Goodbye Sweetheart
EPoS solutions specialist Nisyst, looks at how cases of sweet-hearting in shops can be reduced and remotely monitored by integrating your IP CCTV with your EPoS system.
By Dave Chunilal, Director of Nisyst
At a time when businesses are still trying to achieve financial stability in a recession, shoplifting and store theft is undoubtedly an increasing headache for all retailers. But as the rate of staff shrinkage in the UK reaches the second highest in Europe, studies have found that ‘sweet-hearting’ accounts for the lion’s share.
Despite the misleading term, sweetheart fraud is certainly not as innocent as its name would suggest, and happens when a shop assistant colludes with an accomplice to allow items to be taken at the wrong price, or not to be scanned at all. As it also accounts for 50% of all shrinkage in shops, it makes it even more essential for small retailers to find an effective solution to manage this growing problem.
What you probably don’t realise though, is that the basis for a solution already exists in your shop. Considering that the majority of stores nowadays already have EPoS and CCTV systems installed, sweet-hearting and other types of internal theft can be curbed by getting the two systems to work together. By doing this, you can keep one step ahead of staff shrinkage and say goodbye to sweet-hearting before it eats into hard-earned profits.
Combining your EPoS and IP CCTV systems
Latest generation EPoS systems can integrate with IP CCTV and work in tandem, acting as a natural progression in security. Linking these together will allow the description of the product (the PoS script) to be superimposed on the video recording.
This means that staff working behind the counter can be monitored, enabling you to easily check that the correct bar codes and prices are being applied to the right items. Any attempted fraud will be immediately detected, giving you greater control over in-store activity.
Retailers who install the most up-to-date EPoS and Digital Video Recording system can also review the footage from any PC remotely over the web, and search for specific data by time of transaction or product name.
So what benefits will it deliver to you and your shops? As well as acting as an immediate deterrent to internal fraud, integrating your EPoS with your IP CCTV system will also lead to easier management, allowing you to maintain control over in-store activity without having to be present 24/7.
What’s more, if you keep a check on staff activity, you can also monitor their performance and stop any unprofessional practices before they start to affect business. In doing this, you will enhance customer service and increase the likelihood of buyers returning to the shop, securing footfall; a crucial aspect in times of recession.
But using integrated CCTV doesn’t just benefit you as the retailer. Most employees working in shops welcome it because it provides them with reliable video evidence in the event of customers becoming confrontational. It can even be used as a self-evaluation tool, which means employees can play an active role in their own progression.
Dealing with staff concerns
Enhancing your security does not have to be seen as akin to “Big Brother gone mad”, and as previously stated, most employees welcome improved security measures. But how do you deal with those who claim it’s an invasion of privacy? And how do you handle staff who are convinced it’s a sign of mistrust? Well in reality, an employee contract is in part based on the theory that fraud, including the ‘sweetheart’ kind, will not be tolerated. Developing your security in this way therefore, is merely another way of ensuring members of the team are working within these pre-agreed guidelines.
Linking EPoS with your IP CCTV system opens up a whole new dimension of control and prevents internal fraudsters interfering with the success of your business.
