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Think 25 and facemasks

Started by OH, 26-06-20, 11:31AM

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OH

Anyone had experience / thoughts on think 25 with the now common use of facemasks?
(Specifically, disciplinary scenarios).

barafear

We have been told we are allowed to ask customers to remove facemasks in order to determine whether we need to ask for ID - and then obviously to verify photo if we do check ID.

But clearly, it can get even more embarrassing if we are "thinking 25" based on someone's hair and eyes?


Nomad

#2
Is that applied to all face coverings whether they are medical or religious (i.e. Burka)  :question:
Nomad ( Forum Admin )
It's better to be up in arms than down on your knees.

Cairney39

The guidelines are:
You are not allowed to ask a customer to remove their face covering. You can tell them that you cannot confirm their age/check against their ID whilst they are wearing their mask. If they remove it, you, proceed With the think 25 process. If they refuse, you explain that as you can not verify their ID/age, then the sale will be refused

Cinderella

I haven’t been told any guidelines, but if I find it difficult to tell, I just ask for ID. If I then get an angry “but I’m 40!” I’ll explain that it’s difficult to assess ages when faces are covered. Customers will moan either way, but I’d rather not end up with a criminal record over failure to ask for ID, so when in doubt - I ask.

OH

After investigation, another colleague has been sent to disciplinary over this scenario.

No, they were not made aware of the above guidelines.

Personally, if I was a customer wearing a face mask for my own personal safety, I would refuse to remove it.
Does this mean those protecting themselves with masks can't buy age restricted items at Tesco?

What makes this situation even worse is that this was Tesco's own internal test purchase ... Wearing a face mask!!
Dodgy or what?

penguin

Have to agree if in any doubt ask and if needed refuse the transaction, customers will complain but at the end of the day its better that than an investigation and possible action for failing a test purchase or selling to someone underage.
Do not let anyone tell you there is not a decent job and life beyond Tesco.

notsofunny


Everyone has done a think 25 I hope  ??? , in which case if your not sure then refuse the sale , let the Manager deal with it , It could be a matter of you keeping your Job or not if you allow the sale ,

lucgeo

Does the training on think 25 include a scenario of face coverings?
Live for today. Learn from yesterday.

penguin

Nope it does not mention anything about facemasks or coverings
Do not let anyone tell you there is not a decent job and life beyond Tesco.

Nomad

Bad omission considering.
Nomad ( Forum Admin )
It's better to be up in arms than down on your knees.

beentheredoneit

.... we had a pair of pro shoplifters in the other day (£150 JD and Smirnoff) definitely using masks and gloves to hide their identities .....
beentheredoneit

lucgeo

#12
Then if the training does not cover it, does not mention it, or give advise on face coverings, then they can't discipline. It merely becomes a training issue.

"These are unprecedented times" so who has been told since outbreak and lockdown to ask customers to remove their PPE, to authorise a sale?? Who has been told, long before screens arrived, that they must put their health and safety, and that of the customer, at risk, to allow a bottle of plonk through?

No training...no case to answer!

Just a query...what is the guidance regarding religious face coverings, where it is forbidden for females to show their face in public?? Are all restricted sales refused to them?? Bread knives, party poppers, DVDs etc... ??? Is any of this covered in the training, that the majority of what is on sale instore, may not be available to purchase by some female customers??
Live for today. Learn from yesterday.

rayinski

#13
I work primarily on checkouts and if I can't properly assess your age and your wearing a face covering and you refuse to remove it, then your not getting the age restricted item, no ifs no buts. If the customer then goes on to complain to management and the manager then puts the sale through on their number, without proper verification I'm filing a complaint against said manager.

alf

Yeah people are over complicating a simple matter, you simply check to see if they match the ID picture.

If you can't do that because of any face covering, whether it be a mask, helmet, scarf, balaclava, you do not process the sale (assuming the customer does refuse to remove whatever item).

If face masks were mandatory, it would be a different issue.

notsofunny

Quote from: lucgeo on 27-06-20, 08:48AM
Does the training on think 25 include a scenario of face coverings?

It does not , But it tells you to think 25 ,and if you are not sure then refuse , that covers it , Think 25 tells you to judge the age yourself , and if you cant refuse the sale ,

barafear

we had an update in team 5 (not sure whether this was a local update or part of the wider corporate message) stating that we should and could request a customer to remove any face covering in this scenario.

OH

HI Barafear,

Can you by any chance remember when that was?

Thanx.

Morris999

A Think 25 update on face coverings has come down on comms centre today and says the following:

‘If a customer wearing a face covering is buying an age restricted product, we shouldn’t ask them to remove their coverings for Think 25 identification purposes.

If you’re unable to verify their identity for Think 25, then you should apologise and politely explain to the customer that you’re unable to verify their identity and the sale will have to be refused. The customer may then choose to remove their covering voluntarily. In this case, you can proceed with the age verification and,if verified, process the sale as normal’.


OH

Snap!

We just got exactly the same through team 5.

It looks like the upcoming disciplinary will be a bit of a damp squib.

Thanks for everyone's input.

Nomad

"A Think 25 update on face coverings has come down on comms centre today"

Somebody possibly looking at VLH  :-\
Nomad ( Forum Admin )
It's better to be up in arms than down on your knees.

lucgeo

#21
And for the record...motorcycle crash helmets should be removed immediately prior to entering any store or PFS internal shop area. Acces to store is denied to anyone refusing to remove their crash helmet!

@alf
" if face masks were mandatory, it would be a different matter"
That was my query regarding religious face coverings. Are all age restricted items refused to these female customers?? Twould seem from the think 25 update, that this be the case ???
Live for today. Learn from yesterday.

lucgeo

Thinking longer on the above scenario...does Tesco provide a private area to enable the female shopper to remove her face covering to a female colleague, for the age restricted purchase??
If so, is it the female checkout operator who needs to leave the checkout unmanned with the unpaid goods on the belt , to escort to a private area shielded from public view? Or does a female colleague need to be called to support ???
It's something I've never thought about till now, and am curious as to how the restricted sale is processed, for these ladies?
Live for today. Learn from yesterday.

lucgeo

Quote from: OH on 29-06-20, 07:51PM
Snap!

We just got exactly the same through team 5.

It looks like the upcoming disciplinary will be a bit of a damp squib.

Thanks for everyone's input.

I thought team 5's were no longer compulsory to be read out and signed as read by colleagues??
Live for today. Learn from yesterday.

dotnochance

They must be? i haven't seen a team 5 in years

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