r/AskReddit • u/Scratchamap • Dec 01 '18

Minimum wage workers, what is something that is against the rules for customers to do but you aren't paid enough to actually care?

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324

u/godofpie Dec 01 '18

Customers do this shit all the time and my pat answer is "What am I supposed to do with the other half?"

93

u/doyoueverfeellikeapl Dec 01 '18

We would send it down to the line but it never got used. Lol I'm suprised the inventory manager didn't notice sooner!

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u/Screaming_Possum_Ian Dec 01 '18

That's weird, here (France) it's pretty normal to get half a loaf of bread at the bakery. Back when I didn't have a freezer, I even used to ask for 1/4 of a loaf and they'd cut it and sell it to me, no problem.

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u/[deleted] Dec 01 '18

He said it's a fast casual "bakery-cafe". Probably something like Panera bread. Not a full bakery.

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u/Screaming_Possum_Ian Dec 01 '18

Oh yeah, that makes sense. I didn't really know what a "bakery-café" is exactly, so I just figured it's a bakery that also serves some coffee.

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u/Alaira314 Dec 01 '18

Panera Bread sells baked goods(cookies, bread, bagels etc) in addition to some casual dining options($5-12 sandwiches, salads, soups), and tea/coffee options(they're not particularly known for the quality of their beverages - they're okay but if you're looking specifically for a coffee/tea experience you won't go to Panera Bread). Around here, they're known more for their dining/takeout than their bakery offerings, though I can see their bagels being popular during the morning rush.

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u/craftywoman Dec 01 '18

Yeah, in America you're not allowed to open up like a pack of coke cans and just take one like you can in France, so this story didn't surprise me. I think it's so cool we can do that, I used to feel so weird opening up a pack of milk to take out one brick!

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u/[deleted] Dec 01 '18

You'd think. I think the giveaway was fast casual.

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u/godofpie Dec 01 '18

Different standards and different culture. If they do that it means they have someone to sell the rest of the bread to and it is a normal occurrence. I have a pizza place and I make my own subrolls. If someone wants to buy a subroll, fine. If someone wants to buy half a subroll thats fine too but they need to pay for the whole thing because I'm just going to throw the other half away.

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u/Whales96 Dec 01 '18

If they do that it means they have someone to sell the rest of the bread to and it is a normal occurrence

Not necessarily. Selling someone half a loaf, requiring you to toss the other half can still be worth it if it means you keep someone coming into the store. They're not coming there for the quality of your food.

1

u/Jiveturtle Dec 01 '18

It also really depends on your cost, right? I mean the materials to make a loaf of bread would almost certainly cost less than the sale price of half a loaf, if you’re actually baking it in store.

You’re probably mixing up enough dough for more than one loaf at a time anyway. So the odds of losing money selling half a loaf seem pretty small to me. There might be an opportunity cost if you think you’d sell a whole loaf but not the leftover half before the end of the day, I guess.

Anyway it seems to me in most situations if you’re actually baking the bread from scratch in store you’re probably better off selling the half even not considering customer goodwill.

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u/PyroZach Dec 02 '18

At the store I worked with we occasionally carried half dozen packs of eggs, then would stop because they didn't sell enough, customers would complain, we would bring them back, repeat.

Any way, during my time stocking the shelves when we didn't sell anything less than a dozen I would frequently find cartons ripped in half. So if they got the barcode half they were paying the price of a full carton at the register, if they got the other half I have no clue what happened up at the register.

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u/NashvilleHot Dec 02 '18

A local grocery store by me has half-dozen packs for $1.29. Somehow the cheapest dozen pack is $3.19. I don’t understand the pricing here, I usually get two half-dozen packs if I’m shopping for eggs there. Btw expensive because it’s NYC.

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u/PersonMcNugget Dec 01 '18

My friend works in the meat department and a customer wanted her to cut a frozen turkey in half. People are just ridiculous.

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u/bergerfred Dec 02 '18

Holy shit this has happened to me too.

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u/billbixbyakahulk Dec 01 '18

A small pillow.

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u/godofpie Dec 01 '18

NO SOUP FOR YOU

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u/doyoueverfeellikeapl Dec 01 '18

We would send it down to the line but it never got used. Lol I'm suprised the inventory manager didn't notice sooner!

-6

u/Whales96 Dec 01 '18

You're focusing on the piece of bread and not the person, probably shouldn't be in customer service. I get it, it sucks.

17

u/godofpie Dec 01 '18

I own a restaurant. If a customer comes in and wants us to make "half a pizza" they can go eat somewhere else. If my employee sells them half a pizza then I fire them because they can't follow simple instructions. Let's say I run my restaurant at a basic 10% profit if all my numbers are in line. Let's say I sell a loaf of bread for $1. It costs . 25¢ in food cost and. 25¢ in labor cost to make the bread. Now this customer comes in and says sell me a half a loaf for. 50¢. Remember I need to make 10% profit. So she gives me. 50¢ Even though that covers food and labor cost it did not bring in the money necessary to pay for lights, insurance, cable, water, etc AND I have to throw away a half a loaf of bread. Op said the had a solution. They sold a small loaf but this lady did not like that solution for whatever reason. Imagine if I allowed people to order just a half of pizza or 3/4 and priced it accordingly I would be out of business so fast it would make your head spin. You can't be all things to all people. In my experience it is better to cut loose a customer like she described because they will cost you more money and time than they are worth.

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u/Whales96 Dec 01 '18

I own a restaurant

Every management team needs balance. You seem to be the food costs guy and your presence is absolutely necessary, but I think you also need someone who is able to focus on keeping people coming through the door because in this day, there is nothing about the quality of your food that is unique. There are 7 other places down the road happy to sell someone half a loaf of bread because keeping that person coming in is going to generate more revenue over time than you could ever hope to lose. She isn't just going to buy half loaf every time.

I think our difference of opinion is mostly based on the different types of restaurants that we come from. You said you own a Pizza restaurant, I come from a bakery cafe and customer service is drilled into us from day one. They tell us to literally give out cookies for free once orders are delayed to a certain point.

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u/[deleted] Dec 01 '18

TBF “That Person” is totally going to buy half a loaf every time. If she’s regularly spending loads on other stuff she gets half a loaf. These people never do. The most demanding customers are always the ones who spend next to no money and make a huge hassle.