Interviews with Tobacco Retailers to Inform Retailer Education

Appendix F: Manager Interview Guide

Manager Interview Protocol
Hello, this is with Decision Partners. Thank you for agreeing to participate in our research.
As mentioned when we set up the interview, we are doing research to learn about the beliefs,
decision making and communication needs of managers and clerks in stores where tobacco
products are sold. This will be used to help design effective education campaigns and
communication strategies for retailers about federal tobacco regulations. Participating in this
interview may not help you individually, but it will provide valuable information that will help us
develop better educational materials for managers such as yourself.
Our conversation should take about 45 minutes and you will receive $50 for your participation in the
interview. I have a list of questions, but please feel free to raise anything that comes to mind as we
go along. There are no right or wrong answers and all of your comments will add value. This
interview is voluntary, meaning you can stop the interview at any time or choose not to answer
questions.
The interview involves no risk of injury. The main risk is a small one, that your interview data could
be revealed. We are taking several steps, however, to protect your privacy and prevent that from
ever happening. I want to assure you that your identity and the identity of the store you work for will
be kept private. Your name will never be linked with your interview responses. Our report will
combine the responses of everyone we speak with, with no particular person or store name used.
Additionally, your employer will not be notified of your participation in this interview, nor will they
have access to the information you provide during the interview. My notes from this interview will be
kept on a protected computer and will not be linked with your name or the name of your store.
In order to ensure that my notes of our conversation are accurate and complete, I’d like to ask your
permission to record our conversation. Again, I would like to stress that your responses will be kept
private. You will not be able to be identified through the recording. The recording will be used to
help me write my report and will be destroyed after the report is written.
You may ask questions or express concerns about this consent, the study, your rights as a
research subject, or report problems or research-related injuries at any time before, during or after
the study. You may contact the research team through the Principal Investigator of the study, Greta
Tessman at 301-796-6722. If you prefer to contact someone outside of the research team, you may
contact the Call Center at the Center for Tobacco Products at 1-877-287-1373. If you call after
hours, select option #5 (general public), then option #4 (general public) to leave a message. [For inperson interviews only, provide written copy of this information to participants]
Do you have any questions?
Do you agree to participate in the interview? (Interviewer to note response and proceed
accordingly)
___Yes

___No

Do you agree to be audiotaped? (Interviewer to note response and proceed accordingly)
___Yes

___No

____________________________________________

____________

Witness Name (Printed)

Date

____________________________________________

____________

Witness Signature

Date

Appendix F: Manager Interview Guide
Interview Opening
Our discussion will take place in four parts. First we’ll talk generally about your store and your work
responsibilities. Next, we’ll talk about your store’s policies related to tobacco purchases. Then, we’ll
talk about regulations related to selling tobacco products. Finally, we’ll finish up with your thoughts
about tobacco use in general.
Interviewer Note: If the interviewee seems hesitant or uncomfortable with an open-ended
question, remind him or her, as appropriate, that you are interested in understanding what first
comes to his or her mind about this topic. If he or she has nothing to say, move on to the next
question.
Section 1. Outlet and Manager Characteristics
First, let’s begin by talking generally about your store and your primary responsibilities.
1. To start, please tell me a little about yourself and your primary responsibilities.
If not mentioned or obtained during screening:
 Please confirm that you are a store owner or manager/supervisor.
 How long have you been at/owned this store?
 If owner: Do you own more than one store?
 How many hours are you at the store per week?
 Do you work the cash register? If so, How often?
 Are you responsible for supervising the store’s clerks?
2. Now, tell me a little about your store. What kind of store is it?
If not mentioned or obtained during screening:
 If needed: Is it a gas station, a convenience store, a grocery store, or more of a general
store (like Wal-Mart, or a Dollar Store)?
 How big is the store/gas station? How many clerks work at the store? How many people are
working the registers when the store/gas station is busy?
 Is it part of a chain?
 Do you/Does the owner own more than one store/gas station? If so, how many?
3. Tell me about the neighborhood where the store/gas station is located.
If not mentioned:
 Do a lot of people live within walking distance?
 Would you say it is:
o An urban area, in or very close to a larger city;
o A suburban area outside of but within several miles of a larger city; or
o A rural area, a small town or rural area, farther away from a large city?
 How close is it to the nearest school? What grades go there?
3a. How would you describe the customers who shop at the store?
If needed:
 Are most of your customers people who live close by or, are they people just driving by or
through your neighborhood or town?
 What percentage of your customers would you say are under 18?
 Tell me about the ethnic diversity in the customers who come in.
 Tell me about the primary languages that your customers speak. Do you experience any
difficulties because of the languages spoken? If so, how to you handle these challenges?
 Do you have a lot of regular or repeat customers?

Appendix F: Manager Interview Guide

Section 2. Store Policies and Practices and Training
Now, I’m going to ask you about some of your store’s policies and practices in general, how you
communicate with clerks, and how clerks learn the store policies.
4. So to start off, how do clerks and other staff learn about store policies?
 Who is responsible for communicating with the clerks about store policies? Do you have any
direct responsibility?
 How effective is this? How do you know if it’s effective or not?
 How might it be improved?
 Where do clerks go if they want more information about a store policy?
 How do you let clerks and other staff know about changes to store policies? What do you
think is the most effective way? Why?
 How often do you provide updates about store policies?
 How hard is it to keep employees informed? What could make it easier?
5. Does your store/gas station have formal training on store policies? If so: Can you
describe the training?
 Who is the training for?
If needed:
o How often do you have new clerks come in to the store?
o Do you have training specifically for new-hires?
o Do you have training for employees that have been around for a while either as a
refresher or for changes to store policies?
 What happens in that training? What does it cover?
 Do you provide any written materials, a video, or is it just talking?
 If any materials used: Can you describe those materials of videos to me? Where do they
come from?
 What do you think is most effective about the training?
 What do you think is less effective?
 Did you receive any training on store policies? If so, please describe.
 How easy or difficult is it to stay on top of training for all new hires? How do you do it?
Now, I’m going to start asking about your store’s policies for selling tobacco products.
6. First, when I say ‘tobacco products’ what comes to mind? Anything else?
 What kinds of tobacco products are sold in your store/gas station?
 How important are tobacco sales to the store’s revenue? Would you say that are: very
important, somewhat important, not very important or not at all important.
Just so we are on the same page, when I say tobacco products I’m talking about cigarettes,
smokeless or chewing tobacco, and roll-your-own tobacco.

Appendix F: Manager Interview Guide
7. Please tell me about your store’s rules or policies about selling tobacco products.
 What are the clerks who work in your store supposed to do?
 If they work the register: You mentioned that you sometimes work the register. Can you
briefly walk me through what happens when someone comes to your register and asks to
buy tobacco products?
 Is there anything the clerks are not supposed to do? If yes, can you describe what they are
not supposed to do?
 Why are these policies in place?
 Have these policies changed since you’ve been at the store? If so: How have they
changed? Why did they change?
8. When and how do the clerks learn about your store’s rules and policies around selling
tobacco products?
 Who explains these policies to them?
 If they are responsible: How easy or difficult it is? Is it comfortable? Why?
 If they mentioned training above: Is this part of the training we discussed earlier?
 Is it a training class or is it just on-the-job training?
If there is training on tobacco sales policy, but not discussed in earlier training question:
8a. What is covered in training specific to policies around selling tobacco?
 Do you provide any written materials specific to selling tobacco products, a video, or is it just
talking?
 If any materials used: Can you describe those materials or videos to me? Where do they
come from? What are the most and least useful materials you have used?
If needed:
 Do you cover how to check age using an ID? If yes: What are they told?
 Do you cover ways to determine if an ID is fake? If yes: What are they told?
 Do you cover how to deny a sale of a tobacco product? If yes: What are they told?
 Do you cover how to respond to a customer who is upset about being denied a sale? If yes:
What are they told?
For all:
 What do you think is most effective about the training?
 What do you think is less effective?
 How do you measure effectiveness? When would you consider the training a success?
8b. How do you let clerks know about changes to store policies about selling tobacco?
 Who is responsible for communicating these changes?
 How often do you provide updates about store policies with respect to selling tobacco?
9. Is there anything else that you do to help clerks know and follow your store’s rules or
policies?
 Does your store have signs or other ways to remind them of store policies?
 Does your store have calendars or technology that helps clerks to verify age?
If they work for a chain:
 Does your store’s parent company provide any supporting materials or other aids to help
them follow the policies?
10. How confident are you that your clerks know and understand your store’s rules or
policies about checking ID and selling tobacco products? Would you say that you are:
very confident, somewhat confident, neither confident nor unconfident, not very confident, or not
at all confident? Why do you say that? How do you know if they understand or not?

Appendix F: Manager Interview Guide
11. What makes it easier or harder for clerks to follow the store’s rules or policies about
selling tobacco products?
If needed: For example,
 How do clerks know how to judge someone’s age in determining whether to ask for ID? Is
this something that is covered in training? What are they told?
 How does customer behavior affect whether clerks ask for ID? Is this covered in training?
 How does customer appearance affect whether clerks ask for ID? Is this covered in training?
 What do clerks do if it is someone that they know? Is this covered in training?
 What do clerks do if it is someone they have carded before? Is this covered in training?
 How do you help them if they are confused? Do you think clerks feel uncomfortable carding
someone? If yes, please describe when and why.
12. Who is responsible for making sure that the clerks follow these rules or policies?
 How is that done?
12a. What would you do if a clerk in your store didn’t follow these rules or policies?
13. How well do you think your clerks follow these rules and policies? Why do you say that?


How do you encourage your employees to follow these rules and policies?

Section 3. Perceptions of external influences, regulations and communications
Now I’d like to ask you some questions about the laws that might apply to the sale of tobacco
products.
14. What can you tell me about any laws that have to do with selling tobacco products in a
store/gas station?
If yes:
 Where do they come from?
 How did you learn about them?
 Are these related to the store policies you mentioned before?
If they only discussed checking ID and rules for not selling to under 18:
15a. Do you know of any other laws related to selling tobacco products in a store/gas
station?
If yes, can you describe them to me?
If needed: For instance,
 Laws about where the cigarettes need to be kept
 How they can be sold (e.g. face-to-face transactions, not individually, no free promotional
items with purchase).
15. [If have not mentioned FDA:] Have you ever heard about the Food and Drug
Administration or the FDA? [For all:] Briefly, what do you know about the FDA?
Did you know that the FDA regulates certain tobacco products?
If yes
 What, if anything, do you know about the FDA’s role in regulating tobacco products?
Just to make sure that we’re on the same page: The FDA was given the authority to regulate certain
tobacco products in 2009 and they have developed new federal laws around such things as
checking ID and the sale of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco products to youth.

Appendix F: Manager Interview Guide
16. What do you think it means to regulate tobacco products? Do you know how FDA does
this?
If needed:
 Makes laws
 Conducting compliance inspections
 Enforces laws
17. Do you know what happens if someone at the store is caught not following the laws?
If needed:
 What could happen to that person?
 What could happen to their manager?
 What could happen to the store (or its parent company)?
 What does FDA do if a store is found to be in violation of a federal law?
18. Is there anything you would like to know more about with respect to these federal laws?
 Where would you go to get that kind of information?
 How would you use that information?

The FDA has a retailer education campaign called Break the Chain of Tobacco Addiction to
help retailers who sell tobacco products understand the laws.
19. Have you ever heard or seen anything about the Break the Chain of Tobacco Addiction
campaign?
If yes:
 What can you tell me about it?
 Who is the information designed for?
 Where did you hear about it?
 Do you use this information in the store? How have you been using it? Do you use it in
setting store policies or for training clerks
 What works well with this campaign?
 What could be better?
20. How helpful would it be for you to know more about the FDA’s laws on selling tobacco
products? Would you say it would be: Very helpful, somewhat helpful, not very helpful, or not
at all helpful? Why do you say that?
 How might you use this information? If needed: To set store policies? As a part of clerk
training?
21. What’s the best way for you to get this information?
I’m going to read you a brief list of different ways that you might get this information and for
each, I’d like to you tell me whether that would be: Very useful; somewhat useful; not very
useful; or not at all useful.
21a. The first is from the FDA website, including materials that can be downloaded, printed,
or ordered. Would you find that to be very useful; somewhat useful; not very useful; or not at all
useful?
21b. Next is a webinar, a live or recorded talk or a meeting, again over the internet that
discusses tobacco regulations, that is always available and you could watch at any time.
Would you find that to be very useful; somewhat useful; not very useful; or not at all useful?

Appendix F: Manager Interview Guide
21c. Next is from mobile applications. Would you find that to be very useful; somewhat useful;
not very useful; or not at all useful?
21d. Next is information you would receive through messages sent by FDA, via emails, text
messages, podcasts, and twitter. Would you find that to be very useful; somewhat useful; not
very useful; or not at all useful?
21e. Next are printed materials that you would receive through the mail such as letters,
flyers, newsletters, or even posters that you could post in your store. Would you find that
to be very useful; somewhat useful; not very useful; or not at all useful?
21f. Next is information that you might receive from other sources such as retailer industry
associations. This information may come to you either directly or in their magazines or
newsletters. Would you find that to be very useful; somewhat useful; not very useful; or not at
all useful?
21g. Are there any other types of information that you would find more useful than the ones
I’ve just listed? If so: What would they be? Why would these be particularly useful?
21h. Now I would like you to think about how you share information with your employees.
Which of the resources above would you be most likely to share with your employees?
Why would you be more likely to share information that comes in those ways?
Interviewer: The following question is optional if the interview is not running long.
22. (If applicable) There are other programs that provide information to stores about
tobacco regulations and how to comply with these regulations. Have you ever seen or
heard of these?
For each heard of:
 What can you tell me about that program?
 What kinds of information and materials are available through (campaign)?
 Do you use this information at all in setting store policies or training clerks? If yes: How
do you use it?
 What works well with this program?
 What could be better?

Section 4: Closing
23. Why do you think there are laws that keep youth from buying tobacco products?
23a. How effective do you think these laws are in keeping youth from buying tobacco
products? Would you say they are: Very effective, somewhat effective, not very effective, or
not at all effective?
23b. How effective do you think these laws are in keeping youth from using tobacco
products? Would you say they are: Very effective, somewhat effective, not very effective, or
not at all effective?
24. As a manager/owner, do you think you have a role in helping to prevent youth from
buying tobacco products? Why do you say that?

Appendix F: Manager Interview Guide
24a. How important do you think that role is in helping to prevent youth from using tobacco
products? Would you say that it is: very important, somewhat important, not very important or
not at all important? Why do you say that?
25. Those were all of the main questions that I had. Was there anything that you think is
important with respect to laws about tobacco sales that we didn’t cover?
26. What advice would you give to the FDA or other organizations about how to
communicate with store managers about the kinds of laws we have been talking about
today?
To finish up, I have a few questions to ask about you:
27. What is your approximate age? Are you: Under 20; 20-24; 25-34; 35-49; 50 or over
28. How would you describe your race:
[DO NOT READ OPTIONS. OK if person gives more than one response. If multiple responses
include “White” or “Caucasian,” count as “Other.” If “multiple races are mentioned” record
as other.]


(1) Hispanic



Non-Hispanic
(2) White
(3) Black or African American
(4) American Indian or Alaska Native
(5) Asian
(6) Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
(7) Multiple races mentioned
(8) Other: __________________

28a. Is English your primary language? If not, what is your primary language?
 What is the primary language spoken in your store?
29. Approximately how much schooling have you had:
 Less than High School or attending high school now
 High School Graduate
 Some college
 College graduate
30. Do you currently use any tobacco products?
 Have you ever used tobacco products on a regular basis?
 How long ago was that?
Note: Gender, State, Location
We are working with FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products on this project. This information will be
used to help FDA develop and deliver effective communication strategies and education materials
for retailers. We thank you for your time. Your input has been very helpful.
[If interview takes place in person] Thank you again for your participation. Interviewer to hand
participant $50 cash incentive.

Appendix F: Manager Interview Guide
[If interview takes place by phone] Thank you again for talking with me today. We will mail you a
$50 check for your participation. I will also include a copy of the information we went over at the
beginning of the interview that discusses your rights as a research participant and who to contact if
you have any questions about this study. Your mailing address will only be used to mail you these
materials. Your personal information will be destroyed after that and will never be connected with
your interview responses.