background investigation – 5 WC blog 846
Pre-Employment Screening-3
Failing To Conduct A Background Investigation Is A Recipe For Disaster
Does your business conduct a background investigation before hiring a new employee? If not you might be inviting trouble in your workplace. There is always a measure of risk involved in hiring a new employee. Will they have the skills to do the job you are hiring them to perform? Will they become an attendance problem? Do they have a criminal record you may not be aware that they have? If they do, what is that record for, theft, assault, driving while intoxicated? The task of hiring new people is not easy and if not done properly it can cause problems for you and your store.
Do you need an example? How about this story from montrealgazette.com,“Fake nurse in Quebec discovered and fired – after 20 years on the job”, by Presse Canadienne, June 1, 2019. The story reports on a woman who had worked in various departments of the hospital over the course of 20 years. According to the report, “Before being exposed, the woman had worked in several departments of the hospital, including the operating room.” The story also says, “Over the years, the documents asked of her were provided – falsified documents.” This should give you a moment of pause while considering the potential ramifications this could have had to patients in this hospital. Someone can provide documentation to “prove” qualifications but without conducting thorough pre-employment screening an owner or manager can be fooled.
To show that this is not restricted to the medical field an article in voiceofsandiego.org, “San Diego Unified Moved a Problem Principle to Districtwide Role, Then Paid Him to Leave”, by Will Huntsberry, April 2, 2019. This story reports a principle, “…appeared to have falsified his credentials – presenting a Ph.D. from a University in England that seemed to be nothing more than a website.” More than just a problem of being in a position he was not qualified to hold, it seems from the story that the subject of this story had also been involved in sexual harassment and created a hostile work environment at a high school he had previously worked in. You may not be running a school but you are running a business and your employees are counting on you to maintain a safe workplace. A background investigation can validate credentials of your potential new hires before you bring them on your team.
Pre-employment screening done by a reliable company can help a business avoid a wide range of potential problems. If you require drivers for deliveries you will want to make sure the applicants have clean driving records. Are you seeking to hire an account for your bookkeeping? Hire a background investigation company that can validate the credentials of a promising candidate. If you own a retail business you have multiple employees. Keep them safe from a new co-worker who could be a sexual predator. A pre-employment check can include a review of the national sex offender registry to ensure your candidate is not listed. The right company can tailor screenings to include those areas you believe are most critical to your business. If you aren’t sure what those areas should be that company should be able to help guide you based on your business and what the position will entail.
Since most of the readers will be retail owners and managers I would also point out that pre-employment screening can lead to a reduction in stock shortage. Employee theft accounts for roughly 1/3 of all merchandise shortage. By conducting a background investigation on applicants a store owner greatly reduces the chance that a future criminal will be hired. If background checks are part of a comprehensive shortage reduction plan that also includes manager training to reduce employee theft and the installation of a Sensormatic security system, risk of internal theft can almost be wiped out.
As we all know one-stop shopping is the easiest and often most efficient way to get everything done. How can anyone bundle a background investigation, a Sensormatic system and manager training without having to look all over the internet? How can anyone do this and be confident they will get reputable resources for each of these needs? Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. has the solution for all of these and more. When it comes to shortage and theft reduction this company has the retail and investigation experience to help any store owner know matter how big or small the company. Hiring the right people and improving profitability for stores is what they specialize in and they can do the same for you.
Need more information on a background investigation? Call us at 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.
Does your business conduct a background investigation before hiring a new employee? If not you might be inviting trouble in your workplace. There is always a measure of risk involved in hiring a new employee. Will they have the skills to do the job you are hiring them to perform? Will they become an attendance problem? Do they have a criminal record you may not be aware that they have? If they do, what is that record for, theft, assault, driving while intoxicated? The task of hiring new people is not easy and if not done properly it can cause problems for you and your store.
Do you need an example? How about this story from montrealgazette.com,“Fake nurse in Quebec discovered and fired – after 20 years on the job”, by Presse Canadienne, June 1, 2019. The story reports on a woman who had worked in various departments of the hospital over the course of 20 years. According to the report, “Before being exposed, the woman had worked in several departments of the hospital, including the operating room.” The story also says, “Over the years, the documents asked of her were provided – falsified documents.” This should give you a moment of pause while considering the potential ramifications this could have had to patients in this hospital. Someone can provide documentation to “prove” qualifications but without conducting thorough pre-employment screening an owner or manager can be fooled.
To show that this is not restricted to the medical field an article in voiceofsandiego.org, “San Diego Unified Moved a Problem Principle to Districtwide Role, Then Paid Him to Leave”, by Will Huntsberry, April 2, 2019. This story reports a principle, “…appeared to have falsified his credentials – presenting a Ph.D. from a University in England that seemed to be nothing more than a website.” More than just a problem of being in a position he was not qualified to hold, it seems from the story that the subject of this story had also been involved in sexual harassment and created a hostile work environment at a high school he had previously worked in. You may not be running a school but you are running a business and your employees are counting on you to maintain a safe workplace. A background investigation can validate credentials of your potential new hires before you bring them on your team.
Pre-employment screening done by a reliable company can help a business avoid a wide range of potential problems. If you require drivers for deliveries you will want to make sure the applicants have clean driving records. Are you seeking to hire an account for your bookkeeping? Hire a background investigation company that can validate the credentials of a promising candidate. If you own a retail business you have multiple employees. Keep them safe from a new co-worker who could be a sexual predator. A pre-employment check can include a review of the national sex offender registry to ensure your candidate is not listed. The right company can tailor screenings to include those areas you believe are most critical to your business. If you aren’t sure what those areas should be that company should be able to help guide you based on your business and what the position will entail.
Since most of the readers will be retail owners and managers I would also point out that pre-employment screening can lead to a reduction in stock shortage. Employee theft accounts for roughly 1/3 of all merchandise shortage. By conducting a background investigation on applicants a store owner greatly reduces the chance that a future criminal will be hired. If background checks are part of a comprehensive shortage reduction plan that also includes manager training to reduce employee theft and the installation of a Sensormatic security system, risk of internal theft can almost be wiped out.
As we all know one-stop shopping is the easiest and often most efficient way to get everything done. How can anyone bundle a background investigation, a Sensormatic system and manager training without having to look all over the internet? How can anyone do this and be confident they will get reputable resources for each of these needs? Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. has the solution for all of these and more. When it comes to shortage and theft reduction this company has the retail and investigation experience to help any store owner know matter how big or small the company. Hiring the right people and improving profitability for stores is what they specialize in and they can do the same for you.
Need more information on a background investigation? Call us at 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.
Can Loss Prevention Be Free?-3 WC Blog 842
Free Loss Prevention Calculator-4
A Free Loss Prevention Calculator Can Lead To A Free Loss Prevention System
Can Loss Prevention be free or can training to stop shoplifting be free? It seems like these are silly questions to ask especially if you are like me and believe nothing is free in life. If something is offered for free there nearly always seems to be some sort of catch to the offer. Most of you reading this article are business owners or business managers and you know you can’t afford to just give things away without expecting some type of return on your investment. I have seen offers in stores where you get a free package of paper with the purchase of a particular series of printers. Okay, but I have to buy that brand and model to get the free paper. Usually those models of printers tend to be a bit pricier anyways. How about when you give away pens or other “swag” with your business logo? Yes, those are free but the idea is you are going to get a return on your investment when customers come to shop with you because they saw your business logo on that item. Nothing is wrong with any of these promos and in fact I encourage these enticements. It is a smart way to get more business or increase sales. So when I heard about the Free Loss Prevention Calculator my first instinct was what is the catch?
My first thought was to go to the site where it was offered and see if I had to log in or set up a username and password and then the company would be able to contact me. It isn’t going to be all that free if I feel pushed by a salesman into purchasing a Sensormatic security system for a store. Much to my surprise I did not have to do any kind of sign in. There was a tab at the top of the page and I clicked on it and went straight to the Free Loss Prevention Calculator. I was able to enter a few pieces of data, specifically estimated annual sales and how much I was willing to invest in Loss Prevention. The calculation was done and showed me approximately how much a Sensormatic system could save me in reduced shortage annually. Based on the reduction it showed me how long it would take for the system to pay for itself. It was incredibly easy to use and I could adjust numbers as much as I wanted to do so. Can Loss Prevention be free? Looking at the results of the calculator yes it can be.
Of course being the skeptic I am after I closed out I waited to see if I was going to get some kind of email from the company. Surely they had to have a way to track me being on their page it would be good business sense. A couple days went by and not a peep. The Free Loss Prevention Calculator truly was free to use. I will also give the company credit and say yes, it also appears that the Loss Prevention system itself could be free. Through the losses it would prevent it would pay for itself over time. But this got me to investigating a bit more because I am a Loss Prevention professional and investigating is what I do. I wanted to know what the catch was in buying a system from this company. They would require me to buy a system and then charge me to train my team on how to use the thing, right? I was flabbergasted. If I were to purchase a brand new Sensormatic system from this company they provide FREE training on how to use it. I have been in Retail Loss Prevention for a long time and I can say this is unprecedented. But after digging a little deeper into this business I realized their focus is not on sales of equipment, their focus is on helping businesses increase profits through reducing theft and shortage. That can be through assessing shortage risks of a store be they operational or theft related and helping to create an action plan to address those risks. It is through in person and online training opportunities they offer stores. They can also conduct background checks to help stores not hire risky employees in the first place.
Can Loss Prevention be free? It seems like it can be and with that said I suppose I need to reevaluate my position that nothing in life can be free. There are three things that can be free, Loss Prevention, the Free Loss Prevention Calculator and training when a Sensormatic security system is purchased from Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. Check it out for yourself I think you will be pleasantly surprised.
For more information on the free Loss Prevention Calculator, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547.
Can Loss Prevention be free or can training to stop shoplifting be free? It seems like these are silly questions to ask especially if you are like me and believe nothing is free in life. If something is offered for free there nearly always seems to be some sort of catch to the offer. Most of you reading this article are business owners or business managers and you know you can’t afford to just give things away without expecting some type of return on your investment. I have seen offers in stores where you get a free package of paper with the purchase of a particular series of printers. Okay, but I have to buy that brand and model to get the free paper. Usually those models of printers tend to be a bit pricier anyways. How about when you give away pens or other “swag” with your business logo? Yes, those are free but the idea is you are going to get a return on your investment when customers come to shop with you because they saw your business logo on that item. Nothing is wrong with any of these promos and in fact I encourage these enticements. It is a smart way to get more business or increase sales. So when I heard about the Free Loss Prevention Calculator my first instinct was what is the catch?
My first thought was to go to the site where it was offered and see if I had to log in or set up a username and password and then the company would be able to contact me. It isn’t going to be all that free if I feel pushed by a salesman into purchasing a Sensormatic security system for a store. Much to my surprise I did not have to do any kind of sign in. There was a tab at the top of the page and I clicked on it and went straight to the Free Loss Prevention Calculator. I was able to enter a few pieces of data, specifically estimated annual sales and how much I was willing to invest in Loss Prevention. The calculation was done and showed me approximately how much a Sensormatic system could save me in reduced shortage annually. Based on the reduction it showed me how long it would take for the system to pay for itself. It was incredibly easy to use and I could adjust numbers as much as I wanted to do so. Can Loss Prevention be free? Looking at the results of the calculator yes it can be.
Of course being the skeptic I am after I closed out I waited to see if I was going to get some kind of email from the company. Surely they had to have a way to track me being on their page it would be good business sense. A couple days went by and not a peep. The Free Loss Prevention Calculator truly was free to use. I will also give the company credit and say yes, it also appears that the Loss Prevention system itself could be free. Through the losses it would prevent it would pay for itself over time. But this got me to investigating a bit more because I am a Loss Prevention professional and investigating is what I do. I wanted to know what the catch was in buying a system from this company. They would require me to buy a system and then charge me to train my team on how to use the thing, right? I was flabbergasted. If I were to purchase a brand new Sensormatic system from this company they provide FREE training on how to use it. I have been in Retail Loss Prevention for a long time and I can say this is unprecedented. But after digging a little deeper into this business I realized their focus is not on sales of equipment, their focus is on helping businesses increase profits through reducing theft and shortage. That can be through assessing shortage risks of a store be they operational or theft related and helping to create an action plan to address those risks. It is through in person and online training opportunities they offer stores. They can also conduct background checks to help stores not hire risky employees in the first place.
Can Loss Prevention be free? It seems like it can be and with that said I suppose I need to reevaluate my position that nothing in life can be free. There are three things that can be free, Loss Prevention, the Free Loss Prevention Calculator and training when a Sensormatic security system is purchased from Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. Check it out for yourself I think you will be pleasantly surprised.
For more information on the free Loss Prevention Calculator, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547.
Anti-shoplifting – 4 WC Blog 841
Sensormatic security system-4
Anti-shoplifting Efforts And Stubborn Customers
I just saw a clip on my Facebook feed where a uniformed store security was following anti-shoplifting protocols for a store and asking for a receipt check. I don’t know why I put myself through these painful videos because they tend to just get me angry. I was angry because the customer who filmed the episode was obviously being obnoxious on purpose and trying to start something. His capturing of the event on his phone made that apparent. I was angry that the security officer did not have a better response to the “customer” and the manager who was called over was less helpful. By the end of the two or three minute clip I wanted to snatch that phone and break it. When the store manager decided to just let the obnoxious customer just leave the video recording continued and the manager and security officer asked him to stop and he wouldn’t. I could not tell if there was a Sensormatic security system in use in this store but if there was I would have liked to see what would have happened if the alarm had sounded.
During my tenure as a Loss Prevention Manager I came across similar situations and empathize with the Security Officer. There is no clear-cut right or wrong answer to this problem. I have looked at number of websites with lawyers giving advice to “legal” websites. The interesting thing is on one website with several lawyers giving their input some say a store has a right to briefly detain those suspected of shoplifting and recommend you stop and show a receipt. They argue it helps keep prices lower for everyone. Others say you are not required to stop and that they keep walking. Others give a short response saying that if you are offended don’t shop there anymore. One response did say that stopping for a receipt check is a requirement of membership for club type stores like Costco. There are even testy debates on websites about whether you are required to stop for a Sensormatic security system or similar alarm activation. Does this qualify as grounds for reasonable detainment?
To be perfectly frank the issue is there is no federal guideline. Each state has their own laws governing ”Shopkeeper’s Privilege” and what is a reasonable detainment. Anti-shoplifting laws are not universal and therefore as a store owner it is incumbent on you to be familiar with the laws of your own state. This brings up the question of whether it makes sense to even have a person at the door to help prevent shoplifting or a Sensormatic system to discourage thieves?
I believe it is in the best interest of stores to have an anti-shoplifting system in place. This is no different than having closed circuit television cameras, camera domes and monitors in a store. They do help deter impulse thieves. These are the people who come in and without a lot of forethought decide to steal as a thrill or on a dare or even peer-pressure. A Sensormatic security system with towers at the doors and merchandise with security tags is usually enough to make these people change their mind about stealing. Even some of the shoplifters who are stealing for drugs are stopped when they realize a security system is in use. The only ones who may not be deterred are the hardcore criminals or organized crime groups who you may not want to be dealing with anyways other than through customer service.
What about a receipt checker at the door? Most people are going to be cooperative and willing to show a receipt. There are some who are going to refuse. I can only suggest that if you are going to have someone at the door you have a consistent policy of only asking for a receipt on exposed merchandise (meaning merchandise not in a bag from your store). You also need to ensure if employees are responding to a Sensormatic security system alarm that your employees are trained on how to do so properly. Never accuse someone of shoplifting simply because an alarm sounds. It could be a cashier failed to remove a clothing security tag from a shirt or jeans. The great thing is if you aren’t sure your employees are trained properly on alarm response or you don’t have a Sensormatic system, Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. offers training and if you purchase an anti-shoplifting system from them you get FREE training to go along with it.
There is no easy answer to the problem of receipt checks. Hopefully I have given you a few helpful tips on how to try to resolve the issue. It is important to keep in mind that most honest shoppers will be willing to show receipts in order to help stop shoplifting and keep prices low.
A Sensormatic security system is important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.
I just saw a clip on my Facebook feed where a uniformed store security was following anti-shoplifting protocols for a store and asking for a receipt check. I don’t know why I put myself through these painful videos because they tend to just get me angry. I was angry because the customer who filmed the episode was obviously being obnoxious on purpose and trying to start something. His capturing of the event on his phone made that apparent. I was angry that the security officer did not have a better response to the “customer” and the manager who was called over was less helpful. By the end of the two or three minute clip I wanted to snatch that phone and break it. When the store manager decided to just let the obnoxious customer just leave the video recording continued and the manager and security officer asked him to stop and he wouldn’t. I could not tell if there was a Sensormatic security system in use in this store but if there was I would have liked to see what would have happened if the alarm had sounded.
During my tenure as a Loss Prevention Manager I came across similar situations and empathize with the Security Officer. There is no clear-cut right or wrong answer to this problem. I have looked at number of websites with lawyers giving advice to “legal” websites. The interesting thing is on one website with several lawyers giving their input some say a store has a right to briefly detain those suspected of shoplifting and recommend you stop and show a receipt. They argue it helps keep prices lower for everyone. Others say you are not required to stop and that they keep walking. Others give a short response saying that if you are offended don’t shop there anymore. One response did say that stopping for a receipt check is a requirement of membership for club type stores like Costco. There are even testy debates on websites about whether you are required to stop for a Sensormatic security system or similar alarm activation. Does this qualify as grounds for reasonable detainment?
To be perfectly frank the issue is there is no federal guideline. Each state has their own laws governing ”Shopkeeper’s Privilege” and what is a reasonable detainment. Anti-shoplifting laws are not universal and therefore as a store owner it is incumbent on you to be familiar with the laws of your own state. This brings up the question of whether it makes sense to even have a person at the door to help prevent shoplifting or a Sensormatic system to discourage thieves?
I believe it is in the best interest of stores to have an anti-shoplifting system in place. This is no different than having closed circuit television cameras, camera domes and monitors in a store. They do help deter impulse thieves. These are the people who come in and without a lot of forethought decide to steal as a thrill or on a dare or even peer-pressure. A Sensormatic security system with towers at the doors and merchandise with security tags is usually enough to make these people change their mind about stealing. Even some of the shoplifters who are stealing for drugs are stopped when they realize a security system is in use. The only ones who may not be deterred are the hardcore criminals or organized crime groups who you may not want to be dealing with anyways other than through customer service.
What about a receipt checker at the door? Most people are going to be cooperative and willing to show a receipt. There are some who are going to refuse. I can only suggest that if you are going to have someone at the door you have a consistent policy of only asking for a receipt on exposed merchandise (meaning merchandise not in a bag from your store). You also need to ensure if employees are responding to a Sensormatic security system alarm that your employees are trained on how to do so properly. Never accuse someone of shoplifting simply because an alarm sounds. It could be a cashier failed to remove a clothing security tag from a shirt or jeans. The great thing is if you aren’t sure your employees are trained properly on alarm response or you don’t have a Sensormatic system, Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. offers training and if you purchase an anti-shoplifting system from them you get FREE training to go along with it.
There is no easy answer to the problem of receipt checks. Hopefully I have given you a few helpful tips on how to try to resolve the issue. It is important to keep in mind that most honest shoppers will be willing to show receipts in order to help stop shoplifting and keep prices low.
A Sensormatic security system is important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.
Retail Traffic Counting-3 wc blog 844
Door Counting Sensor-4
Cure Lengthy Checkout Lines Using Retail Traffic Counting Devices
How many times when I am standing in a long line to check out in a retail store do I wish I had a personal retail traffic counting device. I want to know how many people are in front of me and why there are other lines that are just as long with a minimum number of cashiers working. Oh it is really easy to dismiss it as a fluke and I just happened to get in at the wrong time but when it happens over and over again it isn’t a fluke. It is poor staffing and scheduling by some scheduling manager or it may be the result of an automated scheduling system. The worse-case scenario in my mind is someone creating a cashier schedule with no concept of customer traffic patterns. It is those situations when a door counting sensor would be a help.
Consider the difference it would make if a store was basing scheduling not off of an equal allocation of budget dollars for each day of the week but rather on the flow of customer traffic. Is 4:00pm on a Monday afternoon in the winter the same as 4:00pm on a Monday in the summer? Living in a tourist town I can say for certain it is not. Customer traffic is much different here based on seasonal activity and by the days of the week. Saturday at 1:00pm for a store can look nothing like 1:00pm on a Tuesday. If you don’t believe me try strolling through your local mall on those days and see what I mean. The same holds true for your own store. Your traffic patterns are not going to be the same every day. If you are scheduling your team as though the days are all the same you are probably hurting sales and losing more merchandise to shoplifters. The fix is easy and only requires a retail traffic counting device be attached to your Sensormatic security system.
A door counting sensor will enable store owners to see how many people are entering the store and at what time of the day/night they are coming in. Schedules can be created around those hours. Now, think about me standing in that long line at the local big box store. There are too few cashiers for the number of patrons because of some scheduling screw-up. Using retail traffic counting managers can begin evaluating the shopping patterns of clientele. Open the doors at 8:00am and you may only need a single cashier until 10:00am. You may have had two cashiers in the past but numbers show that only one is necessary. Perhaps you choose to put that two hours of payroll into your 5:00pm-7:00pm shift. Maybe you add it to your Saturday at 1:00pm when you have more customers. Wait lines go down and shoppers are happier. Happier customers are willing to return and spend money.
Lest I neglect to mention it the use of a door counting sensor can also help in decreasing theft in a store as well as cut down checkout wait times. If shortage due to theft is believed to be a concern it could be because shoplifters are taking advantage of the busy times of the day. If the store does not have adequate coverage on the salesfloor during peak hours crooks will find it much easier to steal from a business. Using the data from a door counting sensor managers can better spread the salesfloor coverage around to impact those busier days and hours. That translates to improved customer service reducing opportunities to steal while enhancing the opportunities to increase sales through suggestive selling and add-on sales.
Retail traffic counting can have a tremendous impact on a store. When used properly it can enhance the customer service satisfaction of your patrons by helping to allocate payroll dollars to the times when you have more shoppers in the store. When used with a Sensormatic security system camera it can help in tracking electronic article surveillance alarm activity and employee response to those alarms. It can also assist in improving salesfloor staffing to ensure shoplifters are deterred through better customer service. That will drive up sales and decrease theft and who can argue with that?
Door counting sensors are important and we can help you with them. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.
How many times when I am standing in a long line to check out in a retail store do I wish I had a personal retail traffic counting device. I want to know how many people are in front of me and why there are other lines that are just as long with a minimum number of cashiers working. Oh it is really easy to dismiss it as a fluke and I just happened to get in at the wrong time but when it happens over and over again it isn’t a fluke. It is poor staffing and scheduling by some scheduling manager or it may be the result of an automated scheduling system. The worse-case scenario in my mind is someone creating a cashier schedule with no concept of customer traffic patterns. It is those situations when a door counting sensor would be a help.
Consider the difference it would make if a store was basing scheduling not off of an equal allocation of budget dollars for each day of the week but rather on the flow of customer traffic. Is 4:00pm on a Monday afternoon in the winter the same as 4:00pm on a Monday in the summer? Living in a tourist town I can say for certain it is not. Customer traffic is much different here based on seasonal activity and by the days of the week. Saturday at 1:00pm for a store can look nothing like 1:00pm on a Tuesday. If you don’t believe me try strolling through your local mall on those days and see what I mean. The same holds true for your own store. Your traffic patterns are not going to be the same every day. If you are scheduling your team as though the days are all the same you are probably hurting sales and losing more merchandise to shoplifters. The fix is easy and only requires a retail traffic counting device be attached to your Sensormatic security system.
A door counting sensor will enable store owners to see how many people are entering the store and at what time of the day/night they are coming in. Schedules can be created around those hours. Now, think about me standing in that long line at the local big box store. There are too few cashiers for the number of patrons because of some scheduling screw-up. Using retail traffic counting managers can begin evaluating the shopping patterns of clientele. Open the doors at 8:00am and you may only need a single cashier until 10:00am. You may have had two cashiers in the past but numbers show that only one is necessary. Perhaps you choose to put that two hours of payroll into your 5:00pm-7:00pm shift. Maybe you add it to your Saturday at 1:00pm when you have more customers. Wait lines go down and shoppers are happier. Happier customers are willing to return and spend money.
Lest I neglect to mention it the use of a door counting sensor can also help in decreasing theft in a store as well as cut down checkout wait times. If shortage due to theft is believed to be a concern it could be because shoplifters are taking advantage of the busy times of the day. If the store does not have adequate coverage on the salesfloor during peak hours crooks will find it much easier to steal from a business. Using the data from a door counting sensor managers can better spread the salesfloor coverage around to impact those busier days and hours. That translates to improved customer service reducing opportunities to steal while enhancing the opportunities to increase sales through suggestive selling and add-on sales.
Retail traffic counting can have a tremendous impact on a store. When used properly it can enhance the customer service satisfaction of your patrons by helping to allocate payroll dollars to the times when you have more shoppers in the store. When used with a Sensormatic security system camera it can help in tracking electronic article surveillance alarm activity and employee response to those alarms. It can also assist in improving salesfloor staffing to ensure shoplifters are deterred through better customer service. That will drive up sales and decrease theft and who can argue with that?
Door counting sensors are important and we can help you with them. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.
Sensormatic Security System – 4 WC Blog 827
Stop Shoplifting – 3
My Favorite Cases When I Would Stop Shoplifting – Part 3
This is part three and the final segment on my favorite cases from when I would stop shoplifting. As a Retail Loss Prevention Officer or Manager we encounter many scary, funny and odd cases. In this installment I want to share my scariest shoplifting moments and remind readers why care must be taken when you stop shoplifters.
7. The department store where I started out my career did not use a Sensormatic security system but we did use a similar anti-theft system. Some but not all of our clothing products were tagged to prevent theft. In this particular incident a female shoplifter stuffed a purse full of clothing and started to exit the building and the alarm sounded. I stopped her and she ran back in the store threw the merchandise all over the place then ran back out. I chased her but she was very overweight and ran out of energy so she stopped, put her hand in her purse and told me I had better leave her alone. The implication was clear she was suggesting she had a gun or weapon in her purse. The police arrived a minute or two later. She was arrested and charged with shoplifting. I was a bit shocked when I learned that she had a lengthy arrest record that included an “Involuntary Manslaughter” charge. Yes, I did stop shoplifting and probably helped put a dangerous person in jail but it did give me pause to think the next time I watched a suspect.
8. I remember my first shoplifting case with my second company. I was in training at another store in a metro market. The Loss Prevention Officers followed a pair of suspects out of the store who had loaded an outdoor trash canister with multipliers and knives. The Sensormatic security system alarmed as the suspects walked through the towers. I happened to be outside when the alarm activated. Though I had a number of years of experience I stayed back a bit in a support role and monitored the team as they made the stop. One of the suspects quickly put his hand in his jacket pocket and pepper sprayed but not the Loss Prevention Officers who stopped him, he got ME! I had experienced CS gas in the military so this was not unbearable and I chased him but he sprayed me two more times and I could not see any more. I had to hide between several parked cars to ensure I did not get run over. Someone got the suspect’s license plate number and a year later I was subpoenaed to his hearing. It turned out he had a laundry list of prior convictions for all sorts of crimes.
9. This is not the most memorable case but it is near the top of my dangerous shoplifting cases and certainly in my personal top 9 or 10 list. In this case a thief had been in the store early in the day and I suspected stole a purse and activated the Sensormatic security system towers but I could not make a stop. I had not seen the selection. Later that night the suspect returned and did the same thing but this time I was ready. I stopped him and he returned to the store but after a brief struggle with me pulled out of his coat. I grabbed our purse and one he carried into the store. I lost him in a foot chase but when I returned to the store I had a surprise. I had tossed the purses to a manager and when I looked in his I found his prison release identification card but more concerning was a butcher knife he had hidden in it! The suspect was later picked up on another charge and the outstanding shoplifting warrant.
10. This is short but it tops the most dangerous shoplifter cases I encountered. I had a guy I observed stealing from our store. I followed all of the steps required to apprehend a shoplifter and as he approached the exit doors I identified myself and told him he needed to come back in and talk to me about the item he had taken. The suspect lifted the front of his t-shirt and exposed the handle of a handgun. I backed away to disengage and went back in the store to call the police. No apprehension and no recovery but I walked away intact.
Not every shoplifter is dangerous and with common sense, a Sensormatic security system and training on how to stop shoplifting offered by Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. you will reduce your exposure to theft and fraud. That means you increase profits while keeping you and your employees safe.
Get more information on how to stop shoplifting, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
This is part three and the final segment on my favorite cases from when I would stop shoplifting. As a Retail Loss Prevention Officer or Manager we encounter many scary, funny and odd cases. In this installment I want to share my scariest shoplifting moments and remind readers why care must be taken when you stop shoplifters.
7. The department store where I started out my career did not use a Sensormatic security system but we did use a similar anti-theft system. Some but not all of our clothing products were tagged to prevent theft. In this particular incident a female shoplifter stuffed a purse full of clothing and started to exit the building and the alarm sounded. I stopped her and she ran back in the store threw the merchandise all over the place then ran back out. I chased her but she was very overweight and ran out of energy so she stopped, put her hand in her purse and told me I had better leave her alone. The implication was clear she was suggesting she had a gun or weapon in her purse. The police arrived a minute or two later. She was arrested and charged with shoplifting. I was a bit shocked when I learned that she had a lengthy arrest record that included an “Involuntary Manslaughter” charge. Yes, I did stop shoplifting and probably helped put a dangerous person in jail but it did give me pause to think the next time I watched a suspect.
8. I remember my first shoplifting case with my second company. I was in training at another store in a metro market. The Loss Prevention Officers followed a pair of suspects out of the store who had loaded an outdoor trash canister with multipliers and knives. The Sensormatic security system alarmed as the suspects walked through the towers. I happened to be outside when the alarm activated. Though I had a number of years of experience I stayed back a bit in a support role and monitored the team as they made the stop. One of the suspects quickly put his hand in his jacket pocket and pepper sprayed but not the Loss Prevention Officers who stopped him, he got ME! I had experienced CS gas in the military so this was not unbearable and I chased him but he sprayed me two more times and I could not see any more. I had to hide between several parked cars to ensure I did not get run over. Someone got the suspect’s license plate number and a year later I was subpoenaed to his hearing. It turned out he had a laundry list of prior convictions for all sorts of crimes.
9. This is not the most memorable case but it is near the top of my dangerous shoplifting cases and certainly in my personal top 9 or 10 list. In this case a thief had been in the store early in the day and I suspected stole a purse and activated the Sensormatic security system towers but I could not make a stop. I had not seen the selection. Later that night the suspect returned and did the same thing but this time I was ready. I stopped him and he returned to the store but after a brief struggle with me pulled out of his coat. I grabbed our purse and one he carried into the store. I lost him in a foot chase but when I returned to the store I had a surprise. I had tossed the purses to a manager and when I looked in his I found his prison release identification card but more concerning was a butcher knife he had hidden in it! The suspect was later picked up on another charge and the outstanding shoplifting warrant.
10. This is short but it tops the most dangerous shoplifter cases I encountered. I had a guy I observed stealing from our store. I followed all of the steps required to apprehend a shoplifter and as he approached the exit doors I identified myself and told him he needed to come back in and talk to me about the item he had taken. The suspect lifted the front of his t-shirt and exposed the handle of a handgun. I backed away to disengage and went back in the store to call the police. No apprehension and no recovery but I walked away intact.
Not every shoplifter is dangerous and with common sense, a Sensormatic security system and training on how to stop shoplifting offered by Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. you will reduce your exposure to theft and fraud. That means you increase profits while keeping you and your employees safe.
Get more information on how to stop shoplifting, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
