ckent - I would have thought this guy was right in checking in the order. The council obviously has a contract and it is substantial. He was making sure that they got what they pay for. Have you never checked in what you ordered and paid for. A quick sample would take little time and as in this case - the supplier was in breach of contract.
McDonalds for example - will reject thousands of buns a week, because they may not be round enough or have the smooth texture oin top. Nothing unusal - they do their job to keep the quality high.
The toilet paper checker has done a more constructive job there than most day traders do in a year.