Hey everyone, hope your summer 2012 was a huge success!!!
I had a lady the other day who wanted their own personal fish (uninspected) cut up and vaccum packed. We used to do that kind of thing for free or nearly free of charge, since I've taken over as Manager (chain store not independent) I have said no we don't do that anymore because of the cross contamination, so I have had a very small amount of unhappy customers. Smoked hams are ok if done right before the saw clean-up.
Does anyone here cut up: uninspected frozen fish, hams, someone's local farmed beef, or any other oddball item's?
If so, how much do you charge of the service of cutting/packaging oddball item's?
Also a funny note, customer brings me a large inside round from a out of town competitor and she was very angry that I wouldn't cut it up for her. I said if you want to buy the product from me I will give you a good deal and cut it up for you, but not from somewhere else and who knows where it's been!
In all my years I never charge for slicing, even if it came from another store or company unless it was mandate by a company policy and even then if they weren't looking I didn't. I always looked at it this way, it gave me a opening to talk to a customer that I didn't know, if it was one of mine with something it was a time to stress I appreciated her/his business by doing the 'little " things to help him/her out.
I have cut it all for customers,( even a possum ) the only thing I wouldn't cut during the day was deer meat, that had to wait till right before clean up time.
NOW when a customer offered a tip or offer to pay for slicing, I use to tell them that I didn't charge it was my duty to help them, you know most will offer twice or try to put it in your shirt pocket. This was when I told them I didn't charge BUT if they wanted to donate to OUR coffee fund that would be appreciated, I kept a big jar in my market for this, it was mine and I use to empty it once a week and almost had 10 to 15 dollars every week. During Christmas week, Thanksgiving, the 4th, labor day, I have had as much as a 100 dollars or better ( wink )
Let me give you a laugh, the possum that I cut up for a lady. I was in Pensacola, Fl. running a market for Barn's foods, a 120,000 a week market, in those days we cut everything, I had 21 people in that market.
One day when I was on the front a little black lady that I had seen in there every week hollered at me, " Mr. Butcher Man " I got a piece of meat I was wondering if I could get you to cut for me. Yes mama I sure will, Where is it. I got to go home and kill it, it's a possum I've had pen up and feeding. I told her to bring it around 4:30 and I would take care of it for her. At 4:25 she was there with a bag. I took it in back, cut the tail like pig tails and cut it like a rabbit. took it back to her and she was Happy. I got half her church group behind cutting that possum. Just glad none of the others had one lol
Small shops, do it for sure. Big chain stores, it could be trouble.
If she's hot, do it no matter what.
I think you should cut it free if it's something easy like cutting a smoked ham in half or thin slicing a boneless ham. If they're a good regular customer or a new one you can win over, it might be a good idea.
Some people get hams or turkeys as gifts and it's nice to cut if for them. But if you get a feeling that they're just taking advantage by buying cheap at Walmart or any other place where they won't do special cuts, then you should consider saying no.
Although true, I think the cross contamination thing is just an excuse to be lazy, but in some cases like wild game, you can get yourself and the store in trouble.
I cut an abalone on the slicer once (25 years ago, not where I work now). People cant really cut that correctly at home. Sometimes it makes you feel good to help people.
Years ago, we used to slice and tie bone in cooked hams on dirty band saws. We were so stupid. That can't be very safe to eat when they won't be cooking it to a high enough temperature to kill the bacteria If that's what they want, I'd tell them to bring in the ham in first thing when it's still clean and not in the middle of the day or at the end. Even then, I still worry. You'd have to give the saw the best cleaning possible. But to just cut it in half, I'd do any time of day.
Hopefully whatever they have will obviously not be from your store or have a receipt so that they can get it out of the store without anyone getting in trouble.
Most hams will be a brand you don't sell and it will be obviously different.
Fish is a big pain. Whatever they want, better be easy.
If they dont buy it from me I dont touch it. You dont know where it came from or what could be on it. As for turkeys and hams we will cut those at the end of the day... clean the saw.... cut.... clean the saw.
I had a guy just yesterday bring me a slab of beef ribs that he bought at another store and asked me if I can cut it in half for him (against the bones). I said sure it will just take a minute..I did that wrapped it and handed it back to him and he really appreciated it. If its something that only takes a minute just do it. Maybe next tim he'll just come to my store and buy from me. However during hunting season we have alot of guys bringing in venison and asking us to grind it. Now keep in mine PLEASE yes I do do this but only at the end of the day when I am done with the domesticated meat. We do charge them even though it only takes me a couple minutes to get most done. We charge them because the owner wants us to. the Fee is 10.00 minium or 45 cents for each lb if its more than 10.00 but i don't want to bother with weighing it then explaining the fee to the customer so i just grind it finish it and ask for ten dollars. they pay me. cash only and i take it to the boss. We also occassional get guys in who just got done fishing they want us to weight their fish for them. No charge if its just a couple fish.
I worked for a chain before and if something like this was asked the answer was always flat out NO chains aren't interested in making friends with people.
for turkeys and hams that will contaminate the saw I always say sure I'll do that for you but not until the end of the day.
Oops. I forgot to answer your exact question. I only talked about if we would cut it or not.
I say no charge unless in examples like fdarn said.
One time a customer brought in about 70 lbs of salmon he'd caught. He just wanted heads cut off, steak front-middle and then filet the tail half. The boss said we'd do it if he paid the store $20.00. Customer agreed and we did it.
oh yeah what was that 100 dollars or better really for?
beening a nice guy that goes way beyond where others go to make his customer happy and one smart enough to get the tip while not looking like YEA GIVE ME THAT !! lol
In other words Fdarn, KISSING MY CUSTOMER ASS ( wink ) and getting paid a little something without appearing to having my hand out
Tough to say NO in retail, even in a chain store-particularly if you are getting a pretty smile,
An attractive lady brought in a bag over 20 yrs ago, and asked if I could cut her turkey in half.... I said officially, Policy says I cant-you didnt buy it here and its unwrapped, so its adulterated....but Id hate to say no
she smiled and said "im not exactly sure, but are you trying to work a trade of services????
she was smiling, so I wanted to ask...... the obvious question....but Im glad I didnt, it was the store managers neice
years ago.....id grind venison trimmings at the end of the day, mix it with pork butts
One lady customer, years ago, was planning a wedding reception outside and wanted steaks, and lobsters, - she asked about cooking, serving size, then said "why dont you just come here and cook for us" all the free drinks, and lots of pretty single woman and she'd pay me very well- i HAD TO SAY NO!
it was summer, during vacations, and I couldnt get the saturday off...... but it gave me an idea of "Personal Butcher Catering Services"
from pig roasts to cutting and cooking the freshest bbq steaks, Ribs, chicken, Seafood, etc....I never did this, but I think it would work..
I never charged for slicing anything in any of the stores I have worked in. I view it as an opportunity to win the person over and become one of my customers, even if what they need sliced came from somewhere else. There's a reason they have brought it to me rather than taking it back to where it was bought , I use it as an opportunity to show them that I will take care of their needs and will be glad to anytime it needs done. The issue of uninspected meat is one that needs to be handled carefully, I have cut uninspected meat but only after being done with my cutting for the day and then cleaning and sanitizing my equipment. I recently had an inspector question whether we cut bone in hams on the saw after cutting fresh meat, even though I had informed the customer that they would need to cook the product, the inspector told me only to do it if the saw was cleaned first, so we had to start telling the customers we would be happy to cut the ham and have it ready for them the next day, it didn't stop the customers from purchasing the hams.
I would never allow anything from another store or off the street back into my shop Nor would I allow it if it left the building for any amount of time
You are just opening the door to all kinds of things.
What if someone gets sick??? Yours was the last shop to touch it!! Good luck explaining that to the reporter
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Joe Parajecki
Operations Manager/ Partner
Kettle Range Meat Company, Milwaukee WI
Member Meat Cutter Hall of Fame and The Butcher's Guild
