplifter except, don’t make a bad stop. Stopping a person who did not steal anything was a cardinal sin even at that time. I was watching a couple with an infant stroller via closed circuit television. The two were pulling tags off of children’s clothes and hiding them in the stroller and a diaper bag. This activity went on for quite some time and eventually they walked to the exit doors. I left the security office and stopped the couple. They denied having done anything and started shouting at me. The woman started to go back into the store but the man ran. I chased him to his station wagon and as he got in the car he realized he didn’t have the keys. He yelled to the woman to come to the car and it was obvious she was too scared to leave. I had our operator on my two-way radio and she was on the phone with local police describing the situation. I told the couple the police were coming and to cooperate. When the man realized the woman wouldn’t leave the sidewalk he jumped back out of the vehicle and wanted to fight me. I wasn’t going to intentionally get into a fist fight and kept my distance, going to the other side of the car. The subject got onto the roof of his car and was screaming about what he was going to do to me. I remained calm as I heard the police sirens approaching. I tried to explain that he was causing a scene in front of his wife and child and he should cooperate. Apparently that just angered him more and he jumped up and down on the car and was doing so as the police pulled up. I admit I was a bit scared at anyone dumb enough to jump up and down on the roof of their car and scream over a shoplifting incident. On the other hand it was a funny scene to see and more so when he refused to come down for the police officers.
Chasing shoplifters is a bad idea and I would not suggest it to anyone. Rather, find out how to stop shoplifting and while you’re at it take training to reduce employee theft from LPSI. Instead of the guy on the roof of his car, you’ll be the one jumping up and down when you see how much money you can save your company due to theft reduction.
Get more information on training to reduce employee theft contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today
How do you train employees to stop shoplifting whether they are Loss Prevention personnel, store employees or managers? Well, a long time ago when I first entered the world of Retail Loss Prevention it was all OJT (On The Job Training). My new boss showed me how cameras worked, what to look for to identify shoplifters. I had to go through the store’s orientation class and work the salesfloor and cashiering for a week. Once I started catching shoplifters on my own we had very few limits on what we could or could not do. One of the things we could do then that is almost never permitted today is chasing a shoplifter. That being the case I had a number of funny and scary situations I was involved in but there was one that was funny and scary at the same time.
Before I go further with my story I would like to digress for a moment and discuss training for managers to impact shortage. Many large businesses have manager training that includes at least a segment by a Loss Prevention department that deals with issues of theft. Smaller and privately owned retail store owners may not have this kind of training available to them. Training to reduce employee theft and stop shoplifting is critical for any retail management team. Not knowing the methods employees may use to steal from a store means the dishonest employees can take advantage of management. Not being able to identify how shoplifters commit their crimes and what can prevent these activities can lead to unsustainable shortage. Loss Prevention Systems Inc. (LPSI) has training sessions available to provide the same (or better) training than the big corporations give their managers. LPSI offers managers courses on training to reduce employee theft and how to stop shoplifting. Employees will learn the methods these criminals use and how to prevent them as well as teaching on what NOT to do when it comes to shoplifters.
With that said I return to my story. Remember that we had no rules that governed us in what we could or could not do to catch a shoplifter except, don’t make a bad stop. Stopping a person who did not steal anything was a cardinal sin even at that time. I was watching a couple with an infant stroller via closed circuit television. The two were pulling tags off of children’s clothes and hiding them in the stroller and a diaper bag. This activity went on for quite some time and eventually they walked to the exit doors. I left the security office and stopped the couple. They denied having done anything and started shouting at me. The woman started to go back into the store but the man ran. I chased him to his station wagon and as he got in the car he realized he didn’t have the keys. He yelled to the woman to come to the car and it was obvious she was too scared to leave. I had our operator on my two-way radio and she was on the phone with local police describing the situation. I told the couple the police were coming and to cooperate. When the man realized the woman wouldn’t leave the sidewalk he jumped back out of the vehicle and wanted to fight me. I wasn’t going to intentionally get into a fist fight and kept my distance, going to the other side of the car. The subject got onto the roof of his car and was screaming about what he was going to do to me. I remained calm as I heard the police sirens approaching. I tried to explain that he was causing a scene in front of his wife and child and he should cooperate. Apparently that just angered him more and he jumped up and down on the car and was doing so as the police pulled up. I admit I was a bit scared at anyone dumb enough to jump up and down on the roof of their car and scream over a shoplifting incident. On the other hand it was a funny scene to see and more so when he refused to come down for the police officers.
Chasing shoplifters is a bad idea and I would not suggest it to anyone. Rather, find out how to stop shoplifting and while you’re at it take training to reduce employee theft from LPSI. Instead of the guy on the roof of his car, you’ll be the one jumping up and down when you see how much money you can save your company due to theft reduction.
Get more information on training to reduce employee theft contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today
