7 store security tips for the holiday season

New York--For many jewelers the weeks to come will, hopefully, be a time when their stores are crowded with holiday shoppers.

While increased sales are great for a store’s bottom line, the long hours associated with waiting on more people can lead to jewelers cutting corners or making mental mistakes when it comes to security procedures--not closing and locking showcases, leaving product on the counter or not putting away inventory at night. 

Recently, Jewelers Security Alliance President John J. Kennedy spoke with National Jeweler about the seven most common mistakes jewelers make as the holiday rush hits, and he shared his recommendations for avoiding them.

1. Leaving showcases open
The fact that there are more customers in the store and employees are running around trying to wait on them all can mean that showcases don’t get closed and locked every time someone takes out a piece.

This leads to more sneak and distraction thefts, but those can be avoided if jewelers remind employees that the same security procedures apply year-round, no matter how busy the store gets.

Close and lock the showcase every time a piece is removed. Also, only take out one piece at time. Don’t, for example, remove an entire tray of rings and leave it on the counter.

2. Not properly training temporary workers on store security
Whether it’s hired holiday help or a bookkeeper brought up from the back of the store, those who don’t work the sales floor regularly need an orientation on security procedures.

“You have to make sure they’re all up to speed on security,” Kennedy said. “Your weakest link could be that person who’s only there for a month.”

He also recommended that when jewelers hire someone for a seasonal job who is completely unknown to the store, they pay a firm to do an online background check on that individual. A solid online background check costs about $150 in most cases.

“That person has just as much access to you as any thief, if not more,” he said. “If you don’t know them, then you better (do a background check).”

3. Turning their backs on customers
Like No. 1, this error also occurs because the store is busy.

Retailers or their employees leave jewelry on the counter while they turn around to do gift wrapping or grab a calculator and thieves take advantage. They snatch a ring