If you own a retail store, you need to be diligent in keeping theft down in order to retain the most from your profits. Employee theft is an unfortunate yet very real occurrence. There are many methods you can use to try to minimize the amount of theft you will experience from your own employees. Here are some tips for you to use in your own store in an attempt to keep inventory from disappearing into the hands of people you trust.
Watch Who You Hire
Make sure to hold thorough interviews when hiring new employees. Ask them questions pertaining to their hopes and desires for the future and see if they seem to be motivated. Make sure to call any past employers listed as references. Usually the past will show what the future will hold for someone, and if they have favorable reviews from past bosses, they may be good candidates for your own business.
Instill A Bit Of Fear
Employees that steal will do so when the store they are working at seems to be lax in rules. They will take risks in stealing money or merchandise because they feel that they will not get caught. If you make it clear that there will be a no tolerance rule regarding theft, the employee may stop themselves from temptation. The thought of losing the job may override the excitement or need in taking an item or money.
Have Security Measures
Consider hiring security guards, such as S&S Security Services, to help keep an eye on your wares during open hours. They will be able to help stop shoplifting as well as keep an eye on employees to make sure there are no unethical practices being done. Security guards can use surveillance methods such as camera and television screens to watch the body language used by people in the store to see if they are giving off impression that an illegal act is being made. Some security guards can pretend to shop throughout the store undercover to watch other buyers and employees for illicit activity. This is a great way to catch stealing people off-guard.
Use Hidden Traps
Place security tags on high-priced items so that an alarm will go off when the merchandise is trying to be taken from the building. Some tags will emit ink all over an item if the tag is altered to be removed in an attempt to bypass the alarm. Do not tell employees about any changes you make to the types of alarm systems you have in the building.
Once in a while, send a mystery shopper into your store to try to convince an employee to allow them a discount in return for some cash or a favor. If your employee alerts someone that they are being propositioned, you can trust the employee more than if they decide to take the bribe.
I had always thought that security guards were only needed by the rich and famous. I never expected to have to hire one for my family until our home was broken into one night. Immediately after the break-in, my children were terrified to go to sleep at night. We found a good security system that couldn't be installed until a few days later. After two sleepless nights, I decided to look into hiring a security guard to stay awake at our home for one night, so I could finally get some rest. I couldn't believe how affordable it was to have a guard at my home for a few hours during the night, and we all got great sleep knowing were safe. I hope I help others who have suffered from home break-ins. A security guard can help you feel secure when waiting for your security system to be installed.