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AIBU?

WIBU to have not served this customer cigarettes on tab?

8 replies

LLDilema · 30/11/2015 13:05

NC as I always like a fresh prospective on aibu.

I work part-time in a corner shop. We have quite a few regular customers and on occasion they can take something from the store without paying immediately; so they can run up a sort of tab but our manager has said never to let it go beyond £5 give or take.

Some of the regulars will get for example groceries, nappies, bread etc on tab. These are considered the 'essential' items. Things that aren't considered 'essential' are basically cigarettes and alcohol.

Over the weekend a regular came in and wanted to buy some cigarettes. I refused as it's not considered an essential item. She said she has been served them before on tab but I still refused. (Manager wasn't in so no chance to raise it with him). She accused me of being a jobs-worth and a cow amongst other things and said that we've now entirely lost her custom.

I should add that the tab 'policy' is just an informal understanding among staff, not some strict policy - we are after all just a corner shop. One of my colleagues doesn't even use the tab system and just refuses to sell if there's no immediate payment. In the past I've seen my manager using his discretion to serve cigarettes and or alcohol on tab before. To all intents and purposes it can be a bit of a luck the draw for customers.

The situation is over now so it's not like I can do anything about if I was being unreasonable or not. Manager has said that I can on occasion use my discretion as long as I'm "sensible" about it - so again a bit of an informal vague idea.

OP posts:

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Birdsgottafly · 30/11/2015 13:09

Well you wasn't being UR, because you didn't know that you could use discretion.

The limit for tick, can't be £5, if you're ticking ciggies.

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Birdsgottafly · 30/11/2015 13:09

I suppose it could, if your ticking Mayfair and the likes.

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KB2651 · 30/11/2015 13:10

YANBU. It's an informal agreement, and down to your discretion. I do think your manager is being a bit U though, as there's not anything there to back you up.