Key Mistakes to Avoid
Avoiding common mistakes can improve tobacco & vapor sales compliance.
Mistakes happen and even a well-experienced sales associate can slip up and illegally sell tobacco or vaping products to someone underage.
Let’s review the key mistakes, how to avoid them and how to spruce up your training, your job-aides for employees and reinforce the best way to reduce mistakes from happening.
1) “Carding,” but failing to properly examine the ID.
Asking for ID is just the first step, but failing to examine the ID properly AND verify the customer is 21 years or older is where this mistake can happen. Asked why they failed a compliance check, employees tell us: “I was rushed because the store was busy . . . she clearly looked over 21.” New hires and veteran employees can get off track and slip up. Encourage them to take-the-time to follow the proper steps at carding and properly examine the ID and verify the customer is 21 or older.
Important: Inform your sales associates that minors may show you their actual ID hoping you won’t examine it properly because you’re rushed, or they appear “old enough.” Studies have shown that illegal sales to minors frequently occur when an employee fails to verify the age of the customer who has provided their ID, especially when the minor appears to be confident, produces a photo ID without being asked, and appears to be of age.
2) Scanning an ID, but failing to match the ID’s photo with the customer
ID scanners are terrific tools when used properly. Matching the ID’s photo to the customer is the sales associate’s responsibility. Failure to do so can result in an illegal sale to someone underage. The ID could be someone else’s, and an ID scan won’t catch this fake ID strategy. Make sure your employees know the steps involved in using an ID scanner and matching the photo ID to the customer is one of those important steps – consider We Card’s Using an ID Scanner Tip Sheet as a job aide to keep handy at the point-of-sale for your sales associates.
3) Letting a regular “of age” customer who is under 30 years old, purchase without being properly “carded”
All under 30-year-old customers have to be carded properly. The 25-year-old customer who was properly carded yesterday has to be carded again today. That’s the law. FDA indicates it is an each-and-every time requirement that under 30-year-olds must have the photo ID age-verified.
Describe this 25-year-old customer scenario to your employees and ask them if they have to card the customer again during their next purchase attempt. It’s a good teaching moment to reinforce the each-and-every time requirement.
Important: Co-workers or even a manager cannot vouch for a customer’s age. The each-and-every time requirement doesn’t have exceptions.
4) By-Passing the ID scanner or the age prompt of the POS system
Point-of-sale systems may have a way to by-pass or override the normal process of either ID scanning or the age prompt’s date-of-birth entry. This can be mis-used and result in violations. Make sure to monitor the frequency of any overriding of the normal process. When employees know it is being monitored, proper performance can improve.
5) Not Providing Practice for employees at using age calculation tools, denying sales, learning What to Say
Just having the tools available isn’t enough. Even with an assist from the latest technology, such as ID scanning, it’s important to provide employees with practice and training on how to use them. Knowing “what to say” when denying a sale to an underage customer – or even an of age adult who has an expired ID -- can diffuse the situation and unnecessarily avoid escalating it into a confrontation. That’s why We Card training includes multiple opportunities for practice at both using age calculation tools and learning What to Say with a positive customer service phrase when carding and denying underage sales. Make sure your employees get practice with the tools you provide – it’s a We CardBest Practice!
Share these key mistakes to avoid with store managers and frontline sales associates. Consider adding We Card training job aides or tools to help them keep proper “carding” steps top-of-mind. By learning what pitfalls to avoid, they’ll be better positioned for compliance success.
