I've been there and I know many of you have also been there. You go to a package store ready to purchase some beer and you are greeted by a salesperson that their only intent is to sell you a product. You could ask them questions about beers, their styles, and could get some mumbo jumbo but its NOT about what you are looking for. I have to assume that most of the folks that subscribe here, have had this happened to them and at the same time, find ways to let salespeople to stand their ground while you select the product you want. Now, is that because 1) The salesperson really doesn't know that much, but will throw out a bunch of words, or 2) They are trying to get you to buy beer XYZ, because right not, this month, it will give the owners the best profit margin! I've seen both. Its easier to do with situation#1 because you can just tell them, you will look around... In situation #2, you might now it or not, but then can be the more dangerous. Those are the ones to me are the places to stay away from.... When you walk into a package store, do you like to be greeted with a hello, asking if they can help you or do you just like to you wander around until YOU want help
honestly i have no problem walking right up to someone if i wanna ask about something i'm looking for or if they might be getting it in.....the one thing that really throws me off is when they suggest checking something out (insert awful beer here) after i ask about something way above average. at that point i think it's pretty obvious they're just trying to push a shelf turd regardless of what you came in for.
At the places I shop, they will greet and acknowledge me, but they don't try to sell me anything. I appreciate that. I can just shop as I please.
If you have that hard of a time declining the beer store clerk's "hard sell" how will you ever buy a car?
Your mistake is in hoping that they may know something that you don't. If you go to shop seriously, it seems that asking questions about styles and such is baiting them and you are looking for a reason to be dissatisfied with the staff. By asking questions of someone that you suspect may be less savvy than you, you are putting them in a position where they either have to provide what short answers they know or admit that they aren't encyclopaedic in their experiences. And if they chose not to try and engage you on the level that you are presenting yourself, you would accuse them of reticence. That smacks of a superiority complex to me.
I would ask on BA, before I would ever ask a clerk in a store any question other than do you have this beer (x) in stock? Still I get asked allot about what is the beer like and all that (by other customers), not sure why they ask me?
