A group of five came to the bar, a mixture of men and women. They had quite a broad age range, with the leader (the SC in the tale) looking like he was in his late fifties, a couple of them in the late thirties range, one late twenties, and the final girl I wasn’t sure about. She looked really young compared to the others, and I wasn’t sure if she was old enough.
SC: Hi. I want three pints of lager, a double vodka and orange and a large glass of white wine.
Me: Sure. Can I just ask if the young lady there has some I.D on her?
The girl went wide eyed and frightened.
SC: Haha. She’s only seventeen! She won’t be able to get served.
I nearly facepalmed. I decided to try and remain polite.
Me: I’m sorry, but the legal drinking age is 18. We do not allow the sale of alcohol to under 18 year olds.
SC: Oh....*very long pause*...did I say seventeen? I meant nineteen! Yeah, she’s nineteen! Aren’t you?
She keenly nodded her head.
Me: OK. Can I see the I.D then please?
SC: I told you, she doesn’t have it.
Me: Right. Well I am afraid I will be unable to serve you then. We have a very strict policy on I.D here, and without it I cannot serve your group.
SC: *to girl* Go find a seat. *Turns back to me* Right, can I have that order now please?
Me: But she’s still here...
SC: Yeah, but she’s not at the bar being served. I will give it to her when she gets to the table, and that’s the end of it.
Me: I can’t allow that to happen. Without I.D none of you can be served.
SC: Seriously?
Me: Yes.
SC: You’re serious?
Me: Yes.
SC: Why do you care? Surely you were seventeen once! You know what it’s like! You must have tried being served at a bar while you were underage!
Me: I am sorry. I am just following policy and the law.
SC: Come on. One friend to another. It’s not going to affect you, is it? Let’s just pretend we didn’t have this conversation.
Me: I can’t do that.
SC: Yes you can. It’s really easy. Come on. Help us out.
Me: I really can’t. We have undercover stings coming in all the time checking to see if we are being vigilant when asking people for I.D. How do I know you aren’t one of those? I cannot take that risk, not for anything.
SC: Look, just do as I ask, OK?
Me: I cannot do that. I will not risk losing my job for this.
SC: We’re not a sting! I promise!
Me: I’m not doing it. Plus, now other customers and co-workers have heard this conversation. They report me and its bye bye job.
He tried to stare me out.
SC: Well, we’re going somewhere else then. And do you know how much money I have in my wallet?
Me: I don’t-
I was actually going to say “I don’t care” rather than “I don’t know” but he cut me off.
SC: I have £300. And I was going to spend every last penny of it in here. We didn’t have any plans to go somewhere else. Now we’re going to have to go down to *rival pub* and they are going to get our money.
Me: *complete and utter blank stare*
SC: So I bet you will make employee of the month once the boss finds out you lost this place £300. Really smart move there.
Me: But at least I will be able to wake up in the morning knowing I still have my job.
SC: But you lost good custom. You did not provide good customer service.
Me: Providing that level of customer service, i.e breaking the law, will not pay my bills at the end of the month. I would lose my job.
SC: You don’t seem to realise how much money I was willing to spend in here.
Me: I don’t make commission, I get paid by the hour regardless of how much customers spend in here. It doesn’t affect me at all.
SC: *frozen to the spot*
Me: If that’s everything...
SC: We’re going to *rival bar*!
They left. I got on the phone and called rival bar to let them know they were coming.
SC: Hi. I want three pints of lager, a double vodka and orange and a large glass of white wine.
Me: Sure. Can I just ask if the young lady there has some I.D on her?
The girl went wide eyed and frightened.
SC: Haha. She’s only seventeen! She won’t be able to get served.
I nearly facepalmed. I decided to try and remain polite.
Me: I’m sorry, but the legal drinking age is 18. We do not allow the sale of alcohol to under 18 year olds.
SC: Oh....*very long pause*...did I say seventeen? I meant nineteen! Yeah, she’s nineteen! Aren’t you?
She keenly nodded her head.
Me: OK. Can I see the I.D then please?
SC: I told you, she doesn’t have it.
Me: Right. Well I am afraid I will be unable to serve you then. We have a very strict policy on I.D here, and without it I cannot serve your group.
SC: *to girl* Go find a seat. *Turns back to me* Right, can I have that order now please?
Me: But she’s still here...
SC: Yeah, but she’s not at the bar being served. I will give it to her when she gets to the table, and that’s the end of it.
Me: I can’t allow that to happen. Without I.D none of you can be served.
SC: Seriously?
Me: Yes.
SC: You’re serious?
Me: Yes.
SC: Why do you care? Surely you were seventeen once! You know what it’s like! You must have tried being served at a bar while you were underage!
Me: I am sorry. I am just following policy and the law.
SC: Come on. One friend to another. It’s not going to affect you, is it? Let’s just pretend we didn’t have this conversation.
Me: I can’t do that.
SC: Yes you can. It’s really easy. Come on. Help us out.
Me: I really can’t. We have undercover stings coming in all the time checking to see if we are being vigilant when asking people for I.D. How do I know you aren’t one of those? I cannot take that risk, not for anything.
SC: Look, just do as I ask, OK?
Me: I cannot do that. I will not risk losing my job for this.
SC: We’re not a sting! I promise!
Me: I’m not doing it. Plus, now other customers and co-workers have heard this conversation. They report me and its bye bye job.
He tried to stare me out.
SC: Well, we’re going somewhere else then. And do you know how much money I have in my wallet?
Me: I don’t-
I was actually going to say “I don’t care” rather than “I don’t know” but he cut me off.
SC: I have £300. And I was going to spend every last penny of it in here. We didn’t have any plans to go somewhere else. Now we’re going to have to go down to *rival pub* and they are going to get our money.
Me: *complete and utter blank stare*
SC: So I bet you will make employee of the month once the boss finds out you lost this place £300. Really smart move there.
Me: But at least I will be able to wake up in the morning knowing I still have my job.
SC: But you lost good custom. You did not provide good customer service.
Me: Providing that level of customer service, i.e breaking the law, will not pay my bills at the end of the month. I would lose my job.
SC: You don’t seem to realise how much money I was willing to spend in here.
Me: I don’t make commission, I get paid by the hour regardless of how much customers spend in here. It doesn’t affect me at all.
SC: *frozen to the spot*
Me: If that’s everything...
SC: We’re going to *rival bar*!
They left. I got on the phone and called rival bar to let them know they were coming.
Comment