QSometimes a customer is clearly old enough to purchase cigarettes, but he just doesn’t have an ID with him. How should I respond?
You should always ask for ID when a customer appears under 27 years old. While many people may look their age (plus or minus five years) there are many more who don’t! You don’t want to make a mistake just because a person looks old enough!
Remember, you are not asking a lot from a customer to show an ID. It’s the law and most good customers will appreciate your following it.
QI’m a young clerk and my school friends think they can come in and buy cigarettes from me. How do I get them to stop trying to buy cigarettes without looking like I’m not cool?
That’s a tough one. Having friends attempt to buy cigarettes from your store puts you in a bad position. Peer pressure is a big concern for many young cashiers. Nonetheless it is important—for you, your friends, and your store—that you refuse these sales.
Here are a few things that seem to work.
1) Say, “I’m sorry but it’s against the law. I could be fined and even lose my job if I sell cigarettes to you.”
2) Explain that your store has video cameras and that the manager watches them, and that you could BOTH get into trouble for selling cigarettes to someone underage. (Even if you don’t have visible cameras, explain that they are hidden and the manager constantly watches them.) Say something like: “Listen guys, I know it seems like nothing but they’ve got cameras on me in here, and trust me, my boss watches the tapes. She is always making comments to us about something she saw us do or not do on our shift. And she knows I have underage friends. She’s watching for this exact type of thing.”
3) In many states it’s against the law for minors to attempt to purchase tobacco products. Explain to your friends that if they are caught attempting to buy cigarettes they may get into as much trouble as you will since it’s against the law for minors even to attempt to purchase tobacco.
4) Remember, preventing underage tobacco sales is an extremely important issue for all stores that sell tobacco. The company you work for most likely takes the issue very seriously, and they have made a commitment to preventing illegal sales. Fulfilling that commitment depends on you!
5) Finally, do you think if you sell cigarettes to your friends this one time that this will be the end of it? Not likely. Once your friends know they can pressure you into making an illegal sale, they’ll be back. Think about having to deal with this same situation over and over again!
There is no doubt that peer pressure puts you in a tough position, but it is important for you to understand that it is a situation that you can handle. Your company training should help you feel more prepared and confident to refuse underage sales in peer pressure situations. But if you need additional training in this area, ask your store manager for help. Role-playing difficult situations with your manager or fellow cashiers is a great way to make sure you know what to say and how to say it. (Your tone of voice is VERY important!)
With a little bit of training, determination, and support tools, you can refuse to sell tobacco to your underage friends while keeping them just that…friends.
QI need to train my employees on tobacco sales. Do you have any training that they can do online?
The Coalition for Responsible Tobacco Retailing, Inc. offers an Online Training Program which is available through this website. Click on the Training Resource Center bar at the top of your screen, and you can begin training right away. It’s free of charge.
Once you have completed the Online Training you will be able to take a Mastery Test that will test your knowledge on the training course. If you pass, you can then print out a certificate of completion.
You send us the questions. We find the answers!
Cashiers: Give us your toughest minor-attempted purchase question.
Managers: Need in-store training advice? Just ask!
Senior Management: Send us your questions on store policy development or other matters.
Ask We Card—now online and in every issue of The We Card Update.
