If you own your own business, you probably have a lot of things to worry about on a daily basis. Not only do you have to worry about bills and keeping things afloat, but you also have to make sure that your business is being run correctly, that customers are happy and that you are doing enough advertising. Although it might seem like a lot on your plate, this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t take other things seriously. For instance, one issue that you might not want to think about is employee theft, but it is important to make sure that your employees are not stealing from your business.
Are Your Employees Stealing From You?
As a business owner who may be close to your employees, you probably want to think the best of the people who run your business every day. Although you probably have a group of good, dependable and trustworthy employees, you can’t ignore the fact that one of the most common forms of theft at a business is employee theft. Since your employees have access to your money, your merchandise and plenty of other things in your business, you are putting yourself in a vulnerable position if you do not address the idea of employee theft.
If you have recently noticed stock disappearing, money not coming out right or other suspicious things related to your money, you should certainly consider employee theft. Although honest mistakes do happen and shoplifters and other thieves sometimes steal things from stores, you shouldn’t ignore the fact that your employees could be stealing from you, and the best way to find out and to prevent future employee theft is to install a good security camera system in your business.
Even if you have not noticed any money or materials missing, you shouldn’t assume that employee theft isn’t an issue at your business. Some employees are surprisingly slick when it comes to pocketing your money or stealing items from your business, and they might get away with it for a long time if you do not put forth an effort to catch it. Therefore, even business owners who feel as if their businesses are running smoothly should put forth an effort to prevent and catch employee theft.
Where to Position Cameras to Watch Your POS Cash Register
If you do not already have a surveillance system in place with cameras over your POS cash registers, you are making a big mistake. It does not cost a lot to install a surveillance system and to put up cameras in the right places, and you can actually save yourself a lot of money and heartache in the long run by doing so.
Keeping cameras positioned over your POS cash registers can help to prevent theft from employees. Employees who know that they are being carefully watched are less likely to steal from you than those who think that they can get away with it without being seen, so you may be able to deter crime simply by posting cameras over your cash registers. However, it is important not to get too comfortable. Along with installing cameras, you need to make sure that they are constantly recording, and you should watch your surveillance footage on a regular basis in order to watch for suspicious behavior. Employees who act suspiciously should not be ignored, and you shouldn’t give them the benefit of the doubt; doing so can cost you a lot of money, and employees who get away with stealing for a certain length of time without any repercussions are more likely to give braver and braver with each attempt. If you see something that does not look right on your cameras, you should make an effort to investigate the situation further, and you should watch the employee more closely for issues in the future.
Along with cutting back on employee theft, installing cameras over your POS cash registers can provide other security benefits. As alarming as it is to think about, it is important to know that violent robberies are more common now than they were in the past. If you do not have proper video surveillance over your cash registers, you may not capture the evidence that you need in order to catch and prosecute someone if they rob your store, restaurant or other business. Therefore, you can benefit greatly from installing these cameras, both by cutting back on employee theft and other issues.
When hanging security cameras over your POS cash register, it is important not to be too cheap. Some people make the mistake of hanging just one or two cameras over all of their cash registers in hopes that they will be able to catch things that happen at each register. However, having your cameras installed too far away from each register can increase your chances of missing something small yet suspicious if it occurs. Your employees will get used to the placement of the cameras, and they might try to find ways to do things without being seen by your surveillance cameras. Therefore, it is best to go ahead and spend the extra money up front on sufficient cameras instead of hoping that a few cameras will catch everything.
You might be tempted to hide your cameras, and this isn’t always a bad idea. However, it can actually be beneficial to install your cameras where they can be easily seen. Just the sight of a camera can often be enough to convince an employee not to attempt anything or to scare a would-be thief away; simply make sure to hang your cameras up high enough that they cannot be tampered with.
What is a POS Cash Register Text Inserter?
Along with hanging security cameras over your POS cash registers, you should consider purchasing a POS cash register text inserter device. The truth is, a security camera alone can make it difficult for you to catch certain issues with your employees and your cash registers. Although you might be able to see it if someone physically puts money in their pockets, you might not notice if an employee scans the wrong item or voids something out just by watching surveillance footage alone. However, employees ringing friends and family members up for lower-priced items is surprisingly common, and it can cost you a lot of money in the long run.
The perfect solution to this problem is a POS cash register text inserter. A POS cash register text inserter is a simple device that hooks up to your cash register. You run a cable from your security camera and into the device, which hooks up to your cash register, and it puts text on your video.
Although this might not seem like a big deal, you would be surprised by just how effective these devices can be when it comes to catching employee theft. The text that is added to your video surveillance footage tells you each item that an employee rings up; it basically gives you a copy of each receipt. You can then match what you see the employee ringing up to what is actually being rung up.
Why Should a Text Inserter Be Used?
First and foremost, a text inserter is a highly effective method of catching employees in the act of stealing. If you see an employee regularly ringing up lower-priced items and placing more expensive items in bags for customers, then you can feel confident in knowing that the employee is stealing from you. You should be especially suspicious if the employee is doing these things with friends and family members or if you see the same thing happening with the same customer on a regular basis.
A text inserter doesn’t just help you to cut down on theft, however. Employees do make honest mistakes on occasion, and a text inserter can help you to catch these mistakes. If you see an otherwise reliable employee make such a mistake on a rare occasion and if it seems as if the incident wasn’t intentional, you don’t have to assume that the employee is intentionally stealing from you. However, you should still address the issue; whether it is intentional or not, these mistakes cost you money, and addressing them can help you to make sure that your employees are ringing things up correctly.
Although you might think that it is too expensive to purchase a POS cash register security camera that inserts text onto your surveillance footage, you might be surprised by how quickly the unit will pay for itself. By catching both employees who steal and honest mistakes, you can cut your losses in a major way by using a text inserter. If you are still concerned about the price, you should consider comparing your options online; many business owners are surprised by just how affordable these units can be.
Other Ways to Watch for Employee Theft
Using security cameras and text inserters can help you to quickly cut down on theft and losses at the cash register. However, it is essential to understand that the cash register certainly isn’t the only place where employee theft can occur.
It is still important to keep a close watch on your inventory. Even if an employee does not actually steal cash from you, he or she might feel compelled to place some of your merchandise in his or her pocket or purse if he or she thinks that it is possible to get away with it. Not only should you carefully watch your numbers to make sure that none of your stock is disappearing, but you should also consider posting security cameras throughout your store or business to watch out for such behavior. Not only can you catch employee theft this way, but you can also watch for shoplifting.
You should also consider installing surveillance cameras in your office and stock rooms. Even items like paper clips, pens and other office supplies can be stolen, and the cost can be major if the theft of these items becomes too common. By keeping an eye on all of your belongings, you can save a lot of money in the long run.
How to Proceed After an Employee Has Been Caught Stealing
If you have caught an employee stealing from you, you might be more than a little bit hurt to know that someone who you trusted with your POS cash register and your business has betrayed you. However, it is important to take action right away. Ignoring problems can not only cost you a lot of money, but it can also cause employees to think that they can get away with this type of behavior.
There are several steps that you can take after catching an employee stealing. Some business owners decide to give employees a second chance if the theft was minor, such as a few office supplies, but this is up to you. If you do decide to give the employee another chance, you should keep a very close eye on him or her in the future to make sure that it does not happen again.
You may also decide that it is a better idea to let your employee go after you have caught him or her stealing. You can also press criminal charges if you choose.
Although it is sad to think that your employees might be stealing from you, it is important to take proactive measures in order to catch and prevent any employee theft at your business. Many business owners make the mistake of being too trusting with their employees, but you don’t want to let this happen to you. Although you surely try to get along well with your employees and want to think the best of them, you have to think about your business, and you have to do what you have to do in order to protect yourself and your company from theft. Instead of accusing or asking, consider doing the right thing in order to make sure that no one is stealing from your business. By installing cameras in the right places and taking the right action, you can save countless amounts of money, and your video surveillance system is sure to pay for itself in the long run.
