Sunday, September 13, 2009

CCTV Services, A Valuable Asset That No Business Can Do Without

By Ben Sparks

Shrinkage in the retail business is the amount of product that goes out the door without being paid for. Initially, CCTV services were intended to control shrinkage and identify and apprehend shoplifters. The utilization of CCTV services has accomplished that task. Unfortunately, many businesses who utilize CCTV services overlook the other assets of CCTV and only focus on shrinkage control.

Even the most unsophisticated of customers can recognize areas of a store that have CCTV coverage. The black dome in the ceiling can have a camera inside of it that is monitoring a set of shelves or merchandise cases. The simple fact that the black dome is there is an indication that a CCTV camera may or may not be inside. If there is a camera inside, "big brother" is watching. The mere existence of the dome serves as a deterrent to shrinkage.

CCTV services provide the owners and managers of a small business to monitor traffic flow into and out of the store. This monitoring of traffic flow by customers permits the management to schedule staff to effectively provide for an increased flow of customers during the day. The additional staff can care for the needs of the customers more effectively thus increasing customer satisfaction and return visits of the customers.

CCTV services also provide the management the opportunity to monitor the movements and actions of the staff in the company. One of the biggest loss areas in any company is employee theft. CCTV services can monitor the staff, providing the opportunity to see who is actually working and who, when times are slow in the business are not working in a productive mode. This semi-covert observation provides the ownership and management an objective way to determine exactly who the valuable employees are.

There is hardly a business in existence today that has not been threatened by a nuisance lawsuit. A customer claims that a slip or fall on a wet floor or on ice outside the business caused them serious injury. It is extraordinarily difficult to prove that the plaintiff is lying about the slip or fall without actual evidence. CCTV services can provide that evidence. The time/date stamp on the video can show that the plaintiff did not slip and fall at the time that they stated they did. This evidence is incontrovertible and highly admissible in a court of law.

CCTV services do provide a measure of shrinkage control, the business owner should not ignore however the additional benefits of CCTV services. The ability to monitor staff and customers, the ability to negate nuisance lawsuits is both valid and in actual use today. CCTV services for a modest investment provide an invaluable asset for any company. - 22787

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