Had a customer argue with me for 10 minutes about the difference between prime and choice last Tuesday

This guy at the shop kept insisting a choice ribeye was better than prime because it had "less fat," and no amount of explaining could convince him otherwise. I finally just gave him the choice cut and moved on because there were 6 other people waiting behind him. How do y'all handle customers who think they know more than you about your own trade?

4 comments

4 Comments

wyattramirez12d ago

That whole "less fat" argument drives me nuts. I had a guy once who swore the dark red color on a prime cap meant it was spoiled. I just told him "look man, you're buying for you, not me" and rang him up for the choice. But here's what finally worked for me with another know it all. I stopped explaining and started asking questions. I said "ok so if you were cooking that choice cut, what temp would you pull it?" He got quiet because he had no idea. I smiled and said "prime gives you more room for error, that's all. Choice dries out faster if you miss your mark." He grabbed the prime after that. Sometimes you gotta flip the script and make them think it was their idea.

sagejackson12d ago

Ha oh man I feel this in my bones. I once had a dude lecture me for 15 minutes about how "grass fed" means the cow lived on a golf course or something. I just nodded and rang him up for the cheaper cut cause I didnt have the energy to correct him. Honestly I think half the time they just want to feel smart and im too tired to argue. My go to now is to say "hey you're the boss" and let them buy what they want. Then I go in the back and laugh at myself for getting paid minimum wage to argue about meat science. We all got that one customer who makes us question our life choices.

rowanw9112d ago

That reminds me of the guy who told me "prime rib comes from the front of the cow because it has the word 'prime' in it." I just handed him the choice and said "you're right, I never thought of it that way." Best part was watching him come back the next week asking for the "good stuff" after his choice roast turned into shoe leather. Sometimes the lesson sticks better when you let the meat teach it.

wadejenkins12d ago

That questioning move works like a charm with the right people. I use something similar when they start quoting farm-to-table poetry they read on a menu somewhere. I'll just ask "what wine are you pairing it with" and watch them freeze up. It levels the playing field without making them feel stupid, just makes them realize they don't know everything. Half the time they end up asking me for advice after that.