Employee attitudes at beer stores

In my neck of the woods, 90% are great people. The remaining 10% have weak egos and wish to feel like they know more about beer than their customers. Its great when employee and customer can talk as equals ... I've done a shit ton of reading and (more importantly) drinking, so I'm not a novice at this point. That's a decent batting average, though.

 

I tend not to wade into these forums, because my store's name is my handle. And the last thing I want to do is piss off, and lose a potential customer because they didn't agree with my point of view... Honestly I didn't read through this whole thread, but the posts I did read, it seems there is a general problem with the service in our industry. I REALLY try to not be a part of that problem, but we're not perfect. It can become tiresome when people feel entitled to rare beer/liquor. We're put in a no-win situation. Take PnB this year. My shop got one case. If we put it on the shelf when it arrives, you have the guy who wants us to not put it out until 5pm because he has a 9-5 job. If we take a list, we risk pissing of a good customer who wasn't on the list. If we hold it in the back for just good customers, we lose out on making a NEW good customer... Somebody is always going to be mad. I always try not to return the sass, but every once-in-awhile I get ornery. If it happens once a month, that's literally .02% of the time. One out of 5000. Once too many. But my point is, if it happens to you, give the spot another chance. Everybody has a bad day. If it's a pattern, screw em.

I also wanted to share the other side of the coin. Multiple times, I've been berated for being "just a liquor store clerk." I can't help but laugh. They have no idea I'm an alumnus of one of the best business schools on the West Coast. I'm not here because I don't have skills, it's because I choose to be. Show me respect, and you'll get it in return. Don't show me respect, and you'll still get it 99.99% of the time. Just my .02 cents.

 

That only depends on what the meaning of practice is. My point was that people are the same across all vocations.

 

You are right. And, when I've provided bad service/product, I do my best to correct the problem, and if I cannot fix the problem to the customer's satisfaction, I would totally understand if they never called on me again. It's their right. If the customer can find someone they like better, offers better or cheaper products or services, well, maybe I should try harder or find a new line of work. (I've found new lines of work in the past).

 

I can't recall a bad retail experience but maybe there is something to Minnesota nice.

 

Retail sucks but people in my town have got it lucky on the craft beer stores - I think the clerks might smoke some weed or something because they are all pretty laid back. Yeah, true, I am greeted by name, and they usually point out whats new right away without my asking anymore, but a few times I have missed some "whale" that comes through and I did not take hard because there will be another one coming along soon. Always inviting the staff to small beer tasting gatherings/bottle shares, its my way of making their job suck a little less and let them get in on some of the spendy stuff they would not get otherwise working at retail wages.

 

Always get great friendly service at the beer stores I visit. If it's my first time, they always go out of their way to show me around the store or answer questions. I own a retail store (wish we sold beer), but I will says customers can be the biggest dicks. When they get rude, that's where being nice all ends. I don't know what it is with some customers who think your world needs to revolve around them. Sorry, I don't need your money that bad.

 

There is another sphere of consciousness that allows the understanding that the jerks hang themselves and stand out like fireworks. Work them easy and wheedle them hard! The lack of confrontation seems to really piss them off!

 

Folks at the Craft Beer Cellar in MA and VT have been great to me, with excellent suggestions. Also the guy at Stowe Beverage in VT was great yesterday when I went in looking for Heady... recommended some beers that my noob butt didn't know, and made suggestions as to where to find them (specifically pointed me at Lawson's Sip of Sunshine, which I didn't know about and now can't get enough of, and which he didn't have... pointed me to a shop that might carry it and a restaurant that had it on tap).

I've had nothing but good experiences with beer shop guys. Of course, I always make it very clear that I value their opinions on beer and am not just there to make the register monkey dance.

 

The two BevMo's I frequent (Riverside & Corona) always have incredibly helpful and friendly staff.

Case in point, yesterday I was in search of cans to take camping. Grapefruit Sculpin 6er cans were $17.49 (bottles were $2.50 less, wth?). I told him thanks but no thanks.
He directed me to the Pizza Port Swami IPA 6er cans (which until then I hadn't tried but love now that I have) on sale $10.49 a sixer. And they're pints, no less. Score! I think.

 

I shop mainly at the Malvern Beer Store. They make a big point of saying welcome to everyone who walks in. If you ask where the twelve packs of Corona are you are politely directed there without comment on your beer choices. I have seen people come in asking for Heady and instead of being laughed at they are politely informed that it isn't available in the state and asked if they would like suggestions for beers they might enjoy. There is much knowledge but no condescension.

 

I can't remember ever having a bad experience at a beer store, however, I have had bad experiences at tasting rooms. My worst experience was at the Bruery, the guy behind the counter was really rude and did not seem interested in helping me. He was very short with his answers and I got the feeling that I was bothering him.

 

My preferred bottle shop is a Brooklyn joint with a rep for snobbish behavior. But I've never had anything but great experiences. The staff there will shoot the shit and often gives me a free pour while I wait for my growler fill.

Yet, I keep hearing how pissy and stuck up these guys are.

I try to be pleasant and read the room when I go there. If it's super busy, I don't engage too much. Just get my beer, ask how things are, and bounce. When the crowd is light - I'll sometimes I'll end up hanging out at the counter for way longer than I planned. Both types of customer experience are great.

The fact is - and I'm sorry if I'm repeating a sentiment already stated - I'm a customer, but I don't own these people's time. If they're busy or the day has been unusually rough, they have every right to take my money and hand me my growler. No need for anything further. I've worked a counter, and I tried to be chipper to every customer. Sometimes I was having a bad day and I probably came off as pissy. Luckily this was before the days of Yelp, so the pitchfork mobs couldn't rally against me.

tl;dr - sustained, repeated rudeness is one thing, but everyone has a bad day. I'm glad I'm not judged on my worst moments and I think we should give folks the benefit of the doubt if they didn't treat us like a billionaire at Sotheby's.

 

You aren't in the minority, most employees at stores are nice and polite, just some customers are the difficult ones sometimes.

 

I've been waiting for a thread like this! I run into those same things all of the time. Lots of 1-word responses, almost as if they don't want you to make a purchase.

There is a place near my house that gets a limited weekly drop of a very sought after brew. Almost every week I go there on the same day, around the same time to purchase this particular beer. Every time I swear the kid working gives me dirty looks like he's upset I'm making this particular purchase. Ive tried every single time to make small talk, but I get nothing in return. It's like it's impossible to become a "regular".

Another well known bottle shop in the city gave me similar treatment this week. It's typically the complete opposite when I make purchases direct from breweries though.

 

This was a fun thread to read as I am a beer manager for a store here in MA. I try extremely hard to be both knowledgeable and kind for all my customers, even the drunk ones. The store I work for is not a craft beer store exclusively, it is a wine and spirits store as well. I have spent the past year expanding our craft beer section drastically. Its hard to please everyone with rare items and just the massive variety that exists currently; and i have to admit there are some beers I keep hidden for my loyal customers who support the department or specific brands.

That being said I have noticed the lack of good sales people in every state I have visited and I think it has more to do with personal dissatisfaction than it does with the industry. A lot of the people working the registers or stocking shelves would much rather be somewhere else and dont feel they get paid enough to put in the effort. I am luck enough to work for a company that pays well and makes it rewarding and fun to sell beer.

My favorite part of the job is talking with customers about beer, wine and spirits. Helping a customer find the perfect beer is awesome! I hope that my customers keep coming back because of this attitude, not just our selection.

 

Customer service. Customer expectations. All humans are flawed with moments of pure excellence and less then great moments.

 

Here's my approach, I smile, say hello, ask if I can help find anything...the overwhelming majority of the people who come into my store have limited beer knowledge, that's why I''m there, to help. If you're a beer geek like me, you're probably a regular, and I just give you a nod...basically saying, if you want to talk, I'm here...we can smell our own

 

Most around here try, but may not have knowledge or even passion. There some good one though. The best ones just get that not everyone has the same tastes & can take into account. Some do hate when I jump into conversations I'm not initially in & correct nonsense I try not to do that much, but I hate to hear bad information being passed off as gospel. Usually all have to do is say "I'm just looking" & that takes care of that. Some times these guys are just proud of newly acquired knowledge & I try to play along.

 

Go to bottle shop has 4 awesome guys! Super friendly and can provide all the answers you need and advice you want....and samples from the taps!