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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Wow, people on this thread are unbelievable. For those of you who say it's "their job" try working a minimum wage job, likely struggling to make ends meet, possibly not having regular shifts or good benefits, and then dealing with oblivious customers. For all of you saying service with a smile, let's talk after you've worked at the deli counter for a month and have been thinly slicing meat. I guarantee you'll be singing a different tune.

If we lived in a country with universal health care and a livable wage, the deli counter people would be in a better mood. People are crabbier when their life is more stressful which it is when you don't have a lot of money. Also, have you been to other countries? Americans expectations around customer service are bonkers. A French or Israeli person would roll their eyes, ignore you and go back to chatting with their coworker.

It is there job. I’ll say it again, it is their job. Minimum wage workers or however much they make know what the job is and how much they make when they apply. If they think $10 or $15 or whatever dollars an hour isn’t enough money to shave meat, then they can quit. Making $10 an hour doesn’t mean you should literally have to do nothing at “work.” I really don’t get when people say, “but they only make x.” No one is asking them to anything above and beyond what their JOB is, so what is the problem

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have lived all over America from NY to California and have gotten the sigh and eye-roll throughout the nation. Most people do not understand how much better cold cuts taste when they are shaved, these are the same people who willingly eat at McDonalds. Shaved meat is a completely different experience. Yes, it takes more time but if you are whining about it, you should not be behind the deli counter. I am not going to spend 12 dollars for a pound of Thumans or Boars head ham and not get it like I want it. When clerks purposely ignore my request and still slice it as thick as a quarter, I patiently wait until they are done, take it and then deposit it in with the bananas and go elsewhere.

The cold cut counters in NJ know how to shave meat and never complain - in fact I’d say it is the norm to get it that way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have lived all over America from NY to California and have gotten the sigh and eye-roll throughout the nation. Most people do not understand how much better cold cuts taste when they are shaved, these are the same people who willingly eat at McDonalds. Shaved meat is a completely different experience. Yes, it takes more time but if you are whining about it, you should not be behind the deli counter. I am not going to spend 12 dollars for a pound of Thumans or Boars head ham and not get it like I want it. When clerks purposely ignore my request and still slice it as thick as a quarter, I patiently wait until they are done, take it and then deposit it in with the bananas and go elsewhere.

The cold cut counters in NJ know how to shave meat and never complain - in fact I’d say it is the norm to get it that way.

That doesn't surprise me, it's like that on LI too. For sandwiches in particular, shaved is the default. Ordering by the pound, they'll ask you how you want it sliced, but you don't even need to say shaved. "Thin"=shaved and that's probably the most common order.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Wow, people on this thread are unbelievable. For those of you who say it's "their job" try working a minimum wage job, likely struggling to make ends meet, possibly not having regular shifts or good benefits, and then dealing with oblivious customers. For all of you saying service with a smile, let's talk after you've worked at the deli counter for a month and have been thinly slicing meat. I guarantee you'll be singing a different tune.

If we lived in a country with universal health care and a livable wage, the deli counter people would be in a better mood. People are crabbier when their life is more stressful which it is when you don't have a lot of money. Also, have you been to other countries? Americans expectations around customer service are bonkers. A French or Israeli person would roll their eyes, ignore you and go back to chatting with their coworker.

It is there job. I’ll say it again, it is their job. Minimum wage workers or however much they make know what the job is and how much they make when they apply. If they think $10 or $15 or whatever dollars an hour isn’t enough money to shave meat, then they can quit. Making $10 an hour doesn’t mean you should literally have to do nothing at “work.” I really don’t get when people say, “but they only make x.” No one is asking them to anything above and beyond what their JOB is, so what is the problem

Their job is slicing the deli meat. If the customer got their meat, the counter person did their job. And, yes, people expecting cheerfulness or whatever along with their shaved meat are expecting something over and above their job. It’s great that some markets provide more security and support for their employees, which is almost certainly correlated with more positive attitudes. But the job is slicing the meat.

[Anonymous]

I only like deli meat sliced thin so I’ve stopped buying deli meat. Haven’t really bought it in more than a decade. Good for my my heart but probably not as good for the grocery store workers. I get that people don’t want to do it, but it seems like that just leads to another job that a lot of us decide we can do without.
I also cancelled our cleaners because they never really did a very good job. Again, I totally get that it was not what they wanted to do and they weren’t paid much to do it….I never really wanted to complain and get them in trouble but at some point I decided it was just easier to do it myself.

[Anonymous]

Your kids are too fussy. My kids have to eat what they're given or get nothing at all.

[Anonymous]

I worked in the Deli at Publix years ago. Shaving meat is a PITA. Especially when the store is busy. But it’s also part of the job. To make it easier, you could call in your deli order ahead. I also hated when people ordered 1/4 pound of six different things. But it’s just part of the job.

If you’re not buying Boards Head, you are buying crap, fyi.

[Anonymous]

I order groceries online for pickup. Maybe they roll their eyes at my requests, but I can’t see it!

[Anonymous]

I hate getting fresh cold cuts at the supermarket but my DH insists. Each time it takes at least 5 minutes to get their attention then at least another 5 to get the meat because they sure as hell take their time. I once set my timer as soon as I got to the counter so I could show DH how long it took to get a pound of turkey and half a pound of cheese - 14 minutes!

[Anonymous]

I mean, if a customer can't order the deli meat to their specifications, including shaved, then what the heck is the point of the deli counter?
Almost all grocery stores have pre-cut deli meat near the deli counter, so if you can just pick it up and be on your way. Literally the reason to order at the deli counter is to get it order specifically what you prefer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I mean, if a customer can't order the deli meat to their specifications, including shaved, then what the heck is the point of the deli counter?
Almost all grocery stores have pre-cut deli meat near the deli counter, so if you can just pick it up and be on your way. Literally the reason to order at the deli counter is to get it order specifically what you prefer.

+1
I always get the prepacked stuff so they should love me. I'm subsidizing the picky 1/4 lb shaved orderers! So continue ordering what you want!

[Anonymous]

I totally agree. It's their job. Shaved, sliced, whatever. I can't for the life of me figure out why the WF deli on Florida doesn't have sliced/shaved ham out that is pre-packaged. They only put out turkey! If I could pick it up prepackaged ham and be on my way, that would be great. So please don't sigh when I ask for a pound of ham behind the counter.

[Anonymous]

You know I live in Aberdeen Maryland, and I get my lunch meat from the local Walmart, and I like my lunch meat either chipped or shaved, I don't like the texture of it any thicker, nor do I like it sliced thin, and every time I go there which is once a week, there's a lady in there that just hates to do it, she does it most of the time but I always get a dirty look or she rolls her eyes, so I went from ordering a pound of lunch meat to ordering a half pound just to make it easy on her. And you know the last time I ordered it she sliced it then after me asking her if she would chip it please. Just do your job you get paid the same amount in a 8-hour day

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I still have no idea what shaved meat is.

Very thinly sliced. If you have ever made a cheesesteak sub from scratch with the raw beef in the pillow pack, it is like that.

Everything about this post is foreign to me.

[Anonymous]

Oh good, the shaved meat thread has been resurrected again.