It's been nearly three months since I started working, so I think it's about time I ranted about working in the meat department of a grocery store.
1. Case messes: Okay, this is really annoying. There are so many times when I go to see what I need to fill the meat case, that the case is completely trashed, looking like a small isolated tornado touched down in there. A lot of the times, it's minor things that I don't really care, like for example, we have a special order on how T-Bones and Porterhouse steaks go out in the case (T-Bone>Porterhouse>T-Bone>Porterhouse, etc.), so when you go through and put two T-Bones next to each other and two Porterhouses next to each other, that's fine, since you don't know.
But what I'm talking about is grabbing that T-Bone/Porterhouse, looking at it, and then putting it down with the N.Y. Sirloins, upside down and backwards, with a Chuck Delmonico sitting on top of the row of chicken tenders, things like that. Didn't your parents teach you if you take something, put it back the way you found it? Apparently not, since not only do people do it, but there have been times when a customer looked at me, and then continued to leave the place a mess, because someone (me) will pick up after them. That's not very fair.
Yes, it's my job to make the case look nice, but when you see the person that works in the meat department working on the case, the least you can do is make it easier. You wouldn't like it if you were an artist, I came to look at your paintings, and then leave all your art supplies in random places, would you? It's okay though, because you will pick up the mess I made, because it's your job.
tl;dr moral: When you take something from someplace, to put it back where you found it. And don't do it just for the meat department, but for everywhere. Trust me, if you put it back where you found it, the person who normally does it will be grateful, even if he/she doesn't know who you are.
2. Family Packs vs. Small Packs: If you don't know what I'm talking about, then I'll explain. In small grocery stores, like the one I work at, the meat department often sells the same cut of meat in two different packages. One a small package, with (depending on the cut) a couple of pieces, and the other one with two to three times as many. So it's understandable if you aren't going to have as many, you would go for the small pack instead of the family pack.
However, most of the time, the family pack is cheaper by a few dimes to save you money, similar to buying things in bulk. Our store does 20 cents per pound off for family packs compared to small packs. So when should you buy a family pack, and when should you buy a small pack? Simple. If you know you aren't going to have a lot, go for the small pack. Even though the price per pound is higher, you'll actually save money, since a) the weight isn't as much, and b) the extra won't go to waste. If you know that you need to get more than what the small pack gives, then get the family pack. That's about 40 cents you saved just by buying it. That 40 cents will stack up as you buy more and more.
However, not everyone is so economically inclined to know this, or so I think. For example, I filled the case with split chicken breasts (8 packages in the row) two minutes later, the entire row was wiped out, while the family packs of split chicken breasts where untouched, meaning one of two things. 1. In two minutes, 8 people came from the milk aisle, bought a package of chicken each, and left the same way, or 2. One person came in and bought all 8 packages of chicken. Now, I shouldn't complain since the goal of a grocery store is to sell groceries, but the person must have been stupid, since they probably lost about $3 total just from buying the small packages. (Small packs have one Jumbo breast or two regular sized breast, while family packs usually have 4 split breasts, so you're actually getting four breasts for a buck and change less than buying four small packs).
But the reason I complain is because the case may hold 8 small packs, we can only get like 4-5 in the cooler on back up, since it shares a tray with whole breast, drumsticks and thighs, so there's not a lot of room for it. Since the person wiped out the smalls, I had to replace them, and then had to open up a new case of breasts so that we can fill the case and put some on back up again. That's time wasted because a person didn't want to bend over.
tl;dr moral: If your grocery store has family packs and small packs, 9 times out of 10, the family pack is a better deal than the small pack. It saves you money, and if you know that you'll use the meat for something in the future, you can always freeze it. Buying in bulk > buying loose. Simple economics.
3. Manners: There are times when you go to the store for some certain things and nothing else, and can't find it. Understandable, we all have those days. So when you go to the store and can't find it, and you see an employee, be courteous and ask if they have anymore of what you want on backup, don't demand that they drop what they're doing to go look for something, especially when they don't work in the department of what you're looking for. My example, I'm filling the pork case up when a guy comes up to me and practically yells at me demanding plain yogurt. I'm standing there, next to a meat case, with a tray full of meat, putting the meat in the meat case, wearing a white apron that you usually find butchers wearing, and this guy wants me to go look in dairy, someplace where I don't go unless there's no room for meat (I put extra cases of meat in the dairy cooler to save room).
So I obliged, and looked. I couldn't find any, and reported to the guy. The guy gets furious, and says under his breath "yeah right" and then rudely thanks me for my time and then storms away. If it weren't for the fact that he obviously didn't want to cause a scene, I probably would have been punched in the face because I couldn't give him what he wanted, and that's on top of the kick in the ass to get me moving faster into the cooler so that I can get it for him right away. Yes, I may be a peon working in the service industry, but I'm still person and I still should at least be treated as such. It would be different if it was the other way around, where the guy politely asks me if we had any, I stopped what I was doing, grunting as I turned around and glared at him while I was listening to his request, and then left saying "sure, whatever" and then come out 30 minutes later saying that we don't have any, but that's not the case.
tl;dr moral: Remember to treat low level workers like human beings, especially if they work in the food service industry. If you have ever seen Waiting, then you should know why. If not, then let me say it. If you treat a person that handles your food like ****, then that person will handle your food like ****. So unless you like ****ty food, then don't treat people like ****.
4. Cigarettes: No tl'dr for this one. Not going to tell people to not to smoke if they're over the age of 18, since at that point, they know what the risks are for smoking and if they want to continue doing it, let them. And yes, I understand that nicotine is an addiction, but trust me, you can go 5 minutes without a cigarette when a person that doesn't know the prices of cigarettes are during a poweroutage. You won't die if you don't have your smoke that second.
I'll probably have more as I work longer, but those are just the big ones that annoy me the most while working.