Got a few questions for the cashiers here who deal with this. I was trained by a CSM a month an a half ago as a UC to do alcohol runs on the registers if the cashier is underage and we need help (Which generally I don't "think" we as UC's can do as our union contract says we shall never run or load a register, but that's probably something different as in actually logging onto the POS and ringing out orders) and I was told to simply input an clear - enter override (while the underage cashier is logged on.)
Now I am told to actually input a birth date into the register for anyone below 40 or if above 40, use my judgement (which is normally let em be if the ID checks out) and input the override. (which for the time it took for me to actually be told the right way of doing this, geez now i feel slightly bad as to how many overrides I've had to input on different registers)
Now for the questions.
1. If a group of people is buying / setting liquor down on the isle as they are coming to check out, I usually will ask to see all ID's as I don't know who is buying what or who they are (if the group looks young / under 27 (can barely tell sometimes, so) or winecoolers or a weird beer type if an older teen and parents are together (I will ask the adults to verify they are buying for themselves, which once they do, I check one ID and let the order proceed.) Am I wrong to be told by a cashier (underage) that "you don't need to do that." State law IMO says otherwise and I'd rather avoid staying out of jail, thank you very much, so I always err on the side of caution because of the issue of secondary distribution / fake ID. I usually will ID parents together if the kids slink around the register to the front (passing me on the side at my station as they approach), which if I don't get an actual DOB / ID from the kids, I will generally have the parents affirm the booze is for them, and will call for a CSR to ring the bottles through as a second set of eyes and judgement.
2. If I am ringing them through, I usually will look at the person and compare the person in front of me (if under 35) to what the ID shows, and usually only do a cursory overview of them. If they appear under 27 however or have a vertical ID, I run though the full routine for about 10 - 15 seconds of inspection (check Id, compare, verify ID is legit, no tampering marks, sharp edges, non expired, etc, and will ask two to three questions that provide identity verification (middle / last name spelling, DOB, and address, and ZIP code for the local area and their address listed. Prompt reply, accuracy of information, and customer facial expression / eye contact / body language is what I look for when asking these questions, hesitation or nervous body posture or eye contact causes me to raise a flag and have reasonable suspicion. Am i doing the right thing in verifying my suspicions as some people have told me, "nah just run em through." and let them go on their merry way. (Reason I ask is because we sometimes do have TABC / PD ID stings at surprise points where even store management doesn't know about it or is aware, but they are waiting to pounce on whoever it is in the shadows and wings.)
3. Should out of state / new types of ID's be handled the same as number 2, as I usually will ask the person a few questions as verification because out of state is a bit outside my knowledge as I haven't had much exposure to it. And usually if I feel I need backup, I will politely tell the customer to hold a moment, call for it, and have a CSR / Clerk take over the check while retaining the ID until handing it to the take over person directly, it will not go back to the customer.
So am I doing the right thing as is required of me by state law and also so I don't lose my job. Thanks
Sincerely, a confused utility clerk. XD
EDIT: By underage, I do mean 18 (1 of them are 17 though), but not 21 or over (legal age to sell in my state)
-- Edited by UC151 on Thursday 11th of February 2016 08:05:14 PM
-- Edited by UC151 on Friday 12th of February 2016 01:24:55 AM
-- Edited by UC151 on Friday 12th of February 2016 01:25:59 AM
To start with, a utility clerk shouldn't be at a cash register.
I know the feeling, I only do it for liquor scans though, no other scans. And only when if i am not busy with bagging another order (doesn't happen much, sometimes, but not very much) or if another Front End staff is not available when the cashiers ask me to.
-- Edited by UC151 on Thursday 11th of February 2016 09:50:09 PM
-- Edited by UC151 on Thursday 11th of February 2016 09:51:25 PM
You're erring on the side of caution that's good! very good! Keep doing what you're doing ID everyone if you have to. Alcohol is a privilege, not a right.
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Would you like fries with th... I mean, your milk in a bag?
They do this at my store as well, but why in the world would you put minors in the position of a checker when they can't ring up alcohol. I've been to some Kroger's where every cashier is under 18 and the office person spends half the night ringing up alcohol orders.
They do this at my store as well, but why in the world would you put minors in the position of a checker when they can't ring up alcohol. I've been to some Kroger's where every cashier is under 18 and the office person spends half the night ringing up alcohol orders.
This is why, at my store, we've banned kids from having cashier numbers.
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Would you like fries with th... I mean, your milk in a bag?
You're erring on the side of caution that's good! very good! Keep doing what you're doing ID everyone if you have to. Alcohol is a privilege, not a right.
Thanks for the vote of confidence bagboy. Hell, I'd rather do the job right rather then "oh ill just peruse the ID for a few seconds and then boom your done." Not a very good tactic by one of the older CSMs I work with, which is why I am careful because if tape is reviewed, I'd rather be shown that I am doing my due diligence as required and it can't come back to hurt me.
DanielleNicole94 wrote:
Why are they putting minors at a register? Where I live, you have to be 18 to be a cashier due to the handling of alcohol.
Pretty much the same for my state, but some cashiers are 17 and 16. Anytime they have alcohol on the belt, they have to either A ring the rest of the order through and call for assistance or B ask for help right away to get it done, and only a staff is over the age of 21 can do a handling / scan / ID check. Hence why I was trained because sometimes my bagging zone I am in might have 2 or 3 non liquor aged cashiers. I was trained as a backup since I am of age (and i also know what to look for too as I have done a lot of reading and such regarding this subject as I don't want to put our store at risk. I'd rather be dependable then a liability. Anytime I have the circumstances I listed above though that cause me to doubt an ID, I will assess the situation and call for assistance if need be from the CSR or CSM on duty. (sometimes if the MOD / management team is in FE floating, will ask them too, hell I've had to sometimes go overhead on page and grab my supervisors attention because they are more then halfway across the floor and the person manning the CS desk isn't in sight, even had to call for management once because we got that busy (Christmas time)
-- Edited by UC151 on Friday 12th of February 2016 01:35:26 AM
-- Edited by UC151 on Friday 12th of February 2016 02:09:36 AM
At our store we ID or input birthdays NO MATTER HOW OLD YOU ARE. You can be 21 or 101. Point is no ID or no birthday (birthday dates are for those who obviously look over 21) the you do NOT need the liquor.
3. Should out of state / new types of ID's be handled the same as number 2, as I usually will ask the person a few questions as verification because out of state is a bit outside my knowledge as I haven't had much exposure to it. And usually if I feel I need backup, I will politely tell the customer to hold a moment, call for it, and have a CSR / Clerk take over the check while retaining the ID until handing it to the take over person directly, it will not go back to the customer.
When you have someone else "take over", log out. Suspend the sale, and have them sign on with their number and finish the transaction if you have any doubt. You don't want your name on the receipt when they leave the store and there is a sting operation going on. Every single time I've refused to sell alcohol, they have always wanted to talk to a manager. I'm lucky that management backed me up every single time. They told the customer no, she doesn't want to sell it to you.
I just didn't care. If you didn't have ID, I didn't sell it. They would go outside and send someone else in to buy it. No! I told them don't care, your buddy without ID is sitting out in the car and I'm not selling it to you even if YOU have an ID. My favorite was the husband and wife and they didn't have an ID. The wife's argument was that I should sell it to her because she was pregnant and she didn't drink. WTF?
I don't know which union contract you are under, but at our store they kept having courtesy clerks and utility clerks hop on the register when we got busy. Somebody complained and they had to promote those courtesy clerks to cashiers. If you do the cashier job, you get the cashier pay!
3. Should out of state / new types of ID's be handled the same as number 2, as I usually will ask the person a few questions as verification because out of state is a bit outside my knowledge as I haven't had much exposure to it. And usually if I feel I need backup, I will politely tell the customer to hold a moment, call for it, and have a CSR / Clerk take over the check while retaining the ID until handing it to the take over person directly, it will not go back to the customer.
When you have someone else "take over", log out. Suspend the sale, and have them sign on with their number and finish the transaction if you have any doubt. You don't want your name on the receipt when they leave the store and there is a sting operation going on. Every single time I've refused to sell alcohol, they have always wanted to talk to a manager. I'm lucky that management backed me up every single time. They told the customer no, she doesn't want to sell it to you.
I just didn't care. If you didn't have ID, I didn't sell it. They would go outside and send someone else in to buy it. No! I told them don't care, your buddy without ID is sitting out in the car and I'm not selling it to you even if YOU have an ID. My favorite was the husband and wife and they didn't have an ID. The wife's argument was that I should sell it to her because she was pregnant and she didn't drink. WTF?
Wish I could, but I am only checking ID and scanning the liquor through under the cashiers logon (since we as UC dont run register, we dont have or need a login for MAX.) If i have a CSR or other Clerk "take over" I hand them the ID and let them make the determination. If I run it through for scanning, I will either input the override or enter in the birth date on the keypad and make sure the computer doesn't whine about it, if it does, I will page for a CSR to come over.
-- Edited by UC151 on Friday 12th of February 2016 11:53:12 PM
I don't know which union contract you are under, but at our store they kept having courtesy clerks and utility clerks hop on the register when we got busy. Somebody complained and they had to promote those courtesy clerks to cashiers. If you do the cashier job, you get the cashier pay!
I am under UC classification, but since I am of age (23, so over age limit) on the FE, I was trained to do liquor scans (while the non liquor capable cashier remains logged in, but will not handle anything with the sale of it. I (or someone else of age) will physically handle the items, verify ID, and ring it through with either birth date when the register wants it or input an override, and make sure the register is happy again before going back to bagging.)
1. If there are two people buying a full cart load of groceries and they both look about the same age and there's some liquor, I usually just card the one who is paying for the groceries. If there is a bunch of young people in a group and they all bring up alcohol, regardless if it's all the same order or not, I will card EACH AND EVERY ONE of them. You do whatever you need to do to avoid getting in legal trouble. Believe me, the consequences are worse than you think. I would rather have five nasty immature young adults get an attitude with me than have to pay a $2000 or more fine.
2. If you are suspicious of them and someone else tells you to "run em through", STEP AWAY from the register and let them take the risk in selling liquor to them. Do not let any clerk or manager pressure you into making a sale you are not comfortable making. That way if it was an illegal sale, you will not be liable for it. By the way, alcohol sting operations will never send in a minor with a fake ID. That is entrapment, and it is illegal. They will either send them in with a valid ID, or no ID at all.
3. There is no problem taking an out-of-state ID as long as it is not expired or altered.
That scanning liquor for other cashiers is BS. I've had so many instances where I see two young men coming up the aisle with beer. As soon as they get near the registers, one takes off and goes outside while the other one comes to the register with the beer. I simply tell them to go outside and tell their friend to bring his ID in. They always argue, he isn't buying it, I am. Well no can do. I don't care. You ain't buying beer for your underage buddies and having a little party on me lol! I'm a hard ass when it comes to booze and kids.
Or they go through my lane and I refuse the sale, then they come back in and try to go to another register lol! I call down there and say "see that guy? don't sell it, tell him to scram".
Then there are the ones that park their truck by the front door, run in and grab to cases of beer and run out. Kroger doesn't even care. I had their description, license plate number, everything and Kroger didn't care.
1. If there are two people buying a full cart load of groceries and they both look about the same age and there's some liquor, I usually just card the one who is paying for the groceries. If there is a bunch of young people in a group and they all bring up alcohol, regardless if it's all the same order or not, I will card EACH AND EVERY ONE of them. You do whatever you need to do to avoid getting in legal trouble. Believe me, the consequences are worse than you think. I would rather have five nasty immature young adults get an attitude with me than have to pay a $2000 or more fine.
2. If you are suspicious of them and someone else tells you to "run em through", STEP AWAY from the register and let them take the risk in selling liquor to them. Do not let any clerk or manager pressure you into making a sale you are not comfortable making. That way if it was an illegal sale, you will not be liable for it. By the way, alcohol sting operations will never send in a minor with a fake ID. That is entrapment, and it is illegal. They will either send them in with a valid ID, or no ID at all.
3. There is no problem taking an out-of-state ID as long as it is not expired or altered.
Thanks Anon, and I know the consequences too if I **** up, the store takes the heat too in possibly losing the liquor operating licenses, but I take the brunt of it (and what a hell that'll be if I should slip.) That's exactly why I am being super careful as in my posts above and am always thinking CYA (Cover Your Ass) when handling checks and run through (and in case tape is pulled, like i said.) I personally don't care if you say "oh I'm not with them" when checking out, if you are in line or I suspect secondary, I need to see the ID and you will wait for the CSR to scan it or I will automatically refuse the sale, pull the product aside and have it ran to go backs immediately.
2. That's exactly what I will do, (and I appreciate the support for not doing my job half assed instead) and I know the cops won't send em in without a valid one, but then again, it's the young I watch for that "look innocent, confident, or nervous" to me (all of them) because they think "hey fake ID, liquor time." (sarcastic) "yes, please buy a six pack so i can go away because I heard it's nice there vs working in the real world and having freedom." I'm not about to let that happen anytime ever.
3. Do you still ask the questions as verification then?
Anonymous wrote:
That scanning liquor for other cashiers is BS. I've had so many instances where I see two young men coming up the aisle with beer. As soon as they get near the registers, one takes off and goes outside while the other one comes to the register with the beer. I simply tell them to go outside and tell their friend to bring his ID in. They always argue, he isn't buying it, I am. Well no can do. I don't care. You ain't buying beer for your underage buddies and having a little party on me lol! I'm a hard ass when it comes to booze and kids.
Or they go through my lane and I refuse the sale, then they come back in and try to go to another register lol! I call down there and say "see that guy? don't sell it, tell him to scram".
Then there are the ones that park their truck by the front door, run in and grab to cases of beer and run out. Kroger doesn't even care. I had their description, license plate number, everything and Kroger didn't care.
Ahhhhh, to be young again!!!!
Exactly why I scan the aisles around me periodically and do peeks to monitor activity while bagging to be sure if I get called to a stand that I was watching that there isn't a flag out right away. (Normally will monitor the aisles if we get a lot of liquor brought up and assess from there)
-- Edited by UC151 on Saturday 13th of February 2016 09:15:53 PM
