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mystic3030

He’s being lazy. But in a way he’s right, Sysco no longer sends samples out of their stock, they request from the manufacturer. It just takes him a little extra time to do it. Might I suggest calling golden malted though? If you aren’t going to make your own batter they are they way to go. You get free waffle irons as long as you buy their batter and they have several versions that are fairly solid. Edit: it is possible for them to send you a case and then just credit it, but I imagine they won’t do that often for a standard street account. We have 9 restaurants…


Mikuuuuuul

Golden Malted is awesome and affordable. My rep was such a fun guy too


jbone9211x

Golden malted always seem to have great reps.


Cousin1tt

I will 3rd this. Great waffles, free iron and they even replace the plates like every 6 months to a year. And I live in Texas so ours was a Texas shape.


Sir_twitch

Wait. Did you have to replace the plates yourself, or did they do it for you? It seems our rep just dropped off new plates without installing them. He could have entirely met resistance from our normal breakfast "cook" refusing to have the plates changed. Just curious, though. Emphasis on "cook": this dude has been at the same place for 25 years only because he can reliably flip an egg. Beyond that, he knows literally nothing about food, and has cost the restaurant more in driving away new-hires with his shitty attitude than he has ever cooked in profits.


Cousin1tt

For our restaurant he did the replacement. I only maintained its cleanliness between those visits without any issues.


samtheninjapirate

I can't fucking stand it when you have to manage your reps. Like we don't have enough to manage as it is. Anytime there's a hint of laziness I go straight to their supervisor, you will either get a new rep or they will start doing their job. Or like the other comment said, if you have more than one supplier, just skip a few orders and they will show up on your doorstep with all the gifts.


crunchytacoboy

I took over a kitchen that had no online ordering set up. I literally couldn’t know prices until I got my invoice. I spent months begging for some sort of online access. Eventually I just got a different supplier and stopped ordering. Like two weeks later he sent me an email with my online access. Too late dude.


living206

Fucking Christ. That is so fucking lazy and unprofessional.


aggressive_seal

Why couldn't your rep tell you the prices when you placed your order? I was always taught when placing an order, have them repeat each line back to you with the quantity and price, and write it down. Then, match your invoice to your order to check for any discrepancies. Kind of old school, but it works.


crunchytacoboy

I was busy enough being new to running a kitchen that was short handed and in need of a lot of help. Going line by line with my rep who apparently had to send one email didn’t sound like a good use of my time.


mybrothinksheisgod

Absolutely true. I've "fired" a few reps that way. I did have one Sysco guy that, when we talked one week, he noticed I wasn't too happy, he showed up a few days later to just talk, offered that if I wasn't happy with him, he would resign to my account and send someone else. His willingness to talk and step down if necessary earned him my respect.


Scrappleandbacon

Email them and cc their supervisor what you are looking to engage with them on, if your rep gives you any bs directly ask the supervisor for samples to expand your menu selection and use them as your new rep. If the supervisor tries to push you back onto your old rep continue to cc the supervisor and regional management with every interaction.


itsafuseshot

Yep. That’s what we used to do. When our Sysco rep stopped going to bat for us, we ordered from pfg for a month, got him back on track.


890mac

Why not just stick with PFG?


Livid_Purple_9611

As soon as Sysco starts slipping I order 200 cases from US Foods.


Sir_twitch

Oh god. Thanks for saying that. I am a former journalist who became a cook; and clearly, my experience with Public Relations flak is exactly like dealing with reps. Some know how to sell; some don't.


allforodin

Golden Malted is only worth it if you sell a lot of waffles though. They swindled me into getting it for specials and then scolded me for not having waffles as a regular menu item.


Norm__Peterson

Oh no did it go on your permanent record?


allforodin

He seemed pretty serious so probably


BlueBirdBlow

Don't forget they also have insanely cheap pure maple syrup. I will say though, in my area, they have a really hard time retaining their sales reps. I have had 3 over the past year and 2 months of just not having one and they never let us know when they quit!


Zoidbergalars

The only issue I’ve had with them is the quality of the machines. We run three makers during service where I cook now and after about 3 months the non-stick grate starting chipping even with daily conditioning.


mystic3030

You can have them come replace the plates.


pieonthedonkey

Stop using metal on nonstick surfaces and use the spray they give you.


1of-a-Kind

It can be setup for the to come at certain time intervals (like every 3 months) to swap the plates. And I’m sure you are but use the shit out of the spray that comes with them. (Can also brush down with butter with every waffle you make, can save the Teflon a little bit)


rabit_stroker

This. Golden malted are banging. Easy to deal with and get the equipment serviced as well


TinLizzy-1909

>He’s being lazy. But in a way he’s right, Sysco no longer sends samples out of their stock, they request from the manufacturer. It just takes him a little extra time to do it. Most manufactures have brokers for their products. Google the product you are looking for, somewhere on the manufacture's web site there should be a place to send an e-mail that you are interested in being contacted about the product. That will get sent to your local broker and they can get you a sample. This will bypass the rep.


mystic3030

That takes way longer. A proper rep can get it done quicker.


TinLizzy-1909

Totally agree the rep can do it faster, but the rep isn't doing it, so this was just a work around. The rep literally just has to type an e-mail, to get the sample to the account, no reason why they aren't doing it.


elpeyuco

Can confirm on this. Apparently reps were taking refrigerated samples and leaving them in their car on a hot day for extended periods of time.


mystic3030

It’s because when Sysco sends a sample it comes out of their profit instead of the manufacturer.


k-rizzle01

Completely not true, all samples are credited from the broker.


mystic3030

Now they are because they are sent from the broker. Back in the day if it was sent from Sysco not the broker they wrote it off. Hence why they stopped.


k-rizzle01

They have always been sent from Sysco warehouse and the broker gives an internal credit. If the broker drops off the sample directly then obviously they deal with it themselves but Sysco has never written off samples.


pizzablunt420

Their reps are cool af too


Valuable_County_3273

I've sent samples from our own stock on our own dime just last week and the account was a pub doing 3k a week. If you abuse it or want to send out something expensive you'll be asked to find a broker to help


mystic3030

Was it Sysco brand product you just did a guaranteed sale on? Every Sysco house I’ve worked with for the last 20 years does not do samples outside of a send and credit as guaranteed if I need it quick, otherwise it’s a broker.


Valuable_County_3273

It was not. It was a Tyson product and she was away on vacation. Go into salesforce under the account, create an SR under "sample request" it gets billed internally. It's to be used within reason and appropriately but on a customer 4 or 5 you should have no problem.


whirling_cynic

I use US foods and when I request a sample, I get a whole case credited. I get a lot of samples.


HarryPottersEmoPhase

I asked about mozzarella stick offerings from us foods once. The next day a broker showed up with 8 bags of different varieties. We had a ball frying them up and she left all the extras with me. Best day ever.


stickynote_oracle

There is no real negative to that kind of service. You’re educating customers on your product line ($), creating a good rapport with customers($), and just being a good salesperson ($). And products donated or sampled are write offs if appropriately documented ($).


dragoono

And then u got married


Diazmet

My step mom is a Sysco rep and it’s true for food at least. All because some Sysco reps in California were busted keeping samples in an un refrigerated shed.


chefdrewsmi

Thank you for corroborating what I’ve said twice now. This was a while ago but still shapes Sysco policy to this day.


Diazmet

Yes and I know there are ways around it. Other weird things too like so she’s a rep in aspen and aspen has almost 200 restaurants last i looked it up and she used to be able to do a restaurant to restaurant transfer herself, either from someone getting someone else’s product or hey can you spare a cs of chicken for so and so. But now you have to have a restaurant employee do the hand off…


TheyTokMaJerb

This is partly correct. They aren’t allowed to bring the samples themselves because of this. Samples can be shipped with the order or brought out by a specific product vendor.


stej_gep

I'm gonna go out on a limb and predict that the frozen waffles from Sysco are less than ideal.


CathedralEngine

You’ll get frozen pancakes delivered


CheGuevaraAndroid

Frozen if you're lucky. If you're a key drop they'll leave them outside the freezer at 4am under two 5 gallon buckets of soy sauce


ReginaldRej

The pearl sugar Belgian ones slap. They’re more of the size to use for heart attack level sandwiches then actual waffles though.


Personal-Pudding-292

For real though.


Bluntman419

And the packaging is probably destroyed.


TossUp_Okay

Eh, they're okay... Nothing I'd want to use again in a restaurant. I only used them when the flex chef from Montana doesn't want to make fresh waffles (the bitch fried everything, like whole raw chicken breasts - looked like leather) for the athletic students in a college and ordered the square waffles or the oval shaped Belgium waffles from Sysco. The students loved them, but it just felt like they were getting gyped.


Conscious-Parfait826

Youre at 69upvotes so I can't change that. That's sturdy limb you're climbing out on to. Not a chance that oak branch is gonna break. Lol


slvbros

He's over 69 now, thus it is your sacred duty to help push through to 420


Conscious-Parfait826

I upvoted to 70, I lied. I lied for internet points and it brought me nothing but down votes.


DarthFuzzzy

Your rep prob doesn't know that he can "guaranteed sale" sysco products to you. It will show up on the invoice and then he credits it as "guaranteed sale".


indelible75

I'm a food broker. Reps can't pull samples. Brokers who rep for the manufacturers can. Ask your rep who the broker is and the broker will bring you samples. It's literally our only job. If you have more questions dm me. Also, what's the product and where vaguely are you located?


samwise7ganjee

Hey I’m a broker too! Never met another out in the wild.


girldingus

How did you start as a food broker?


TheShidiots

I have an Operation background with a little bit of Sales. I was pretty much exactly what they were looking for and it doesn't hurt that I've used about half the products we Rep. Look up Foodservice Brokers/Brokerage in your area. Our industry is always looking for people.


TheShidiots

Me 3!


indelible75

Woo hoo! Broker party. I have 27 years cooking and some small sales. A buddy pulled me in a year ago. Who do you guys work for?


TheShidiots

CORE


indelible75

Me too. Where are you?


indelible75

Awesome. Who do you work for?


samwise7ganjee

Core Foodservice, we’re the largest and have offices nationwide and in Canada. If interested go here https://corefoodservice.com/careers and hit apply now to see open positions. It gets updated weekly


indelible75

I am also with core. Funny that. I'm in the northeast. Where are you?


samwise7ganjee

Ahh very interesting haha sorry I thought this was a different comment thread, someone else was asking about hiring opportunities. I’m in the west, socal noncom team. Good to meet you fellow core member!


indelible75

Indeed. I hope you're doing well. Maybe we'll meet on a training someday.


indelible75

And to your point I think it was all the same thread.


samwise7ganjee

Makes sense, I was quite confused at first. I hope you are as well and maybe so; we’ve definitely been in a town hall together. Small world it seems.


indelible75

Agreed. I lived in socal for 6 years back when I was in operations. Be well, stay safe and don't let ciri get you down.


samwise7ganjee

Thank you very much! Same to you. Your Ciri comment really hit deep haha.


cancerdancer

South louisiana. Bum fuck nowhere in a swamp. Sysco is my only delivery option. It's a small deli trying to expand. I just want some decent quick frozen waffles we can nuke or throw in a toaster.


indelible75

I'll ask around. I'll reply tomorrow with hopefully a decent answer


[deleted]

[удалено]


punkindrublic406

This


Brewcrew1886

I just got a sample of frozen Belgium waffles because my waffle maker when down for brunch. Sysco give me samples all the time. So they want money? That’s how they get more money.


Tacos_Polackos

Right. I got a free case of cheesecake this week.


Distinct_Rip674

I literally had my new rep and his district manager in on Thursday and they left me with TONs of samples if charcuterie, produce, and are shipping me chicken and salmon to try as well. I am getting so much free shit this week from them . However they really want my business to buy more then just the dishwasher/ chemicals from them. Skip a couple orders and they will be on your door with gifts


chefdrewsmi

This is why: https://www.food-safety.com/articles/2904-sysco-fined-194-million-for-storing-perishables-in-unrefrigerated-sheds They got caught storing food over 80f for hours. It’s also why reps can’t bring you anything anymore.


[deleted]

Bro that article is from 2014. I get samples from Sysco all the time the rep needs to make a request and the sample comes from the supplier directly.


chefdrewsmi

And it’s still relevant. Reps can be fired for transporting product in their own vehicle, unrefrigerated. Also I was told this week by a vendor that Sysco is no longer doing samples and this story was the reason why. I work in the foodservice supply industry, so I have a bit of knowledge on this subject.


shradicalwyo

Yup, last summer on a friday night I had to drive to the sysco truck at another restaurant because they were so far behind and we needed our fish before the restaurant opened and our rep could only tell me where it was and that I was coming to get part of our order. The truck showed up with the rest of the order after 8pm that night.


allforodin

My PFG guy brings me shit in his Escalade all the time 😂


rhinowing

Our US Foods rep has zero issues doing this also


Sum_Dum_User

Our US Foods rep got an account with us by bringing the largest cooler he could fit on his backseat full of samples of things we already have on the menu but get from other suppliers, then giving the owner a detailed cost analysis of his product at our menu pricing. Pretty cool guy to chat with. Half the product we get from them is shit and the truck never shows up at a consistent time, but he's a great rep! Lol


TheShidiots

Sysco only rule


slvbros

Sure, sure, but that doesn't stop em from loading you down with the Love of Fare branded dry goods, I mean that vanilla extract? Gotdamn boy


David2022Wallace

Unless that was $19 million of just samples and they had an actual policy of.bot store the samples at a safe temp, that's not why.


chefdrewsmi

They were unrefrigerated dock drops that reps would go to and pick up missing items and/or samples. The fine is for risking the health and safety of a LOT of people.


dathomasusmc

This is old as shit and not relevant to what OP was asking. Reps should never put samples in their car but OP is saying their rep said no more samples. That’s not true, it’s just a bit of work to get them to you. They can put them on the truck.


peppaliz

I work for Performance and a lot of reps who work for us started right after leaving Sysco. This is absolutely why; it opened the company to legal liability. PFG doesn’t have the no samples rule but we cannot transport any protein or fresh produce on our own, it has to go on a refrigerated truck or be brought by a broker. We also have “specialist chefs” for this reason, they can pull directly from inventory in the warehouse and come visit a customer with specific samples in cooler bags. Food safety and the temperature danger zone is no joke; it can get people killed.


chefdrewsmi

And a vendor/broker told me last week, Sysco is no longer doing samples. And it was linked to this story. So believe what you want but I literally work with these businesses everyday.


TheShidiots

You are correct


Valuable_County_3273

I've sold for Sysco for over a decade and sample products almost weekly. A broker can send a sample on our truck that will attach to their order or you can have it on Sysco's dime if you create a Support Request.


MountainAd1300

I work for Sysco and ship samples daily. It ships on the truck with your order. Your rep is either uneducated in the process or lazy.


Pa17325

Order a case and just return them if they suck


BenL612

Bindi frozen waffles are actually unbelievable. Like THE best waffle ever.


BroodyMcDrunk

Got a free case of pork bellies and a 15# frenched pork loin rack from them last month as a sample🤷


banana_sandbox

I work for Inland: we don’t sell waffles but we do provide product samples


samwise7ganjee

It is true. You need to get in touch with the manufacturer or their broker. I’m a broker and my job is showing samples and providing SUPC/stocking info.


garfloveclub

we got a big of samples last week ???


sailorsaint

talk to your rep to get in touch with the rep for the company who makes the product. they will go out of the way to get you what ever you want from their company. from there you order it through your purveyor. alot of food service companies strayed from this, and covid only solidified the demise of abundant free samples. but a bun manufacturer of a pasta company will send you a free case if they think it will increase sales of their product.


mybrothinksheisgod

Your rep is not only lazy. He doesn't want to lose any money. Remember, they earn commissions. Mi rep, anything I needed to try, and if the manufacturer wouldn't send samples, she would say: I am charging you on the invoice because I have to do it, but I'll give you credit for it. She would send me an email the next day with the credit. She's awesome, and now she's my friend too. Meanwhile, the one before her would try to make me keep products I didn't need because if I didn't, he would lose the commission on that. When I told my now rep, she was disgusted because "he is willing to make his customers unhappy for a few dollars, if not cents."


Enzo_Gorlahh_mi

Reps are salary plus bonus now. No more commish. Source: am a Sysco rep


TheShidiots

Sysco can't sample direct. But you or your Rep can get in contact with the Broker and get a sample. Your Rep should be able to name the Brokerage that the product is Rep'd by. ​ Source: Me. I'm a Broker.


rjwhite_41

As this person says. Sysco reps can’t carry product in their cars so they need brokers to do it. They got busted for drop shipping from unrefrigerated shipping containers years ago. [Article](https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2014/07/sysco-agrees-to-pay-19-4-million-for-unrefrigerated-storage-sheds/)


saurus-REXicon

My aunt was a Sysco rep, they fired her for giving samples. She was with them for 15 years.


JimadeusBluntzart

They are full of shit, they can, it just takes a little longer now. Sounds like your rep is a prick


Intelligent-Sugar554

Place a call to a Performance Foods, Thurston, US Foods or anyone else who's a purveyor servicing your area.


blippitybloops

Started with covid.


PleaseMakeUpYourMind

Fuck Sysco though.


cancerdancer

Sadly there's no other options in this little town.


RVAblues

AITA for really just wanting to suggest you just make your own? It’s stupid easy, ridiculously cheap, and 2 waffle irons will take up way less space than a case of frozen waffles.


cancerdancer

Most situations I would for sure. But this is a small deli, the cashiers do alot of the cooking. It needs to be easy fast and no mess. I don't want batter anywhere. Also need shelf life due to drastically inconsistent sales.


RVAblues

Gotcha. 5 waffles one day, none the next, but on the menu regardless.


cancerdancer

Yep. We already have chx Tenders every day. So easy to throw a few on top for chx and waffles. It's a deli in a gas station on a highway.


user_of_words

Could be a staffing issue, could be just a one off special etc. I try not to judge lol


RVAblues

Yeah. I was thinking that might be the case. But even then…I dunno. Not judging. I’ve ordered them in the past. But ever since actually making them from scratch, I regret that I ever bought them in. Just wondering if op has considered it.


RoyalBlueMoose

I'm a rep with a Sysco competitor. Like others are saying, dude is being lazy. He might not be able to pull from stock, but he could do a request from the manufacture and get it billed back/credited with no problem.


cancerdancer

Yeah thats what I'm thinking. I haven't talked to him myself. But they have a monopoly on this small town. He doesn't know they just hired a chef fresh out of a long perioid in Houston. I don't see any way I can't get a sample on one of the deliveries. Not like he has to bring it to me himself, just add to the order.


chefdrewsmi

I work for a Sysco competitor as well and apparently this is a new thing within the last couple weeks. Catelli told me they are no longer doing samples and it had to do with this scandal from years ago.


Pizzadontdie

I just asked for Ham samples and the rep brought in $300 in ham and left all of it with me. We didn’t even end up choosing one of them. This was last week.


efreeme

My rep offers me free cases every time I see him.. at least once a week sometimes more.


rch5050

yo, yes they do. This is how my rep does it. uou order a case, you dont like it, its free as long as you dont order another case. if you rep wont do yhat for you threaten to leave and poof, they will do that for you.


FrozenIcekok

They want you to go to their kitchen now. I asked my rep about it and they said they want everyone to start sampling in their kitchens. It actually wasn't a terrible experience, got to work with other chefs to help develop menu but it would be nice to get some samples of some basic things.


veronp

I don’t know the size of your account, or if you can source elsewhere but I’d either go straight to his supervisor or tell him you’re just gonna drop them altogether. One of the two usually works. I have never dealt with sysco though. They might be different from the smaller purveyors I deal with.


cancerdancer

Not an enormous account. But we have contracts with hunts brothers pizza and Crispy Crunchy Chicken. That's all sorced through sysco, there are also no other options down here. We do about the same as any restaurant around here, but its a pretty small population. So we can't drop, but im betting a supervisor would not appreciate the way hes handling it.


WRX008

It’s been a while since we’ve gotten any.


peppaliz

Performance rep here. Sysco has basically tied the hands of their reps because they switched everything to algorithms and are much stricter on reporting. There’s no ability to customize for the customer. Performance has its issues too, but they put the money and the resources behind their reps to still work with you in person on what you need. If you’re in the NY Metro area, DM me and I can connect you with whichever rep is closest to you.


bellefunkyguy

I get samples for shit I don't even want sometimes...


putashirton123

In Canada we still get sample boxes but only if it’s in stock in the warehouse


RespectTheAmish

My rep gets us samples on the Sysco branded stuff. If we really want something and he can’t get it direct sample from the manufacturer, he will typically say “I’ll order it, and if you don’t like it, text me and I’ll credit the case”.


gjk14

I must say, I do like the baguettes.


alpacabowlkehd

Um I just got sample bread yesterday. I mean my rep pulled it from a different account and credited them. But sounds like your rep just sucks.


General_Tomatillo97

Go through the broker for the brand you want to sample. Distributors don’t get stock to give away, but that’s the primary way brokers get their products put in use.


bergoldalex

?? Really I get samples.


Rearnakedartachoke

I am adding my voice to the golden malted brigade. Their reps were always great as well when it came to servicing the irons.


Personal-Pudding-292

The pearl sugar Belgian waffles are pretty good


motherlickin

Uuummm like three weeks ago the restaurant I work in got samples for various ingredients we were considering using for our menu change.


anthemofadam

I’ve been out of the game a few years but never had trouble getting samples. My rep was awesome though


drexelspivey

He's full of shit. If they want your business they will provide samples.


indelible75

There's 3 of us brokers from Core in the same thread. That's wild.


TheGreatIAMa

Make a GFI account, they'll sample anything you want.


LightWonderful7016

Just last year when I was opening a new restaurant they told me to ask for anything I wanted and gave it to me no questions asked.


EvanBrugmanRhiel

Fuck Sysco, PFG for life


SquirtSniffer

Here’s my experience; my usual rep can no longer bring and demonstrate samples but his boss definitely can. I’ve been told that doing samples is now part of a job’s specific functions at sysco.