The Nightmare of a Loss Prevention Investigator

February 3, 2011 by

Imagine for a moment that you’re a loss prevention investigator working in a department store. You see, via CCTV, a young lady walk into the jewelry department. She begins asking to see a number of different necklaces from one of the newer jewelry associates. The associate pulls several pieces out of the case and allows the young lady to try on each of them. They become engrossed in a conversation, at which time you see the young lady slide one of the necklaces off of the display case and down the front of her jeans. Open and shut case, right? Only when you stop the young lady and bring her back to the office the necklace is nowhere to be found.

This very thing happened to a loss prevention investigator that worked for me, and by the time she called me, and I got to the office she was sweating bullets! She explained to me that she had followed all of the steps to making an apprehension and was positive that the young lady had concealed the necklace down the front of her pants. She had maintained continuous surveillance and knew for certain that the young lady had not discarded the merchandise somewhere else before exiting the store. However, the fact still remained that she could not find the stolen merchandise.

In this case I reviewed the CCTV footage, trusted that what the loss prevention investigator said was accurate and contacted the local police. A female officer showed up several minutes later and took the young lady to the restroom. She returned several minutes later with the necklace. In the interest of decency we’ll just say that the young lady had managed to conceal the merchandise in the “holiest of holies”. Never underestimate the ingenuity of a crook. Situations like this are all in a day’s work for a loss prevention investigator.

For more information contact us at Loss Prevention Investigator or call 1.770.426.0547 – Atlanta Georgia

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The retailer guide on how to prevent shoplifting

February 3, 2011 by Leave a Comment

As a retail loss prevention professional, one of my goals is to prevent shoplifting .

Working in stores as a loss prevention agent has really opened my eyes the needs and benefits of each individual location. What I can safely say, is that no two locations are similar. While one store location may suffer from intense shoplifting, another just a few miles away may see very minimal amounts.
Creating an action plan to prevent shoplifting will and does require some sit down and thinking time. What and how do you wanna go about it? Well, look at the business that you have. Do you want or need an obvious deterrent, similar to a security guard, uniformed, and standing at the front of your store? Or do you need or want a more discreet measure?

I had a store location in an upscale part of town, selling general merchandise. The area simply would not allow a uniformed security guard at the front of the store. What I mean by wouldn’t allow, is that the neighborhood would not shop a store with a guard standing inside. This would automatically be looked at as a negative. However, going to another store I had not 1.5 miles away, the public and employees requested uniformed guard presence to help prevent shoplifting. However, understanding that this store needed more of a discreet program.

I encourage senior management to go with the undercover agent program to catch shoplifters and prevent shoplifting. To this day, the program is effective and although there is no fool-proof way to prevent shoplifting, the store certainly has seen a dramatic decrease in the number of incidents.

Don’t forget to consider your neighborhood/clientele and the needs of the business when developing your action plans to boost profits through a proactive loss prevention environment.

For more information, visit us at prevent shoplifting or call us at 1.770.426.0547

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Retail Shrinkage – Atlanta Georgia

February 3, 2011 by Leave a Comment

 When it is your job to combat shoplifting and retail shrinkage you must stay forever vigilant. There are a number of people in this world that will use any opportunity to relieve you of your hard earned goods. Not long ago a friend and colleague of mine was working in a department store when one of the associates, a kind elderly lady, began complaining of severe pains throughout her body. Several of the managers, a few other associates and my friend went out to help. They made her comfortable and called 911. The paramedics arrived within minutes and quickly took the elderly woman to the nearest hospital.

 Upon returning to his office my friend noticed, via CCTV, a huge mess on the sales floor. He reviewed the footage and found that while he had been helping the elderly associate a group of shoppers (who apparently recognized him) figured that while he was on the floor that nobody was minding the store. They were correct. They grabbed handfuls of clothing and merchandise and simply walked out of one of the side exits. Everyone had been so preoccupied that they never noticed the group of thieves. Retail shrinkage isn’t always caused by premeditated acts, sometimes they are simply crimes of opportunity.

 That being said, I’ve heard of criminals who will work in groups. One will have an accident, or in some way cause a commotion, while the other robs the place blind. You can never be too careful. Even in times of stress or chaos it is important to always be mindful of the possibilities and construct a plan to combat retail shrinkage in any and all situations.

For more information contact us at Retail Shrinkage or call 1.770.426.0547 – Atlanta Georgia

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Checkpoint Security Systems & Alpha High Theft Solutions New Ink Tag

February 2, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Alpha High Theft Solutions a division of Checkpoint Security Systems has released a new ink tag. This tag takes ink tag protection to a new level. The tag is robust in its construction. It will stand up to the day-to-day abuse that employees and shoppers alike will give it. It will clearly stop shoplifting of the items it is placed on.

The red and yellow ink glass vials are encased inside a solid round frame that allows the vials to be clearly seen. The ink tag is round and two inches in diameter. The ink tag itself is ¾ inch tall.

The locking pin is also two inches across and fits very well to the back of the ink tag. The clamshell design makes it very difficult to pry the two pieces apart. The pin back is clear plastic and very solid in design.

The reusable ink tag and pin is available in three clutch strengths: S3, Standard and Super Lock.  This provides for different levels of security and merchandising flexibility.  The ink tags are available in RF (beige color) and AM (gray color) formats. The EAS detection such as Checkpoint Security Systems 8.2 is built right into the ink tag. This eliminates the need for a hard tag, saving money.

The appropriate customer warnings are printed directly on the tag and will not wear off with repeated use.

These new Alpha High Theft Solutions ink tags should be used on clothing, some accessories, hats, leather or any other apparel. Stop shoplifting in your storesnow!

For more information about Alpha High Theft Solutions or checkpoint labels or checkpoint security tags or checkpoint security systems or retail anti theft devices or retail theft prevention or anti shoplifting contact us at stop shoplifting . You can also visit our On-Line Store or call 1.770.426.0547

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Using Credit Background Checks for Employment Purposes

February 2, 2011 by

Using Credit Background Checks for Employment Purposes

Employers using a credit check as part of background checks for new employees should be made aware of potential developments in Washington over its use.

There has been much scrutiny by the EEOC over the use of credit reports being used in making hiring decisions by employers.  Employers can expect to see closer attention paid to the question of “disparate impact” that cause certain groups to be excluded from employment because of the information contained in the report.

Most employers use the information in credit background checks as part of the overall pre employment screening process, and never rely solely on the credit history, although the EEOC does not seem convinced of that.

To ensure compliance, the following non-legal advice is offered regarding the use of credit reports for employment purposes:

· Review employment applications to be certain information requested is compliant
· Review background screening policies for your business for fairness
· Review positions requiring credit background checks and narrow if necessary
· Request a credit report only after a conditional offer of employment is made
· Discuss concerns with the applicant beforehand
· Ensure compliance with all state regulations, which may be more restrictive than those regulated by the FCRA

The Equal Opportunity for All Act, which severely restricts the use of credit reports in pre employment background checks, has been reintroduced in the new Congress as HB 321.

All information contained in this blog is informational/opinion only and should not be construed as legal advice.  If you need legal advice, consult a qualified attorney.

For information on background checks, call 770-426-0547 or click here: Pre Employment Screening

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New Clothing Security Tags – Alpha High Theft Solutions & More

February 2, 2011 by

Clothing security tags are a great invention and can be of even greater use in your attempts to reduce overall shrink in your stores. However, for years most of us knew that they could really only be trusted to deter the novice or amateur shoplifter because there were numerous ways to defeat them. Now, what I’m telling you isn’t information found in some super-secret thief handbook that can only be found next to the Holy Grail and big foot’s toenail clippings. No, it’s available online for anyone interested and there are even tutorials on how to disarm clothing security tags.

There was a time when all a seasoned thief needed was a roll of masking tape and a pair of needle-nosed pliers to defeat an EAS or ink tag. However, like those of the dinosaur and your old Barry Manilow record collection, those days are gone. Over the years the shoplifters have gotten smarter, so Alpha High Theft Solutions did the same and rolled out their S3 hard tags. Now when your not-so-friendly neighborhood shoplifter goes to work with his trusty pair of pliers, the alarm on the merchandise sounds, alerting anyone within earshot that a thief is present.

As you can imagine, this is the last thing a thief wants to hear. However, as a loss prevention professional it’s music to my ears. The S3 hard tags also sound when the merchandise leaves the store or when your more brazen thieves try to run out of the store with a handful of merchandise. You should never underestimate the ingenuity or the desperation of the criminal mind. Stay one step ahead of them by using clothing security tags on your high-risk merchandise.

For more information about Alpha High Theft Solutions , clothing alarm , clothing security or security tags on clothes contact us for clothing security tags or call 1.770.426.0547

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Clothing Security

February 1, 2011 by

In the great big world of loss prevention we sometimes overlook the importance of clothing security . Let’s be honest, if it can be sold there is undoubtedly going to be someone who will want to steal it. They will jump through flaming hoops and concoct any imaginable scheme to get away with your goods. So let’s get back to basics; let’s make the merchandise unattractive to the criminals. Now, I’m not talking about filling your racks with leisure suits and polyester shirts with butterfly collars. I’m talking about properly protecting your items with ink tags, hard tags, lanyards, cable locks and anything else that will make a thief’s job more difficult.

Always remember, thieves are lazy. If they weren’t then they’d have good paying jobs and be able to buy the things that they want rather than searching for that “five finger discount”. This laziness causes them to always take the path of least resistance. In other words, why would they go through the trouble of having to attempt to disable ink tags and security tags on clothes or snip wires when they can simply go down the street to another retailer who doesn’t take clothing security quite as seriously?

Studies show that the average American family spends nearly $29,000 a year on clothing. The demand is astounding. The shoplifter’s demand mirrors that of the average person. Therefore, if you’re a supplier it simply makes sense to take every precaution to ensure that your product stays on the shelf long enough to be sold legitimately to the honest, hard-working people in our society. No question about it, if you’re a clothing retailer then clothing security should be high on your list of priorities. After all, security tags on clothes will keep your hard earned money on the your bottom line!

For more information about clothing security tags , security tags on clothes or a clothing alarm contact us at Clothing Security or call 1.770.426.0547

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The Perception of A Loss Prevention Investigator

February 1, 2011 by

The Perception of A Loss Prevention Investigator – Atlanta GA

The role of a Loss Prevention Investigator, particularly in the retail business, is not always “catching the bad guy”’, although that sometimes happens.  It is frequently closely related to that of a systems auditor.  The investigator will closely examine loss prevention systems, policies, and procedures, conduct cash audits, perform spot inventory counts, and generally try to identify and report any areas that might need improvement to stop inventory shortages.

Occasionally, employee misconduct is discovered, and this generally where the perception of a loss prevention investigator as a “bad guy” begins.

This is when the loss prevention agent begins to develop a strategy to determine who is involved, how much was lost, and how was it done.  Then, to put together a case to alleviate the problem, either termination and/or prosecution of the offending employee.  And to design ways to prevent internal theft from re-occurring in the future.

Employees are naturally suspicious of anyone who looks at their daily jobs through a magnifying glass, which is exactly what a loss prevention agent will do.  Sometimes there is resentment, and remarks are made by the employees who say, “What’s the matter, doesn’t management trust us?”  Although it is a simple operations audit, there is the fear that they are doing something wrong.

The successful loss prevention investigator will build some rapport with the employees, managers, and subjects of the audit, but must remain fair and objective as he performs his duties. 

The goal of the Loss Prevention Investigator is to become a business partner, contributing to the growth and profitability of the company that employs him.

How can a Loss Prevention Investigator help your business?  Call 770-426-0547 or click Loss Prevention Agent for a consultation. Atlanta GA

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Security and the benefits of loss prevention – Atlanta Georgia

February 1, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Security and loss prevention have really become a partnership. In the past, loss prevention was more a security guard agency that helped control inventory shrinkage and prevent retail theft by providing an obvious and conspicuous presence.

Both security and loss prevention offer benefits to the retailer which may be experiencing a large amount of inventory shrinkage.

As an example, I had a store in a downtown, low income area which had been experiencing poor inventory results, lots of shoplifting and low employee morale. We had a loss prevention agent working the store, but because the shoplifting and other activities were so rampant, the loss prevention agent could not catch everyone or fix every issue. They needed help, they needed a new strategy. We looked at what else we could provide this store to help prevent shoplifting. Well, we knew the loss prevention agent was apprehending 3 to 5 customers a day for shoplifting. We also knew that for every shoplifter he stopped, even more got away. Employees working the store were overwhelmed with customer service and when witness to the shoplifters that got away; they felt as if the company didn’t care.

Our solution… provide the store with a uniformed security guard from open to close. Write post orders that both security and loss prevention could agree on. Now that security was uniformed and placed at the front of the store, he could help record activity and prevent retail theft by greeting customers as they enter and exit the store. Security was available to check out employee purchases as they were leaving the building, additionally, security and loss prevention worked to reduce inventory shrinkage and prevent shoplifting.

If your store is experiencing inventory shrinkage, or you are looking for better ways to prevent shoplifting and prevent retail theft, look into the benefits of security and loss prevention.

For more information about loss prevention security or retail loss prevention contact us at security and loss prevention or call 1.770.426.0547 – Atlanta Georgia

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Helping to Prevent Shoplifting in Atlanta GA

February 1, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Helping to Prevent Shoplifting in Atlanta GA

Storeowners and retail managers continue to search for foolproof ways to prevent shoplifting.  The only foolproof method is to lock merchandise in a vault and escort customers in one at a time accompanied by an armed guard or two.  Even then, there’s a possibility that some sticky fingered thief will get away with something.  For sure, sales would suffer.

Prevention begins with the display type and location.  High theft/high value items may be kept in a locking cabinet and taken out at a customer’s request.  Display merchandise to reduce hidden areas and don’t hide merchandise behind displays or around corners where it is difficult to monitor by sales people or cashiers.

Being instructed on how to prevent shoplifting should be part of each new employee’s orientation process, and the subject of ongoing training for everyone.  Shoplifting awareness is an undervalued but important prevention measure.

Excellent customer service by the staff to each visitor will also cause a shoplifter to feel self-conscious as if he was being watched, and deter the crime of shoplifting in many cases.

Some anti shoplifting programs call for the use of visible deterrents like convex mirrors and exposed or hidden cameras.  These have their uses, but are really not a barrier to a determined shoplifter.

Still other retailers depend on retail anti theft devices.  Benefit deniers (ink tags), EAS systems like those made by Checkpoint Security Systems including Checkpoint labels and Checkpoint tags, or some other type of local alarm.

Depending on several factors, each location should develop and use any or all methods necessary to prevent shoplifting and save profits.

Get help with your anti shoplifting program.  Call 770-426-0547 or click here:  Prevent Shoplifting – Atlanta GA.  Please visit our Online Store.

 

 

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