Blog entries

The M & M Candy Test and Loss Prevention

Libby Libhart — Thu, 09 May 2013 20:17:47 +0100

Many of us may be familiar with the peculiar peccadilloes of rock bands and divas for specified products in their dressing rooms. We’ve heard of demands for certain brands of water or required food for the traveling party. This rock star excess concept may have been first introduced in a contract rider in 1982 by the rock group Van Halen. The contract stipulated a large bowl of M&M candies to be available to members of the rock...

Your Tolerance for Cash Shortages – Bearable or Terrible?

Libby Libhart — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 13:23:29 +0100

If you lost 5% or more of your sales and it just can’t be explained how it occurred, would it bearable or terrible to the financial health of your business? Shortages in cash may be somewhat understandable. Cashiers handle cash transactions, credit cards, gift cards, checks, traveler’s checks, and any number of discounts and coupons. When transactions go awry for some reason, they must void, no sale, refund, discount, or reduce the price in some way. During...

Say It Ain't So - The Bogus Robbery

Libby Libhart — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 16:20:46 +0100

The restaurant manager’s home phone rang. She recognized the cell phone number of her shift manager on the display. Before she could say “Hello” she heard a loud, frantic voice declaring, “I was robbed!” The shift manager then described the frightful event of being robbed at gunpoint while on way to the bank with the deposit. On a fairly desolate street the shift manager described stopping behind a stalled vehicle. Suddenly her driver’s side door was yanked...

A Forgotten Key Strategy in Avoiding Menu Price Increases

Libby Libhart — Sat, 26 Jan 2013 15:06:05 +0100

It’s tough to run a restaurant. We’ve taught customers to be value driven in their selections in eating out. The rising commodity prices continue to challenge restaurant operators providing the value customers seek balanced with profitability. In the article, “Study: Restaurants avoiding menu price increases”, Brad Moore of SpenDifference stated that commodity prices, on average, topped 2% in 2012. In 2013 commodity price increases are exp...

21 Business Security Tips for the Holidays

Libby Libhart — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 21:46:56 +0100

The holiday season has arrived which means restaurants and stores are busy with hungry shoppers. Gift cards are a popular choice and the majority is purchased during the season. Fortunately, the season brings increases in sales and more people are paying with cash. Unfortunately, cash is a target for dishonesty from both internal and external sources. Robbers target restaurants and stores with lax security and untrained employees. Restaurants and stores may also fall victim to their own emplo...

Simple Deterrents to Late Night Restaurant Robberies

Libby Libhart — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 14:04:39 +0100

Approximately 3:30 AM on a Friday morning, a robber described as 6’ 5”, 245 lbs., entered a fast food restaurant, forced the manager at gunpoint to open the safe. He then forced her and co-workers into the store’s freezer before exiting the building. One of the ...

6 Reasons Why Robbers Will Pick YOUR Business

Libby Libhart — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 19:54:14 +0100

Armed robbery. The very combination of those two words makes one shudder. Within the Justice system, the act of armed robbery is a felony and a conviction carries serious consequences. Yet many, fueled by drugs, alcohol, or desperation, plus their perception of an “easy mark”, are willing to take the risk.

An armed robber has their own set of criteria in determining the risks they are willing to take to reap the rewards. In most cases its cas...

Why My Employees Won’t Steal From Me – 5 Myths

Libby Libhart — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 15:08:09 +0100

The statistics are staggering. The latest National Retail Security Survey states that 45% of losses to retailers are attributed to theft by employees. The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) reports that 5% of revenues of a typical organization are stolen by company workers. The average internal fraud scheme goes undetected for 18 months. Small businesses are particularly vulnerable since they don’t have the resources or the processes in place to avoi...

Redecorating with Loss Prevention

Libby Libhart — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 20:34:57 +0100

“I’d like you to paint this room”, she said to the painter.

“OK, let me ask you a few questions”, he replied.

“Before you ask questions, let me tell you what I want to do. I want these two walls painted, but we’re letting the other two go for another time. “

“But …”

“And I like the furniture right where it is, so you can just paint around it.”

“...

Credit Card Skimming – A Business and Customer Nightmare

Libby Libhart — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 15:45:10 +0100

“Hey man; how do like your job at that fast food place?” “It’s alright. It gives me a bit of cash for some bills, and I get to eat for half price.” “So, do you work much in the drive-thru?” “Yeah, I work the drive-thru cash quite a bit. Why do you ask?” “Well, how would you like to make a LOT of easy money while you’re working the drive-thru?” “Keep talking; I’m listening.” “OK, here’s the deal. I know these guys that will give you a credit card...

Crime Prevention – The Power of a Flower

Libby Libhart — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 19:08:06 +0100

When walking into a major theme park you naturally bear to the right. You don’t veer from the main pathways. Prohibited areas may not be marked but you instinctively know that you can’t go there. So, why is that? The principle is “Crime Prevention through Environmental Design”, commonly known as CPTED. The theme park environment has been cleverly designed with gentle slopes to direct walking traffic. Landscaping has been designed wit...

Employee Hotline – Avoid Passing in the No Passing Zone

Libby Libhart — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 19:53:54 +0100

Jeremy has been working in the restaurant for a few months, usually after school and weekends. He’s learned every station in the kitchen and even works as a cashier whenever needed. Several of his fellow employees are stealing both cash and product from the company on a regular basis. They cover the shortages by manipulating sales so that the register is never short. They borrow manager’s keys to the back door and place cases of product by the dumpster wher...

It’s counterfeit! Now what do we do? – Part 3

Libby Libhart — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 16:54:37 +0100

The training of our employees in detecting counterfeit currency, or the device we use to authenticate currency, just paid off. A counterfeit bill is detected! So, what do we do now? Do we confront the passer? Refuse to accept it? Call the police? What’s the next step?

According to the Public Affairs Office of the Secret Service, $78.7 million in counterfeit currency was passed in the U.S. last year. The threat to your business coming ...

Is it real or counterfeit? Part 2 – Detection devices

Libby Libhart — Mon, 21 May 2012 19:10:30 +0100

Part 1 of “Is it real or counterfeit?” gave practical
tips in teaching cashiers how to detect counterfeit currency. Anti-counterfeit technology has been embedded
in US currency. Tips on detecting counterfeit
refer to a few of these features. The
“feel” and “look” of the bill is a great start.
The printing on genuine bills will feel slightly raised and will appear
clear and crisp. The numerals in the
bottom right...

Is it real or counterfeit? – Practical tips in detecting counterfeit currency

Libby Libhart — Thu, 10 May 2012 21:08:04 +0100

“Good morning!
Thanks for calling XYZ Company; how may I help you?”

“Hi. This is Susan
down at the bank.”

“Oh, Hi Susan; How are you?”

Could be deadly, but essential for restaurant operations

Libby Libhart — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 17:00:29 +0100

It’s a gas consumed by millions every day. Plants need it for survival. In fact we
exhale it with every breath we take.
Virtually every restaurant uses Carbon Dioxide (CO(2)) in bulk form to
put the fizz in soft drinks. It’s used
as an important ingredient in certain fire extinguishers. Carbon dioxide is a heavy gas and displaces
oxygen, settling at the lowest levels.
It is odorless, colorless, and cannot be det...

Would YOU resist a robber?

Libby Libhart — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 13:29:41 +0100

The young manager knelt in front of the safe, a thousand thoughts cluttering his head. His fingers were nearly frozen with fear as he fumbled with the combination. His heartbeat was pounding in his ears. A few thoughts came into focus; “please just get through this”, as the cold steel of the handgun pressed against his temple. He couldn’t remember if he kissed his wife goodbye when he left for work, or if he grabbed the sippy cup that was lying on its side, leaking milk o...

The Secret Decoder Ring and Loss Prevention

Libby Libhart — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 18:42:54 +0100

Over the holidays I watched “A Christmas Story” for the
gazillionth time. One of the scenes in
the movie is Ralphie getting his secret decoder ring to unlock the mysteries of
the universe. His ring consisted of all
the tools that when utilized would transform his world. He waits anxiously for the secrets to be
revealed. He would have vast knowledge
at his fingertips. In Ralphie’s case it
was a series of letters ...

But I thought it was being done – Inspecting the expected

Libby Libhart — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 19:07:14 +0100

We may have too much faith that it cannot happen, or
won’t happen or we’re simply naïve.
Perhaps we don’t seek, therefore we don’t find. Maybe it’s assumptions, perhaps laziness, or
even poor work ethic. It can breed and
morph in a culture where accuracy is considered unimportant. It is commonly known as – pencil whipping,
or faking information on documents.

The restaurant industry is rife with ways to lose
profitability. Just when you think you
have things buttoned up, a new twist comes along that can threaten your
business and you may not even know about it.
Last year the restaurant industry lost an estimated $200 million to a theft
scheme called “skimming”. The cashier or
server is equipped with a portable electronic device commonly known as a
“skimmer” that can be easily be hidden in a pa...