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Sick of my local supermarket! Grrrr!

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Comments

  • paulwf
    paulwf Posts: 3,269 Forumite
    edited 30 January 2010 at 9:45PM
    RoxieW wrote: »
    Even though the supervisor knew me and my age she said that once a cashier had asked then they were not allowed to serve without ID?

    Unless you've had to work on a checkout you may not appreciate how absolutely important this rule is. As a cashier you must have absolute confidence that you will be backed up by your management and not be undermined in any way. There may be cases where you want to ID check a customer that are "borderline", if there is any doubt that a customer may then call the management who then undermine your judgement you may decide not to perform that ID check.

    If a cashier fails a test purchase they personally get a fine and a criminal record, plus they may lose their job and have a much reduced chance of getting another one. Bear in mind these jobs are not much above minimum wage.

    Meanwhile the store could lose it's license resulting in a 20% reduction in both profit and turnover, and untold negative publicity in the local press as well as a large fine.
    My friend who I was with who is 32 and had her drivers license with her (and who I was actually buying the bottle of wine to share with!) then said she would buy the wine but they wouldnt serve her either because they said they knew it was for me! It just seemed really silly and petty.

    It is against the law to serve a customer alcohol if you think they are supplying it to an underage person. As you couldn't prove your age they complied with the law.

    If you don't like the law write to your MP and let them know you think that people should be served alcohol without proving their ID. However, all reports suggest the law will be tightened up further. One proposal is to make it illegal to serve anyone under 21 unless they prove their ID...that's right, a cashier could break the law when serving someone who can legally buy alcohol!
  • paulwf
    paulwf Posts: 3,269 Forumite
    *Louise* wrote: »
    But the wine incident just sounds very petty. Fair enough they have to ask for ID, but it should be done politely, and the purchaser shouldn't be made to feel like a potential alkie!!

    With all due respect we only have the OP's take on the situation. If the cashier asked for ID and the customer said "sorry I haven't, don't worry I'll leave the bottle" that might have been it. Perhaps the cashier only got stroppy once the OP got her friend and the supervisor involved?

    Cashiers aren't always the best at customer service (one of the consequences of advertising jobs at minimum wage) but where I work staff are always discrete, it is only when customers won't let it drop that the situation tends to get escalated.
  • JBD
    JBD Posts: 3,069 Forumite
    eamon wrote: »
    The Co-op appear to specialise is hiring surly, rude, ignorant, unhelpful staff and unfortunately we only remember them instead of the helpful, knowledgeable, considerate staff that they also employ.

    As for the alcohol rule. All it does is antagonise genuine customers. Any remotely clued up underage drinker can easily bypass this stupid rule. There was a perfectly fine law before all this stupidity it just wasn't applied. Also if the media are to be believed our high streets, parks and other civic areas are still awash with underage drunk, rowdy people. Perhaps a better idea would have been to reduce the number of outlets that could sell alcohol. Sadly our "betters" decided that they knew best.

    There we are rant over. To the OP sorry about your unpleasant shopping experience.

    Eamon
    Totally agree with this. Also I have to say my son works in the Coop part time. One of his colleagues was fired and had to pay a fine at the police station as they made a mistake over someone's age [a test buyer] last year. That is why they have to ask for ID and yes I'm sure the age will go up and up. Personally I'd be IDing people in their 40's and 50's if I thought there was the slightest possibility of me having to pay a fine out of my own pocket. Having said this there was no need for the cashier to make a sarcastic comment.
  • tandraig
    tandraig Posts: 2,260 Forumite
    paulwf wrote: »
    With all due respect we only have the OP's take on the situation. If the cashier asked for ID and the customer said "sorry I haven't, don't worry I'll leave the bottle" that might have been it. Perhaps the cashier only got stroppy once the OP got her friend and the supervisor involved?

    Cashiers aren't always the best at customer service (one of the consequences of advertising jobs at minimum wage) but where I work staff are always discrete, it is only when customers won't let it drop that the situation tends to get escalated.

    paulwf - I'm in my mid-fifties and a cashier at Asda asked me for ID for the six bottles of wine i was buying (as it was sooooo much cheaper than just the two or three i would normaly buy). and as i have worked retail and bar for over 40 years did I say to him.....sorry, I havent got any ID, will just leave the wine then? did i hellll! told him he must be blind if he didnt realise i was old enough to be his gran! he was really stroppy and told me he had to ask EVERYONE for id!!! so he called supervisor - who asked again for ID - I dont drive and dont carry my passport to go shopping! and supervisor refused sale. by now i was so annoyed I asked to see the manager - supervisor refused to call him. fine, I left the blooody lot and went to aldi instead. and havent done my weekly shop in Asda since.
    having worked retail and bar i do understand the law - but applying it doesnt mean you leave common sense behind! and you are ALWAYS courteous to customers!
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