Giving Crime the Boot
Burglary, vandalism, shoplifting, employee theft, and fraud cost businesses billions of dollars each year. Crime can result in the loss of both customers and team members, and one bad incident can devastate a small business. But many of these incidents are crimes of opportunity; someone decides to take advantage of an obvious lack of security somewhere. Failing to take good security precautions really invites crime into your business.
Listed below are crimes - and unfortunately they are common crimes - which could be affecting your business, along with some effective ways of closing off the opportunity for them to happen to you.
Pilfering
Nearly every business owner will, at some stage, encounter a team member who steals petty cash, stamps, office supplies, etc. Make sure only one person has access to petty cash and that records are kept each time the money is used. Make it your responsibility to check petty cash on a regular basis - daily or weekly. You can keep your stamps and office supplies locked in a cupboard and put one person in charge of dispensing and ordering them. Make sure you sign off on every order. Employees often feel they can get away with it because the business doesn't have a clear policy in place, so create a written employee theft policy and communicate it clearly and regularly.
Time theft
Time theft occurs when a team member forges their time card (or for a temporary employee, their timesheet), surfs the Internet or conducts private business on company time, gossips with fellow team members, or simply daydreams. Make sure timesheets are signed off by people who work directly with the temporary employee, so their stated work hours are verified. If you have the budget, you could put in place Internet/email monitoring to track how much time team members spend surfing the Internet and sending emails to friends and family. Again, team members feel they can do this mainly because no one has told them they can't. So put a policy in place which clearly states what they can and can't do during work hours (they can conduct personal business in their lunch hour for example).
Till tapping
It's quite easy for dishonest team members to steal from you through the cash register. The most common practice is to under-ring purchases. Be aware that this may be happening if the register display is turned away from the customer or covered over. Another common occurrence is giving incorrect change. Watch out for coins, matchsticks or bits of paper with markings on them around the cash register area. A cashier uses them to help remember the amount of extra money in the register that is to be pocketed later.
Shoplifting
To prevent shoplifting you have three methods at your disposal: you can keep an eye on customers using well designed display space, security guards and/or video surveillance; you can secure items using cables or locked display cases; you can use electronic article surveillance (EAS) systems where special tags attached to items trigger an alarm if a shoplifter tries to walk out with them.
According to security experts the most effective methods are video surveillance and EAS, especially when used together. Watching everyone in the store is just too expensive in team time, and anchoring merchandise if often a frustration to the would-be customer. The Association Of Automated Identification Manufacturers estimates that over 800,000 EAS systems have been installed worldwide, mostly in the retail industry. These prevention tools require a significant investment up front but can save a lot more than their cost in preventing opportunistic shoplifting over time.
Burglary and robbery
To prevent burglary and robbery you should start by using good locks, safes, and alarm systems and putting a sign on your storefront window or office door that tells people you have taken these measures. Never keep displays of valuable items in your shop window overnight. Mark equipment, such as registers, calculators, computers, photocopiers and TVs with an identification number and put a warning sticker in your window to alert thieves that your equipment can be traced. Make sure you keep a record of all identification numbers off the premises.
As for robbery, it is probably the most heinous crime you can experience, as it may not only affect your material assets, but also you, your team members and your customers. It is often a violent crime that can result in serious bodily harm. A 'no cash kept on premises' sign will deter criminals out for a quick cash fix and you may have to set up a counter protected by bullet proof glass if you operate in a neighborhood that's affected by serious crime. If you have any questions, seek the help of your local police force. They can work with you to improve security and design your space to reduce risk. |
