Take a number

We are pretty fast so even if you get skipped its not long, and it doesn't happen much. I was hoping with take a number, I can control the staff that have to serve so they can get other production done, where as now, the customers stare if there is someone out front not serving.
90% of my customers are regulars, we don't usually get too many issues.
 
Hey @Sorbate - great idea but I would not say you won't be served. I would have a sign that says for prompt service and to be fair to all customers please take a number. Just a softer way of getting the message across.
I will never understand why people watch pushy fucks jump lines. I'm not trying to sound tough but regardless of how many of them or their size, I walk up and remind them everyone was waiting before them and to go to the back of the line. Haven't had one person yap at me yet or start an altercation. What makes someone so special they don't wait like everyone else?
Happy to hear your business is doing well!
Thanks, I like your sign. I would have come up with something better than take a ticket dumbass, lol, but now you did it for me so I don't have to.

We are swamped. This shop when I designed it was not meant for this much business. We are getting hyper organized to be able to keep it going.
One of the suppliers was dropping off and saw how full my cooler was, it suprized him, but as we were putting things away as we unloaded, he commented on how organized it looked even though it was packed full. I'd bet my cooler is 1/4 of the shop. We are not that big only 3000 sq ft. Bigish for a butcher shop though. But mind you I havn't checked out the ones in the GTA. But compared to Alberta, and other places I have been we are larger.
 
Thanks, I like your sign. I would have come up with something better than take a ticket dumbass, lol, but now you did it for me so I don't have to.

We are swamped. This shop when I designed it was not meant for this much business. We are getting hyper organized to be able to keep it going.
One of the suppliers was dropping off and saw how full my cooler was, it suprized him, but as we were putting things away as we unloaded, he commented on how organized it looked even though it was packed full. I'd bet my cooler is 1/4 of the shop. We are not that big only 3000 sq ft. Bigish for a butcher shop though. But mind you I havn't checked out the ones in the GTA. But compared to Alberta, and other places I have been we are larger.


maybe you should open a second shop :)
 
Nothing angers me more than patiently waiting my turn and somebody who just walked in jumps in front of everybody and gets served right away. It's not the fault of the staff, they're busy and can't keep tabs on which order everyone in the building walked through the doors. It's the fault of the jackasses who feel their time is more important than everybody elses. I would hapily take a number to hold my place.
Im pretty chill most of the time but when shit like this happens, i cant help thinking about murder.
 
We are pretty fast so even if you get skipped its not long, and it doesn't happen much. I was hoping with take a number, I can control the staff that have to serve so they can get other production done, where as now, the customers stare if there is someone out front not serving.
90% of my customers are regulars, we don't usually get too many issues.

Just the obvious attempt at trying to keep things orgianized and fair will be greatly appriciated by your customers.
 
maybe you should open a second shop :)
Training and keeping good staff is difficult. Especially for a couple stores. See we have a stupidly high level of customer service. I had a customers sister visiting a couple years ago, whos job is to teach staff how to give exceptional customer service. So after coming in a few times with her sister, she asked for me and then gave me a huge complement. She said that she have never seen anyplace have such good staff. Overly helpful, quick, energetic (lol, they are all addicted to energy drinks and ephedrine) and happy.
It is tough to train them because there is so much to know.
Customers don't just want to buy meat, we need to be their dietitians, know every ingredient in everything, be able to guess what they want when they don't even know what they want. Give meal suggestions, upsell and so on. Thing is some people are quick to anger if you are not perfect all the time. I find it funny because you go to Tim Hortons and never get coffee the same twice, and are fine, keep going back, but jesus, one little mistake, like you cut 200 grams of ham instead of 150 and the world is going to end, lol. Btw I'm not complaining, I enjoy my customers, just retail can wear you down.
Maintaining this level of service is difficult and tiring. I do not want the headache of 2 shops. Trust me I have thought about this numerous times. I already know where I would put them. My wife is 58, she doesn't want to take on the extra work. I understand, I'm hitting my limit of how hard I want to work as well. My normal weekly hours are about 65, and I'm not including going back to swap the smokehouse, or going to the bank, or costco to pick up supplies and so on. This is greatly reduced from previous years.

Anyhow the more business I can put thru this shop the higher my percentage of profits will be. Most of my costs other than labour are fixed, so if I can sell lets say 50,000 vs 40,000 and still am paying the same rent and power, I'm way ahead. The extra 10,000 doesn't have the fixed costs taken out because they are already paid so more profit.
 
It’s all good. I mentioned taking a drive with my wife and she said excitedly. That’s 8 hours round trip!

So I’ll do what I have always done and fake it, lol.

I’m thinking anything is better than our present system. It worked great when were not as busy, but now that we are close to maxing out the shop we need a new way.

I figured out how to jam people back into the rotation if they ask for some time to look. Who ever is serving them says, “I will go and serve the next customer then when done will come back to you to give you time”.

If they get a customer who wants like 10lb of bacon 1lb packs then 10 lbs ground one pound packs, then they can ask another staff to catch them for them.

I know I can squeeze in another 30% with some efficiencies, lol. Then that will be my customer limit.
You need a bouncer. I’ll dust off my old jean jacket. Roadhouse styles. 😎
 
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