Staff Editor — Page 313

Prevent shoplifting in a variety of ways – Atlanta Georgia

December 6, 2010 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

A business owner wants to do everything he or she can to prevent shoplifting within their business. Who wants to stand back and watch their products walk out of the doors at the hands of a shoplifter? Only the business owner that does not wish to remain in business very long.

Establishing a loss prevention program is beneficial to boost profits and prevent loss within a business. A program can be broad and can include many levels of security. For example, having high theft items locked up can be part of a loss prevention initiative, as well as having key logs and secure key policies to prevent employee theft. Having secure keys that access locked cases can also prevent a shoplifter from stealing the keys – and then having access to the jackpot of merchandise.

Your employees can also prevent shoplifting by providing good customer service to all customers, including those that may be intending to shoplift. A shoplifter can only shoplift if they do not have the attention of store staff, so teaching employees to provide that attention in the form of customer service will go far to prevent shoplifting . The shoplifter will move on to the next business, the one without knowledgeable staff that know how to prevent theft.

I researched the attempted theft of camcorders at a large retailer, by using CCTV. While the shoplifter was fighting with the package and attempting to remove the merchandise, a manager happened to walk by.

The manager did not see the shoplifter in the nearby aisle, but that is all it took to startle the shoplifter and cause him to abandon the camcorder.

Sometimes, we do not even realize when we prevent shoplifting .

Not every shoplifter is so easily spooked, however. Working with your employees to prevent shoplifting is one way that a business can reduce this form of shrinkage.

For more information contact us: prevent shoplifting or call 1.770.426.256 – Atlanta Georgia

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Prevent Shoplifting

Popular Salesperson or Employee Theft? – Atlanta Georgia

December 6, 2010 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

We’ve all got a popular salesperson in our organization who the public seems to love, but are you sure that this person isn’t a vehicle for employee theft ? As a business owner you thank the heavens when you find a salesperson that seems to identify with your customer base and repeatedly provides great service and drives repeat business. However, you need to keep a watchful eye on these “godsends” as well. Find out what they’re doing that makes them so popular with the customers. You may not always be happy with what you find.

I was once briefly acquainted with a saleswoman who we’ll call Jan. When I say “briefly acquainted” what I really mean is that I fired her for employee theft . Jan was the most popular salesperson I had ever seen; customers would stand around the store for hours waiting for her to be free and able to handle their transactions. I soon found out why being serviced by Jan was in everyone’s best interest. Jan was regularly giving extraordinary discounts to customers in an attempt to gain their business and their loyalty. When she couldn’t find a way to give a deep discount she would simply switch the tickets on the merchandise and make the sale that way.

The business suffered extreme losses as a result of her actions but her commissions were through the roof. Pay close attention to any salesperson that gets constant visits from friends or the same customers. Track their point-of-sale transactions and ensure that they’re actually popular for their outstanding customer service and not because they’re giving away the store underneath your nose. Employee theft is a serious problem in every business and it is often because we place our trust in the wrong individuals.

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

Retail anti theft devices and positive profits

December 3, 2010 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

In a world with retail anti theft devices aplenty, I wanna share with you a couple of examples of Checkpoint Security systems I’ve used.

As a loss prevention professional, my job is to ensure I am supporting the profitability of the stores and company I am working for. This includes advising executive management on the different tools necessary to combat shrink or theft and loss. Specifically, I always advise on using Checkpoint Security systems .

One day I was walking a store on a standard visit. The manager was telling me about a group of guys that he believes were “casing” his store. Sure enough, not 15 minutes into the walk, he points out one of the guys.

The “lookout” was inspecting merchandise, looking at the checkpoint labels affixed to the product. I called to the loss prevention agent working the store and had him review the suspect on camera. As we made our way to the office, the loss prevention agent had observed the suspect repeatedly attempt to remove the checkpoint labels . We watched the suspect move to the next section of merchandise to an item that used Checkpoint security tags . He was obviously puzzled. He pulled out his cellphone and made a call. Whoever he was speaking with got an ear full about the Checkpoint Security system devices on the merchandise. Irate, he threw the merchandise in the aisle and left the store.

This was one of many examples of the benefits to having a Checkpoint Security system a store. This suspect saw that he and his crew couldn’t easily get merchandise out of the store without being noticed. Shoplifting is an easy crime when the shoplifter goes unnoticed, but interrupt their privacy and almost immediately you protect your profits. As retail anti theft devices Checkpoint security tags and checkpoint labels take away that privacy!

Checkpoint Security systems are a standard feature in my company and as a professional, advise any and all Retailers to do the same.

For more information about checkpoint security system , checkpoint labels or checkpoint security tags visit us at retail anti theft devices or call 1.770.426.0547

Filed Under: antishoplifting Tagged With: Checkpoint labels, checkpoint security system, checkpoint security systems, Checkpoint security tags, Retail Anti Theft Devices

Get control over retail shrinkage

December 3, 2010 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

If you are suffering from retail shrinkage problems you may feel like you have no control. We will take a look at a few ways to get control into your hands to stop those issues and start making more money.

You probably have a “security system”. This is a burglar alarm that you only arm when you are not there / store is closed. To add to this basic level of security against burglary, consider installing motion detection light outdoors. There are products designed for this, such as that offered by TAKEX. Great deterrent that will hopefully keep thieves out. You may be able to connect to your burglar alarm so that if the sensor is triggered it will set off the alarm and dial the central station.

During business hours is when most retail loss occurs. And over 42% of your losses (based on industry average) are by employees. Employee theft can be much more fatal than shoplifting because employees have access to sensitive info and typically steal ten times per occurrence more than a shoplifter. Look for a loss prevention professional to hire for an audit. These pros will identify vulnerabilities and help you set up policies and procedures to nip this issue in the bud…and might even identify an issue with an employee. At that point they can help you through how to process the employee theft investigation etc… to get the best possible end result for your business and good employees.

Consider a Checkpoint systems retail shrinkage control system. This system tags merchandise with security devices that come in a variety of sizes, shapes and even paper labels. The devices will interact with sensors at doorways and actively alert when there is a theft in progress.

For more information on how to develop a loss prevention plan, visit: retail shrinkage control

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: retail loss, retail shrinkage

It takes a team to conduct an effective corporate fraud investigation / employee theft investigation

December 3, 2010 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

If you are suspicious that an employee had stolen from your company, embezzled money, where do you start to try to resolve the issue? Many managers / owners will first call their CPA or resource for accounting. This is a great start. Trained CPA’s who know how to find fraud can trace issues in the books and build a case of evidence that will likely lead to a suspect or suspects. Sometimes that CPA will even be fraud certified and have the CFE designation (and there are others).

So now that you have some evidence and a suspect or suspects, does the accountant interview them? Do you interview them? Do you call your attorney to interview them? Maybe one or all of the above.

To conduct the best possible corporate fraud investigation consider hiring a corporate fraud investigator who will work as a link in the chain of the investigation. The corporate fraud investigator should have training from an organization such as John E. Reid & Associates, Inc., and carry certification to prove it. But the training alone is really not where the effectiveness lies, it is the experience of conducting not just one corporate fraud investigation but hundreds.

The professionally trained corporate fraud investigator will conduct interviews and move on into interrogations to obtain written confessions. This is the bow on top of the work that the CPA, management and Law team have all put together, but may not have the expertise to hit home. A mistake in the corporate fraud investigation can mean no criminal, civil cases can be filed and there is no hope of recovering losses.

For more info regarding hiring a professional corporate fraud investigator visit: corporate fraud investigation.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: corporate fraud investigation, corporate fraud investigator, employee theft, employee theft investigation

Reducing Employee Theft – Atlanta Georgia

December 3, 2010 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Employee theft is potentially one of the most dangerous hazards to the bottom line of any small business. In some cases dishonest employees account for up to two-thirds of all company losses. Yet some companies still don’t take the proper precautions to safeguard their profit margins. Doing so is largely a matter of careful pre-employment screening and selection. Reference checks, credit checks, psychological tests and personal character examinations are all tools you can use to ensure the person you are trusting with your business and its’ success is worth your trust.

Even the savviest employer can be fooled by a dishonest employee. For example, I was helping out a colleague in a nearby town a while back. When I arrived he was in a meeting so I sat in the waiting room for a while. A young man arrived shortly after me and we struck up a very pleasant conversation about the city, the company and life in general. I have to admit I was quite impressed with his eloquence and his knowledge of business. My friend emerged moments later and grimaced noticeably at the sight of the young man. Once we were in his office, my friend explained that the young man was being terminated for lying on his application. He had a substantial criminal history, including two counts of sexual assault against a minor. I was appalled. How could such a fiend seem so… regular? However, the truth is that they often do.

True, there is no sure way to stop employee theft completely, but a pre-employment screening can go a long way to giving you some peace of mind. In the case above the young man was terminated before he had a chance to commit a crime against the company. However, they still spent countless dollars training him, man-hours to investigate and terminate him, then more money to train his replacement. A pre-employment screening could have saved them a lot of trouble and money. Reducing employee theft starts at the very beginning of the hiring process. Good people equal good business.

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

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: employee theft, employee theft investigation, internal theft

Background Checks and Phony Identification

December 2, 2010 by Staff Editor

Background Checks and Phony Identification

You can get bad results from good background checks.

Identity theft has become a major problem to users of credit reports and to law enforcement. It is a major headache to those unfortunate enough to have had their identity assumed by another person. Millions of dollars are lost to fraud based on stolen identities.

Problems also arise when applicants use fake or purchased identification when applying for a job.

The FTC says that 17% of all identity theft in California is done for employment purposes.

Using stolen or fraudulent ID, a person applies for a job. The company runs a name based background check using the name, date of birth, and other identifiers provided by the applicant. The background check is returned showing accurate results, but not for the person applying for the job. It is the background of the person whose identification was used, and the results may show that the applicant is suited for the job. Background checks in this cases like these are worse than worthless, since they have has absolutely nothing to do with the candidates applying for the job.

Anyone applying for a job will expect to provide identification. Employers should be thoroughly familiar with the various forms of drivers’ licenses, state issued identification, and ask for other documents if any look suspicious. Also accept only a genuine social security card, not a copy or facsimile of some kind. If they are unsure, resources are available to help.

Problems also appear when a person is arrested and booked using a fake ID. The arresting agency uses the name and identifiers to enter the perpetrator into the criminal repository, and the arrestee becomes the person on the ID. Sometimes the arrested person goes so far as to go to court and pay a fine using the false name.

This becomes a huge problem when the person whose ID was used goes to apply for a job and finds out that he or she has an arrest record. The only way to get this straightened out is that once the information is disclosed to the applicant, he must go the arresting agency and request a fingerprint comparison. Then the record can be removed, but this is procedure that can often take weeks or even months. Then the victim is generally given a letter from the agency attesting that he is not the person named for that particular arrest.

When using background checks, be aware of the implication bogus ID’s may have, and how they may be used.

For further information on background checks, call 770-426-0547 or click here.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Background checks

Home Service Workers Get Background Checks

December 2, 2010 by Staff Editor

Home Service Workers Get Background Checks

Customers who receive in home visits from employees of service companies don’t expect to be victimized by those employees. They would expect the employees would have been subjected to some scrutiny, including background checks, before being sent to and allowed to enter a customer’s home. The fact is that this is often not the case.

Service companies include electrical contractors, pest control, plumbers, appliance repairmen, heating and air conditioning repairmen, cleaners, you name it.

Most companies will publicize the fact that their employees are banded and insured, but that does not necessarily mean that their employee have been the subjects of a pre employment background checks.

Many times the company hired by the homeowner will subcontract another company to perform the work and don’t really know if pre employment screening has been thoroughly conducted or not.

In addition to theft issues, which occur frequently, there are instances of harm coming to the homeowner or tenant at the hands of the employee.

In 2001, for instance a homeowner paid a nationally known company to clean the air ducts in her house. Six months later, the serviceman returned to the home, raped and murdered the homeowner, and set fire to the house to cover evidence of his crime. The murderer was a registered sex offender and on parole at the time of his first visit to the home.

An employee of a plumbing company and his customer had a disagreement over the cost of the repair and the plumber assaulted the customer. The plumber had previously been arrested for battery, something the employer should have known. A negligent hiring lawsuit was soon filed.

Pre employment screening and background checks are an affirmative defense against negligent hiring lawsuits.

Businesses that conduct pre employment background checks instill confidence in their customers by demonstrating care in the selection of their employees.

For further information on pre employment screening and background checks, call 770-426-0547 or click here.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Background checks, pre employment screening

Use security tags on clothes to prevent shoplifting

December 2, 2010 by Staff Editor

Clothing retailers commonly use security tags on clothes to prevent shoplifting and there are a few benefits as well as some caution.

The caution to using security tags on clothes is to be sure you choose your clothing security tags wisely. There are different types and sizes of clothing security tags as well as different manufacturers and their effectiveness will vary. The clothing security tags that have long tabs on either side of the pin that holds it to the clothing are easier for thieves to remove. The professional shoplifters study how to do this. If you did a google search and found this article you undoubtedly saw several you tube listings in the search for how to remove security tags on clothes as well.

Tags that are hard to grab hold of, hard to get under etc are the most secure and tough to defeat. Checkpoint systems has several tags that are designed to foil the shoplifters plans. There are button shaped tags that have a lip on the bottom of them, so not only can you not grab any tabs on the tag, you can not get under the pin/ tag connection.

The benefit of using security tags on clothes is obviously it will reduce your inventory shrinkage. Most studies show at least a 50% reduction in losses, most are 60% to 75% and some realize even better results.

And having tough anti shoplifting measures in place means shoplifters will simply pass your store by and move on to an unprotected site.

To learn more visit: security tags on clothes / clothing security tags

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Clothing Security, clothing security tags, security tags on clothes

Why contract a Loss Prevention Investigator – Loss Prevention Agent

December 2, 2010 by Staff Editor

Smaller to mid sized retailers may not have full time staff and benefit from contracting a loss prevention investigator – loss prevention agent to keep on top of issues and keep overhead low.

A primary function of the loss prevention investigator – loss prevention agent is to fist assess the current state of the business. Observing daily procedures for receiving and inventory practices, cash drawer open and closing as well as daily operation and shortage policies are a few areas of focus. Other areas looked at are clock in and clock out practices, inventory and cycle counting procedures and practices, alarm system / CCTV (camera) system operation & usage and safety issues.

The goal of the loss prevention agent is to save profit from being lost through weak operational practices as well as identify and process the big ones like shoplifting issues and employee theft problems. These more routine areas where money can fly out the door are often not even on the mind of the retailer when considering the hire of a loss prevention investigator to help solve issues and improve profitability.

Another benefit of an outside contractor is there is no “inside” or internal employee dynamics which can lead to emotional attachments and biases / favoritism etc… You get a truly objective individual with your best interest at heart and no one else’s.

For more information visit: loss prevention investigator / loss prevention agent

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: loss prevention agent, loss prevention investigator