The beer-(un)educated public.

My beautiful fiance runs into this a lot. Now she makes a point of regularly going to good craft bars and ordering crazy (D)IPAs and stouts the first handful of times she goes. Then once they know who she is she orders whatever she feels like. One of the bartenders at Three Penny Taproom said to me the last time we were there "she has bigger beer balls than 90% of the guys that come in here." While an awesome compliment for her, I still look forward to a time when a woman ordering a powerfully flavored beer isn't comment worthy. Until then the two of us will laugh quietly to ourselves when the macho guys ask for a pour of what she orders, say "ick" then order a Michelob with ice.

 

Does she also get the whole, "Are you shopping for your boyfriend," line when she asks for bbl stuff?

 

Yep. Her stock answer is "no. Why, do you not let your girlfriend buy her own beer? Poor girl."

 

From my tours in retail and CS I learned a couple of things.
1) Saying "I don't know - but I'll definitely have to learn more about that" does not make you look stupid. It generally makes you look honest and belies intellectual curiosity. But making crap up and lying to customers to cover for not knowing makes you look like an ass, and alienates customers.
2) No matter what you deal in, there will always be customers who know more than you about what you're selling. It's easy to just allow the customer superior knowledge. It makes them feel good, and if you don't always have to have the upper hand, you might find that your customers' knowledege is one of your best resources.

 

good name the bastards I always say.

 

And this is why I try my hardest to avoid all contact with beer store workers who approach me. "No thanks, just looking..."

 

I've definatley run in to ignorant beer clerks / servers, but never one as rude as that. The local specialty store is great! (Grape and Gourmet in Virginia Beach) BUT the local total wine has fair prices and there always seems to be at least one beer guru on duty. Maybe being around beer puts me in my happy place where rudeness can't touch me.

 

If someone said something like that to me, I'd be uber pissed. That's no way to treat someone trying to give your business money!

 

What was the shop? I wanna call and see if they have any DFH..

 

Ask for some Bell's 60 Minute IPA....

 

Yeah, Ill take a case of that too. Ill ask if he'll ship it.

 

Hello. Do you have old Rasputin in a bottle?
Why, yes, we do.
Well, you better let him out, he must be suffocating!

 

Stupid, tired jokes is about all that shop is worth.

 

Indeed. Does sound like BS.

Given that the store was already named, I'd be very curious to see if there was any response.

 

I've seen a lot of LCD folks working retail at places like this. Very, very believable.

 

I have had similar experiences with waitresses/waiters at restaurants that have been recently carrying craft beer. Listen, I know you have three Bells taps and two Founders taps. There looks to be some other good ones, but then menu says Bud and Bud Lite. PLEASE can you check again on the draft list, and don't point to the menu again... I could go order from the bar?

 

I always have a hard time finding employees that actually know what they are selling. Even just simple questions like 'when does the (fill in the blank) seasonal pack come out' is a hard question for most employees to answer.

 

Feel-good story: On occasion I have seen employees studying a huge 3-ring binder full of page protectors (off the clock) at Mellow Mushroom in Bowling Green, KY.

PS; they are the ones who sent me to BA.