Been with Whole Foods for ten years before I moved to Sprouts and one thing I find is that you really need to depend on your clerks to be knowledgeable about product and if you ever get some down time for them see if you can pull up info on the computer there provided by the company.  (They use to have WFMU classes back when I was there.) That way they can focus on customers help be your eyes on what needs to be cut and you can prep the trays that they can grind for the case.   In the morning the grinds can be really heavy and depending on what day it is you can make them lighter and lighter as the day goes on.   

Another thing is that you have to make sure there are no holes in the retail and that the paper in the service case is not showing so customers see product and not paper where it looks like the case is empty.

The team leader should have your sale predictions for the day and a production list that should be done by the afternoon because after 3pm it's all about getting the cases pumped upped for that dinner rush and then what I call the three "C's" in order of importance after that to me was....Customers, Case and Clean.

And stay positive and give encouragement, especially to your clerks so it will keep them appreciated and motivated which in turn will give your customers a good feeling about the happy environment you have at the best department in the whole store.       

machine wrote:

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Fishman, I feel your pain. Been there, done that, and all that crap. 44 years cutting. If your humping it and not spending your time behind the store burning one, no one should be busting your chops, besides your wife. Prioritize your lineup in the morning. Product that grades good enough to make it for a half day, put back out. Don't worry about filling your pans until you have all your pans in. Make your counter presentable for when the STL walks by at 8 and you can buy yourself some time. The grinding part has really become a beast over the last few years. Accountability has become a standard in all these chains that in- store grind. Hopefully, your hose reaches the grinder. I start my grinding setup, have my grey trim lug on a small roller cart under the grinder head. Finish your 1st product run, probably grass fed, knock the grinder head off, pull the worm out, and spray that sucker down. Take lug to sink and empty your water. Go on to next batch, and so on. When your done, probably just need to squeegee out the cooler. The fact that your concerned about the time constraints tells me your probably a pretty good employee. Don't over think these concerns. Have good attendance, attitude and good work habits and Whole Foods will love you. Machine

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 Spoken like a true old guy machine !!! Ditto !! For the young guys ditto is the same as " copy"! It can be done Fishman .You just have to focus and don't worry about setting anyone else up.cut only what you need and switchout the peach On the full serve, to hell with the side case.  Is your store high volume? if you can't get it done then maybe store STL needs to see that. some things are just not achievable . for a 30 foot case it takes 2 cutters at 5am to get it done, in by 8. Just my 2cents! Most stl's don't know what a case should look like anyway. They are looking for the neatness , holes, and the grinds. Forgot!!!######that.

FishmanOiOi wrote:

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Thanks everyone,
Basically I go in for 4:30 for an 8 am opening. Our department is doing 90-100k/week. I am the only cutter until 10:30 and have to do 3 separate grinds (an 80-85% conventional, a 90-93% conventional and a grass fed). One big problem is that the misters in our case do not work well and it dries product out badly. This, coupled with the high presentation standards renders most of our red meat unusable for the next day. I could meticulously face every steak in the case, but I frankly do not have time for that. My TL and ATL want a lot of variety in the case, so those skinny short trays are encouraged. They want everything two high and looking fresh. We sell local lamb, organic lamb, veal, pork, local pork, grass fed beef and conventional beef, which all of course has to be kept in separate trim buckets.

I've been starting with my conventional grinds, then I cut my grass fed set up and immediately grind that trim.
Because we have a diversity of species, and we don't do a high volume of lamb or veal we end up with A LOT of mostly empty trim buckets in the back. Some mornings I don't even have enough unused buckets to store everything. Sometimes there is not a free cart or dolly either.

I've been getting the case done by 8:45-9am, they would like to see 8 am, but 8:30 is considered acceptable. That being said, I am taking some short cuts. For instance I do not tie boneless pork roasts, or throw as many strings around pieces of red meat as I would like. However, I am simply not used to tying so much product so my speed on that will improve with time.

Signs are also a headache for me. Sometimes they go missing so I will have to switch the case up until we can get a new one printed. There seems to always be a million things to do at once and I am used to being simply a "meat cutter". It is interesting because I am used to cutting a much higher volume of meat much faster, but all these side tasks slow me down badly

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 just flip the pans if the night guys lost he sign and if your sign maker is not in. If questioned its not on your ass and your excuse can be a shrink issue if you change your set just because you don't have the sign! an STL would appreciate hat mind set. In the new Wfm environment you need to cover yourself first and the team second. Everyone needs to step up there game On the team and your TL should recognize that . Your doing good cutting solo and getting it in by 830-9. Like I said, STL's don't know what our tasks include. They are generally grocery guys, pull it out of a box and put in on the shelf. It will take time but you will see big changes in meat. Grinds especially. 

fishman you seen overwhelmed or feel you cant ask for support. whole foods is a good place to work.

the whole idea of wholefoods is team i know its buzzword bs like guests but it is a team so use it.

i worked for

the fresh market for a few months on a new store i was told all the team bs management at inductions speak but when i was on my break on my own manager who trained the new managers was giving a prep talk and siad basically everyone was lazy and you had to keep on top of everyone to make sure they wernt slacking.

at wholefoods there isnt that idea of looking down at people it really is a team im sure some bitching or office politics comes along sometimes.

but if you need help or guidance go ask and dont be scared frame it in a way that you are bringing positivety but need help here or there.

ive supervised outside a store in other industries and my advice is dont take ur annoyances out on people below you take them up because if you let it fester or you hate going into work your staff will suffer or take them home or to the pub youll bore other drinkers or. second make a team which wholefoods makes out they do so no bother there and third take responsibity even if its not your fault.

i had a dude the pressed a button and broke a 50k camera on a machine id no qualms of walking into the meeting the next day and saying i did it by mistake id rather take the flak than some guy with a child lose a minimum wage job even if i got sacked or lost a bonus.

stand by your team and lead unless they are dishonest and steal thats on them

-- Edited by irishdude on Friday 11th of December 2015 09:09:09 PM

-- Edited by irishdude on Friday 11th of December 2015 09:12:31 PM

This is indeed very good advice.  Always stand up to management for your team, at least the ones who are deserving.

irishdude wrote:

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fishman you seen overwhelmed or feel you cant ask for support. whole foods is a good place to work.

the whole idea of wholefoods is team i know its buzzword bs like guests but it is a team so use it.

i worked for

the fresh market for a few months on a new store i was told all the team bs management at inductions speak but when i was on my break on my own manager who trained the new managers was giving a prep talk and siad basically everyone was lazy and you had to keep on top of everyone to make sure they wernt slacking.

at wholefoods there isnt that idea of looking down at people it really is a team im sure some bitching or office politics comes along sometimes.

but if you need help or guidance go ask and dont be scared frame it in a way that you are bringing positivety but need help here or there.

ive supervised outside a store in other industries and my advice is dont take ur annoyances out on people below you take them up because if you let it fester or you hate going into work your staff will suffer or take them home or to the pub youll bore other drinkers or. second make a team which wholefoods makes out they do so no bother there and third take responsibity even if its not your fault.

i had a dude the pressed a button and broke a 50k camera on a machine id no qualms of walking into the meeting the next day and saying i did it by mistake id rather take the flak than some guy with a child lose a minimum wage job even if i got sacked or lost a bonus.

stand by your team and lead unless they are dishonest and steal thats on them

-- Edited by irishdude on Friday 11th of December 2015 09:09:09 PM

-- Edited by irishdude on Friday 11th of December 2015 09:12:31 PM

-- Edited by irishdude on Friday 11th of December 2015 09:16:11 PM

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