Staff in shop licking their finger

That’s not good food handling practice regardless of Covid.

I would have run off too!

She probably isn't aware she's doing it. You should write to the deli manager and explain what you saw (without mentioning any names) and ask for all staff to have renewed training.

I agree with Baggs, she probably didn’t realise what she’d done. A phone call or a note to the management just gently pointing out the mistake and asking that they update staff training.
Important hygiene practice at the best of times but with the pandemic…

Poor girl, she won't realise. My aunt used to go mad when people licked their finger to turn her catalogue pages.

I remember going to Thornton's to buy some loose chocolates. The young man serving me picked up a bag and actually blew into it to open it! I said he couldn't open the bag like that, it was so unhygienic. And disgusting! So many customers before me might not have noticed.

We were in The Ivy in Cambridge when a waitress dropped a full cutlery drawer all over the floor. She picked it all up and put it back in the drawer. We had just finished our meal and were leaving.

From the other side, today a customer attempted to hand me a soggy, half eaten cake her child had discarded. I suggested she find a bin.

I used to work in a shop, the amount of notes given to me out of people's mouths was unreal

It’s totally gross. I couldn’t have bought that roll either, much less eaten it.

i've noticed a decline generally in hygiene standards or routine practices.
my parents were very hot on this, and i assumed all civilised people would be, but as the examples above shew, it is not so.
when i used to go in cafes, and esp if my companion picked up their fork and looked at it doubtfully, i'd take it and openly throw it on the floor.
this caused some consternation. but i didn't care.
then i'd ask the staff, politely, for another fork please.
some would say, there was a fork. i'd just say, it's on the floor.

Just a couple of side lines to the OP.
1)It seems that the days of getting fresh sliced meat/cheese from the large supermarkets has gone for ever,
unless anyone knows different.
Personally I would have told the server,plese dump that lot in the bin and wash your hands and lets start again
As the server could/will carry on doing the same to other customers that are to be served.
2) I was in a shop selling white goods,staff member came up to me and said "can I help" they stank of cigarette smoke.
This was back in the day when firms had a room for smokers.
I said no, and went and spoke to the manager about the smell from one of their staff.

I would certainly write to them Beswitched and suggest a training update as Pollytickle said. Very bad practice.

Biscuitmuncher

I used to work in a shop, the amount of notes given to me out of people's mouths was unreal

Yes! I've also seen cash produced from bras and shoes!

Infoman Our local Morrisons has a deli counter where really helpful ladies serve cold meats and cheese sliced to order. If you have a Morrisons near you it might be worth a try.

What is their food hygiene rating I wonder? If you had been from the council doing a spot check it could have been lowered. The food hygiene rating should be displayed. It it is below 3 I wouldn’t go there. 3 is satisfactory and 5 is excellent.

Thanks for all of the replies. Yes I think a phone call might be in order. The fact the girl did it quite openly in front of me indicates she genuinely didn't see any issue which speaks of no training on hygiene and covid precautions.

Why did you not say to the assistant, 'did you not realise you licked your finger, and would you please wash your hands and start again?'
No need to be unpleasant, or circulate it on social media.

I observed a fishmonger stood picking his nose as his colleague served me! I challenged him & he looked taken aback that he’d been rumbled! Needless to say part of what I said to him was a suggestion to “wash your hands!”
I’d have no difficulty challenging an unhygienic (or anything else) shop assistant. You only have to do it once and it gets easier to challenge lots of issues after that! Try it!

an inspector would not mark down an establishment if she saw something like that.
they set much greater store by having the correct written records, procedures, contract for waste management, pest control, traceability, labelling and storage etc.
she might mention to the manager that staff needed updated training.
and they rarely inspect in person, unless it is a high-risk premises, where they might aim for once a year.
but with all the cuts to local authorities it rarely gets done.

eazybee

Why did you not say to the assistant, 'did you not realise you licked your finger, and would you please wash your hands and start again?'
No need to be unpleasant, or circulate it on social media.

I did not want to embarrass her. I am not circulating it on social media. I have ousted anonymously, giving no indication of where the delicatessen is, to ascertain if I was over reacting.

By the way, where have I been 'unpleasant'?

When I worked in an M&S coffee shop I was forever telling the younger staff members to pick cups by the handle and not stick their fingers into the cup to pick them up. Customers very rarely noticed them do it but occasionally they would complain. When I first started in catering I got a food hygiene certificate must most cafe assistants seem to be given a very brief outline.