Scenario #4 Answer

For this scenario, the best choice was “Politely inform the individual that you noticed he was with a group of friends and to make this sale you will need to check their IDs as well.” Let’s take a look at the facts of the case and see why this was the next best course of action:

1. The group of individuals were all similar ages and entered the grocery store together.
2. Two of the individuals left the store separately instead of remaining as a group to pay for the six-packs.
3. You were apprehensive of the purchaser’s age and carded him accordingly.

In a scenario such as this one, best practice is to card the entire group of individuals to ensure they are all of legal age. The facts of this case should raise red flags that the purchaser of the six packs is more than likely sharing those beers with his friends that entered the store with him. Remember, you can always use the line “It is store policy to card everyone in the group, I don’t want to get into trouble or lose my job.” If everyone in the group is age 21 or older, there should be no issues. If the purchaser or his friends refuse to provide valid ID, then you should refuse the sale and document this incident according to your establishment’s policy.