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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To refuse to phone a customer and apologise when I didn't even serve her?

75 replies

b584 · 22/10/2014 16:58

Last friday, Huge Euromillions Jackpot, (even bigger now) Had a young girl in school uniform come to my till wanting a euromillions ticket, I ask for id as we follow the challenge 25 rules, We have 3 tills, all 3 being used, I was on the far end one.

She presented a student Nus discount card, I told her that it wasn't acceptable id so couldn't give her the lottery ticket, She made a fuss, saying that she was 17 and wouldn't have the Nus card if she was under 16 and that she had been served in the store before, I told her again that we need photo id and if she had been served before then she shouldn't have and it wasn't by me with that as id.

She went away very unhappy to her mum who was being served 2 tills away from me, It was very busy (school rush time) but I could still hear her slagging me off and she tried to use her Nus discount card on her mum's shopping which would have been fine on everything except the alcohol that her mum bought,

My colleague refused to accept the Nus card on the basis that the person named on the card didn't have sufficient id but still accepted the sale as she believed the wine puchased was not for the girl.

They were not happy and made a big commotion upon leaving about getting my name from my name badge so I expected a complaint but didn't worry as I had done nothing wrong,

As soon as it was quiet I called the supervisor to the tills and explained the situation and said we might get a call, All 3 of us on the tills had witnessed it and agreed I did the right thing in refusing the sale to the girl, Supervisor agreed,

The mother phoned about half an hour later to complain about me as she only had my name but made out that I was the one that served her alchohol and if she had been working for undercover for Trading Standards then I would have failed big time. Supervisor appologised on behalf of the store but the mother wants me to appologise personally and store wants me to as well as they don't want to lose a customer,

Aibu to refuse as I didn't serve her, Store manger accepts this but has told her that I will apologise in person so is putting pressure on me to do so.

OP posts:
Tinkerball · 22/10/2014 17:01

What do they want you to apologise for exactly?

Original poster
b584 · 22/10/2014 17:03

Tbh I do not know, I have just been told that I need to call her and apologise,

OP posts:
BettyFocker · 22/10/2014 17:05

YANBU to refuse.

The customer needs to get a grip.

SuburbanRhonda · 22/10/2014 17:05

Can't you just tell your manager that the person who served her should be the one apologising? If he made a mistake saying you would apologise, that's not your problem, surely?

Sounds like she would be no great loss as a customer.

WerkSupp · 22/10/2014 17:05

I'd quit before I apologised.

ClapHandsIfYouBelieveInFatties · 22/10/2014 17:06

I would not. Write down ALL that happened, present it to your manager in hard copy and also email it to her and to head office.

Imagine if you got into trouble over something else at a later date? And they brought this complaint up?

poolomoomon · 22/10/2014 17:07

The trading standards line is fairly amusing. Yes trading standards would fail you 'big time' for following THE LAW and not serving a potentially underage girl with essentially no ID Hmm.

You did nothing wrong, you followed both the law and the rules of your workplace. I personally wouldn't apologise, you have nothing to apologise for! But I suspect your manager may push you to...

VileStatistyx · 22/10/2014 17:07

I wouldn't, not without something in writing from the manager to say that they know you were not the person who did it.

Isn't it the law that the shop assistant gets fined if they don't follow that think 21 or 25 or whatever it is?

If that's the case then no WAY would I be apologising and therefore admitting liability.

SpookySpoonerism · 22/10/2014 17:07

No YANBU to refuse to apologise.
The only thing that you might have to apologise for is not selling her daughter the lotto ticket but I would't as you have the Challenge 25 policy.
Why can't the store manager get the person who served them to apologise. Alternatively they can grow a backbone and not get either of you to!

BaronessBomburst · 22/10/2014 17:08

The store manager can phone her if she thinks it's that important.
FWIW I was asked what date of birth I wanted on my NUS card.
I doubt times have changed. ;)

Gileswithachainsaw · 22/10/2014 17:08

Why would anyone need to apologise. There are set forms of I'd that are accepted and thats that.

Everyone who refused sale did the right thing and there is nothing to apologise for.

youareallbonkers · 22/10/2014 17:08

You did deal with her, you refused to let her buy a lottery ticket even though you have to be 16 to get an NUS card so it proves she was old enough. Why wouldn't you accept it? I guess because it wasn't on your list of approved items Hmm

Shinyshoes2 · 22/10/2014 17:10

Apologise for what ?
You asked for id . She couldn't provide it . You didn't serve her
Nothing to apologise for

Patrickstarisabadbellend · 22/10/2014 17:10

Don't do it. I had a customer scream in my face because I refused to serve his 10 year old granddaughter spray paint Hmm

Original poster
b584 · 22/10/2014 17:10

Manager knows and agrees with this but as it is my name that they using then for the store I should just suck it up and make the call, I could for a quiet life but it would be like admitting that I had done wrong when I havn't,

OP posts:
Patrickstarisabadbellend · 22/10/2014 17:12

They'll come back into the store all smug. Don't do it OP!!

LurkingHusband · 22/10/2014 17:13

Your manager isn't really managing, are they ?

And to be honest, the store would be better off losing this customer ...

AllThoseDirtyWords · 22/10/2014 17:13

No, do not apologise. If you do and the mum then reports the store for selling alcohol to a minor it could be seen as you admitting liability, which means you personally could face a fine as well as the store.

honeysucklejasmine · 22/10/2014 17:15

The "problem" that trading standards would care about is that her NUS card was involved in the sale of alcohol yes? And you did not sell her anything, let alone alcohol?

YANBU at all. I would definitely get it in writing that your manage acknowledges that it was NOT you and that any apology you might be made to make is simply to placate a customer and not to admit any liability

Tauriel1 · 22/10/2014 17:15

YANBU. The Mum is moaning about what your colleague did.

And if shops accepted NUS as ID, loafs of people would just borrow big sis/bro's card to get served. If she's that bothered she should get a provisional or, easier, as Mum to buy the ticket.

Gileswithachainsaw · 22/10/2014 17:15

bonkers

For age restricted products it needs to be a photo ID.

Shops can loose their licences to sell products if caught serving underage people.

Tauriel1 · 22/10/2014 17:16

Ah, loads of spelling mistakes

NatashaRomanov · 22/10/2014 17:17

You've done nothing wrong. Don't apologise.
If an NUS card isn't on your approved list, you can't accept it. And that's that.
If you apologise, you're saying you should have (and possibly will in the future) accepted it. Which probably goes against your contract/rules about only accepting certain forms of ID. Which puts your job at risk.

SpookySpoonerism · 22/10/2014 17:19

page 7 of this
states that it has to be photo id to purchase Lottery tickets
I know this only covers Neath but you'd expect other boroughs to be the same

AllThoseDirtyWords · 22/10/2014 17:21

Youare,
that is not what they are complaining about though are they, so the right or wrong of that part doesn't matter. The complaint they have made is obviously out of spite for the OP not selling the Lottery ticket to girl, if she was really bothered about the alcohol she would make sure she is complaining about the right cashier!