On the bottom!

[Moosenogger]

On the bottom!

I've worked the tobacco counter for one day. I'm still learning where everything is, and God help you if you're asking for an obscure brand.

I had an older "gentleman" come in looking for such a brand. He handed me an old box, which was helpful, and then told me it was "on the bottom." So I'm searching the bottom shelves and happen upon some cigarillos of the same brand. There's nothing next to them, so I ask if he wants the cigarillos, assuming we don't have the cigarettes. Instead of being polite, he says:

"The words 'On the bottom' mean on the bottom."

I played the polite yet dorky store clerk and got him out of there with his cigarettes, but boy was I pissed.

Look asshat, "on the bottom" can mean a million things coming from a customer. It might mean the actual bottom row, or just a row near the bottom. Don't treat me like I'm stupid just because you buy some piece of shit off brand that no one else buys.

What is this "sales tax" you speak of?

I also had a guy fight me today over paying sales tax. He swore up and down that he'd never paid over a certain price for his cigarettes, even though I told him that the price he was saying WAS the price, only before sales tax was added.

Seriously, why is sales tax some big mystery? It's not like my store is on the state border - he had to have paid sales tax at some point before making it to us. (I bet the line behind him was getting just as irritated as I was.)

General Irritation

Why do some of these people act like showing ID is coming as a shock? You're buying a controlled item that requires some form of acceptable identification, and not all stores have the same policy. Common sense dictates that you should therefore HAVE ID in case you need it.

Some people just grumble and move on, while others try to feed me some excuse as to why I shouldn't need to ask for ID.

I had one lady today tell me, "I'm 35 1/2 and I have three kids!" Great, guess what? You look young for your age, and having kids doesn't mean you're over 18.

What I don't understand is how they don't see that they're actually holding themselves up. Handing over an ID takes a lot less time than bitching and trying to get me to go against the law/store policy.

[Mongo Skruddgemire]

When I see something behind the counter and the clerk is not, I'll usually give polite directions such as "It's the third row from the bottom, fifth item on the right."

Funny how that seems to make it easier for the clerk to find what I'm looking for.

[Moosenogger]

It makes it a bit easier, but they still gotta be patient. What these people don't seem to realize is that I have this giant wall of tobacco products, and a lot of them look exactly the same. Marlboro Special Blends look identical to the regular Golds, so I have to pick through them until I find one that says "Special Blend" at the bottom. Don't get pissy with me over Marlboro's horrible product designs.

I also find it strange that whoever stocks my store puts a few off-brand cigarettes under all of the cigar products. You'd think cigarettes would be with cigarettes, but apparently that's asking too much.

[KatherineB]

Hmm, you think it's hard now? Australia has just introduced plain packaging for smokes so the only difference will be the name, which is written in the exact same size font and colour on every single box. While I don't sell smokes, I don't envy the people who will have to put up with monumental-sized suck from nicotine-deprived SCs who will somehow blame the clerks for that and everything else.

Trust me, Australia will not be the last country to introduce this...

[figgyx]

Cigarettes and ID

Where I used to work the rule was we had to ID anyone who looked under 40. So many people took exception to this rule and argued. We were on camera and if we got caught not IDing anyone or God forbid the customer was undercover police - we could have lost our jobs. Sorry dumbass I was not willing to be fired because you couldn't see fit to bring ID.

[Moosenogger]

Where I used to work the rule was we had to ID anyone who looked under 40. So many people took exception to this rule and argued. We were on camera and if we got caught not IDing anyone or God forbid the customer was undercover police - we could have lost our jobs. Sorry dumbass I was not willing to be fired because you couldn't see fit to bring ID.

It's not just losing my job. In my state, I could get 2 months in prison and up to a $500 fine for selling a controlled substance to a minor. Sorry, but I'm not risking a PRISON SENTENCE because some dumbass refuses to show ID.

[VenomX]

Hmm, you think it's hard now? Australia has just introduced plain packaging for smokes so the only difference will be the name, which is written in the exact same size font and colour on every single box. While I don't sell smokes, I don't envy the people who will have to put up with monumental-sized suck from nicotine-deprived SCs who will somehow blame the clerks for that and everything else.

Trust me, Australia will not be the last country to introduce this...

We was talking about this at work the other day. We decided if the USA does this we will just put up little signs under each pack as to what it is. My guess is they will say thats against the law even if the text is just big enough for US to see.

[Andara Bledin]

We was talking about this at work the other day. We decided if the USA does this we will just put up little signs under each pack as to what it is.

That's when you just go alphabetical. If you can spell, you can find what you need with a minimum of fuss.

^-.-^

[VenomX]

That would not work.
I work in a tobacco shop, the cigarettes are in a overhead rack, in a rack to our right, and behind us. The popular brands go in the overhead and to the right. The least popular brands behind us.

If someone wanted Marlboros I reach right above my head. Newports? Right above the Marlboros. If they was in alphabetical order I would have to walk 3 feet behind me to get both. Yeah it is just 3 feet but 3 feet times XXX times a shift......

[tnd777]

I shop at a store that has a sign that states they card everyone who is buying alcohol or cigarettes. The only exception are people over 90 that come in with their parents.

[Merriweather]

I shop at a store that has a sign that states they card everyone who is buying alcohol or cigarettes. The only exception are people over 90 that come in with their parents.

I love it!

[Food Lady]

Merriweather, I agree. I hated that I wasn't required to ID everyone at one of my holiday job. At my current job, I'm required to ID everyone, and the system won't let me proceed unless I do. People get mad, but it doesn't make me angry anymore. It makes me laugh inside.

[Jester]

Look asshat, "on the bottom" can mean a million things coming from a customer.

The equivalent in my line of work is "plain."

"I'll just have my burger plain."
So, nothing on it, just meat and bread?
"Well, cheese also. And bacon. And yeah, ketchup of course."
In other words, NOT plain.

Repeat ad nauseum, with a million variations. Literally 95% of the people that ask for their burger "plain" don't actually mean plain, which would be just the burger and the bun, nothing else.

Now, our standard burger comes with eight things on it: cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles, ketchup, and mayo. And one person's version of plain ("Just ketchup.") is going to be quite different than another's ("Just cheese.")

Which is why when someone orders "plain" I make a point of asking them, "Just what do you mean by plain?"

I had one lady today tell me, "I'm 35 1/2 and I have three kids!"

And I'm 42 and still sometimes get carded. And our age has exactly NOTHING to do with people doing their fucking jobs and obeying the fucking law, you witless woman.

We decided if the USA does this we will just put up little signs under each pack as to what it is. My guess is they will say thats against the law even if the text is just big enough for US to see.

I don't see how it could be against the law...you're just labeling them to make them easier for the staff to find for the customers. Not advertising, not promoting, just labeling. Of course, as we all know, if it makes sense, it's not allowed, so I could be very, very wrong on this one....

That would not work.
I work in a tobacco shop, the cigarettes are in a overhead rack, in a rack to our right, and behind us. The popular brands go in the overhead and to the right. The least popular brands behind us.

Easy enough solution to that. You leave the popular brands where they are and where you know how to find them. The more obscure, less-selling brands you alphabetize, making it easier to find them as well.

We do the same thing with our 150+ rums. The popular, more ordered rums, and the rums we use in our specialty drinks are behind the bar within easy reach. The other, less often ordered rums are in a big ole display case, within which we have them alphabetized, so we know that Appleton Estate rums will be in the top left, and Zafra will be in the bottom right. Easy peasy.

I really prefer the "ID everyone" policys.

Saw at a Circle K convenience store the other day that they now have a "We card everyone no matter their age for tobacco and alcohol" sign posted for customers to see. I was buying Gatorade, so it made no difference to me, but I have no issue with that at all, as I never have a problem being carded. Because, you know, I'm not a raging douchebag.

[Andara Bledin]

If I worked someplace that sold age-restricted items and it didn't have a policy of "card everyone" I would have a personal policy of "card everyone" just because. No judgement calls, no discrimination; you want it, show ID.

^-.-^

[Trixie]

I find that if I just put my hand in the right general area that I'll get pointed in the right direction. People buying cigarettes know exactly where their brand is and will have no problem telling me which way to go.