Lisa sent us a short angry email about her local CVS, and how it treats local teens. Her local store separates customers into two lines, and the line containing the 18 and under crowd is only allowed into the store two at a time. The store employees say it’s to keep down shoplifting. Lisa thinks it’s blatant ageism, and she’s avoiding the store from now on. Teens can be annoying, but did CVS cross the line in punishing all for the bad actions of a few? Read her letter and leave your comments, inside.
At a local trip to the CVS by Rancho Bernardo High School I was appalled to discover the low regard for customer service. When you walk in there is a line where they segregate teens from adults. They allow the adults to just walk in while teenagers have to wait in a long line where only two can go in at a time. The whole time this lady and a security guard stand there while they sneer at teens. When asked about the policy and they commented that it was to prevent shoplifting and that it was legal because it wasn’t excluding customers it was just dividing them by age. To me it seems to be blatant ageism, which I’m appalled at. To think that you can be discriminated against by a factor you can not control angers me deeply. Bad customer service doesn’t prevent shoplifting. If anything it encourages it. It’s a horrible policy on their part seeing how about 50% of their customers are students. Not just that it’s an unfair bias to place on high school students, as if they are the only ones who shoplift. In addition it isn’t even an effective means to prevent shoplifting, monitors at door would be a more effective option that doesn’t infringe upon customer service. It’s unfair for teenagers to be treated as second class citizens. When a student asked an adult, who was more than willing, if she would mind purchasing an item for him the lady at the door said to “please not disturb the customers”. As if discriminating against your customers isn’t disturbing the customers. The local CVS has lost my business.
It’s not completely unheard of for stores to restrict the after school crowd, but it’s unreasonable to think that only minors shoplift. Clearly none of these teens are Consumerist readers, or they’d already be outside the store with signs proclaiming “CVS Hates Teens!” Would you shop at this store, or are you grateful for CVS keeping the teen scourge at bay? Let us know, in the comments.
(photo:foundphotoslj)
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@shamowfski: I just wish they would ban all annoying people then i could shop by myself because everyone will get on my nerves at some point so i shouldnt have to deal with them
This isnt new. I’ve seen signs like that in stores, usually gas stations. They’re usually in a bad neighborhood or something along those lines, so it’s really nothing to get worked up about. A place like CVS SHOULD invest in a better security system though.
@rellog: “As for your ‘delicate’ soul, hurt by my big bad mean ol’ words… just stick your thumb in your mouth curl into the fetal position and fall asleep… ya big baby!”
Once again…any valid point that you make in your comments is completely overshadowed by your blatant immaturity. Good job.
There are nine states in which a policy like this would be illegal:
Delaware, Florida, Maryland, Michigan, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Virginia
This appears to be in California so there isn’t anything that can be done legally, but I highly recommend the original complainant do something about this. Speak to the management about it and get community members (both young and old) to write letters and call to complain about the discrimination at this CVS.
Just a few months ago a NYRA chapter in New Jersey took on a McDonalds that had this exact same policy where they had a separate line for students. They contacted the management and explained their case and won. Of course the law was on their side so that made it easier, but I highly recommend people take action against stores like this.
The National Youth Rights Association has been active opposing ageism in business like this. Everyone here who knows of stores in their area with similar policies and wants to do something should join NYRA and start a local chapter. If letters and meetings don’t work you can always protest and do a picket line out from to drive away business.
Check out NYRA here:
[www.youthrights.org]
Alex Koroknay-Palicz
Executive Director
National Youth Rights Association
[www.youthrights.org]
@Quietly:
I worked in retail when I was in school, and the profile of a shoplifter definately varies from store to store. In a place like a convenience or drug store, particularly near a school, teenagers are like fucking grasshoppers.
The boys break stuff and steal stupid shit, the girls rob the makeup counter blind.
You know what I dislike about CVS and Rite Aid? They have no public bathrooms. I have a small child who has a medical condition the necessitates the use of a bathroom when needed. At both CVS and Rite Aid my small child has been denied the use of a restroom while we were waiting to fill his prescription for a medication that is needed to help his urinary muscle spasms. Folks, common sense! Clearly he has a medical need and there is proof in your computer!
Many commenters have displayed less maturity in this thread than all the teenagers I have encountered today – near a school, beach promenade, and a huge mall. You are the grown adults who are supposedly so much more valuable than these members of a new generation, that will remember your snide behavior and need to deal with you in your old age? Charmed.
I’m no longer a teen, though I’m of a very short stature and look a lot younger than my actual age – the shit I have to put up with sometimes from someone who assumes anything about me purely based on how young I look… It can ruin what may have previously been an absolutely blissful day. I’m an adult and I can deal with this in a healthy manner. But with growing teenagers being constantly surrounded by such attitudes, which mold their perception of the world and their worth, I’m not surprised we have crimes in schools and young suicides.
And then these same self-righteous “adults” come around and blame video games for something that has always been in their power to help.
Well, there are two problems:
1) CVS’ local store attitude. Customers should always be treated
well.
2) Fire Marshall’s maximum occupancy. A High School or Middle School
letting out for lunch or end of day can overwhelm an establishment and
render it unsafe
Shoplifting my ass.I’ve been through shrink training in retail and it
happens in all age groups for various reasons. A store should be allowed to
control influx. They should just be nice about it: just counsel patience
at the check-in point. Local law of course should be consulted, but there
are legal limits to how many people can cram into any space.
Good grief, what a lot of nonsense! When I was in high school in the mid-80s the local pharmacy (a local chain long since subsumed by the CVS juggernaut, as it happens) had a similar policy. Unless accompanied by a parent there could be a grand total of four kids in the store at any time.
Considering how disruptive kids can be it always seemed like a good idea to me. And yes, there was trouble with shoplifting.
Honestly, I have to say that this policy is insane. 85% of the teenagers that I know are kind, law abiding citizens. They are NOT the wild juvenile delinquents that previous commenters have posted them as Steryotyping is just wrong.
If they would’ve pulled a particular gender or ethnicity out of the lines and permitted them to only go in with staff approval because they’re supposedly more likely to shoplift I don’t think it would be a question anymore that what they’re doing is bizarre and should be unwelcome in today’s society.
“When asked about the policy and they commented that it was to prevent shoplifting and that it was legal because it wasn’t excluding customers it was just dividing them by race.”
Doesn’t sound very pretty, does it?