So, I'm sure y'all know how we're supposed to ID people for tobacco, alcohol, etc? How many people here actually do it?
Also, how often do those "police stings" occur where they try to catch cashiers selling the stuff without seeing any ID's? I've never heard of anyone here at my store getting in trouble for those since they've never happened here, plus almost all of us just override it. Even the managers who run check stands during rush times skip that as well.
Now of course, we do ID those who look like in their early 20's or younger, but that's about it.
Oh, and anyone have any stories to share regarding the ID checks?
You don't NEED to see ID for cigs if they look like 30s+, but I've turned down someone before because she looked like a 16 year old who got a hold of her mom's makeup and she didn't produce a valid ID. However, in my state you NEED to see ID for ANY alcohol purchase regardless of how old they look. I guess it's because someone who goes out and drinks underage is more of a danger to the public than someone who smokes underage, which makes total sense from a logical standpoint. However, if someone has more wrinkles than blood cells, I think both, "Why do we need to ID them?" And "Why the hell do they need beer?"
You don't NEED to see ID for cigs if they look like 30s+, but I've turned down someone before because she looked like a 16 year old who got a hold of her mom's makeup and she didn't produce a valid ID. However, in my state you NEED to see ID for ANY alcohol purchase regardless of how old they look. I guess it's because someone who goes out and drinks underage is more of a danger to the public than someone who smokes underage, which makes total sense from a logical standpoint. However, if someone has more wrinkles than blood cells, I think both, "Why do we need to ID them?" And "Why the hell do they need beer?"
Our store's policy is to card for cigs anyway unless they look like they're at the brink of death.
And I'm aware of the requirements and reasoning behind ID and alcohol, but I was asking if anyone here actually do so outside of the "he doesn't look old enough" logic.
Not even the long-time cashiers check ID for every single customer, not even management. Again, of course, unless it's someone who looks young.
I checked ID for everything until I got to service desk. We're required for alcohol for everybody but have flexibility with tobacco.
Our store doesn't have a tobacco corral but I wish it did. I used follow separate behaviors for when I was at the desk and when I was on the floor so I could set an example. I've gotten lazy and decide how they look or if they're a customer I literally see every day I won't ID for tobacco, I'll just ask for DOB.
That said, I actually declined a tobacco sale last week. The ID was fine but the customer seemed overly nervous so I asked and it was a purchase "for a friend." I decline alcohol sales all the time, no ID, kids, straw buys. If you give me attitude about ID, if you act like you're on something... I always check expiration dates. I don't play games.
The rules vary by location. Where I am is fairly strict, older customers often complain about the alcohol ID check. One customer gave up buying wine at my store because of it. She'll go to Publix just to avoid ID because she finds it personally insulting. Her ID was always fine, it just upset her.
Best policy is to just card everyone. You're gonna catch **** from people, but that's when you shrug,smile, and say "Hey, no offense, but I'm not losing my job, getting fined, or maybe even going to jail over this."
Our store's policy is if you look over 27 (I'm bad with telling people's ages, so I usually go with 30 or so), you have to ask for ID, if they're over, you can just type in your birthday or whatever when it asks. And everyone in a group needs to show ID, unless it's a parent/kid situation.
We did have a sting a few years back and failed, which led to the cashier getting fired and everyone having to do checks on *all* customers for a few weeks.
Far as stories, not much, mostly people getting denied alcohol because of the group policy, and skulking off.
-- Edited by Going 4011 on Monday 27th of January 2014 05:15:41 AM
Last year, we had a co-manager taken out in handcuffs by a police officer because she sold alcohol to a minor. She checked the ID and apparently entered the wrong birth year in the computer by accident, so the computer said the customer was old enough even though he actually wasn't. Fifteen minutes later, in comes a police officer and she was arrested. Not surprisingly, she "resigned" after the incident and no longer works for the company.
Last night, a customer wants to buy alcohol, but can't find her ID. She tells the cashier it must be in her other purse, but says she's twenty-seven. The cashier asks me if she can just override it, and I say "absolutely not". How stupid. Cashiers should know better, especially after just a couple of weeks ago, sheets were passed around outlining tobacco and alcohol carding policies that everyone needed to sign because a cashier just recently sold alcohol to an underage person. Too many cashiers, especially the young ones, where I work don't know what the heck they are doing on registers and shouldn't be on a register, period. They aren't mature enough, they aren't capable enough and they aren't, quite frankly, smart enough, to trusted with the responsibility of handling money and running a register.
I pretty much card everyone regardless of whether it's an alcohol or tobacco sale unless I can visibly tell the person is sixty years or older. I've carded people in their fifties because sometimes it's just that hard to tell and I'm not taking a chance. I have yet to offend or annoy any one for asking and usually, the person either takes it as a nice compliment or complies without irritation. I'm probably one of the more strict people there when it comes to checking IDs, but I'm going to do so because I'm not taking a chance of letting a person slip by that isn't old enough and then it ends up coming back to me.
-- Edited by GenesisOne on Monday 27th of January 2014 02:26:54 PM
Here in TN company policy follows state laws for tobacco with us carding for an apparent age of 27 or less, but with alcohol we have to card every customer every time, even though law says we don't have to card if they look over 50.
Got busted for a failed tobbacco sting. I have to redo the training classes, but there was no suspension or nothing like that. Also a diversion class to avoid the fine. I was expecting worse.
It's been many years since I worked on a register, but when I did, I carded everyone for beer, wine, or smokes. Even if they were old and wrinkled. Most of the time I could make them laugh about it by saying something like "Is this a misprint? You look way younger than that!" The way you approach it can go a long way in shaping their attitude about it. But I wasn't going to take any chances and asked every single one of them for ID.
I know what store you work at GenesisOne. Check your pm. =)
I didn't expect to see a message from someone else that works where I do! I didn't think there was really any one else that worked there that cared enough to seek out a forum like this one to let steam out and talk about their days at Kroger. A nice surprise!
I know what store you work at GenesisOne. Check your pm. =)
I didn't expect to see a message from someone else that works where I do! I didn't think there was really any one else that worked there that cared enough to seek out a forum like this one to let steam out and talk about their days at Kroger. A nice surprise!
Our store really isn't as bad as the others from what i've seen. The management is pretty well relaxed so as long corporate isn't gripping their pair.
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I know what store you work at GenesisOne. Check your pm. =)
I didn't expect to see a message from someone else that works where I do! I didn't think there was really any one else that worked there that cared enough to seek out a forum like this one to let steam out and talk about their days at Kroger. A nice surprise!
Our store really isn't as bad as the others from what i've seen. The management is pretty well relaxed so as long corporate isn't gripping their pair.
That's how I've felt for awhile. After reading a lot of messages on here, I've sometimes been thankful I am where I am because of the management team. We certainly have some of the same problems as other stores do, like the cutting of hours despite seemingly being always so busy and ranking so high in the district in overall sales. The upcoming Super Bowl Sunday and Valentine's Day always are incredibly chaotic because the store already does a fantastic business and to have more business on top of that? I think we need to get holiday pay for both days for all that we have to go through!
I almost never ID for ciggs unless they legitimately look young beer I ID everyone if they are confused I say its store policy and I could get fired.
I was the closing checker one night which at my store is midnight. Anyway it was around 11:30 this guy comes to U-scan and asks me for some cigars he had some other items too but I went and grabbed them I came back and requested an ID he was probably 19 but he could give me one so he picked up his stuff without paying of course and walked out of the store.
