Find Employee Background Checks

August 10, 2010 by

When you have a need for employee background checks and you are shopping different sites, make certain to investigate fully. To help you make a choice, we have assembled this list of facts for you to consider when buying employee background checks.

  • Make sure that you are getting an actual criminal record check from the state or county. No matter what you are told “database” checks are not accurate or up to date. We can do database serches but our clients want accurate information.
  • What is the turn around speed? 48 hours or less is standard. Hint: “database” criminal checks are “instant”
  • Be sure that there is service beyond the report.

These are the basic but important issues. Sincerely I expect that our check list helps you succeed. In case you are looking for greater detail you could call Loss Prevention Systems at 1.770.426.0547 and we can help. You may find useful many of the other posts on this blog that further explain . As you search around, visit trusted information sources and be careful that the information you read about employee background checks is written by someone who know what they are talking about.

For more information click: employee background checks

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Shoplifting Facts For Retailers

August 10, 2010 by Leave a Comment

More than 60% of shoplifters steal from the same store because they got away with it and the store culture made them feel comfortable. It makes sense. If we create an environment that makes the shoplifter relaxed enough to continue they will also tell their friends. Your store is or will become a magnet to shoplifters.

Once caught, very few shoplifters will return to the same store to make another attempt. The key to prevent shoplifting is to first deter. If that does not work make them feel uncomfortable once they do pick up an item and attempt to conceal it or catch them. A Checkpoint anti shoplifting system covers that at all three levels, deterrence, attempt and catching the shoplifter.

Habitual shoplifters, after being apprehended, will return to the same store when no Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) system is in place because the chance of being caught a second time is only 2%.Shoplifters want your merchandise whether to keep or sell. The goal is to make them uncomfortable enough or shut them down completely. This will send them down the street to another retailer that is not proactive or even trying to prevent shoplifting. That reputation will also spread among shoplifters.

For additional information:  prevent shoplifting or call 1.770.426.0547

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Are You Experiencing Retail Shrinkage?

August 10, 2010 by Leave a Comment

Are You Experiencing Retail Shrinkage?

Retail Shrinkage or “shrink” is the difference between what the book inventory and the physical inventory show. This rarely “0” it is normally over or short.

Shortages are usually made up of the one or several of the following loss areas: employee theft, shoplifting, vendor fraud, paperwork errors or improper store-to-store transfers.  According to the University of Florida Retail Study that has been done for many years now the areas of theft generally rank:

Employee theft 48%
Shoplifting 32%
Administrative Error 15%
Vendor Fraud 5%

These percents change very little from year to year. The lesson is that employee theft ranks very high in retail shrinkage. It is always the largest area of loss to a retailer. The basic reason for this is that employees and managers have unlimited access to merchandise and cash. Many smaller retailers do not want to believe this and the excuse that we at Loss Prevention Systems usually hear is “I trust my employees”.

We have one response to this: “Trust But Verify”. Many retailers (large and small companies) use personal trust in place of business trust. Business trust involves trust but verify. If you are using personal trust in a business environment you are asking for trouble.

Want more information: Retail Shrinkage or call 1.770.426.0547

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Sources of inventory shrinkage in retail

August 10, 2010 by Leave a Comment

The University of Florida publishes an annual retail loss report that is considered to be the ultimate reference in the loss prevention industry.  They have identified five areas of inventory shrinkage/ losses which are: Administrative errors, Vendor Fraud, Unknown, Shoplifting and Employee theft.

Surprising to many at first is that employee theft is the primary source of retail loss.  Vendor fraud is mostly not even on a retailer’s radar but can account for 3 to 5 percent of annual losses.

Shoplifting is usually what comes to mind first when you mention retail loss.  This accounts for  around 35% of total retail shrinkage. 

One complication in calculating and categorizing these losses is that an unknown portion involves employees collaborating with shoppers and or outsiders.  This is called “sweet hearting”.  The employee running the cash register simply does not ring all items, or carries bar codes of inexpensive items and rings them instead of what is actually brought to the register. 

This bleeds into organized retail crime to a degree as well.  Organized retail crime is on the rise and is a serious threat especially to understaffed retailers.  A group or team will enter the store, one or more creates a distraction while others clean house.  The distraction can get very creative… everything from a scantily clothed female that strips to a false trip and fall. 

If you are suffering from retail loss and want help, contact Loss Prevention Systems today.

 

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Employee Theft Issues Best Handled Through Loss Prevention Consultants

August 9, 2010 by

These scenarios are good clues you should consider talking to  professional loss prevention consultants.

You are a retail business owner and have recently had a suspicion that you have an employee who is stealing from you, but you can’t quite put your finger on it the specifics.  There have perhaps been small amounts of cash missing, the register doesn’t always balance at the end of the day, or that item of merchandise you were sure you had yesterday can’t be located today, and there is no record of its being sold.

How do you find out if you have a case of employee theft and how do you determine the how serious it is?

Is now the  time to confront the suspect employee or to launch a full blown internal investigation to find the source of you suspicions?  Will a confrontation cause the guilty employee to stop his actions before you are able to prove involvement and have a chance at restitution?

In order to alleviate internal theft properly, certain steps must be taken by a qualified  loss prevention consultant to protect any innocent employees from feeling suspect and to protect you from any liability.

This is the time to contact  experienced  loss prevention consultants who have the skills and experience to quickly get to the bottom of your problem and to find out the depth of employee involvement using highly developed investigative analytics and interview skills and to bring the situation to a successful conclusion.

For further information go to:  Loss Prevention Consultants

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Electronic Article Surveillance

August 9, 2010 by Leave a Comment

Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) equipment is used to provide security and loss prevention to merchandise. However EAS is not a total solution to the shoplifting problem and will not stop shoplifting on its own. Points to consider when using EAS as a loss prevention tool include:

Certain tags can be identified by shoplifters and removed. Concealment is critical. Labels can be disguised and tags can be made extra secure depending on how and where they are attached.

Tagging merchandise costs in both tags and labor can be cost prohibitive if you attempt to tag and label all merchandise. Consider establishing a price point and up that are to be tagged. Of course you also want to tag or label any merchandise that is high theft.

Properly maintained systems and tags can be a major support to employee customer service when the ratio of customers to employees is high.

In the security and loss prevention field we know that the presence of tagging systems themselves can be a deterrent to many types of shoplifters.

Dye tags can be used on soft goods for product denial.

Want more information: security and loss prevention or call 1.770.426.0547

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Physical Security

August 9, 2010 by Leave a Comment

Retail Loss Prevention Physical Security

  • A well-lighted area deters shoplifting, stores must maintain adequate lighting. Shoplifters tend to gravitate towards darker, less traveled more concealed areas such as corners to conceal the merchandise they are going to steal.
  • Limit customer exits. Loss prevention security starts at the door. It takes to many employees to keep an eye on multiple exits. Most large retailers know this and do have only one entrance and exit. Close off or make any unused door an emergency exit.
  • Keep displays and shelving low enough to be seen over by employees. A key in retail loss prevention is training and empowering your employees to be your eyes and ears in loss prevention. Make sure they can see every where possible in the course of their normal duties. Teach them how to approach any suspicious customers.

Special loss prevention security measures should be followed if there is an emergency and the power goes off:

  • Station an employee at the front door.
  • Make sure you have flashlights ready for this purpose. Test them monthly.
  • Have a procedure for ringing up sales without the POS. The power is out. Do your cashiers know how to use a calculator? Do you have a battery operated calculator available at each POS? Do cashiers know how to calculate tax? Do they know what the tax rate is?

Retail loss prevention security keeps your profits up and losses down.

Need more information?  retail loss prevention or call 1.770.426.0547

Loss Prevention Systems,Inc

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Checkpoint Tag and Label Offerings

August 7, 2010 by Leave a Comment

Checkpoint’s broad range of tag and label offerings gives retailers more options to prevent shoplifting than any other Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) technology. The reason is that all of Checkpoint’s tags and labels are radio frequency-based, allowing retailers to protect apparel with reusable hard tags, flex tags or designer tags while using disposable labels for all other merchandise. Checkpoint sensors will detect any Checkpoint RF tag or label – reusable and disposable.

Checkpoint’s disposable EAS tags and labels provide retailers with a versatile and wide selection. Available in a range of sizes, Checkpoint’s paper-thin RF labels prevent shoplifting by protecting all types of merchandise found in drugstores, supermarkets, mass merchandiser, apparel stores, liquor stores, hardware stores and sporting goods stores. All of Loss Prevention Systems’ Checkpoint disposable tags and labels are deactivatable without having to be found or touched during checkout like AM systems.

For more information:  prevent shoplifting or call 1.770.426.0547

  

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Avoid Negligent Hiring Through Pre Employment Background Checks

August 6, 2010 by

One of the most undervalued benefits of conducting  pre employment  background checks is that the fact that a company performs employment screening can be a defense against a negligent hiring lawsuit.

Imagine that an employee who has customer contact on a regular basis suddenly loses his temper and attacks and injures one of your customers.  A suit is filed against the employee, your company, and you for damages suffered by the customer, now known as “Plaintiff”.

Now imagine that plaintiff’s attorney introduces evidence that his client, your former customer, had numerous previous arrests and convictions for aggressive behavior, including assault and battery.  Plaintiff’s attorney contends that you, as the employer knew, or should have known, that the employee would assault someone based on his prior history.

If you don’t conduct pre employment background checks on all your new hires, then you may as well go ahead and write a large check ot to the plaintiff.

Now, even if you had done a background check and it came back clean, at least you made an effort to weed out the bad hires, and you have made an attempt at due diligence.

Employers should make an effort to hire honest, productive employees, a process that should include  employee background checks.

Go to: employee background checks to learn more about how to improve your pre employment screening process.

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Why Use Security Tags on Clothes

August 6, 2010 by

Should you put security tags on clothes?

The professional shoplifter are only 3% of the total number of shoplifters and represents only only 10% of dollar losses.

The casual shoplifter represents 70% of the shoplifting population but only 5% of the dollar loss.

The Habitual, non-professional shoplifters represent 27% of the shoplifting but account for 85% of the dollar loss.

We know from studies conducted that if a habitual shoplifter encounters a clothing security device such as a Checkpoint tag that 76% will not attempt the theft of that item.

Quick calculations of your losses will most likely reflect that even a 50% over all reduction in shoplifting losses will result in a significant amount of money to your bottom line. Take clothing security seriously. Put Checkpoint security tags on clothes and increase your profits by reducing your losses.

Security tags on clothes represent a minimal investment and are reusable over and over.

Loss Prevention Systems is you solution to shoplifting and clothing security

For more information about security tags on clothes go here: Clothing Security or call 1.770.426.0547

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