Mitigate Corporate Risk with Alcohol and Tobacco Compliance Shops

While they do bring in big profit and attract a lot of foot traffic, stocking alcohol and tobacco products inherently comes with plenty of risk. We all know about the legal issues of selling these products to minors, but sometimes the employees on the front line do not understand the consequences that can come from one individual transaction. One employee in one store can put an entire corporate brand at risk by breaking these laws, so any smart brand that has these products needs to have methods in place that ensure employees are following both company policy and federal law. Compliance audits are one of the best of these initiatives because it provides detailed analysis of employee behavior and performance, without alerting the employee that they are being monitored. The final aspect of making sure that the employee does not know they are being reviewed is especially important, because it will result in unfiltered data, so your brand can analyze how point-of-sale employees are interacting with the average customer.

From the perspective of someone sitting behind the register of a 7/11 all day, it makes sense to be less stringent when it comes selling alcohol and tobacco. It can be time-consuming to card every single person that looks under 40, and ultimately the major penalties will not be placed on the individual. However, to ensure that your brand is following the law and is not subject to any punishment, there needs to be a system in place to ensure that these employees remain diligent.

An alcohol and tobacco compliance shop is similar to the standard mystery shop, however there are specific age parameters that dictate who can complete these assignments. Mystery shoppers that fit these descriptions are sent to various c-store locations across the United States and are tasked with attempting to purchase alcohol or tobacco products. They are given a set of directions of how they should interact with the employee, and then fill out and submit a questionnaire about whether the employee followed standard protocol. This simple solution can save your brand thousands in legal penalties, and will ensure that your brand is serving the community legally and respectfully.

Second To None is the right option for your brand because of our extensive experience completing compliance audits for c-stores. We have a vast network of 400,000 mystery shoppers across the United States and Canada, which grants us the ability to fill these specified demographics and complete these audits. Unlike many other mystery shopping companies, we have the resources to fulfill this need without turning to a third-party company for help.

This practice of checking up on your employees is important for customer service, but it is even more significant when dealing with alcohol and tobacco sales. If your c-store does not follow the regulations of the industry, then you are at risk not only financially, but also at risk of serious legal penalties.

Second To None empowers customer-centric brands to deliver consistent, intentional and authentic consumer experiences.

We adeptly design and manage mystery shopping, compliance, engagement and voice of customer solutions grounded in strategic relevance, program integrity and actionable insights. Our solutions are developed on the basis of solid research and statistical science. We achieve success through a relentless focus on quality and innovation, consultative relationships and a talented team of professional associates.