Suppliers
How to Receive a Delivery Properly in a Restaurant
Most invoice errors are cheapest to fix at the back door. Use this checklist before you sign.
By ChefMind AI Team · · 5 min read
The back door is where money quietly leaks. A short, repeatable receiving routine costs minutes and can save real dollars.
Before the driver arrives
- Have your order in hand so you can compare it to what shows up.
- Clear space in the walk-in so product goes away quickly.
- Keep a scale and a thermometer by the door.
The checklist
- Count cases against the order and the invoice.
- Weigh anything sold by weight, especially proteins.
- Inspect quality: packaging, colour, smell, damage.
- Check temperature on chilled and frozen items.
- Check dates and rotate new product behind old. See FIFO.
- Check prices against what you expected. See tracking price changes.
Document problems
Write shorts, damages and substitutions on the delivery slip before signing, and take a photo. Then follow up with your rep.
Put product away promptly
Cold items first. Product left on the dock is product losing quality.
Match invoice to order later
After the rush, compare the invoice to your order and the slip. Our guide to checking supplier invoices covers the follow-up.
Who should receive
Train two or three people. A rushed dishwasher signing for a delivery is how errors get through.
Where software helps
ChefMind AI can read supplier invoices to help you spot price changes. You still check the physical delivery.
The short version
- Count, weigh, inspect, temperature, dates, prices.
- Document problems at the door.
- Train more than one receiver.
Frequently asked questions
Should I check every item before signing?
Check the items that cost the most or spoil fastest first. If you cannot check everything, note on the slip that items were not verified.
What if something is wrong?
Note it on the delivery slip, take a photo, and tell your rep the same day. Credits are easiest to get when the problem is documented at the door.
Keep reading
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Invoice errors are easy to miss at a busy back door and expensive over a year. Match the order, the delivery and the invoice, and claim credits promptly.
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