signature capture saves time, money more check out our new
TRANSCRIPT
Signature Capture Saves Time, Money ... more
Check Out Our New Website ... more
Who's Who at KWI? ... more
Burger King Cuts Losses ... more
Short Cuts – Fast, Helpful Hints ... more
Come visit us at the NRF Show, January 11-12, 2010,
at the New York Javits Convention Center Booth #1525
Thanks for partnering with KWI. Your comments mean a lot to us. Please email us — we love to respond!
KWI is concerned about your privacy. We do not rent, sell or exchange email addresses. © 2009 Kliger Weiss Infosystems. All other trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective holders.
New Signature Capture Brings
Simplicity to Credit TransactionsKWI is proud to announce the latest advance in our continuing partnership with Ingenico - a leading provider of PIN pad and payment device technology. We are now offering the Ingenico 6780 for both signature capture and PIN-based debit processing. In the mission to reduce redundant paperwork and streamline the sales audit process, signature capture creates a very attractive option.
When the Ingenico 6780 is used as a signature capture device for all credit card transactions, KWI retains that digital representation of the signature. The store's signed paper copy of the transaction is no longer needed.
Why is this helpful? Because, should you receive a chargeback from your credit processor, you no longer have to dig through paper receipts by store to find the signed hardcopy, or contact the store to have it faxed over to your sales audit team.
Instead, any credit transaction from any location that has been signature captured can be brought up in KWI Back Office and printed out. The system is fast, accurate and user-friendly. It eliminates the need for weekly mail packs sent from your stores to the corporate office - thus reducing the costs (in overhead, processing and shipping) associated with securing these documents.
The ingenious Ingenico 6780 does more than signature capture. When integrated for PIN-based debit, it provides a low-cost processing solution for charge transactions. Debit payment is a great option for many retailers today, and helps to prevent over-stepping credit limits. Using PIN-based debit, the customer gets to account for the transaction with a real time reduction of funds from their checking account (i.e. not accumulating additional credit debt). It's a win for the retailer as the costs associated with debit processing are often significantly lower than credit processing.
One last advantage of the Ingenico 6780 is robust functionality for providing customer-centric advertising when not actively processing transactions. KWI
plans to leverage this for our clients. Your marketing messages will scroll automatically on the device when not in use … turning empty space into an advertising asset!
For more information on the Ingenico 6780 and KWI's payment processing options, please contact Brian Mallia, Concierge Services, at [email protected] or (516) 621-2400, ext. 364.
Tech Talk: New KWI Website Launching at NRF
The KWI commitment is built on continually improving service levels and technology while managing costs to keep our fees steady. Many of these improvements happen behind the scenes; others are major upgrades.
Our latest upgrade won't affect your technology, but it does put a new face on KWI and we wanted you to be among the first to know. We're just completing a major renewal of our public website, now redesigned to be richer in content and more reflective of our leadership in SaaS -- Software as a Service. The new site will debut on Monday, January 11, at the usual address: www.kwi.com. We hope you'll take a look, and give us your feedback.
In conjunction with the update of our website, we're also launching a new ad campaign in Stores magazine, and an exciting redesign of our booth at NRF. Catch up with us at Booth #1525!
As you may be aware, KWI pioneered the SaaS approach when our company was founded back in 1985. Since then, we've focused on providing intelligent business systems customized for the specialty retailer. We dependably deliver the latest technology -- fully tested and supported. In fact, our clients enjoy all the "bells and whistles" that are available to Tier 1 companies … the same powerful system functionality as the major retailers, at a fraction of the cost.
We're pleased to start the New Year by unveiling our new website. It marks 25 years of solid growth with an unparalleled rate of client retention. Our goal is to continue this remarkable record by delivering the total commitment you and your business deserve.
Thanks for choosing KWI as your retail solutions partner -- we hope to see you this month at NRF!
For more information, please contact Dan Markowitz, Chief Financial Officer, at [email protected] or (516) 621-2400, ext. 305.
Meet the Investigative Team
Top from left: Janice McCort, Augusto Castano, and Michelle Cabrita. Bottom from left: Bill Ramos, Phil Hummel, and Kim Woo.KWI's Loss Prevention Division, The Zellman Group brings our clients comprehensive Loss Prevention services. This includes highly effective investigative work.
The Investigative Team has a combined work experience of nearly 100 years in the Loss Prevention field, culled from a variety of public, international and private companies. This experience provides valuable insight for our clients, supporting the introduction of best practice solutions appropriate for their particular environment.
Throughout investigations, the team works closely with Zellman's Analytical Group, which utilizes the exception reporting software XBR to detect POS fraud and alert the investigators of potential loss. Analytics also works with the Sales
Audit Department to facilitate the investigation and timely response.
Investigation capabilities include POS, missing bank deposits, missing product, sexual harassment claims, and any other areas requiring professional inquiry.
Each member of the Investigative Team has attained CFI (Certified Forensic Interviewer) status. Periodic retraining and refresher courses enable the team to refine skills and learn new techniques as well as any changes in regulations -- thus ensuring the highest quality investigations for our clients. They are committed to providing the best results, working closely with clients to address issues as quickly as possible and provide the most viable solutions.
To learn more about The Zellman Group's investigative services, please contact Bill Ramos, VP of Loss Prevention, at [email protected] or (516) 403-2413.
Burger King® Has It Their Way:
Loss Prevention with KWIBurger King is the second largest fast food hamburger chain in the world, with 12,000 restaurants and 11 million customers each day. That huge volume in a giant organization does more than produce profits … it also presents opportunities for theft, particularly internal theft at the register.
Determined to find the best solution, BK asked a number of Loss Prevention providers to run test programs in their
restaurants. We are pleased to report that after a very successful two-month pilot, BK has formally engaged The Zellman Group, KWI's LP division, for Loss Prevention services in their 1,050 U.S. and Canadian locations. They are also looking at our Field Audit solution.
The pilot program confirmed that The Zellman Group's LP initiative had a major impact and achieved a much higher result than other companies competing for this account.
Our pilot began in August with 300 company-owned locations in the U.S. and Canada. Utilizing XBR (exception reporting software), the Analytics department reviewed POS transactions to find anomalies that would point to POS fraud. Our investigators then conducted dozens of employee interviews, achieving high levels of theft admissions.
In addition, The Zellman Group tracked their sales four weeks before conducting the interview and four weeks after. This revealed an average comp increase of 4% in each restaurant that had an employee interviewed for suspected POS fraud. Not only did we remove the dishonest employee from their environment, but we also showed an increase in sales.
In November, BK signed a contract with The Zellman Group to continue performing POS analysis and employee interviews for suspected theft. Each day, additional locations get added to XBR for POS review.
Today, over 985 locations are being reviewed on a daily basis by our Loss
Prevention analysts. By the beginning of 2010, we will have data for all 1,050 company-owned North America locations. At that point, Burger King will truly have it their way in preventing loss and improving profits.
For more information, please contact Stuart Levine, President, The Zellman Group, at [email protected] or (516) 625-0006.
This Month’s Short Cuts
Time-saving tips and ideas that are right on the money – from the staff of KWI.
1. KWI Merchant Services Tip of the Month … from David Drucker and Phyllis Gricco
Playing By The Rules
When you become a MasterCard® and Visa® merchant, there are basic card acceptance rules that you agree to follow. These rules are made for a reason: by adhering to them, you can increase customer satisfaction and avoid
compliance issues that could put your continued ability to accept credit cards at risk.
Some of the rules outlined in the Visa and MasterCard manuals are as follows: Card Logos & Acceptance: You must display the appropriate card logos for any card types that you accept, and advise your customers of their payment options. You must honor all categories of cards (credit, debit, rewards, etc.) within each card type that you accept. Dollar Minimums and Maximums: You may not impose a minimum or maximum amount for any transactions. Surcharges: All credit card transactions must be treated like any other transactions. You may not impose any surcharge on a transaction because your customer is using a credit card. However, you may offer a discount to your customers for paying in cash provided the offer is clearly disclosed to your customers and the cash price is a discount from the standard price charged for any other type of payment.
Following these regulations makes good business sense.
For more information on credit card policy, please contact David Drucker, President, KWI Merchant Services, at [email protected] or (516) 621-2400, ext. 720.
2. CRM Tip of the Month … from Jubin Thomas, CRM Services Manager
Get 'Em Where They Live!
Looking for better CRM results? Why not let your customers tell you where they live?
Throughout this holiday season we have been asked by many of our clients to pull lists based on a store's radius (e.g. pull all customers who live within a 15 mile radius from the store). This is fine because it's easy to visualize a pre-defined radius from a given location. However, not all communities are economically the same. Also, some of your best customers may live outside an arbitrary radius that the marketing group selects.
Is there a better way? You bet -- let your best customers tell you where they live. Instead of using an arbitrary radius, focus on the zip codes, wherever they may be, that have a large enough customer concentration to be considered part of the store's trade area.
When using a radius to define a store's trade area, remember the following:
1. You will definitely include some of the zip-codes that make up the store's market area, simply based on proximity.
2. You will include some geography (and consumers) that are not really part of your market area.
3. You will exclude some geography (and consumers) that should be part of the market area.
The right CRM program will address and balance the issues of your store's trade area. We're sure you have questions -- if you would like to discuss your strategy, give us a call. For more information on effective CRM strategies, please contact Jubin Thomas, CRM Services Manager, at [email protected] or (516) 621-2400, ext. 367. 3. LP Tip of the Month ... from Karen Gilbert, CFI, Loss Prevention District Manager, The Zellman Group, LLC
How to Spot a Suspicious Customer - Part II
Last month we discussed why a customer's physical appearance (face, manner of dress, etc.) may not be good indicator of intention to shoplift. However, there are some behavioral indicators that are usually much more accurate.
Here are a few scenarios that may indicate dishonest intent:
�● A store associate has offered to assist the customer. But the customer avoids assistance and conversation with staff, and looks at the employees
more than the merchandise. Likely conclusion: this person is most likely not thinking about purchasing any merchandise.
�● The customer is shopping in the corner, selecting random merchandise quickly and spending a lot of time near the exit. Note: this is not a good sign!
�● The repeat customer seems to make more returns than purchases and most of time is not able to provide a receipt. Fraud alert: this person is most likely not purchasing any merchandise but instead doing a pick up return. Pick up return is when a customer enters a store without merchandise, quickly selects any merchandise that was easy to pick up while entering or walking around the store, then proceeds to the register to return the item.
During a conversation, the customer inquires about security, cameras, sensors or loss prevention measures. Most likely this is no casual inquiry: they are trying to find out if they will get caught shoplifting. For more information on shoplifting prevention, please contact Lauren Pedro, Field Audit Supervisor, at [email protected] or (516) 403-2426.
New Signature Capture Brings
Simplicity to Credit TransactionsKWI is proud to announce the latest advance in our continuing partnership with Ingenico - a leading provider of PIN pad and payment device technology. We are now offering the Ingenico 6780 for both signature capture and PIN-based debit processing. In the mission to reduce redundant paperwork and streamline the sales audit process, signature capture creates a very attractive option.
When the Ingenico 6780 is used as a signature capture device for all credit card transactions, KWI retains that digital representation of the signature. The store's signed paper copy of the transaction is no longer needed.
Why is this helpful? Because, should you receive a chargeback from your credit processor, you no longer have to dig through paper receipts by store to find the signed hardcopy, or contact the store to have it faxed over to your sales audit team.
Instead, any credit transaction from any location that has been signature captured can be brought up in KWI Back Office and printed out. The system is fast, accurate and user-friendly. It eliminates the need for weekly mail packs sent from your stores to the corporate office - thus reducing the costs (in overhead, processing and shipping) associated with securing these documents.
The ingenious Ingenico 6780 does more than signature capture. When integrated for PIN-based debit, it provides a low-cost processing solution for charge transactions. Debit payment is a great option for many retailers today, and helps to prevent over-stepping credit limits. Using PIN-based debit, the customer gets to account for the transaction with a real time reduction of funds from their checking account (i.e. not accumulating additional credit debt). It's a win for the retailer as the costs associated with debit processing are often significantly lower than credit processing.
One last advantage of the Ingenico 6780 is robust functionality for providing customer-centric advertising when not actively processing transactions. KWI
plans to leverage this for our clients. Your marketing messages will scroll automatically on the device when not in use … turning empty space into an advertising asset!
For more information on the Ingenico 6780 and KWI's payment processing options, please contact Brian Mallia, Concierge Services, at [email protected] or (516) 621-2400, ext. 364.
Tech Talk: New KWI Website Launching at NRF
The KWI commitment is built on continually improving service levels and technology while managing costs to keep our fees steady. Many of these improvements happen behind the scenes; others are major upgrades.
Our latest upgrade won't affect your technology, but it does put a new face on KWI and we wanted you to be among the first to know. We're just completing a major renewal of our public website, now redesigned to be richer in content and more reflective of our leadership in SaaS -- Software as a Service. The new site will debut on Monday, January 11, at the usual address: www.kwi.com. We hope you'll take a look, and give us your feedback.
In conjunction with the update of our website, we're also launching a new ad campaign in Stores magazine, and an exciting redesign of our booth at NRF. Catch up with us at Booth #1525!
As you may be aware, KWI pioneered the SaaS approach when our company was founded back in 1985. Since then, we've focused on providing intelligent business systems customized for the specialty retailer. We dependably deliver the latest technology -- fully tested and supported. In fact, our clients enjoy all the "bells and whistles" that are available to Tier 1 companies … the same powerful system functionality as the major retailers, at a fraction of the cost.
We're pleased to start the New Year by unveiling our new website. It marks 25 years of solid growth with an unparalleled rate of client retention. Our goal is to continue this remarkable record by delivering the total commitment you and your business deserve.
Thanks for choosing KWI as your retail solutions partner -- we hope to see you this month at NRF!
For more information, please contact Dan Markowitz, Chief Financial Officer, at [email protected] or (516) 621-2400, ext. 305.
Meet the Investigative Team
Top from left: Janice McCort, Augusto Castano, and Michelle Cabrita. Bottom from left: Bill Ramos, Phil Hummel, and Kim Woo.KWI's Loss Prevention Division, The Zellman Group brings our clients comprehensive Loss Prevention services. This includes highly effective investigative work.
The Investigative Team has a combined work experience of nearly 100 years in the Loss Prevention field, culled from a variety of public, international and private companies. This experience provides valuable insight for our clients, supporting the introduction of best practice solutions appropriate for their particular environment.
Throughout investigations, the team works closely with Zellman's Analytical Group, which utilizes the exception reporting software XBR to detect POS fraud and alert the investigators of potential loss. Analytics also works with the Sales
Audit Department to facilitate the investigation and timely response.
Investigation capabilities include POS, missing bank deposits, missing product, sexual harassment claims, and any other areas requiring professional inquiry.
Each member of the Investigative Team has attained CFI (Certified Forensic Interviewer) status. Periodic retraining and refresher courses enable the team to refine skills and learn new techniques as well as any changes in regulations -- thus ensuring the highest quality investigations for our clients. They are committed to providing the best results, working closely with clients to address issues as quickly as possible and provide the most viable solutions.
To learn more about The Zellman Group's investigative services, please contact Bill Ramos, VP of Loss Prevention, at [email protected] or (516) 403-2413.
Burger King® Has It Their Way:
Loss Prevention with KWIBurger King is the second largest fast food hamburger chain in the world, with 12,000 restaurants and 11 million customers each day. That huge volume in a giant organization does more than produce profits … it also presents opportunities for theft, particularly internal theft at the register.
Determined to find the best solution, BK asked a number of Loss Prevention providers to run test programs in their
restaurants. We are pleased to report that after a very successful two-month pilot, BK has formally engaged The Zellman Group, KWI's LP division, for Loss Prevention services in their 1,050 U.S. and Canadian locations. They are also looking at our Field Audit solution.
The pilot program confirmed that The Zellman Group's LP initiative had a major impact and achieved a much higher result than other companies competing for this account.
Our pilot began in August with 300 company-owned locations in the U.S. and Canada. Utilizing XBR (exception reporting software), the Analytics department reviewed POS transactions to find anomalies that would point to POS fraud. Our investigators then conducted dozens of employee interviews, achieving high levels of theft admissions.
In addition, The Zellman Group tracked their sales four weeks before conducting the interview and four weeks after. This revealed an average comp increase of 4% in each restaurant that had an employee interviewed for suspected POS fraud. Not only did we remove the dishonest employee from their environment, but we also showed an increase in sales.
In November, BK signed a contract with The Zellman Group to continue performing POS analysis and employee interviews for suspected theft. Each day, additional locations get added to XBR for POS review.
Today, over 985 locations are being reviewed on a daily basis by our Loss
Prevention analysts. By the beginning of 2010, we will have data for all 1,050 company-owned North America locations. At that point, Burger King will truly have it their way in preventing loss and improving profits.
For more information, please contact Stuart Levine, President, The Zellman Group, at [email protected] or (516) 625-0006.
This Month’s Short Cuts
Time-saving tips and ideas that are right on the money – from the staff of KWI.
1. KWI Merchant Services Tip of the Month … from David Drucker and Phyllis Gricco
Playing By The Rules
When you become a MasterCard® and Visa® merchant, there are basic card acceptance rules that you agree to follow. These rules are made for a reason: by adhering to them, you can increase customer satisfaction and avoid
compliance issues that could put your continued ability to accept credit cards at risk.
Some of the rules outlined in the Visa and MasterCard manuals are as follows: Card Logos & Acceptance: You must display the appropriate card logos for any card types that you accept, and advise your customers of their payment options. You must honor all categories of cards (credit, debit, rewards, etc.) within each card type that you accept. Dollar Minimums and Maximums: You may not impose a minimum or maximum amount for any transactions. Surcharges: All credit card transactions must be treated like any other transactions. You may not impose any surcharge on a transaction because your customer is using a credit card. However, you may offer a discount to your customers for paying in cash provided the offer is clearly disclosed to your customers and the cash price is a discount from the standard price charged for any other type of payment.
Following these regulations makes good business sense.
For more information on credit card policy, please contact David Drucker, President, KWI Merchant Services, at [email protected] or (516) 621-2400, ext. 720.
2. CRM Tip of the Month … from Jubin Thomas, CRM Services Manager
Get 'Em Where They Live!
Looking for better CRM results? Why not let your customers tell you where they live?
Throughout this holiday season we have been asked by many of our clients to pull lists based on a store's radius (e.g. pull all customers who live within a 15 mile radius from the store). This is fine because it's easy to visualize a pre-defined radius from a given location. However, not all communities are economically the same. Also, some of your best customers may live outside an arbitrary radius that the marketing group selects.
Is there a better way? You bet -- let your best customers tell you where they live. Instead of using an arbitrary radius, focus on the zip codes, wherever they may be, that have a large enough customer concentration to be considered part of the store's trade area.
When using a radius to define a store's trade area, remember the following:
1. You will definitely include some of the zip-codes that make up the store's market area, simply based on proximity.
2. You will include some geography (and consumers) that are not really part of your market area.
3. You will exclude some geography (and consumers) that should be part of the market area.
The right CRM program will address and balance the issues of your store's trade area. We're sure you have questions -- if you would like to discuss your strategy, give us a call. For more information on effective CRM strategies, please contact Jubin Thomas, CRM Services Manager, at [email protected] or (516) 621-2400, ext. 367. 3. LP Tip of the Month ... from Karen Gilbert, CFI, Loss Prevention District Manager, The Zellman Group, LLC
How to Spot a Suspicious Customer - Part II
Last month we discussed why a customer's physical appearance (face, manner of dress, etc.) may not be good indicator of intention to shoplift. However, there are some behavioral indicators that are usually much more accurate.
Here are a few scenarios that may indicate dishonest intent:
�● A store associate has offered to assist the customer. But the customer avoids assistance and conversation with staff, and looks at the employees
more than the merchandise. Likely conclusion: this person is most likely not thinking about purchasing any merchandise.
�● The customer is shopping in the corner, selecting random merchandise quickly and spending a lot of time near the exit. Note: this is not a good sign!
�● The repeat customer seems to make more returns than purchases and most of time is not able to provide a receipt. Fraud alert: this person is most likely not purchasing any merchandise but instead doing a pick up return. Pick up return is when a customer enters a store without merchandise, quickly selects any merchandise that was easy to pick up while entering or walking around the store, then proceeds to the register to return the item.
�● During a conversation, the customer inquires about security, cameras, sensors or loss prevention measures. Most likely this is no casual inquiry: they are trying to find out if they will get caught shoplifting.
For more information on shoplifting prevention, please contact Lauren Pedro, Field Audit Supervisor, at [email protected] or (516) 403-2426.