Prevent shoplifting: Anticipate the theft before it occurs

December 30, 2010 by Leave a Comment

I can be anyone – someone like your kids, your mother, or your neighbor.  I am a shoplifter but I don’t have a certain description, and I don’t wear a name tag that says “shoplifter.”  How are you able to identify me – before I steal your merchandise?

Businesses that successfully prevent shoplifting within their stores have sound loss prevention measures in place.  A business owner cannot take for granted that his or her customers will not steal.  As much as we’d like to trust our fellow man…our business loss prevention sense has to prevail in order to have the most profitable business possible.  Low shrinkage and high profitability is the goal – not enabling shoplifters by being an easy target.

One way to prevent shoplifting is to recognize the signs that a customer that may be thinking of shoplifting. Then react appropriately to prevent the crime from occurring.  Train your employees to watch how customers act.  A person that is considering shoplifting will be looking around, watching the employees.  He or she will probably find a secluded area with few employees or other customers. And the shoplifter may have a means to leave the business with the merchandise, be it in her purse, under his jacket, or another means of concealment. 

Another best practice to prevent shoplifting is to provide excellent customer service, aggressively, to those who may be acting suspiciously.  Attention is not what the shoplifter is looking for in your store.

You can also prevent shoplifting by keeping your employees informed.  When you keep good records of your inventory, you can recognize what items are being stolen most often.  Let your employees know which items are considered high theft in your business, so that they can pay extra attention to that area of your store.  Additionally, if your employees know that you recognize quickly what items are being stolen, the employees themselves may think twice before stealing from you, their employer.

For more information contact us: prevent shoplifting or call 1.770.426.256.

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Signals that indicate internal theft – Part 8 – Atlanta Georgia

December 30, 2010 by Leave a Comment

Signals that indicate employee theft or internal theft of goods or money

  • Purchase orders, usually with round figures, which in contrast to the majority of the purchases are normally odd numbers.
  • Over the counter sales often, against the rules, made against cash receipts so that because of the lack of a customer’s name or specification, cannot be properly checked.
  • The sale of surplus company goods, damaged product, old metal, pallets and rejects by one employee without any records kept.
  • Income from repairs kept out of the books because of the relationship with the client or for ease: “Just give me  …..”
  • Exchanged articles insufficiently administered and possibly used for the system ‘two old ones make one new one’. The income is divided between the employees concerned.
  • Self-loading by clients or external drivers without checking.
  • Unauthorized deliveries by company or external drivers.
  • Unwarranted high cash balances.
  • Lack of daily balance of till or safe.

Keep in mind that these signals of internal theft may be present in one or more employees. Employees may be stealing in collusion with each other or on their own. We have investigated companies where many employees were stealing and each had their own little kingdom. They knew others were stealing but they stayed out of each others business of employee theft .

Employee theft is a situation that every business is susceptible to.
Watch for more parts to come in future blogs!

For more information about internal theft or employee theft contact us at employee theft investigation or call 1.770.426.0547 – Atlanta Georgia

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The Criminal Background Check and Expungement – Atlanta

December 29, 2010 by

The Criminal Background Check and Expungement

Because of the current national employment situation, more and more jobseekers are attempting to clear any derogatory information from their past so that previous arrests or convictions will not show up on a criminal background check.

The process of sealing, blocking, or erasing a criminal record is called expungement, and all states have a way to exclude minor crimes from being reported to anyone but law enforcement and some government agencies.  The conditions of expungement vary from state to state, but most have some sort of youthful offender program, or first offender program, or some other means of delaying judgment in a criminal case, and possibly avoiding the stigma of a criminal conviction.  Usually some terms must be met by the defendant, such as completing a probationary period, before the case “goes away.”  In many situations the defendant must file a petition with the court in order to change the disposition from “first offender” to “dismissed.”

A criminal case that originally received a conviction may be sealed or expunged by petition if it was minor in nature and a sufficient length of time has passed with no further instances evident.  Convictions for felony crimes, however, are usually there to stay.

There is a problem that happens when a person applying for a job is under the impression that a crime he for which he was convicted has been expunged, but the arrest still shows up on a criminal background check.

This can happen in several different ways.  The case may show as “dismissed”, but the arrest still shows on the record.  This will continue to be reported this way for seven years, unless it is truly expunged.

Commercial database searches marketed as a criminal background check may show an expunged record long after it should have been removed, because although the record automatically gets onto the database, it has to be manually removed, and only when it brought to the attention of the database operator.

Employers should treat the criminal background check as a part of the overall assessment of a candidate’s suitability for a particular job.

Questions about a criminal background check for your business?  Call 770-426-0547, or click here.

Disclaimer:  We are not attorneys and nothing in this blog should be considered legal advice.  If you need legal advice, consult an attorney.

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A Retail Theft Prevention Program, Have One?

December 28, 2010 by Leave a Comment

I have a buddy that is a fellow loss prevention professional. He is responsible for his companies retail theft prevention program. His stores sell cellular telephones, accessories and service. He mentioned that their shoplifting is way up. I asked him how they are combating these losses and he said that they are trying to improve customer service skills but little else is planned.

A great anti shoplifting retail theft prevention program must clearly emphasize customer service skills. We know that shoplifters hate any attention. The more they get the more frustrated they become. They leave your store and go to your competitor who is not prepared.

The problem is that good or even great customer service skills alone are not the complete answer. What do you do when the customer to employee ratio is so high that it overwhelms your staff? This is not just during holidays. Payroll is one of our biggest expenses. So we try to keep staffing down to the lowest level we can. Especially now during rough economic times. When this happens it is a boom for shoplifters.

The answer is to send a message to shoplifters with a stop shoplifting program that will send them down the street to unprotected competitors store. This message is delivered with a program that includes Strong customer service skills, a no exception arrest policy, solid employee training and a checkpoint security system .

If you do not jail all shoplifters that word will get around. Shoplifters talk to each other just like you and your friends do. You will become the store of choice for shoplifters. They know they will go to jail they will go elsewhere. You cannot expect to stop shoplifting with out this policy.

A checkpoint security system protects your merchandise 24/7. It does not take a vacation. checkpoint labels or checkpoint tags are placed on your merchandise. When the shoplifting scum of the world attempts to steal they are caught. The deterrent alone will send most shoplifters away. Checkpoint tags are placed on clothing and soft goods. Checkpoint labels are paper thin and placed on any other merchandise from CD’s to power tools to grocery items.

An anti shoplifting retail theft prevention program requires a strong commitment and attitude. Do you have it?

For more information about checkpoint security system or checkpoint labels or checkpoint tags or retail theft prevention  or retail anti theft devices or anti shoplifting contact us at stop shoplifting or call 1.770.426.0547

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Tips to Prevent Employee Theft – Atlanta Georgia

December 28, 2010 by Leave a Comment

One of the biggest threats to the success of any small business is employee theft . Small businesses rarely have the resources to devote to preventing theft and therefore suffer disproportionately when it happens to them. Luckily, there are a few tips that any small business can follow which don’t cost any money but can end up saving a company a great deal in the long run. The first thing you want to do is to create a positive work environment. This encourages employees to follow established policies and procedures, and act in the best interests of the organization. Written job descriptions, clear organizational structure, comprehensive policies and procedures and employee recognition programs will all help reduce the likelihood of employee theft .

Next, implement internal controls; these can ensure the effectiveness of operations, compliance with laws and regulations, safeguarding of assets, and accurate financial reporting. Separate the duties; no employee should be responsible for both recording and processing a transaction. It simply gives one individual too much power. Access to physical and financial assets and information, as well as accounting systems, should be restricted to authorized employees only. Develop policies to determine how financial transactions are initiated, authorized, recorded, and reviewed. These internal controls will reduce opportunity for employee theft.

Lastly, take the extra steps necessary to ensure that you’re hiring honest people. Sure, the best of us can always be fooled by a good con man, but by simply making potential employees submit to a pre employment background screening you can greatly reduce your chances of working with that con man in the first place. Check their criminal history for crimes involving violence, theft or fraud; their civil history for any lawsuits, collections or restraining orders, and their employment verification to ensure that they’re qualified to do the job you’re hiring them to do. Follow these simple tips and you’ll make great strides to preventing employee theft .

For more information about internal theft or employee theft investigation contact us at employee theft or call 1.770.426.0547 – Atlanta Georgia

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Quality Pre Employment Screening Means Quality Employees

December 27, 2010 by

Quality Pre Employment Screening Means Quality Employees

Every business wants the very best employees available to fill open positions, a result that is helped along by a quality pre employment screening program.  A quality program is designed both to reduce risk to the employer by eliminating unsuitable candidates as well as help in making decisions among two or more suitable applicants.

Each company has its own “system” of pre employment screening, whether it’s a written developed policy or the result of trial and error over time.

Typically, there are many more applicants than there are positions to fill, resulting in a broad range of applicants, from those who are under qualified and stretching their accomplishments and abilities to the over qualified who may be taking the position until something better comes along.

The pre employment screening policies used by hiring companies is designed to streamline the process of making the best decision.

The depth of the process should be job specific.  Positions with higher responsibility should face higher scrutiny, since a hiring mistake can typically be more costly.  The elements of the program can be done incrementally as well, depending on the job.  In hiring a driver, for instance the employer might opt to check the driving record of a candidate, then based on those results, either eliminate the candidate, or conduct a criminal background check on those that successfully pass the driving record hurdle.  Other searches like credit reports, references, employment checks, and education verification can be added if needed or omitted.  Although this method may reduce costs somewhat, it will also tend to drag out the time it takes to get a complete snapshot of the applicant.

The final result of pre employment screening, including interviewing, drug testing, and those items mentioned above all are directed at securing the most qualified quality candidate to help the company prosper.

To have your pre employment questions answered, call 770-426-0547 or click here.

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The facts about retail loss – Atlanta Georgia

December 27, 2010 by Leave a Comment

Retail loss comes in many forms. From the associates taking merchandise to distribution center mis-ships or mis-directs, losses occur. However, one form of retail loss that many companies seem to overlook is that of vendor fraud. Especially for those of you that sell food items. In my career, I have seen many instances where for years store management has disregarded the fact that vendors do contribute to losses in their stores, whether intentionally or unintentionally.

As an example, a general merchandise store I worked for always seemed to have an issue with the items they sold in the cooler section of the store. This includes a variety of sodas, soft drinks, beer and other beverages. Retail loss being huge in this particular store and this area contributing the most retail shrinkage , I looked at it closer.

The manager on duty, against the company’s policy, was simply blind receiving shipments of beer into their store. The vendor delivering the merchandise showed an invoice for 200 cases of beer, the manager would simply sign the invoice and send the vendor on his way. Talk about retail loss exposure. The next visit from this vendor, I did an audit. 25 cases of beer were missing from the shipment. I walked out with him to his truck, and literally found 25 cases sitting in the back of the delivery truck, almost as if he intentionally set the beer aside.

Deliveries in and out of your stores pose a huge potential from retail shrinkage . It is vital to the success of your business that you inspect every shipment of merchandise from vendors coming into your stores.

Later, after inspecting the cooler box, we found several empty beer cans contributing to retail shrinkage . We installed a covert camera, and within two weeks time, this same delivery guy was caught on camera guzzling a couple cans of beer after he stocked the shelves.

For more information about retail shrinkage visit us at retail loss or call 1.770.426.0547 – Atlanta Georgia

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Background Checks Catch Falsified Resumes

December 24, 2010 by

Background Checks Catch Falsified Resumes

Embellished, exaggerated, or stretched sounds much nicer when describing a job seeker’s resume, than calling it what it is: Falsified.

In addition to the basic criminal history and social trace, background checks are also useful in detecting other derogatory information presented by the applicant.

It’s a fact that because of the current economy, more and more people are looking to fill fewer and fewer jobs.  And there are plenty of those applying, in order to look better in an extremely competitive environment, who are tailoring their resumes to fit the position they are trying for.

Say that an applicant sees that a company is looking for someone with a college degree, and thinks that although he doesn’t actually have a degree, he did attend community college for a semester and he feels he has enough experience to do the job, so his college experience becomes a four year degree.

Bachelors Degrees become Masters and Masters become Ph.D.’s.  Salaries get inflated, responsibilities become more and more important, more employees are supervised, bookkeepers become accountants and accountants become CFO’s on the runaway resume.

No longer can an employer depend on an interview and resume and be certain of the caliber of employee he may be getting.  Even con men interview well.

Employers can’t spare the time to try to train and supervise an employee who is unqualified for the position for which he was hired.

Background checks can save time and money by weeding out unqualified applicants, and those that have falsified their qualifications to get a job.

For more information on resume verifications and employee checks, call 770-426-0547 or click here.

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TECHNIQUES USED BY THE SHOPLIFTER

December 24, 2010 by Leave a Comment

When you want to prevent shoplifting you must understand how a shoplifter steals. They need only several seconds in most cases to conceal your merchandise. You need to be aware of how they conceal it. And be on the look out for the signals.

Concealment:                             
Purses, large or small                               
Shopping bags from your store or others                         
Under clothing                        
In pockets-this is the most common                            
Infant strollers-who would demand to see under the baby or wake them up
                                          
Ticket Switching:                         
Remove higher price ticket and put a lower one in its’ place. Or placing a sticker with a different barcode over the one on the package. Barcode software is available over the counter.            
  
Change ticket price with a pen or pricing gun. This may be to just create confusion while a partner is the one stealing.   
                                         
Refunding:                                
Customer removes the tag from new merchandise, claims it was purchased and receives the cash. Without ever leaving your store!                

Customers making frequent refunds. Track who is refunding. Require ID.

Same person using different names and addresses to obtain refunds.
         
Used Receipt  – Receipt from a previous purchase is used to obtain a refund on additional merchandise.                           
                                            
Distraction:
Asking to see more merchandise than employees can keep track of.         

Using another person or a small child to keep the employee occupied while a partner steals merchandise.   
  
Shuffling merchandise around

I will never forget the rather large woman who was stealing 22lb frozen turkeys by holding one between her thighs, under her dress. OK that is a bit disgusting. That’s why I waited to blog about this after Thanksgiving.

Shoplifters are good at what they do. You have to be better. Get trained; get the right equipment and tools to help you and most important get the right attitude. Your effort to prevent shoplifting has to be a 24/7 endeavor.

For more information contact us at prevent shoplifting or call 1.770.426.0547

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Battling Internal Theft – Atlanta Georgia

December 24, 2010 by Leave a Comment

In the never-ending battle against internal theft we must remain proactive and vigilant in our attempts to prevent and/ or detect it. There are several easy programs you can set up within your organization that will help you send out a message that you are aware of internal theft and are ready and willing to prosecute it whenever it is identified. First of all, every company should provide a confidential reporting system for employees, vendors, and customers to anonymously report any violations of policies and procedures. Promote an environment in which employees feel they have a stake in the company. This way they’ll feel as if they’re doing themselves a service as well as the company rather than feeling that they’re simply “snitching”.

In your attempts to combat internal theft it is also vital that you conduct scheduled, and unscheduled, audits. You should, of course, maintain your regular assessments, but random, unannounced financial audits and fraud assessments can help identify new vulnerabilities in your processes, and measure the effectiveness of your controls. It also serves as a warning to let employees know that fraud prevention is a high priority for the company and that someone is always watching.

If your audits or controls discover a discrepancy then you must thoroughly investigate every case. Don’t simply assume you know what happened. A thorough and prompt investigation will give you the facts you need to make informed decisions and reduce losses. Finally, you and your management staff must lead by example. A cavalier attitude toward rules and regulations by management will soon be reflected in the attitude of employees. Every employee, regardless of position, should be held accountable for their actions. Follow these suggestions and it will take you a long way towards winning the battle against internal theft .

For more information contact us at internal theft or call 1.770.426.0547 – Atlanta Georgia

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