Blog · For restaurants and cafes
Short deliveries: how restaurants catch them and get supplier credits
The truck shows up in the middle of prep. Someone signs, stacks the cases in the walk-in, and goes back to the line. A case was short, and nobody knew. Here is how to catch it at the back door, and how to ask for the credit.
The short answer
- Check the delivery against the bill at the door. Count while the driver is there.
- Write down what is short before you sign. On the driver's copy and your own.
- Ask for the credit the same day. Short, plain, with the proof.
- Keep a log. A supplier that is short every week needs a different conversation.
Why short deliveries go unclaimed
Nobody skips the check on purpose. There is no time.
The truck arrives in the middle of prep. A case of chicken is short. A price went up since last week. Nobody notices until Thursday, when the chicken runs out early.
By then the bill is in the office pile. Asking the supplier for a credit means finding the bill, working out what was missing, and writing an email nobody has time for. So it never gets written.
Step 1: Check it at the back door
The cheapest moment to catch a short delivery is the two minutes the driver is standing there. Here is a check small enough to survive a busy morning.
- Hold the bill. Do not stack anything until you have it in hand.
- Count the cases first, then the contents of the ones that matter. Proteins and anything expensive. You do not need to open every box of paper towels.
- Compare the price on each line to your last order. A price that crept up is worth a question.
- Mark any problem on the driver's copy before you sign. "1 case chicken short." Add the initials and the time.
- Take a photo of anything short, damaged or wrong. It takes five seconds.
An example, with made-up numbers. The bill says 4 cases of salmon. You count 3 on the truck. You write "1 case salmon short" on the driver's copy, take a photo, and sign. Now you have a note and a time, not a hunch on Thursday.
Step 2: Ask for the credit the same day
Short, plain and specific works better than long and angry. Here is one to copy and change. Replace everything in brackets.
Hi [rep name], our delivery today, invoice [number], came in short. The bill says [4 cases salmon]. We received [3]. I noted it on the driver's copy at [time] and have a photo. Could you send a credit for [1 case] on the next invoice? Thank you, [your name], [restaurant].
Send it yourself, in writing, and keep a copy. What the supplier pays back, and how long it takes, is between you and them. Asking is not a promise.
Step 3: Keep a simple log
One page is enough. A row for each problem: date, supplier, item, what was short, and what happened. After a month you will see a pattern.
- If one supplier is short again and again, you have a reason to talk to them, or to change them.
- If a price keeps creeping, you have a reason to ask for a price list.
- If credits get paid fast from one supplier and slowly from another, you know whose invoices to check first.
This is also how you stop running out early. Your count should say what is really in the walk-in, not what the bill said should be there.
Where we are
We do not sell a delivery check today. We are building one, and we would rather say that plainly than sell you something that does not exist yet. Our kitchen board app, Heard, is still being built. It has never run in a restaurant, and it has no price. To hear when it is ready, join the waitlist at heardbybuzzy.com.
The longer version is on the short deliveries page, and what we set up for cafes and restaurants is on restaurants and cafes.
What this will not do
- Asking will not make a supplier pay a credit.
- The check only works if someone does it when the truck arrives.
- Nobody can count the cases for you.
Questions restaurants ask
What is a short delivery?
When a supplier bills you for more than what came off the truck: a case with less in it, a missing item, or a higher price than last time. The usual fix is a credit on your next bill, if you ask for it.
How long do I have to ask a supplier for a credit?
It depends on the supplier, and we cannot tell you what yours allows. Many ask you to report problems the same day or the next day. Look at your supplier's terms, or ask your rep, and write the answer on your delivery checklist. This is not legal advice.
Who should check in deliveries?
Whoever is at the back door, with the bill in hand. It works best if one or two people know how, and the check takes a couple of minutes. If it takes longer than that, it will get skipped during prep.
What if the driver is in a hurry?
Count while they are still there, even if it is only the cases. Write "short, see note" on the driver's copy before you sign, and take a quick photo of the case. A note made at the door is much harder to argue with than one made on Thursday.
Will a supplier always give a credit?
No. Asking is not a promise. A short case or a price that does not match your last order gives you a reason to ask, with the proof in hand. Whether and how the credit is paid is between you and the supplier.
Can software do the check for me?
Some can. We are building a delivery check into our kitchen board app, Heard, but it is still being built, it has never run in a restaurant, and it has no price. To hear when it is ready, join the waitlist at heardbybuzzy.com.