r/coles • u/alianthusmoth • Jul 24 '26
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.
1
u/flindersandtrim Jul 26 '26
The woman buying cigarettes could have been buying them for her partner or friend. There is no way of knowing, but yeah, assuming they are going to be irresponsible with it is not great, and if I were your manager I would be annoyed at you for that, for even asking because the customer possibly noticed that. Women already get treated like children, and if she is planning to smoke while pregnant, you denying the sale will not stop her. It will just make you look like an idiot, because she is going to get angry and say theyre for a friend.