'We were now operating on a shoe-string budget so the manager got as much money as they could': Extreme cost saving measure causes costly pricing error

Brad Dickson • Managing Editor

May 21, 2023 9:00 AM EDT

At a certain point, cutting costs to extreme measures will just cost you more in the long run or cause your entire business to fold under its own weight—or both… simultaneously.

The short-sighted pursuit of profit is a trap that businesses often fall into—and why not? It's an easy methodology to follow that makes sense and follows logical reasoning: Spend less, earn more. The issue is that you have to spend money to earn money, and not investing in proper resources can cost you more when you need to hire to replace the workers who you weren't paying enough to keep and train the new hires up to replace the knowledge you lost with the workers.

Similarly, not investing in proper procedures for the management of stock can cost you handfuls more when it is lost or plain old expires.

This worker attempted to right the wrongs of the cost-cutting measures of the corporate entity that had bought the local grocery store where they worked. After receiving backlash, they decided to let the company and manager learn their lesson the hard way and watch the stock expire.

Read on for this tale of malicious compliance. Next, check out this customer who took advantage of a prime rib pricing blunder.