Was I wrong to refuse sale at work urgent advice needed

[LemonBlueberryX]

So this morning at work (I work in retail - but not a supermarket, think along the lines of b&m), someone came in and tried to buy an item. I was working on the till. When they came to the till I felt frozen on what to do as I didn’t feel comfortable selling this item in these circumstances (based on a stereotype of what this person looked like). I asked for ID (it’s a look25 item) hoping they wouldn’t have it so I could refuse sale but they did. After that I felt I had to make a choice and so I refused sale. Because of things that have happened in my area recently I felt that by allowing this sale I would be personally contributing to bad things.

They kicked off and asked for the manager who came over and asked me why I refused the sale and I just froze and couldn’t answer. Manager took over the till and served the person. The rest of my shift went on as normal but Managers just whatsapped me an hour ago asking me to come in at 10 tomorrow for a chat. I don’t work saturdays so not usually in. What do I say?

I dont really want this getting back to my manager so have tried to be vague about said item

She hasn't once said she thought the ID was fake, has she?

Did it not occur to you he may be a uni student wanting to cook his dinner?

It depends where you are really. In the UK, it is illegal to sell most knives, including kitchen knives, to anyone under the age of 18. However, in Scotland, the law is slightly different—16 and 17-year-olds can legally buy cutlery and kitchen knives.

Retailers are expected to verify age before selling knives, and they can refuse a sale if they cannot confirm the sellers age (which you did) or suspect the knife might be used unlawfully and I would say that buying one knife (depending on the type) could give rise to suspicion. Did you ask him why he wanted just one knife?

Having said that, I have purchased just one Sabatier knife as my knife set was blunt as hell.

If you're a retailer and unsure about a sale, it's always best to err on the side of caution. which you did. But if I was your boss, I would ask why you hadn't referred it to me before declining the sale, if you had concerns? I think that is the question you need to be prepared to answer.

Retailers can refuse to sell a knife to an adult if they have reasonable concerns about its intended use (you have the benefit of knowing what he looks like, I do not) . While there is no specific law requiring retailers to deny sales based on suspicion, businesses are encouraged to act responsibly and follow due diligence when selling bladed items.

If a retailer believes the knife may be used unlawfully or poses a risk, they can refuse the sale and report concerns to the authorities. Many stores also have store policies that allow staff to decline sales if they feel uncomfortable with a transaction. I'd be looking at the stores policies if I were you BEFORE you see the boss and see if there is anything in there to support what you did

Hmm, there are definitely circumstances where you would be right to refuse the sale. Say the customer has been arguing with someone outside, or speaking aggressively on the phone while at the till. IDGAF how old you are, if you're acting aggressively then I won't serve you a single kitchen knife.

So it depends on the particular person. I think you can explain to your manager that you were spooked by the thought for reasons you can't really explain and that you're not sure if it's the knife crime in the news or something in the man's demeanor but you didn't feel right selling the knife. If I was your manager I would have a lot of sympathy for your position, and would volunteer to authorise sales in those circumstances in future. I wouldn't want robots on my staff.

The fact that he "kicked off" when you refused could work in your favour too. If you had refused me I would have laughed and been confused but not "kicking off".

So that goes above all else rather than if there's doubt about the reasons of said purchase of a knife.
In case you haven't noticed there's been a plethora of teen murders of late that involved knifes.

Mumsnet is so middle class it’s laughable.

Refusing service is not a personal decision. You follow the policies of your employer, which will be based upon the law and on any voluntary guidelines they also adhere to.

It sounds like you need more training - this might be what your employer wants to discuss with you. However, freezing up is a worry, not compatible with a customer facing role, so they may also want to find out what was happening there.

It sounds like a normal managerial response to me. Be honest about your motivation and capabilities, and accept any support or training or role transfer offered. Maybe they agree with how you handled things, and want to affirm that!

To be fair, neither you nor anyone else knows whether OP made a mistake or not.

Yes, because knives aren't obtainable anywhere else 🙄

Do you think someone out to do a stabbing will kick off and demand to see the manager when refused, making sure there are more witnesses to remember the incident and they can clearly be identified on CCTV?

And they could all have been prevented by supermarket staff!!!!!!!

Exactly. You’d buy a set of knives, or other kitchen items, etc.

It’s like buying a single fork. Nothing else. Just the one fork. Nobody would buy a single fork—they would buy a set.

You did the right thing.

By law, knives can only be purchased by customers who are 18 or over. However, Ikea and other retailers have 21 and over as their age restriction to purchase knives.

You could say that you were not entirely certain whether 18 or 21 is the age limit for the purchase of knives and that you erred on the side of caution.

If they fire you for this, you could generate a lot of bad publicity for the shop.

Quite frankly, the law should be changed. A retailer should be allowed to deny sale of knives on any grounds. Full stop.

Nothing to do with offending. Everything to do with what the law actually says.

I think your decision was totally understandable. You instinctively felt that something wasn't right with this customer, and you behaved responsibly. I agree with the PPs who suggest you ask for very clear guidance on what the store's rules are and what you should do if you feel that something is off.

Yes I think an 18 year old going buying one single knife is suspicious. Most people if they needed a knife for their kitchen would not go to a shop and buy one single knife. They would buy it along side food shopping or something else.

The fact that every stabbing involves a knife doesn't mean that every knife involves a stabbing.

Tell your manager the truth, you froze as you felt uncomfortable due to the knife violence in your area. You were unsure of selling to him and didn’t know of the policies of your store. You would like training of the knife policy as you are aware of laws regarding it but not what you should do.

Do not use the words you used here, use they only had the knife which is unusual for a person of that age which seemed like a red flag to you. That your flight or fight got triggered and you didn’t know how to put it into words at the time to your manager appropriately and just shut down.

If you have personally been in a situation where knives have been used this may have been what caused you to freeze. It’s part of mental health and the flight/fright/freeze. Therapy may help especially if you work at a store that sells these items.

Make sure you have a good talk with your manager about what you should do in these situations in the future as it will happen again.

I despair at the stupidity of some posters.
Did I say supermarket workers could solve Britain's knife crime problem.
So are you happy that youths can buy knives unhindered.

People living in commercial areas of towns are constantly calling into shops on the way home to get the one thing they want. I know I was.

Yes, if they are 18 and they want the knife badly. Stupid and entitled.

Oh, they are entitled gang members now.

Ok let's sit on our hands and do nothing .

Sadly not enough retail staff feel as uneasy as you dud. I would also feel uncomfortable selling a single kitchen knife to an 18 year old (if that's what he was) and him kicking off about it would make me even more suspicious why he was so desperate for a single kitchen knife. I'd have your chat and explain exactly why you felt so uncomfortable without all the gang speculation, just be truthful.