Never but I shop at Wegman's.

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.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I worked in a grocery store deli in college. Shaving the meat is a total PITA. And a full pound is a lot and will take a long time. I never would have voiced a compliant, but inside I'd be seething.

+1
I worked in a deli once too and hated this request. Super time consuming as you have to wrap and unwrap each meat and then clean the slicer between uses. The worst was when people would ask for 1/4 of 5 different meats.

Oh my gosh, an elderly woman in front of me did this last weekend -- 5 diff meats, shaved, 1/4 lb each -- and I felt so sorry for the deli clerk I tipped her $10.

Ok, I know this is an old thread… but what?! Why would you feel sorry for a deli clerk having to do the duties she agreed to do when taking the job? If they don’t want to shave meat, they need to go work the register, or find a different line of work. Personally, I think any deli ham thicker than shaved is inedible, so if they’re not going to shave it, I’m not going to buy it.

Anonymous wrote: Yesterday I went to my local supermarket and asked for a pound of shaved pastrami. The lady at the deli literally rolled her eyes at me and asked you want a whole pound of pastrami shaved? To which I replied yes. The whole time she was shaving it she complained loudly about how her arm was hurting from so much slicing. The truth is that I don’t even eat deli meat but I have three kids I will only eat deli meat if it is shaved. I have had thinly sliced ham go bad because they won’t touch it, I guess the three of them just don’t like the texture when it is sliced anything thicker than shaved. I have had other deli workers get annoyed by my request, I can read it in their faces. Does anyone else get this type of attitude when they ask for shaved deli meat?

Could you buy something like this:
https://www.instacart.com/landing?product_id=23541391&retailer_id=231®ion_id=19739018223 ? Restaurant Depot has a huge amount.

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.

I try to be nice and compromise, maybe don't shave it, just please make it super thin. I say and stress "very THIN" and then they hand me baloney thickness. It's maddening.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I worked in a grocery store deli in college. Shaving the meat is a total PITA. And a full pound is a lot and will take a long time. I never would have voiced a compliant, but inside I'd be seething.

+1
I worked in a deli once too and hated this request. Super time consuming as you have to wrap and unwrap each meat and then clean the slicer between uses. The worst was when people would ask for 1/4 of 5 different meats.

Oh my gosh, an elderly woman in front of me did this last weekend -- 5 diff meats, shaved, 1/4 lb each -- and I felt so sorry for the deli clerk I tipped her $10.

The worst is trying to get any deli employee to slice prosciutto correctly.

It is by far the most expensive deli meat but rarely can you find someone in a grocery store deli who knows how to slice it correctly. They shouldn't even carry it in their inventory because it's a travesty the way it's sliced ... Way too thick.

Thankfully I've moved to an area with an Italian deli and they know how to slice it, stagger it AND put paper between each layer! And do it with a smile. At $23 per lb, they are smart enough to know it needs to be sliced right.

It depends how much you need? If it is a pound then this is a headache but if it is quarter pound it is non issue.

If I need half pound shaved, I pick a slow time at the store, go to the deli counter, ask for it and say that I will pick it up after I finish shopping
so they can do it at their leisure. Never any issues. My cuts are waiting for me when I am done shopping.

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.

Call ahead for shaved deli meat? What planet are you living on?

They are likely anticipating the line behind you and the snowballing irritation as you get it just so. Yes, it’s their job, but many customers grumble when even slightly inconvenienced. It’s no fun for anyone involved.

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.

Haha. Total a-hole move but so funny.

I can see why shaved deli meat is super annoying to do and why an unprofessional employee would give an eye roll. But oh well. That is their job and within the preferences a customer can ask for. Every job has annoying things that are a PIA. The customer isn't wrong for requesting shaved meat, and the employee isn't wrong for being annoyed and hating it, but they still need to remain pleasant and professional.

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.

I don’t know about other supermarkets but at my local Safeway, ordering any sliced cold cuts is a long insufferable process and the staff clearly hate doing it. It usually takes about 5 minutes just to get someone’s attention. Another 5 for them to find the right meat. 5 minutes for you to clarify how much you want and then 5 for them to actually cut it. My DH loves cold cuts so I have to go through this process every week and sometimes I just give up and tell him to get his own damn meats.

Anonymous wrote:

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

Here is a chart of deli slicer settings and thickness:
- http://micuisine.com/lunapiercook/pdfs/deli_slicer_size_chart_12162018.pdf

Here is a picture of a platter with shaved meats:
http://winkingsmarket.com/2015/11

Isn’t that a platter of thin meat?

Anonymous wrote:The reason it is annoying is because it takes more pressure to cut it shave, it requires more force to shave it. Honestly, cold cut meat was made to eat without it being shaved. Overall, eating from the deli isn't safe because flies due lane on the machine so you are basically prone to get a stomach flu from it. Even if the machine are sanitized flies will land on the slicer and your eating fly shit.
Be mindful that people in the deli are slicing all day during there shift. How would you like it to have 95% of the customer asking for only shave meat. See how your arm is going to feel after 8 hours of slicing shaved meat. But customer don't care because they are selfish and self centered. If you want it shave go home and dice that cold cut up the way you like it.
Always put yourself in someone else shoes. Be mindful!

Lol. So much wrong.

It's not the responsibility of a customer to choose a meat order that's less annoying to the employees.


You realize that if everyone "goes home and dices that cold cut up" themselves then you wouldn't have your deli counter job, as you would not be needed.