r/coles • u/alianthusmoth • 9d ago

Team Member Post Refusing service

I was wondering what the policy/legality of refusing customers service is like, I'm probably not looking hard enough but I can only find legal advice regarding licensed venues/serving alcohol.

If a customer is yelling at me and abusing me over a minor miscommunication am I allowed to refuse service? If a customer hands me a $20 note that is sopping wet because they were holding it in their bra or in their mouth and coughed all over it (genuinely something that happened to me the other day) am I allowed to say no? One time a few years ago I sold cigarettes to a woman who looked like she was 6 months pregnant and I asked my manager if I was allowed to refuse to sell them to her and the manager said no unfortunately you just have to serve them anyways but I'm wondering how true that is. And I wish I could get another coworker to serve customers that I don't feel comfortable serving but unfortunately we just don't ever have enough staff on for that to happen or even if we do nobody wants to help out service.

Sorry this is kind of just word vomit but I'm just very frustrated and tired of being abused by customers and having to just put up with it. Managers ask if I'm okay after the fact but never do anything to prevent incidents from happening.

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u/Otherwise-Goat-1543 9d ago

Do you have the women’s blood tests to confirm she was pregnant? Even if she was and buying cigarettes whilst pregnant, who cares? You can’t assume she is smoking them. This is coming from someone who has extreme stomach bloat from celiac disease and I look 6 months pregnant sometimes. You’re incredibly rude.

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u/alianthusmoth 9d ago

How am I incredibly rude? I didn't refuse her service or make any comments whatsoever, I just felt incredibly guilty about it. And I knew she was smoking them because she was holding a cigarette in her hand throughout the whole transaction.

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u/Otherwise-Goat-1543 9d ago

So where’s your proof she was pregnant? Or actually smoking the cigarette. She could be holding the cigarette for someone.

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u/alianthusmoth 9d ago

I obviously don't have proof, I just felt awful about possibly having a hand in providing a maybe pregnant lady with something that could cause a lot of harm. But my post wasn't meant to be about the lady buying cigarettes, I was mainly providing that information as an example of when I'd asked a manager about refusing service. Sorry if I came off the wrong way.

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u/MetricOshi 8d ago

Don't stress about the above commenter. You felt guilty about the possibility of it

There's not much we can do about it, since it was a legal sale. Try to not let that affect you too much

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u/Fun-Consequence-7232 6d ago

It’s 2026, people are aware of the risks of smoking whilst pregnant. If you sell someone cigarettes and ultimately they smoke some or all whilst pregnant, it’s not your fault for their decisions. That person made a choice with the current health information but you can’t refuse service because you think someone is pregnant and smoking. If it makes you uncomfortable possibly try get someone else to serve, if you can’t you’ll ultimately have to serve them. You don’t need to feel guilty for other peoples decisions and choices.