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Original poster

I failed a test on an underage sale at work,...but it wasn't fair-play!!! (sorry, longgg)

55 replies

mysonben · 18/09/2009 21:53

Hi,
I work as a cashier in a bid superstore.
For a few months now we have had this new "think 25" scheme running.
Basically if we feel a customer looks like they could be under 25 years old we must ask for some ID, before doing the sale, if no ID is presented we must refuse the sale.

The police does regular "out of the blues" spot check on cashiers.
They will send in an underage teenager to the store to try to buy alcohol, cigarettes or dvds,... to see if we authorise the sale and break the law or not.

I have worked for my employer for nearly 6 years, and have always followed the rules, i often make a fool out of myself by asking for ID even if they look well over the 25 limit.

Well guess what, i had about 30 mins left out of my shift when my employers decided to do an 'in-house' test on me.
So they sent this girl to my checkout with an 18 classified dvd. The only thing is the girl in question works at my store, on checkouts, and she was even still wearing her work uniform too.
So when she gave me the dvd , i simply asked her casually "you are over 18 aren't you?", she replied "oh yaeh!", i looked at her again and asked again "you're sure yeah???" , she said "of course!".
Like a fool i trusted her, because she is a fellow cashier working at my store.
I though surely she won't lie she is a colleague,...she knows the rules herself.

Well, she suddenly called a supervisor over who said to me in front of customers and other cashiers "you failed an underage test!"
They left me, gobsmacked, feeling humiliated with no explanation for a further 25 mins.
Then when i was closing down my till, i called another supervisor informed me that this failure could be taken to the manager's office and i could face losing my place on tills.
I was livid!

What a dirty, dirty trick!
I really feel that these kind of stunts will put a bad atmosphere between staff.
As i tried to explain, should they have sent someone from another store or at the very least from another department other than checkouts, and not wearing their uniform i would have refused the sale.
I fell like they have been really unfair.

Sorry , it's so long.
Anyone knows where i stand on this?

Thanks.

OP posts:
Original poster
mysonben · 18/09/2009 23:07

Thanks Mrs.Weasley for the tip.

The whole thing was conducted in a very unprofessional manner i think.
During the 25 mins remaining before i finished , my head was spinning and i felt totally humiliated, shocked that my work colleagues would do this, and when the supervisor came to tell me the score when i'd closed down i just bawled! And she said "there's no need to get upset!"

OP posts:
aristocat · 18/09/2009 23:09

mysonben i think it is unfair to use a work colleague in this situation.

you should name and shame this store and take this problem to your manager.

edam · 18/09/2009 23:13

I hope you'll let all your colleagues know about this nasty little stunt. Maybe they will make it clear to this kid that setting up your co-workers is not the way to win friends. What a cow, smirking at you when she caught you out.

If I were you, I'd join a union btw - is USDAW still around? It's possible it's too late to get help with this incident, as it's already happened, but for future reference unions are an invaluable source of support and advice and help to tilt the scales a little back into balance when it's you against a large multi-national corporation.

Original poster
mysonben · 18/09/2009 23:16

aristocat , thank you for seeing my point.
I was indeed wrong not to insist she shows me ID, but they were unfair to use a work colleague in the first place.

I will go and speak to the manager to put my point across.

OP posts:
Original poster
mysonben · 18/09/2009 23:18

Yes USDAW is the union where i work.
Will try to speak to them too although as you said it may be too late for this incident.

OP posts:
aristocat · 18/09/2009 23:30

what sort of 'team spirit' are they trying to achieve?

elkiedee · 19/09/2009 00:01

I hope the union can help you if you join now - in my branch and dp's branches of UNISON there are limits to the help people who only join when they're in trouble can get, but we do still do some local representation. It is important to the union's ability to represent people that people join before, but your case highlights issues about the way your employer is acting - this might not just happen to you, it's very divisive and rather counter-productive etc.

It's important for your firm that you follow procedures and that you and the company don't break the law, but I think the union should argue that you do normally, that this should be done by training and maybe it should be stated that staff should actually check colleagues and people they know, and keep a consistent approach to be on the safe side. It does seem wrong that the company's trying to trick you and I think an outside trading standards check is better anyway.

I also think the union should argue that there is no need or justification for formal disciplinary action such as taking you off tills in your case, you normally follow the procedure and won't make this genuine mistake again.

Original poster
mysonben · 19/09/2009 00:25

Thanks Elkiedee.

I will join the union first thing (used to be a member but cancelled membership when i went on maternity leave and didn't think of joining again...wish i had).

And it is true, this was a real genuine mistake and i certainly won't ever forget that.
The irony is on Fridays and Saturdays early evening there is always an influx of young people purchasing alcohol, and i had been asking real customers for IDs repeadly since 5 pm.
I feel totally at loss, so annoyed with myself for trusting this co-worker, and so angry with work for the way they conducted the whole affair.

OP posts:
sandcastles · 19/09/2009 04:50

Sorry, the rules are ask for ID under 25.

You should have asked for ID, regardless of the fact she worked in the store.

CarmenSanDiego · 19/09/2009 05:30

I think that's an appalling management decision. Not fair at all, and absolutely ridiculous for staff morale and harmony.

BexieID · 19/09/2009 06:39

I can understand how you'd be annoyed by a fellow member of staff lying to you. However, in the store I work in, we all got told that we had to follow the Think 25 policy for staff as well, even if we know they are over 18.

In fact, one of the girls failed a mystery shopper test for not asking a customer for ID when she knew them from school . They were both the same age but she hadn't applied the Think 25 policy.

hercules1 · 19/09/2009 07:09

Please speak to the union rep. If they are half way decent they'd help you anyway. I know they often do help people even in they arent in the union.

You were in teh wrong however the public thing they did must surely go against their code of conduct etc.

whoops · 19/09/2009 08:19

You've said that you have been next to her on a till I can't believe you went the whole time without needing to authorise her alcohol or age restricted sales.
If you questioned it by checking you should have just asked for her ID, You were lucky in a way that it wasn't a police check though as you could have been fined and got a criminal record

ChilloHippi · 19/09/2009 08:25

MySonBen, I can see completely why you feel let down and humiliated. They set you up and have left you feeling like you cannot trust your colleagues. I think you should speak to the union and join them now and they should still advise about the situation.
Do please let us know what happens.

Original poster
mysonben · 19/09/2009 14:08

Hi, here is the update.

I had a meeting with the management , basically i was wrong for not insisting to see ID, which i admit to.
However, the way the test purchase was conducted was wrong, the member of staff involved should ideally been from a different department and at the very least should have been wearing plain clothes, not her work uniform.
Also, at the very moment i failed the test, the supervisor should have been very close by and discretly should have taken me off my checkout, to conduct an informal meeting with a manager present to inform me of what had happened , and what would the consequences be.

So on that instance, i have been told they will give another chance, i will have more 'think 25' training, and they will perform another test purchase on me in the near future.

I'm so relieved. And i can say i have learned my lesson. You cannot trust anyone but yourself.
It's a dog eat dog world.

OP posts:
ChilloHippi · 19/09/2009 14:22

I'm glad they seem to have realised that they carried it out in an unfair manner. Be overly cautious from now on. And you are so right: you cannot trust anyone.

shinyshoes · 19/09/2009 14:35

Mrs Weasley is correct . The only person can carry out those under 18 checks with those that are actually under 18 not look it, are the police , trading standards , gaming commission.

I work in a betting shop and we are Think 21, we have to ask those who appear to look under 21 but over 18. If we fail this we have a letter of concern.

The gaming commission, trading standards, police, send in children or teens that are under 18. If we fail this test it is an automatic dismissal the police are called and the gaming commission present when the dismissal takes place.

MmeLindt · 19/09/2009 15:07

Glad you got it sorted out.

edam · 19/09/2009 17:31

phew!

I had a funny one today in Boots - I bought a razor, the till flashed up 'challenge 25' - the cashier had a momentary glance at me and decided not to bother asking! Fair enough, I am 40, but it would have been nice if she'd taken more than a split second to decide...

MrsWeasley · 19/09/2009 22:39

edam at least you got a momentary glance, they laugh when I buy anything which requiring Age verification.

elkiedee · 20/09/2009 00:21

Good news mysonben. It really doesn't sound like you're about to make that mistake again and they've realised they got the procedure wrong. I hope you'll still rejoin the union though.

edam · 20/09/2009 12:54

MrsW, I feel your pain - am sure such a response is a mere matter of months away in my case.

Once had a very young cashier ask me for ID - I did a double-take and was about to ask, are you serious, when he burst out laughing and said 'only joking'. Swine! I told him he needed to work on his customer relationship skills...

GiraffesAndDucksSayQuack · 20/09/2009 12:58

Sorry if this has been said, I need reply quickly as off out in a min. I remember seeing a trading standards programme and they were working with police doing these checks. One thing was if the cashier asked age then they weren't allowed to lie to them. Worth looking in to that aspect of it as I remember it clearly on the TV because in one of the checks the cashier asked and the "plant" had to say she was 14!

Ripeberry · 20/09/2009 13:09

Yes, tell them what Mrs Weasley said! Get the supervisor in trouble!

Original poster
mysonben · 20/09/2009 23:12

Thanks again for replies and helpful tips and advice.
Yes, have picked up a union membership form , filled it in and will hand it in to the union rep on my next shift.
I hope i'll never need their help though... but if i do it won't be over a failed purchase test that's for sure!!!

OP posts: