Four pieces of beef jerky were weighed at the store for 64 yuan, but when they were weighed again at home, they were actually only worth 17 yuan. How many people have suffered dumb losses hidden in the electronic scales of mass-market snack shops?
Recently, popular mass-selling snack brands such as Zhao Yiming and Hao Xianglai have been involved in disputes over shortages. Many people can’t figure it out: It’s obviously a big chain brand, but why can’t it control even one electronic scale? The problem is very troubling, and the reason is very practical.
The store opened and expanded quickly, but the authority and responsibilities could not keep up. Nowadays, most of these snack shops are franchise models. Brands mainly make money from franchise fees and suppliers, and they focus on opening stores to increase scale. The operating pressure of the stores is all on the franchisees; the industry is heavily involved, and real profits are limited; the prices of bulk snacks are transparent, and everyone is trying to figure out the price... Some franchisees have evil intentions, trying to manipulate the scales to make more quick money. There are also practical difficulties in supervision itself. Just because an electronic scale has passed the annual inspection does not mean that it must be used in a regular manner. Just because everything was normal during the surprise inspection does not mean that there will be no tricks in daily operations.
A small electronic scale weighs snacks and weighs the conscience of merchants. It’s not that consumers are too serious, but that the industry’s problems are too obvious. As more and more chain brand stores open, why can’t we maintain the most basic integrity?
The success of mass-selling snacks should be due to a strong supply chain, which can drive down prices through scale and bring benefits to consumers, rather than secretly tampering with the scales and cheating consumers of their money. Electronic price scales are instruments that must be compulsorily calibrated. Modifications without permission are illegal in themselves. When doing business, you can control the price, but you must not control the bottom line.
What should consumers do if they encounter this kind of thing? Please remember these three tips: Ask for on-site re-weighing before payment. Products with high unit prices such as beef jerky and nuts are most likely to cause problems. The weight must be checked in person to leave no room for cheating. When looking at product prices, you should also take a second look at the scale. Pay attention to whether the calibration label and lead seal on the scale are intact. If there is no formal inspection mark, you should be more careful. Preserve the evidence and defend your rights if necessary. Keep receipts and payment records. If you find something is missing, call 12315 to report it directly. If you meet the conditions, you can claim a refund of one and three in compensation.
Of course, just relying on consumers to keep their eyes open is far from solving the problem. To control the “ghost scale”, brands, regulators, and the industry must all work together. From a brand's perspective, you can't just charge a franchise fee and act as a hands-off shopkeeper. Measurement compliance should be regarded as an assessment indicator for franchisees, and more random inspections and daily inspections should be conducted. Now that we have reaped the dividends of brand expansion, we must shoulder the corresponding management responsibilities. In terms of supervision, we cannot just wait for something to happen before rectifying it. For the bulk weighing industry, it is necessary to conduct more unannounced visits and spot checks and open channels for complaints. Make the problem scales afraid to use and the problem stores afraid to open.
Compete at low prices and do not step on legal red lines. Doing business depends on integrity to last long. Retail can strive for cost-effectiveness, but not small tricks; prices can be lowered, but the bottom line of business cannot be relaxed.
(Henan Daily Zhao Zhijiang)
