Sucky cigarette customer

[siead_lietrathua]

alot of older people don't understand that they can program to till-lock like that, but as was said earlier in the thread, your store should have set up some sort of code for people blatantly over the legal age. i think you both handled the situation suckily, him by getting put out of sorts, and you for being a smartass back at him.
(and yes, i find recounting change sowly and giving shit-eating grins to be unessesarily smartass-ish, if you wanted him gone for realz you would have banged out his change like lightning)

[justZu]

You should have explained it to him. What would that take, 5 seconds.

Without weighing in on either side of the "who was sucky" debate, I will just say that constantly having to repeat the same explanations over and over and over again (even if they only take 5 seconds) gets reeeeeaaaal old after a while. At the ball park I am not allowed to give out bottles(beer or soda) unless the caps have been removed. It is stadium policy and we can get fined for it if a supervisor catches us. The reason is that people were refilling their empty bottles with water, recapping them and throwing them at the baseball players and each other. So, bad fans - no caps for you. Pretty much a third of my customers ask why they cannot have the caps and by the end of the day I am ready to scream.

aurelemsrealm is probably just sick and tired of explaining the rule to everyone.

[bigjimaz]

I have always been under the opinion that the concept of being sucky is that no matter what happened, it could have not been avoided by anything the worker could have done.

In this case, considering the fact that the guy was obviously old enough, entering a birthdate like 6/6/1966 would have averted the situation.

That being said, the guy should have not gotten bent out of shape.

[solemnwarning]

I promise I'm not being a smart-ass here when I ask this question: Is identity theft possible by asking for a birth date? Especially when paying cash?

I know credit card numbers and social security numbers are ripe for fraud, but I can't imagine it would be possible to victimize someone by knowing their DOB.

If identity theft is possible with name, phone, DOB and address the system is flawed, all of those may be public depending on the person, services and situation, domain WHOIS records for example

[Peppergirl]

If identity theft is possible with name, phone, DOB and address the system is flawed, all of those may be public depending on the person, services and situation, domain WHOIS records for example

Wow! Thanks for the info, Solemn! I'll be much more cautious from now on.

[Seshat]

Without weighing in on either side of the "who was sucky" debate, I will just say that constantly having to repeat the same explanations over and over and over again (even if they only take 5 seconds) gets reeeeeaaaal old after a while.
<snip>
aurelemsrealm is probably just sick and tired of explaining the rule to everyone.

This doesn't change the fact that customers aren't telepaths either.

Yes, if it's something that the ordinary man can be reasonably expected to know (like giving ID for cigarette purchases), I think the CSR only needs to explain it to people who apparently don't know it.

However, the 'no bottle cap in the stadium' rule would confuse me, and I'd probably politely ask why. If the rep was rude to me about explaining, I'd be very, very unhappy with them - even after I found out why. (I'd be unhappy about the rudeness, not the bottle cap.)

[Retail Associate]

I imagine a lot of people would be put-off having to give their DOB...especially women.

If a customer is purchasing cigs or alcohol, once that item is scanned our registers won't proceed any further until we choose the 'Birthdate Not Needed' option. Even if the customer appears too young and we check their ID, we still don't have to enter a DOB. It makes it so much easier.


.

[Broomjockey]

Yes, if it's something that the ordinary man can be reasonably expected to know (like giving ID for cigarette purchases), I think the CSR only needs to explain it to people who apparently don't know it.

Then why should aurelemsrealm have had to explain why he needed DOB? Not to start anything, but seriously, this guy is more than old enough to know that it's an age restricted item, and that there are precautions about to prevent the selling of these items to minors, and that these precautions require input on the part of the cashier.
This time, rather than making something up, the cashier asked for the legitimate DOB. Being an ordinary person, knowing these things, they'd provide DOB, and move on. I'm willing to bet this guy would have thrown a similar fit if asked for ID in those places that ID everyone.

[Anakah]

You think a birthdate is bad? We require a social security number, a credit card, scan their ID, and a thumb print just to write a personal check in our casino. That one is never fun to explain.

The old man could've made up a birthdate if he was so scared about theft. Though he didn't have to be an ass about handing over the money. Makes me glad that we're not allowed to put the money in their hand.

[Gravekeeper]

Think about it. The man has been purchasing cigarettes forever, and now all of a sudden because the world has to be all PC, he has to give his freaking birthdate ? I can understand his point of view. It's insane.

Upon seeing that he was obviously old enough, I wouldnt have harassed him for his birthdate. I would have just entered in whatever. Like I said, he's old, been buying smokes forever and doesn't need any grief over it.

I don't know why but this irks me. Political correctness has absolutely ZERO to do with this. Zilch. Nadda. Its not insane at all, quite the opposite. As time went on we learned more about exactly what the cancer sticks do to person ( as well as everyone in the vicinity of said person ) and thus restrictions became tighter.

Age is also not an excuse for ignorance. You basically just made a "Well they always let me do it before!" argument. A type of argument many of us on the board lament about SCs making on a daily basis. -.-

[kibbles]

There was suckyness on both ends IMO. Explanation for giving ID would not be needed, but having to have a birth date before a total is even given, yeah..that's different IMO.

[Racket_Man]

it may be true there was suckyness on both sides BUT there is a reason ID and birthdates are asked for.

with the increasing restrictions placed on tobacco, booze, and lottery sales these days (along with the increase of awareness inthe media and government) people (even senior citizens) should know by now that ID showing will just increase.

there are a few states now (Nevada is one I believe) and an increasing number of companies that REQUIRE the showing of an ID when purchasing said items ie lottery, tobacco, or booze NO MATTER WHAT YOUR AGE. if the clerk (no matter how new or experienced) fails to get an ID for the purchase they can be fired, fined and/or jailed NO QUESTIONS NO SECOND CHANCES NO NOTHING. bye bye your gone even if you have been with the company 20 years.

I do not care if you remember as a teenager Woodrow Willson being President of the US the law IS THE LAW.

if the customer can not undrstand the rules or law not my problem

[Gravekeeper]

Gravekeeper...what are you talking about ??? I'm talking about using a little common sense not to mention your eyeballs. This is an old man we're talking about. In my opinion only a complete robot (no dis intended to the OP seriously) would continue to push for a birthdate. Sorry. we're always demanding common sense from the customers but we, as employees are immune to using a little ? I don't think that's quite fair.

And I do think PC has something to do with it. It's PC to be all anti-smoking these days and companies have pandered to that. I guess I'm just old enough to remember a time when people minded their own business about what you chose to put into your body. And old man should not be badgered about his birthdate, simple as that.

Political correctness (PC or politically correct) is a term used to describe language, ideas, policies, or behavior seen as seeking to minimize offense to racial, cultural, or other identity groups. The term is also used in a broader sense to describe adherence to any political or cultural orthodoxy.

How precisely is asking for a guy's ID to buy smoke's an attempt to minimize offense to a race, culture or group? If you try to make the shaky argument that smoker's are a cultural group requiring such restraint then asking for the guy's DOB is the complete opposite. As for the nonsmokers vs smokers, its restricted because with each passing year we find more and more health problems related to it. The march of anti-smoking regulations is a response to that. The OP's company is not "pandering" to political correctness they're following the law. Every store up here has signs on the counter saying they card for smokes. Period. No exceptions.

Its completely within this guy's right what he puts into his body, yes. Except smoking has been proven to not just adversely affect the smoker's health but everyone around the smoker as well. Not just as an allergen/irritant but also as an increased risk of cancer/heart disease to nearby inhalers. Nicotine smoke also has a bad habit of sticking to the surroundings. If you live with a smoker, even if they smoke outside, your home is still going to be full of it. Seriously.

Hence why its being banned in more and more public places lately.

[HowMayIHelpMe?]

I just can not STAND IT when a cashier is given grief and hassle over this. Some thoughts, after reading all that's been posted on here:


1. The customer was being an arrogant jackass, no doubt about it. While the OP could have simply "fudged" the info and input any date that would have cleared and passed the POS prompt, it would have been a lot quicker for both parties if the customer had simply answered the fuc^ing question. Excuse my tone, there. I've just about had enough of the smoker customers who view cashiers as mere, annoying obstacles to their habit.

2. I really feel for the OP here. Because, procedurally, this whole thing is sort of an ethical "toughie". At least, it would be for me. As someone who from time to time has to ring up the sales of the commodity that killed my mother, it disgusts me to have to participate in the poisoning of strangers. Every pack of Marlboros or Marlboro "Lights" (as in, apparently, just a smidgin of cancer, thank you) puts me one step closer to an apt comparison to Jack Kevorkian. Extreme reference, you say? I don't know; that's not for me to say. All I know is that when I sell a pack of cigarettes to someone, I've assisted a stranger in the slow, methodological process of their own, self-initiated demise. Sort of fits Dr. Kevorkian's modus operandi, at least, to me.

3. The above two points brings me to this: I watched my mother take her last breaths on this Earth when I was only 30 years old and she was only 48 YEARS OLD. Because of cigarette smoking. So, customers who smoke and give me grief over answering a very simple question need to check themselves, unless they truly want a dose of anger that they will not be able to handle. If you want to give me grief over something that is my job to do, fine. Give me grief. Go for it. I'm ready, and I'm waiting. You go right ahead and enjoy making my work day harder because I've delayed your precious "smokie-treat" for 123 seconds. That will only make me pray harder and harder for you to eventually make your own family cry and weep for your premature, cancer-from-smoking death. I hope that your future son breaks his knuckles and fingers punching a wall in torn-apart, wordless frustration at such a senseless, pointless death. I hope that you have family members who will lose their faith in God and lead lives full of a sorrow and a misery that doesn't have to be because of your choice to smoke and conclude your life 20 years ahead of schedule.

So, come on, smoker SC's, come at me. I'm waiting.



And the best part is, you don't know me, and you don't know what (or who) I have lost. And you don't know that my wish for just one more smile or kiss or hug from my mother tears me apart every day. And since you don't know that, you also don't know how unwise it really, really is to piss me off just because doing my job has resulted in a minor inconvenience for you.

[wagegoth]

There's a lot of stuff being thrown from both sides of this argument.

The old guy probably did not know that he had to give his birthdate no matter how old. No mention is made by the OP of a sign or anything to tell the customer that a birthdate is required for all purchases of cigarettes.

If the OP had said plainly, which he did not, that he had to have the birthdate for the register to finish processing the sale, maybe the whole thing would not have gone sucky. He didn't.

At first, it sounds like the customer is kind of half-joking, blowing him off. Then it turns into suckiness.

I kind understand being tired of explaining the requirements for processing a sale like that, but it's part of the job. Get a sign and point at it, just say, "The register requires your birthdate for this sale." If the customer then gets sucky, well, then we've got another SC. You did what you could.

A person's name and a birthdate can get you a long way towards identity theft. I'm not saying this has anything to do with it, but I would want to know why a store wanted my birthdate.