Do your local deli people get annoyed when you ask for shaved meats?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Off-topic. Years ago I used to shop at Weis (non-union, less skilled workers). There was a deli worker who clearly had a literacy problem. She would pretty much guess which hunk of meat you asked for. I would deliberately skip the deli counter if she was working.

Okay. You're post is the most pointless of the day. Thanks.

[Anonymous]

I worked in the deli at Publix. Such a great place to work! But yes, shaving a lot of meat is a pain, especially when the deli is busy. At Publix, we smile, shave a piece, offer you a sample, and happily shave as much delicious Boar's Head deli meat as you would like. No complaining or eye-rolling. We will also smile as we slice 2 pieces of five different cheeses. And happily put paper between anything for you. Just keep in mind that while we are smiling and responding with "my pleasure", the people in line are getting angrier and angrier at us. If you need a large amount of shaved meat, just call ahead. It makes it so much easier on everyone.

[Anonymous]

I like my meat shaved or waxed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I worked in the deli at Publix. Such a great place to work! But yes, shaving a lot of meat is a pain, especially when the deli is busy. At Publix, we smile, shave a piece, offer you a sample, and happily shave as much delicious Boar's Head deli meat as you would like. No complaining or eye-rolling. We will also smile as we slice 2 pieces of five different cheeses. And happily put paper between anything for you. Just keep in mind that while we are smiling and responding with "my pleasure", the people in line are getting angrier and angrier at us. If you need a large amount of shaved meat, just call ahead. It makes it so much easier on everyone.

From my time in Florida, I concur. Publix is a well run grocery.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I like my meat shaved or waxed.

Oh, you!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is it about shaving that is more difficult than slicing?

The deli worker has to manually run the slicer and it requires a lot more passes to shave it than to make thicker slices.

Oh well this is their job....to run the slicer for crying out loud. And I work in the service industry so I'm not being some stuck up bitch. I've found deli workers go one of two extremes. Either happy and asking about slice size and/or offering samples and holding up the slice for inspection and those who hide in the back and ignore you for 5 min before coming to help. It's the same as any job, some people have good attitudes some people have bad. I don't think its out of line to ask for shaved deli meat.

[Anonymous]

Maybe they should put the tip jar out there...

[Anonymous]

Never had any issues in different parts of the country. Even when I needed 12 different cheeses and several meats, less then a quarter pound each.

[Anonymous]

What’s so great about shaved deli meat? It seems like a big pile of meat crumbles. Blech

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't get meat shaved so I can't speak to this specifically ...

however, in my experience the folks who work the deli counter give the worst service. The butchers are better, the baggers are happier, the people who work in seafood, produce all are pleasant. The deli people? NEVER!

and so they should be fired. I get this attitude at our local Safeway so switched to Giant. If they give me attitude, I'll move on again. They are getting paid and have union benefits. If they don't like the job, get a reassignment in the store or move on. If you give me an eye roll, I move on and take my $100s of dollars of food budget with me.

[Anonymous]

The wegnans deli folks are the worst when I asked for shaved meat.
Sorry, I'm making you do your job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Interesting. I grew up in Pittsburgh where "chipped ham" is a thing (I didn't like regular sliced deli ham until I had been in this area for a few years and it grew on me). There, most delis would shave a lot of ham to begin with and have a bowl in the refrigerater cooler of chipped ham. They would take it and weigh it and then keep going.

In Pittsburgh, the slicers have an automated arm, the deli folk would put the ham on the slicer, turn it to the thinnest setting that would work (they all knew the setting) and then turn on the automatic slicer. If the bowl was getting low, they would turn the machine on, then take a couple of orders and just keep watch on the slicer. When the pile was big they would toss into the bowl.

It never occurred to me that delis elsewhere did not have the automatic slicing arm. That would certainly save the poor deli techs arm if they got a request for shaved meats.

I'm also from Pittsburgh and agree, most deli's pre-shaved the chipped chopped ham (which is delicious, I think I saw the Walmart in Sterling carries it).

Other meats may be a pita, I get it, but it is a deli.

[Anonymous]

Our local Giant has really sweet deli counter folks. They always seem to find an extra slice to hand out to my kid to walk around the store with.

[Anonymous]

You’re eating deli meat. That’s the baseline problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What’s so great about shaved deli meat? It seems like a big pile of meat crumbles. Blech

For meats that can be tough & chewy like corned beef and ham, it makes it very tender / easy to chew.

I always get my corned beef shaved and have gotten attitude a few times. I find it happens less as I get older. Maybe I go to better stores now, or maybe I seem like a better customer.