Employee attitudes at beer stores

It is - ahem - and not too far from Union St.

 

Thankfully (knock on wood) I haven't run into snobby beer store employees. Sucks some of you are getting attitude out there.

 

I work at a retail bottle shop/bar and the most annoying thing in the world is when I have a guest come in and sample all 18 beers on tap, then ask for more samples, then ask me for a recommendation, then order a wine instead when I have a growing line of guests that know what they want and understand what "beer tastes like" ...cracks me up. A pale ale tastes like a pale ale people! order one and try it!!!! This is why I am short with some people and can come off as an asshole. Or I get the "beer guy" guest that wants to chat and drop knowledge on me like I'm an idiot...hey name dropper, go somewhere else...no one cares that you had the brewmaster from jester king sign your empty beer bottle and you know what the Ph level of the city water in Cologne, Germany. Good.For.You. Go bother someone else.

 

I'm a fan as well. The growler/tap options are unique, and growlers are very fairly priced. Food is great. Yes bottles to go are a bit expensive, but it's not the type of place you go to buy a case of SNPA. And I've always found the guys friendly too.

 

It's pretty commonplace for businesses to not talk about ex-employees, why the left, where they are, etc.

 

I buy pretty much all of my beer from one place, so they know me well. In the last couple years it seems like they've hired more knowledgeable staff, and never encountered anyone with an attitude. Once, an employee was helping another customer and asked me to help give a recommendation (was for a hefeweizen since their usual was out of stock; went with Weihenstephaner obviously).

 

if people act rude to me, i am right rude back, definitely not scared to tell someone to fuck off if they are being a dick, and i obviously wont return

 

Probably more than you think. I think that some employees become frustrated when they do not have an answer. I am not an expert at beer, but employees should be honest if they do not know about a product and/or style and try to find the info from others....

 

Ive experienced a lot of beer ignorance, but luckily I found a liquor store that has been around for a long time and the owner/employees have a great knowledge of their products. And although it isn't the end all be all store they are always willing to give plenty of advice, that of which I can take to other stores with different beer selections on different runs and make better decisions. Perhaps try to find a local liquor store with private ownership, often times they know about what they are selling.

 

If I get attitude, I simply don't continue to go to that store. Competition is too great to allow the assholes/jerks to stay in business. They're sure as hell not getting my $$ for an overpriced bomber or barrel aged ______ .....

 

Example: went into a liquor store tonight and noticed they had a six pack of the new ruination 2.0. Cashier says great beer, and I ask if he'd had it and he said yeah that's super old have you not had it? I explained to him that it's a whole new recipe and that they retired the old ruination. He shook his head no and said it's the same beer. I told him it's just like the pale ale 2.0, it's a different recipe altogether. I explained to him that it's a whole new recipe and that they retired the old ruination. He shook his head no and said it's the same beer. He continued to be an asswipe and said it taste exactly the same as the old one. I would've gone somewhere else and bought it but I was out of town and didn't know the area. By the way, it's unreal!! Cheers!

 

I'm sure there are annoyances that go both ways, simply due to the fact that neither the customer nor the employee knows the other's level of "expertise". That being said, as an employee, you must always remain composed and client focused. I can understand getting frustrated with a pasty old white guy giving you attitude, but at the end of the day, I think it's important to be mindful that you are at work and one of your primary concerns is customer service - no one said it was easy.

 

My sentiments exactly. I mostly get growlers, but if I see an interesting bottle I'll pay the extra couple bucks. Just not all the time. The neighborhood has so many great beer options, though, I can see how it would be an easy choice to swear it off if you have one bad experience. I'll keep dropping by regularly, as long as those any of those guys are working there.

 

Sad to hear of the bad experiences. My business is based on top-notch customer service so I tend to patronize businesses that have the same philosophy. That said, the places that i go to get my beer have been pretty good. Whole Foods San Jose is great; the beer staffers like what they do and always chip in advice when asked. One guy even told me they had Pliny one day, and I didn't ask. I picked up 3, thank you very much! Cask N Flask has an impressive selection, and the owner and staffers are generally really nice. Though I hear they sometimes resell special releases and jack up the price. Happened to me and I was pissed at first - until my friend who is literally 'beer yoda' said he couldn't find the bottle I bought anywhere. So I'm happy because I scored one, and the owner actually took my request for it originally and called me when they got it, and set it aside for me. Bevmo differs by location. Some locations I have not been happy with. Doesn't matter anyhow, because whole foods and other spots are completely outshining Bevmo on selection now.

 

There's a new beer store in the Jackson, MS area (LD's Beer Run) that epitomizes the beer store rules: know your products, know your customers. The 2 owners are always there; they're beer geeks and love to help newbies out. LD's has only been open for 6 months, but people flock there. Why? Everyone, and I mean everyone, is treated with respect, no matter how much or how little they know about beer. Larry and Dylan (LD) are old school beer cool. They have a vast following, from the local homebrew club all the way to the blue collar worker who wants to get his "40" on. People drop by and they stay for a while, to sample one of the new growler selections or to get advice on stepping into the world of craft. Plus they have the lowest prices in town. LD's is the kind of beer store people dream about but never expect to find.

 

Must be a Southern hospitality thing, but I've noticed the people working at the local bottle shops are always extremely friendly and helpful.