Recently, in the deli where I work, I have had a couple of customers ask for "chip chop ham". When I asked what they meant, they said "you know, chipped and chopped". I said that I didn't know what they meant. They were like, "thinly chipped and chopped. I get it here all the time." I was like falling apart, shaved, and they were like yeah. Why not just say that in the first place? These are the same old people that always ask for boiled ham and ham salad. They look like its the end of the world when we tell them we don't carry boiled hams and the ham salad is in the bistro part of the deli; the bistro people at our store take care of the salads and put the ham salad out on the self serve(chef on the run}.
When we ask how the want something sliced, and they respond "for sandwiches". Look, we don't care what you use it for, that doesn't tell us anything. Just tell us thin, medium, etc.
When the customer tells us, thin, but not shaved. If you say thin, it won't be shaved. Tell us what you want, not what you don't want.
Had an elderly man one time ask me for a pound of ground beef. When I explained that he need to go to the meat counter, he points at the deli case and says "this all looks like meat to me".
Had a lady ask me once for some fried chicken. At our store the bistro end takes care of the chicken, so I directed her to them and they would help her. She was like "at the other store I get chicken at the deli counter." I'm thinking "we're not the other store".
I asked a woman if she needed any lunch meat, she said no but she wanted some Boar's Head sliced chicken. Ok no problem. I thought you didn't need any meat. She said, chicken is not meat, it's poultry".
Asked a man once which kind of ham he wanted, he was like " the kind of ham that comes from a pig." Sir, they all come from pigs. He was like "never mind".
Some of these people do sound dumb as hell but you can't fault them for all of it. I mean most stores don't have a bistro section that does half of the deli job, as far as I know that's only in certain marketplaces. Most people who have never visited your store would assume chicken is from the deli.
Recently, in the deli where I work, I have had a couple of customers ask for "chip chop ham". When I asked what they meant, they said "you know, chipped and chopped". I said that I didn't know what they meant. They were like, "thinly chipped and chopped. I get it here all the time." I was like falling apart, shaved, and they were like yeah. Why not just say that in the first place? These are the same old people that always ask for boiled ham and ham salad. They look like its the end of the world when we tell them we don't carry boiled hams and the ham salad is in the bistro part of the deli; the bistro people at our store take care of the salads and put the ham salad out on the self serve(chef on the run}.
When we ask how the want something sliced, and they respond "for sandwiches". Look, we don't care what you use it for, that doesn't tell us anything. Just tell us thin, medium, etc.
When the customer tells us, thin, but not shaved. If you say thin, it won't be shaved. Tell us what you want, not what you don't want.
Had an elderly man one time ask me for a pound of ground beef. When I explained that he need to go to the meat counter, he points at the deli case and says "this all looks like meat to me".
Had a lady ask me once for some fried chicken. At our store the bistro end takes care of the chicken, so I directed her to them and they would help her. She was like "at the other store I get chicken at the deli counter." I'm thinking "we're not the other store".
I asked a woman if she needed any lunch meat, she said no but she wanted some Boar's Head sliced chicken. Ok no problem. I thought you didn't need any meat. She said, chicken is not meat, it's poultry".
Asked a man once which kind of ham he wanted, he was like " the kind of ham that comes from a pig." Sir, they all come from pigs. He was like "never mind".
Chipped ham is an old folk classic along with egg salad, head cheese, and other nasty ****. Sounds to me you are too smart to be workng the deli.
I'm not too smart, but I'm not stupid either. But when you carry 15 different kinds of ham (10 Boar's Head hams and 5 Private Selection hams), you need to tell me more than "chip chop ham". I'm a deli clerk, not a mind reader.
I worked at the deli in Kroger and never did I complain about having to assist a customer on a dumb request I was 20 years old when I finally learned what chipped or shaved was and meant and I actually had a very nice customer explain to me how to do it. Its not rocket science and its not a dumb request if you cant figure out how to do it then your to stupid to work in the deli let a lot iany place with customers if you find these as dumb requests I actually love going in and having them chip my ham because I will explain to the dumb deli clerk how to cut it
How about the ones that get something out of the salad case and you ask if there is anything else they say no, then walk 2 feet down the counter. And ask for some meat and cheese.
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"I'm sorry we don't carry that anymore/never carried it.'
"Well I just got it here last week."
Sometimes I want to say, "I've worked here almost 18 years, I think I would know more of what we do/don't carry than you do".
Chipped ham is an old folk classic along with egg salad, head cheese, and other nasty ****. Sounds to me you are too smart to be workng the deli.
Actually "chipped ham" AKA "chipped chopped ham" is a VERY regional thing here in south-western PA. Everyone here knows EXACTLY what it is and the most famous is Isaley's Chopped Ham. It's pretty much the cured, slightly spiced deli ham version of Arby's (fake)roast beef. Not an old folk thing at all. Not nasty at all but instead quite delicious.
Chipped ham is an old folk classic along with egg salad, head cheese, and other nasty ****. Sounds to me you are too smart to be workng the deli.
Actually "chipped ham" AKA "chipped chopped ham" is a VERY regional thing here in south-western PA. Everyone here knows EXACTLY what it is and the most famous is Isaley's Chopped Ham. It's pretty much the cured, slightly spiced deli ham version of Arby's (fake)roast beef. Not an old folk thing at all. Not nasty at all but instead quite delicious.
Do you have a job working for anyone?
