Most of my meat cutting career has been with independent stores and only one was a chain where i didn't see this happen.
At the store i am at now I have a very small cooler and a couple customers who are all buddy buddy with the owner. They like to place orders for whole cases of meat and store it in my cooler until they are ready to pick it up. This annoys the hell out of me. Currently I am holding on to 3 cases of chuck rolls for a guy named John. I have had them for 3 weeks now. I have a big sheet of butcher paper taped over the boxes with a large print note saying "SOLD TO JOHN DO NOT USE!!!" I wish he would come and pick them up I need that space for something else. I am beganning to wonder if we are getting any money out of these orders I think he is just paying the whole sale cost. Then he uses my cooler for his personal refridgerator. I should charge him rent.
The same guy always wants a case of angus rib eyes sitting in there just for him. He will come and pick one up every 3 or 4 weeks. We have to be careful not to use one because they are already paid for. Some idiot scrawled a little note on one of the boxes with an ink pen that I didn't see "saying sold do not use" in tiny print. One day I needed a ribeye in a hurry and I went into that box it wasn't til later that I saw that note and I was pissed. I didn't feel guilty at all just pissed off. I wish this idiot would get his meat out of my cooler. Anyone else have this problem?
-- Edited by fdarn on Thursday 30th of August 2012 08:41:08 AM
Yeah when I was managing a department about 5 years ago I had the exact same problem, almost exactly. I had to sit down with the store owner and tell him that if someone(even his brother) pays for it they have to take it. Product in my cooler that is paid for keeps me from storing product that I could be selling for a much higher profit. We came to a compromise so that whenever someone places an order they tell us when they want it, and they have 2 days after that day until it gets cut up and put in the counter, and they pay when they pick it up, not beforehand. Like you said man, it's not their fridge.
So I guess my advice would be to just talk to the store owner, once he realizes he's potentially losing money, he'll see things your way, all store owners are like that :)
3 weeks is way too long. I wouldn't like that either. I see nothing wrong with ordering a few cases of anything and picking them up the same day or 2-3 days later. But to use the store's walk in cooler in the way you're describing, that just aint right.
I had the same problem when I took over both stores I currently lead. I finally had to explain to the customers why we couldn't hold the product for them. Most of them understood but some were upset. I figure all of my case space and cooler/freezer space is real estate and real estate ain't cheap. If they want us to hold it for them, it's an extra charge. I no longer have this issue.
Another issue I had was staff giving product away FREE to customers. For example, we fillet our own salmon and some staff were giving fish heads and the spines away for free! Same with lamb suet. I started charging and some staff and customers were upset. I told them "It wasn't free for us, it won't be free for you." We had some "customers" stop coming in. It wasn't a huge loss because the only reason they came in was for the free product! To hell with that!
to ensure freshness, we will bring the product in when ready for pick-up
this helped cut down on holding items too long.... on another thread, someone mentioned the owner of the store would be selling meat out on the golf course-and not communicate the details with the meat manager
to ensure freshness, we will bring the product in when ready for pick-up
this helped cut down on holding items too long.... on another thread, someone mentioned the owner of the store would be selling meat out on the golf course-and not communicate the details with the meat manager
I remember that thread by Dan. That is kind of the problem. The Owners are allowing it and i guess i am supposed to just take it. its not communicated to me as far as price or when its to be picked up. all that I am told is to make sure I get it on my next order.
