How would you handle your supplier?

[TexasRookie]

I had an incident with our main supplier this week and wanted to know what some of you would have done.

We are currently a key drop twice a week with our main supplier. We we typically spend between 7 & 10K a week with this company. On the most recent delivery when my morning manager came in to the store, the driver had left well over 30 cases of refrigerated product just sitting out in our kitchen. We are talking about cheese, wings, meat ect.

When you got that call what would you have done?

 

[tguag]

i would have pitched a fit and sent all that food back! and had bring me new stuff and then taken away their keys.

 

[Daddio]

i would have pitched a fit and sent all that food back! and had bring me new stuff and then taken away their keys.

I would mark all the boxes so I would be able to tell if they try to deliver it on the next order. I sent back a case of bent cans and they showed up the on the next order.

 

[d9phoenix]

Called immediately and filed a complaint. If this just happens once, let it go as the company should have dealt with it internally. If it happens again, demand they come back and pickup the product that was left out and replace it with a fresh delivery. This time a complaint would be sent to the head office, you can generally find the name of a VP or CEO to send a certified letter to explaining what has happened.

Believe it or not, i have seen stuff get fixed very quickly when a VP or higher finds out about a complaint. (been the employee fixing things and the customer on both sides of this happening)

 

[Home_Town_Pizza]

Same here. I would have called and had them replace it. You can’t take chances with that stuff, especially raw chicken. Another reason I won’t do keyed deliveries. Our early delivery guy seems trustworthy, but I just don’t like other people in my place when I’m not there. They call/text me at their previous stop and I meet them at the store.

I’ve stopped ordering from suppliers for less than that. My cheese was coming in saying “Whole milk mozzarella” on the label, then printed on the back, “part skim mozzarella”. I asked my rep, said he would investigate and get back to me. Never did. When I asked again much later, the reply was simply “it’s whole milk cheese.” As soon as cheese prices dropped, I switched to the cheese I liked better anyway that I can just get at Rest Depot. They do however have a few items I can only get from them so I stay with them and just order less often.

 

[Rick_G]

I have refused to allow key drops. period. never. no way. I have been with the same main supplier for 13 years (although they have changed ownership). Most of the truck drivers we have had have been good conscientious people. But we have also had a few idiots. Once in a blue moon, they have an untrained driver substitute that has no idea what they are doing. I don’t want these mopes poking around my kitchen with nobody there, I don’t want them bringing in leaking bags of flour, crushed cans etc., and I don’t want to be short 5 or 6 cases of various items on the order.

 

[GotRocks]

My first call would be to the driver supervisor, and ask for a copy of their HACCP plan, then ask why it was not followed!

I have no choice with my canned/dry frozen supplier, I refuse to be here at 4:30 5:00 AM
My meats and dairy guys are so damn good, they rotate my stock for me in the cooler if I have stock left from the previous delivery. The camera’s show there is not jaboonery happening when they deliver.
maybe get a camera with time stamping to see what is happening, and take temps when delivered to adhere to proper food handling, and nail them on it if they are not doing it right.
This isn’t car parts we’re selling.

 

[bodegahwy]

No key drops for us. Not that they don’t ask. Never have. Never will. Like Rick said, our regular guys are fine but who knows who covers when they can’t be there. I it has forced us to change delivery days so they could put us on a truck that would deliver after 10AM but that was not hard to get used to.

I once offered to let the Sysco rep have a key himself so he could meet the driver there, but he did not want to do that… haha

 

[Georgiascp]

We do a key stop as well because I don’t want to have to be here at 8 in the morning just for the delivery guy. We had an incident one time where the driver had stacked the boxes in the walkin in a way that everything kind of tipped over I was not happy. I took a pic and sent it to my rep and she immediately was willing to replace anything that was damaged. If you are giving your supplier that much business they should be willing to bend over backwards for you no questions asked. Mistakes happen stupid people happen but they should be willing to fix it for you.

 

[RobT]

I would send it all back. All the refrigeration products are potentially hazardous. They should kiss your feet with your volume you spend .

 

[famousperry]

we all have those space cadet delivery drivers that could have been that delivery driver, but they should take back all the bad stuff and comp you that entire order no questions asked