Tesco's "Think 21" policy needs a rethink!
I am a 27 year old teacher from Newcastle, who will be 28 in a few months. For the last four years I have shopped every week at the North Shields Tesco Extra branch, just off the Coast Road.
Several months ago I noticed your think 21 policy on alcohol sales. As a secondary school teacher I appreciate the need to be alert to under age drinks sales, it is hard to judge the age of some children. I visited the store on many occasions since the posters went on display, without being asked for any identification.
However, today I was asked for identification by the checkout assistant and was unable to provide it in the form requested. I have never been asked for this before, and clearly do not look 21 or under. I was even in my formal clothes, having come directly from work. I had a Newcastle Council pay slip which showed my job title as an Advanced Skills Teacher (equivalent to a Deputy Headteacher status). Obviously I must have graduated some time ago to be in this post. My trolley had a full weekly shop which included 4 bottles of beer and a bottle of wine.
I spoke to the manager who would not accept the pay slip as a form of identification. He would not directly answer my question when I asked if he thought I looked 21 or under. He was rather patronising and suggeset that I "take it as a compliment".
Today I left your store feeling humiliated and offended that I could not complete my shopping visit. I was most upset and drove home in tears. I wasted an hour of my time and had to visit my local Sainsbury branch, who did not ask for proof of age. Their staff are obviously able to judge the age of a customer.
It is unfair that adults who are clearly in their late 20's are refused service because of the subjective judgement of one member of staff. Have the checkout staff at this branch received any training and guidance on estimating a customers age? This is obviously an issue at the store. The checkout assistant commented that she asked lots of people, and that a lady earlier that day "had claimed to be 30". You will offend and loose many customers with this approach
I still have the problem that I have no acceptable form of identification that I can carry with me. My driving licence is a bulky old style paper issue which does not fit in my purse. I am not prepared to carry my passport with me at all times, in anticipation of an impromptu visit to one of your stores.
I do not wish to be embarrassed in this way again, so will not be shopping at your store. I will also alert my friends of a similar age to this, and suggest that they do the same.
Regards, Helen.
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115 comments:
Sorry to hear this Helen and especially sorry it upset you emotionally.
We agree with your complaint as it is clear that the manager thought you looked over 21 as he would not answer this question and as he said it is a compliment.
It is unacceptable for a manager to be so rigid. In your position I would have not purchased a thing. If you click the email button above you can forward your post to your friends and also to terry.leahy@tesco.com.
Cheer up!
It's not Tesco's "Think 21" policy, it's a national policy being implemented by Trading Standards or some such organisation.
I'm aware that this is a national policy.
Just aggrieved with the over-zealous implementation of it by the store.
They would not serve me without my passport. There is no other form of identification that is acceptable to them, that I have (my drivers license does not have a photo on).
I'm 27 for f@cks sake, and don't look young for my age. Suddenly I can't buy a bottle of wine.
Sorry to hear this, will be interesting to see how Tesco respond. Will also be telling my friends about it so looks like Threshers is for us. Especially with 40% off with the coupon!
Well, I'm not sure if you know, but should a Tesco cashier sell alcohol to anyone that is under 18 then the Cashier can be fined a large amoun (up to about £2,000) and get a criminal record. So I hope you might understand when we get a little over the top. Also, once a cashier has asked for ID the Team Leader or Manager will normally support the cashier and is not supposed to overrule the decision.
Im 30 years old and i sometimes get asked for ID for cigerettes but i dont moan even if its the same operson who has served me before as i know its their job
think 21
if you have any doubt whatsoever about the age of the person you are serving then ask for ID which includes
1.Portman card
2.drivers lisense with picture
3.Passport
4.cant remember
stop being such a silly sad person and take it as a compliment you are 27 and someone thinks you are under 21 better than looking like an old dyke really isnt it
woo
oh and this think 21 will be rolling out in all supermarkets and off liscences next year
At the end of the day, Tesco have the right to ask for proof of age as it is the law, and they (Tesco) have the right to ask for this proof. The Think 21 has been clearly advertised and so are the acceptable forms of id. Dont think you can critisise a company that is upholding the law!
You cannot say you support the need to be alert for under age drink sales and then criticize when they put the think 21 policy into effect.
The manager was supporting the member of staff as they should. Long ago I worked on a checkout and it is very hard to determine the age of some people - I sympathise with the checkout assistant for having to deal with such a difficult customer. I would not take a pay slip as identification - how would I know it was yours?!
Your complaint seems childish - methinks you have been affected by the children you teach. Perhaps you need to grow up and then you would not need to be ID'd.
Its good to see that Tesco in your area take their alcohol licence seriously and responsibly.
Although you were declined alcohol which was both inconvientent and embarassing.
Its goofd to see Tesco are clamping donw on underage drinking and anti social behaviour.
This happened to me once before when I was a Team Leader.
A relatively new lad was serving on a till, and called me to it. Standard procedure, he requested ID, the customer didn't have any, so he called the Team Leader to speak to the customer.
Problem is, the customer was in his mid-thirties and losing his hair. Obviously over the tender age of 18. The incident was embarrassing for all three of us, but I had to stick with the cashier, it's policy, and although I apologised to the customer and said that I could clearly see he is of legal age, once the cashier has questioned a customer it is my responsibility to stick by them.
So isolated incidents occur with people who are several years overage - it's best to just chalk it up to experience.
I can kind of understand the 21 policy, as it is sometimes hard to tell someones age in the borderline years... but, it IS getting ridiculous.
I am 30. I do not drive, hence do not have a licence. Yesterday I was asked for i.d to buy tobacco. I was incredulous, and the (YOUNG) sales assistant informed me that they have a new "think 30" policy. YES! Think 30! This was in Tesco express Yate (near Bristol). Despite laughing and saying "I AM 30!", She was resolute. When I returned (seeing as supermarket monopoly means there are no other local shops nearby...), passport in hand, I asked if she honestly thought I looked 15 as that is the implication; she said "sorry it's the policy".
Maybe you have to be careful around some borderline 20-ish cases, but when not being able to prove that you are actually more than 14 years older than the required age means you cannot buy cigarettes (or alcohol - or, probably, knives, glue, lighter fluid?) simply because the sales assistant thinks you don't look 30 is basically just a ridiculous, unnecessary pain in the arse.
And yes, I do look young for my age, but my age is 30, and I'm clearly older than 21, let alone 15. My plan now if this happens again is to ask for the manager and not pay for the rest of my goods until we've had a nice long chat. I suggest everyone do the same, and if we can inconvenience them as much as it inconveniences us, maybe they'll rethink it or train their staff better.
Try and get a nice big queue behind you.
Matt just a quick note, tobacco products are now a 18+ age restricted product and have been for almost a year. It is possible you look around the 18 age mark.
Oh! I didn't know that, I've been out of the UK since September, only just got back (but have NOT been ID'd other than this 1 time).
That is excellent news - 16 is a ridiculously young age for tobacco.
Anyway. I think my point still stands. 'Think 30' is ridiculous.
someone posted that you cant criticize a company that is upholding the law, fair comment, but there is upholding the law and there is just being plain stupid, the story above is not a rare one, i am 27 and regularly get asked for id at my local store (upper boat pontypridd ) and i dont look under 25 never mind 21 and certainly not under 18 by any stretch of the imagination,they do no use any common sense at all, and it is not the staffs fault, tesco has developed unique training videos to frighten and brain wash the staff, they cloud any last bit off judgement and common sense that they have with propaganda and the so called "training videos"
why dont tescos quit insulting their customers and staff and just make it policy that you need id for alcohol full stop no matter how old you are, i dont buy alcohol from tesco anymore and my suggestion to anyone who gets asked for id when it clearly isnt needed is even if you have a trolly full of stuff on the check out belt is to just walk off and leave them take all the stuff back, if everyone did this they would soon find another alternative to "think 53"
Dear Helen,
How sorry I am to read such complaints like this. I myself am a tesco employee.
I work in a non-food store called Home plus and am often confused by the way in which some staff represent the company. We are given ample training (if the management take the time) and, as far as retailing is promoted, well looked after. We have plenty of time in our store to spend with customers and those that genuinely have a compaint (some are just never happy) are always satisfied by both our approach and response.
We are taught to treat everyone the way we would like to be treated! I would not like to be treated so, so can only assume that both the assistant and manager like to spend their free time being spat on and punched (that last comment may have been unjust but puts us all in a bad light).
I hope someday you get to visit the North-West and see what general assistants are meant to be like. (Unfortunately, we have 1 idiot in store, lets hope you don't meet him! That I did mean).
Just remember to smile. It feels better than frowning.
Hoping you visit
Tony
Just in case anybody reads this:
I, too, am a Tesco employee and we are given some training with regards to ages restricted sales but mostly it is left up to our own judgement.
The management have a policy of "You say no, we say no" and can only contradict the casheir if they know the customer personaly. If this is the case they must sign on to the till and take responsibility for the sale.
"Think 21" is being replaced with "Think 25" this year so don't be surprised if this happens more often!
I work for a highstreet bookmakers and have just been suspended for serving an 18 yr old who did not look 21. so if and when I get my job back prepare to be asked for id WHATEVER your age. its embarrasing for the customer, but it is also just as embarrasing for the employee. the only people that dont get embarrassed are the faceless numbty's who make up these pathetic rules.
maybe there should be deterrent for under age people trying to purchase things that they are not supposed to be purchasing, but NO they get off scott free. typical
Your spelling doesn't suggest to me you're an advanced skills teacher.
They will "loose" customers will they?
No, they will LOSE customers!
If teachers spell like this, I'm not surprised youths are working in supermarkets on the checkouts.
Likewise I have a paper driving license and I'm not keen to carry my passport. I also don't believe that it should be up to supermarkets to slip identity cards in by the back door. At 32 it's a tad irritating to be asked for Id. It seems a very new thing I'd not been asked in 12years and have now been asked twice in 6mths. Acceptable in your early 20s it's a joke in your 30s.... Flattering for the first 30 seconds it's irritating when you're pushed for time, planning on entertaining and find you have to drive elsewhere. The answer for me is that out of principle I now avoid Tesco where possible.
ps should you wish to age someone try looking at the corner of the eyes - crows feet are clear indicator of late 20s early 30s.
it seems that english law is stupid. Look 21 to buy 18 age restricted products...
Where's intelligence in that?
This woman is crazy! Secondary school 'pretendy' deputy head who can't even spell 'lose' oh dear
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If you have the old paper driving licence, you should be fined 1000 quid, seeing as that's the penalty for not updating if you're still driving.
A checkout worker faces a personal fine of £1000 if they are caught serving someone under age. This is the modern world unfortunately. Just because you think you look over 21, doesn't mean you do to an 18 year old, or even some of the older boys. It's subjective, which is why we have identification.
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