How do I enforce ID checks for minors?
Q. How do I make sure that my cashiers check identification when selling alcohol or tobacco to young customers?
A. In order to protect minors and avoid legal penalties, it's important that your employees avoid selling alcohol or tobacco products to underage customers (under age 18 for tobacco, 21 for alcohol). The following tips from the Coalition for Responsible Tobacco Retailing can help you ensure that cashiers follow proper procedures for checking identification.
• Set a clear, consistent store policy on checking ID. The policy should indicate the age range of customers who should be asked for ID and address what to do in various situations, such as when a customer doesn't have ID.
• Educate employees about state laws and store policies. Emphasize that compliance is a priority for your store.
• Train employees to handle ID checks appropriately. Discuss issues such as how to spot fake IDs and how to handle abusive customers. Role-play confrontational situations. Prepare younger employees to deal with peer pressure from friends and other underage customers.It's useful to conduct ongoing training in addition to educating new hires.
• Prominently display signage announcing your store's commitment to checking ID and preventing underage purchases of alcohol and tobacco. Use age-of-purchase calendars posted at point of sale to take the math out of the transaction for clerks.
• Use video cameras and undercover spot checks to monitor compliance. Communicate to employees all compliance check results, both good and bad.
• Enforce store policy. Establish fair but strict penalties for disciplining employees who make a sale to underage customers, and carry those penalties out.
• Use positive reinforcement to commend employees for following procedure. Compliment or reward cashiers when you observe them carding customers and refusing underage sales.
Your store policy should send a message to employees that checking ID is an important part of their job and that you take it seriously. For free training materials and signage, contact the Coalition for Responsible Tobacco Retailing at 800.934.3968 or www.wecard.org.
