Was I wrong?

[darkcrimsongoth]

Hey everyone! Long time with no posting, but today made me GAHDJFDJSBF

Rule of store: Look under 16, you get asked for ID. For Lighters, Knifes, etc

High School Student: HSS
Me - Me
Cranky Parent - CP
DB Father - DB


HSS walks up to my register in school uniform, and wants to buy a lighter. Me notices HSS looks under 16. *HSS could be older, could be younger. Doesn't want to risk it*

Me: Hi, Do you have ID?
HSS: No...I'll be back..

Forward to CP and HSS in my line, HSS grabs 3 lighters, gives them to CP.

Me: Hi, does HSS have ID?
CP: I"M BUYING THESE FOR MYSELF!!!!!
Me:I know, but HSS was here before----"
CP: I"M BUYING THESE FOR MYSELF!!!!!
Me: I kn---"

CP and HSS exit the store, CP yelling something about ID or something.

DB comes into store wants to speak with the manager.

DB yells at Me, for around *correction 1 1/2* minutes, because I shouldn't throw people out the store and embarrass them, his daughter was 17 years old, etc etc. I'm close to crying at this point, this guy is huge and yelling at me. Manager agrees with guy, but I'm not in trouble. I explain to manager that the girl had come through before and the mother was going to buy the lighters for her. At this point I'm starting to cry, Manager is saying, 'Don't get upset,'. I'm like "I'm going on my break now"

Was I in the wrong for not selling the CP the lighters, when she was going to buy them for her daughter, who had not shown any ID?

I didn't want to be the one who gets the blame if HSS gets caught with the lighter by doing something stupid if HSS was underage and blames it on me.

[Magpie]

Was I in the wrong for not selling the CP the lighters, when she was going to buy them for her daughter, who had not shown any ID?

Ask your manager, or someone else who knows store policy. Policy varies from place to place, and even when it's a legal requirement (like carding for alcohol), it's not the same everywhere. It could be like R tickets for a movie - as long as it's a parent buying them, it's ok. But you didn't know, and the parents were total douchebags. I don't care if you HAD done something wrong, dad doesn't come in and yell at you for three minutes. (And if there was a need to yell, why couldn't mom do it herself?)

[darkcrimsongoth]

I didn't want any problems occurring if I'd sold an underage girl a lighter. Who's to say the mother just won't blame it on me if I had sold her the lighter?

It was probably around about a 1 minute and a half, for the guy yelling at me, sorry. I'll change that. I was just in shock.

I don't know why the father got involved in it. He wasn't there at the time, so my guess is that the mother just rang out screaming about ID and the father got a garbled story from her.

[Whiskey]

Ask your boss for a direct copy of the policy. You, a lowly employee, are not allowed to violate policy. Managers/supervisors can do whatever they want. Make sure the supervisor does the cashiering so if the local police pull the tapes for illegal sales, it shows your sup doing the transaction

[darkcrimsongoth]

Yeah that's what I'm thinking. If it happens again, or something similar, I'll call for a manager and ask them to supervise the sale. That way it doesn't fall on me.

[Falor]

Yeah that's what I'm thinking. If it happens again, or something similar, I'll call for a manager and ask them to supervise the sale. That way it doesn't fall on me.

If you want to be certain it's on them you'll need to log off your register and let them do it on their number. I had a similar discussion with my store manager a month or so back about taking a tribal ID (only one I've ever seen, they're not common around here) and was reminded of the fact that if it's rung up on my number it's my responsibility/decision.

[Magpie]

It was probably around about a 1 minute and a half, for the guy yelling at me, sorry. I'll change that. I was just in shock.

Anything longer than "what the heck was this, get me a manager" is out of line. You are enforcing policy as you understand it. If he feels that you misunderstand policy, how is him yelling at you going to make a difference?

[darkcrimsongoth]

@Falor:

The only problem is, that I'm the only one who can use my register. The managers can't do sales with their number.

@Magpie:

I don't see how screaming solves anything either. He or his wife bought the lighters in the end. The guy just came back to yell at me and talk to the manager.

So not looking forward to work this weekend