At Flink, we promise our customers a freshness guarantee. Keeping this promise starts at inbound, over handling until delivering the products, so our customers only receive the freshest items.
In this guide, you'll find protocols for:
Strict Inbound Checks
Proper Storage
Picking & Packing
Careful Fresh Checks
1. Inbound & Proper Storage
Strict Inbound Checks
Issues can occur along every way of our chain - therefore pay extra attention to freshness.
|
Proper Storage
Ensure fruits and vegetables are stored correctly. Pay special attention to: Avocados, Bananas, Mandarins, Tomatoes, and Cucumbers.
|
2. Picking & Packing
Pick with Caution. Always keep an eye on the quality of items you’re picking. If you notice a spoiled product, keep it aside and outbound it later.
Use Fruit Paper Bags
Use them for: Loose pears, Loose apples (Gala, Granny Smith, Pink Lady), and Loose Avocados.
They keep loose fruit safe in transport so it arrives in better condition for the customer.
The bags make customers feel we handle their products with care!
Brand visibility at home: Customers may keep the fruit in the same bag, putting the Flink logo right in their kitchen.
Transport Sensitive Items
Pay special attention to packages that are easy to open, such as Strawberries, Raspberries, Blueberries, and Grapes.
Take more time with these products to ensure they are packed carefully: on top of the bag and not underneath heavy items.
Tip: Products like the packages of blueberries can also be put in a fruit paper bag. This prevents the box from opening during transport. (only works with the small boxes like blueberries).
3. Careful Fresh Checks
Daily Fresh Check Process
The goal of the Fresh Check is to ensure that all fruit and vegetable products sold are fresh, of good quality, and free of damage to ensure optimal customer satisfaction.
Complete the check before 10 am.
Always wash your hands before starting the Fresh Check.
Take the inbounding cart, place two Lekkerland crate on it and go to the shelf of the first product to be checked.
Start the check by going to HubOne app > "Inventory" tab > Fresh Checks. Then scan the shelf with your Zebra.
Inspect each product by sight, smell and careful touch to detect poor quality (e.g., pressure marks, mold, stains, discoloration, or tears).
Tip: Balance customer satisfaction with our waste rate. If you wouldn't be satisfied with an item, sort it out. Be aware that different products vary in their defects (e.g., avocados or passion fruit may have natural defects, but apples should look basically flawless).
In the app, outbound any products that do not meet our quality standards using one of the three options ("Rescue Bag", "Product Expired" or "Product Damaged").
Press "Confirm Amount" to finish the Fresh Check, even if there was no product outbounded.
Place all checked out products in your inbounding cart and distribute them between an IFCO box for Too Good To Go and one for Product Expired.
Prepare all products you have checked out via Too Good To Go for later sale and throw away all products you have outbound via "Product Expired". Wash your hands again when completed.
Sensitive Fresh Items Guide
Product | PASS (sell to customer) | PASS (sell to customer) | Outbound as RESCUE BAG | Outbound as RESCUE BAG | OUTBOUND as Perished | OUTBOUND as Perished |
Bananas | Firm, yellow with green tips. |  | Minor damage or dark spots. |  | Moist, gray, mold, or pressure spots. |  |
Berries | Deep color, dry, intact. |  | One or few bad berries in the pack |  | Soft, moldy, or frost damaged. |  |
Cucumbers | Deep green, firm, and straight. |  | Minor scratches or delivery damage. |  | Soft, bendy, yellowing, or rot. |  |
Mandarins | Firm, orange, citrus scent. |  | One or few bad fruit in a mesh |  | External moisture, rot, or heavy bruising. |  |
Avocados | Firm (not hard), smooth skin. |  | Small surface spots. |  | Dented, bruised, rot, or mushy. |  |
Grapes | Green stems and firm fruit. |  | White grapes are looking "brownish" (higher sugar). |  | Soft, mouldy, or too yellow. |  |
4. Outbound Categories
Outbound: Perished
If the product is showing sign of rotting, choose outbound option Perished. (Or "Product Expired" for severe defects such as mold or severe odor).
Examples:
|
Outbound: Damaged
If the fruit/vegetable is damaged, e.g. squashed or too broken to be used in Rescue Bags, choose option Damaged.
Examples:
|
Outbound: Rescue Bag
If the product is not sellable but still consumable, outbound it using Rescue Bag.
Examples:
|
Useful Links
Edume Guides that can be found in the training section of the Workforce App:
.
How to pack the perfect bag
Freshness First
FAQ & Triggers
Q: Still not sure if a product is fresh?
A: Ask the Shift Lead for help.
Q: Why are fresh checks only triggered for certain fruits and vegetables?
A: Fresh checks are triggered for fruits and vegetables with a shelf life of less than 35 days.
Condition | Check Frequency |
Ultra fresh/baked goods with a shelf life of 1 day | Once a day |
Shelf life of 5 days or less | Once a day |
Shelf life between 6 to 10 days | 3 times a week |
Shelf life between 11 to 35 days | 2 times a week |