OK So we get customers who call in their orders ahead of time. I Love these customers, because I can prepare what they want without them standing there waiting. We don't put the price stickers on because customers will grab the orders and walk away. We then don't know if it was the customer who ordered it or another customer thinking it's for self service. Yesterday I made a 50 piece chicken for an order. I stuck the chicken under the warmer, without the price on it. A customer came up and grabbed it while I was on break. When I came back I noticed it was missing. I asked if the customer came to get their order, the others didn't know for sure, but assumed that the customer did. I asked the others if I should just go ahead and make another 50 pieces just in case it wasn't the one who ordered it. The others said "No". The customer who actually ordered, was standing there listening to the whole conversation. We ended up having to box up the chicken in the warmer and giving the customer 50% off. When we spoke to the cashier, who seen the customer who grabbed the 50 piece, we find out that the customer didn't even pay for it. They pretended to run it across the Uscan scanner but nothing rang up for chicken. Nothing rang up for more than $3 on that persons receipt. WOW! I know from now on to listen to my gut and not those I work with and to not put the chicken where it an just be grabbed.
I worked in deli for over two years, mostly taking care of the chicken end. Quite a few times, if there was an order for 50 or 100 or 200 pieces of chicken and we couldn't help but have all or part of the chicken order setting on the "chicken warmer" (on the sales floor) for a little while, I would write something like "Reserved for _______ _______" on the box. Using either a full first and last name, or just a first initial and last name. I don't know if Kroger would officially "frown" on the practice, but it worked just fine for us, and no one tried to walk away with a box of chicken that was marked in that manner. Preferably, write it as neatly as possible on the box with black permanent marker. It seems like I always had the price tag affixed as well, but it would definitely make sense to have the tag printed and ready, but not actually put on the box until that customer shows up.
I don't work in deli, but I do work right beside them in bakery and I have never seen them put a customer's order in with the other chicken on the chicken warmer. Usually they try to fry it as close to the pickup time as possible. If they have to keep it warm, they'll either put it on the steamtable (separate from the other food of course) or they'll put it in a pan and put it in a warm oven.
I don't work in deli, but I do work right beside them in bakery and I have never seen them put a customer's order in with the other chicken on the chicken warmer. Usually they try to fry it as close to the pickup time as possible. If they have to keep it warm, they'll either put it on the steamtable (separate from the other food of course) or they'll put it in a pan and put it in a warm oven.
At our store, there was literally not enough room to store any large boxes of fried chicken for even five minutes, other than the chicken warmer on the sales floor. The steam table was too small and if you have 3 or 4 large boxes of chicken (50 pieces each) it wasn't possible to put them on the steam table -- it would not fit. And it would interfere with other chicken (baked, rotisserie) currently baking in the chicken oven.
So, it worked out best to put it on the sales floor with the customer name, as explained earlier. I would always try to have the fried chicken to be ready as close to the pickup time as possible, but when only one person is frying chicken , and must juggle the tasks of frying the large orders along with stocking the steam table and chicken warmer with "regular" chicken, it can become a huge hassle and sometimes it was unavoidable for chicken to set on the warmer for a few minutes, waiting for the rest of it to be finished. I have done orders for 200 or 300 pieces of chicken on occasion..........the logistics of that can be tricky.......it takes time, time, time to get it all of it fried when you only have 2 deep fryers and one person doing the frying. So some boxes will have to wait awhile before the rest is finished. Hope that makes sense.
I don't work in deli, but I do work right beside them in bakery and I have never seen them put a customer's order in with the other chicken on the chicken warmer. Usually they try to fry it as close to the pickup time as possible. If they have to keep it warm, they'll either put it on the steamtable (separate from the other food of course) or they'll put it in a pan and put it in a warm oven.
At our store, there was literally not enough room to store any large boxes of fried chicken for even five minutes, other than the chicken warmer on the sales floor. The steam table was too small and if you have 3 or 4 large boxes of chicken (50 pieces each) it wasn't possible to put them on the steam table -- it would not fit. And it would interfere with other chicken (baked, rotisserie) currently baking in the chicken oven.
So, it worked out best to put it on the sales floor with the customer name, as explained earlier. I would always try to have the fried chicken to be ready as close to the pickup time as possible, but when only one person is frying chicken , and must juggle the tasks of frying the large orders along with stocking the steam table and chicken warmer with "regular" chicken, it can become a huge hassle and sometimes it was unavoidable for chicken to set on the warmer for a few minutes, waiting for the rest of it to be finished. I have done orders for 200 or 300 pieces of chicken on occasion..........the logistics of that can be tricky.......it takes time, time, time to get it all of it fried when you only have 2 deep fryers and one person doing the frying. So some boxes will have to wait awhile before the rest is finished. Hope that makes sense.
We do this also. There is no room on the steam table for us to put a 50 piece with all the fried, sides, baked and tenders. People have walked off with the chicken several times. I write in black marker the name of the person who ordered it. I attach the printed price on the order sheet. When the person come to pick it up. I place the price on the box and throw the order sheet away.
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Get to your department, get off your phone, and do your job!
With working for Kroger I have learned there are several layers of theft and quoting the theft video "We can't do any thing but let them have it." As you've probably experienced with working retail, you probably understand the phrase best: Society is three meals away from anarchy. People will do anything for food when they don't have access to an easy supply chain.
If the customer places the order while in store, use your phone and page for that customer to come to the deli to pick up the order. That's how it is by me at least.
If the customer places the order while in store, use your phone and page for that customer to come to the deli to pick up the order. That's how it is by me at least.
Well, if its a large box of chicken (50 pieces or 100 pieces) about 90% of the time an order like that is either taken over the phone or in person, to be picked up the next day, or two, or three days in the future. Occasionally, someone might ask for a 50-piece box of chicken right on the spot, but not that often. And in such cases we tell them there will be a considerable wait (perhaps 30 minutes to an hour). In some cases, if it is a very busy day, and we already have a lot of other orders reserved, we may ask that they give as a 24-hour notice, as we simply can't get it done that soon.
