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I've mentioned this before, but we have a law in Tennessee which will soon go into effect which requires ID for all beer sales regardless of age. It's called the Responsible Vendor Act, I think. My store has been enforcing this as a company policy for some time, and has extended it to include all age-restricted products -- tobacco, ephedrine, lottery, lighters, etc. Personally, I think it's great because it eliminates a lot of hassle with the majority of people. They don't have their ID, they don't get the product. It's that simple. Of course, you still get some nitwits who make the false observation that our store is the only place which cards everyone. I know better because I shop at some of the other stores often enough to know where I get carded and where I don't.
Saturday night....
So, Saturday night, I get this jackass who wants to buy a pack of cigarettes with change. He starts counting it out before he even tells me what he wants. Business is slow at the moment, so I just stand there watching him. He finally tells me what he wants.
I ask him for ID.
Of course, he didn't bring it with him. He insists that he's 36.
I inform him that I don't care how old he is because company policy requires me to card regardless of age, pointing to the sign posted by the register for emphasis. (Don't blame me that you're obviously an illiterate idiot with your head up your ass.)
Another customer walks in during the course of jackass's little tantrum. So, he actually strikes the counter and manages to scatter his change. Then he storms out to his car to look for his ID.
I proceed to wait on the other customer. "It's hard to just do your job sometimes," she sympathizes. I agree, but tell her that I've pretty much become immune to letting such jerks bother me. She smiles and nods. So, we chat back and forth pleasantly enough until the jerk returns.
She also wanted cigarettes, but had her ID ready. Here comes jackass as I give her her stuff. He starts running his mouth about how he doesn't have his ID, and that this is bullshit, blah, blah, blah, boo, hoo.
I'm now waiting for the nice lady's receipt to print so she can sign it and get her copy. She just quietly stood there and did her business. I tell him that I'm on camera, so I'm not selling him ID. Besides, I'm waiting on another customer now, so he needs to back off and wait his turn.
"I don't give a f*** if you're on camera, I want my cigarettes now!" As if I'm supposed to just bow down and hand them over. "I already told you no, now take your change and leave. I've had enough of you."
"Well, I'm not going to do business here again!"
"With your attitude, you don't need to come back again. Suits me just fine"
He's now struggling to pick up his change, "You could help me pick up this change!"
"I could, but I'm not the one who scattered it by acting like a two-year-old. I'm not going to help you. Now pick it up and leave."
"I'm going to talk to your manager tomorrow morning."
"Yeah, you go ahead and do that. In the meantime, don't let the door hit you on your way out tonight."
He storms out the door, and about knocks one of our regulars down on his way out. She gives him a dirty look, "What the f*** is your problem, asshole?"
I guess he said something to her because she stepped back out the door, "Want me to come over there and knock the sh!t out of you?" She steps inside and asks me what his problem was. I told her he was being a baby because I wouldn't sell him cigarettes. She told me that she would have probably tackled him for me because she was in a bad mood already, and ready to hit someone. I told her I'd be glad to turn my head if she wanted to go tackle him in the parking lot, still. She actually laughed.
The nice lady who had witnessed the whole mess was still standing there. She had this sympathetic look on her face. "I don't know how you put up with them. I'd either be bawling because I was so mad, or I'd have went around the counter on him."
I just smiled. "Those kind aren't worth it."
"Well since he's gone, I'll go. I just thought I'd have my cell phone ready in case he got out of hand. It looks like he's gone."
"Thank you for being a nice one. We always appreciate that."
She went on her way, and life went on until time to go home. Yesterday, I told the assistant manager about it, and she said she hasn't heard anything. She'd likely go over the counter if he got out of line with her. I've seen her do it to SCs before. In fact, my first week of training, she went off on a jerky customer and ran him out of the store. I just watched that event in amusement.
Sunday....
I was supposed to be off, but the new girl who was scheduled to work Sunday morning never showed up. The assistant manager called me to see if I'd work because she needed to get the paperwork done. I told her that I'd be there as soon as I could get some coffee in my system and get ready.
I arrive just after noon, when beer sales begin. It's still slow because some churches are still going.
This white trash poster guy brings a case of beer to the counter. I ask for his ID. Most customers are used to it by now, and most people throw their fits over being carded for cigarettes rather than beer.
"I tell you what you can stick it up your ass."
"So can you jerk!"
Anyway, he walks out. A moment later he pulls up along side the window and honks. He flips me the bird, and I flip him back. He drives away. I was waiting on a regular, and he gives me a funny look, "I've never seen you act out like that!"
The customer I'm talking to by this time is a regular who always has his ID ready to show when he does buy beer, but he wasn't buying it this time.
"The guy was being a jerk. I carded him for beer, and he didn't want to show his ID. So, he thinks he's putting me in my place now, I guess."
The regular starts laughing, "Some people are idiots. How hard is it to show an ID? You're just doing your job."
"Apparently some must think it's impossible, but we always appreciate the better customers, anyway."
We both just laugh about it, and life goes on. After he left, the assistant manager asked what that was all about, and so I told her. She just laughed.
That's why I like my managers at the store. Their philosophy is that customers who don't like the rules here can go somewhere else where they will like the rules. We have plenty of good customers willing to do business with us, we don't need crappy ones.
Saturday night....
So, Saturday night, I get this jackass who wants to buy a pack of cigarettes with change. He starts counting it out before he even tells me what he wants. Business is slow at the moment, so I just stand there watching him. He finally tells me what he wants.
I ask him for ID.
Of course, he didn't bring it with him. He insists that he's 36.
I inform him that I don't care how old he is because company policy requires me to card regardless of age, pointing to the sign posted by the register for emphasis. (Don't blame me that you're obviously an illiterate idiot with your head up your ass.)
Another customer walks in during the course of jackass's little tantrum. So, he actually strikes the counter and manages to scatter his change. Then he storms out to his car to look for his ID.
I proceed to wait on the other customer. "It's hard to just do your job sometimes," she sympathizes. I agree, but tell her that I've pretty much become immune to letting such jerks bother me. She smiles and nods. So, we chat back and forth pleasantly enough until the jerk returns.
She also wanted cigarettes, but had her ID ready. Here comes jackass as I give her her stuff. He starts running his mouth about how he doesn't have his ID, and that this is bullshit, blah, blah, blah, boo, hoo.
I'm now waiting for the nice lady's receipt to print so she can sign it and get her copy. She just quietly stood there and did her business. I tell him that I'm on camera, so I'm not selling him ID. Besides, I'm waiting on another customer now, so he needs to back off and wait his turn.
"I don't give a f*** if you're on camera, I want my cigarettes now!" As if I'm supposed to just bow down and hand them over. "I already told you no, now take your change and leave. I've had enough of you."
"Well, I'm not going to do business here again!"
"With your attitude, you don't need to come back again. Suits me just fine"
He's now struggling to pick up his change, "You could help me pick up this change!"
"I could, but I'm not the one who scattered it by acting like a two-year-old. I'm not going to help you. Now pick it up and leave."
"I'm going to talk to your manager tomorrow morning."
"Yeah, you go ahead and do that. In the meantime, don't let the door hit you on your way out tonight."
He storms out the door, and about knocks one of our regulars down on his way out. She gives him a dirty look, "What the f*** is your problem, asshole?"
I guess he said something to her because she stepped back out the door, "Want me to come over there and knock the sh!t out of you?" She steps inside and asks me what his problem was. I told her he was being a baby because I wouldn't sell him cigarettes. She told me that she would have probably tackled him for me because she was in a bad mood already, and ready to hit someone. I told her I'd be glad to turn my head if she wanted to go tackle him in the parking lot, still. She actually laughed.
The nice lady who had witnessed the whole mess was still standing there. She had this sympathetic look on her face. "I don't know how you put up with them. I'd either be bawling because I was so mad, or I'd have went around the counter on him."
I just smiled. "Those kind aren't worth it."
"Well since he's gone, I'll go. I just thought I'd have my cell phone ready in case he got out of hand. It looks like he's gone."
"Thank you for being a nice one. We always appreciate that."
She went on her way, and life went on until time to go home. Yesterday, I told the assistant manager about it, and she said she hasn't heard anything. She'd likely go over the counter if he got out of line with her. I've seen her do it to SCs before. In fact, my first week of training, she went off on a jerky customer and ran him out of the store. I just watched that event in amusement.
Sunday....
I was supposed to be off, but the new girl who was scheduled to work Sunday morning never showed up. The assistant manager called me to see if I'd work because she needed to get the paperwork done. I told her that I'd be there as soon as I could get some coffee in my system and get ready.
I arrive just after noon, when beer sales begin. It's still slow because some churches are still going.
This white trash poster guy brings a case of beer to the counter. I ask for his ID. Most customers are used to it by now, and most people throw their fits over being carded for cigarettes rather than beer.
"I tell you what you can stick it up your ass."
"So can you jerk!"
Anyway, he walks out. A moment later he pulls up along side the window and honks. He flips me the bird, and I flip him back. He drives away. I was waiting on a regular, and he gives me a funny look, "I've never seen you act out like that!"
The customer I'm talking to by this time is a regular who always has his ID ready to show when he does buy beer, but he wasn't buying it this time.
"The guy was being a jerk. I carded him for beer, and he didn't want to show his ID. So, he thinks he's putting me in my place now, I guess."
The regular starts laughing, "Some people are idiots. How hard is it to show an ID? You're just doing your job."
"Apparently some must think it's impossible, but we always appreciate the better customers, anyway."
We both just laugh about it, and life goes on. After he left, the assistant manager asked what that was all about, and so I told her. She just laughed.
That's why I like my managers at the store. Their philosophy is that customers who don't like the rules here can go somewhere else where they will like the rules. We have plenty of good customers willing to do business with us, we don't need crappy ones.
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