This is about my retail job:

I've only been working for 3 weeks and I was greeting costumers into our store and we aren't allowed to let kids in without adult chaperones. I think it's technically anyone 16 or under. Most of my coworkers will allow any teenagers in and it's not a big deal.

There's this guy that comes up by himself and honestly he looks 15 to me. I don't think we're allowed to ask guests their ages either so I have to make an assumption. I know that I should've just let him in, but the managers keep calling me out on things that I think aren't big deals, so I try to play it "safe" in terms of me not getting reprimanded and simply tell him that I can't let him in. I don't explain that it's because I think he's too young, because usually kids figure that's why they can't come in. He leaves.

Later, I'm greeting another guest when this lady comes up to the door and asks very aggressively "Is there a reason why you won't let my nephew in?" I say that it's because he's too young and she says "He's 19." I say "I'm sorry about that, he looked younger." She then tells me that he'll return. He does so and when I let him in and I say "Sorry about earlier," he says "It's fine" but I could tell he was a little annoyed at the whole thing, which is reasonable.

I then let my manager over the walkie know what happened with the lady and she asks which customer is the boy. I point him out and it sounds like she says "Girl, he looks 19!" (it should be noted that he was wearing a mask that covered his very smooth face that had no wrinkles whatsoever when she saw him). But yeah it made me feel stupid and like a huge jerk for not just letting him in in the first place. It wasn't the lady yelling at me that's affected me, I'm just kicking myself for making such a stupid decision. Especially since my manager made it seem like it he was obviously old enough. I also feel bad for assuming he was too young to enter. Like, I feel like I offended him or something, and I never want to hurt anyone like that. After I sent him away, I even thought to myself that I probably should've let him in.