Should Bottle Shops Allow Holds?

My place puts some out with limits--almost always waits a couple of weeks to thwart cherry pickers who o/w never grace his store. Saves some for regulars.

Rewards those who helped build business.

 

I figure the best way to get good treatment is be a good customer.

 

I’m a big fan.
New money kbs hunters will go into store they have never even been to and buy all of it then the regulars who go the store every week miss out....
luckily I have my secret place.

 

I really don't mind this. Most places I go to the owner/worker remembers me so usually they tell me what came in or when it will be in. I think a lot has to do with being a good customer and supporting your local guys. I know my two local stops they always share info with me because I spend a lot there and they reward me for it. It actually is sort of nice because beers that may have left the building are still around because they hold some back for their regulars which is super cool. I cannot always rush out for an item and it means a lot when they save some for people etc. I think a lot has to do with being social with them, I always chat about sports or new things going on in town and get to know the people and that really goes a long way.
I also have noticed big chains like Total Wine and Bevmo now place their rare stuff on customer service desk so you can see what came in with a price. Before you had to ask someone if they had anything in but now it seems they are showing what they have up front so times are changing some.

Cheers

 

So now you're in the habit of requesting special beers from stores that you rarely or never shop at, just to see if they'll sell you some? Awesome. You are now in a special group of annoying customers.

 

If I owned a store I would hold specialty beers for my best customers.

 

It is an inevitable consequence of the industry now.

This pretty much happens since they can't just throw it out in the open otherwise someone will hoard it. That's not the stores fault.

They build a customer base and they want to treat their best customers who spend time and money there on a regular basis. They would be stupid not to.

Hence it is the situation it is.

 

Exactly.

With all the truck chasers, mules, and other folks who try to take advantage, I don't see that the retailers have other workable options.

 

Truly a shame it has come to this. Good thing we have a good go-to spot with lots of good stuff piled up.....

 

I want to add a thought to this that I had last night...
the people who bitch the most about this practice tend to be the ones who, are not loyal customers to said store, but are instead truck chasing customers who will probably never shop there again. I would do the exact same thing if I had a bottle shop. Why would I reward all the one and done shoppers when I have guys who drop coin weekly or even daily?

 

^^^ This.

It certainly endears customers to their "local". I, personally, don't mind the practice because you've got to know on which side your bread is buttered. On top of that, I'd rather give my regulars an opportunity than a bunch of newbs who've brought along everyone they know to mule beers, so that the store-imposed limit, that's supposed to allow as many people as possible to enjoy the beer in question, to be hacked.

 

I've never been jealous of them. I just show up and drink their beer when they invite me over.

 

Yes, been on both sides here. It does somewhat chap me when I go into my local WF where I drop a ton of dime and see some dude in there for the first time grabbing the last of a special release. I had relationships with the previous 2 beer guys but finally just got tired of chasing. If I want something I stalk it online and show up at Total Wine when it arrives. Trying to severely limit my FOMO so I don't really give a shit about this anymore.

 

How do you guys feel about people muling beers?

 

This is always a fun topic. If you owned a store, would you want to hold back special releases for customers who come in on a regular basis, spend money and keep the lights on every week or truck chasers who show up every couple of months for special releases on looking to buy that special release and nothing else?

 

Man, that sounds like a scene from Deadwood Texas: The Last Beer Store.

 

The three good stores I frequent - I am not sure they are doing this hiding the good stuff thing exactly as described, but have made a modification. What they tend to do is announce when something is coming, set the limit in the announcement, then regulate what is on the shelf. Often times they put the "specials" right next to the cash register or somewhere close to where staff is 90% of the time with the limit sign right there plain as day. So they put out three or four bottles at a time. And people still try and scam. Even my wife said one time - well, you can buy two bottles and I can buy two bottles - she got "the look" even though that idea is kinda legit.

I don't chase, so it really matters little to me, but that method seems reasonably fair. Neither store will hold a beer for anyone - Lord knows I have tried to talk them into it

My shops will, however, try and fill any special request I have and that has worked pretty well. Not for something like CBS or similar beers, but with beers they do not normally carry but can get from their distributors.

In my area, the problem with building a relationship is the same people are rarely working each time I visit. One store I know the beer guy (and he is a BA) reasonably well, one store I know the owner but he is rarely in the shop. When he is, he has handed me a bottle (usually from a small stash on the counter that is easily overlooked) based on what he sees in my basket a couple times. The smaller the shop, the more consistency in the people it seems, but there's still a rotation and I don't see the same faces very often.

 

I don’t ask for special beer. So the topic doesn’t bother me. I just ask for reasonably fresh Beer...unless it’s an accidental “vintaged” Belgian Strong Dark.

 

Holding beer for loyal/special customers is not just confined to stores. Distributors do it as well. If supply is limited their bigger accounts get it and the small guy does not. You can't blame them for taking care of the folks who take care of them. As the saying goes, one hand washes the other.

 

There are two stores that I go to regularly. The owners of both stores know my taste and on occasion they put something aside for me, usually a limited release (CBS most recently) or a hard to find beer. I greatly appreciate what they do in taking care of me and I'm sure other good customers. Actions like this keep me going back. There are many places to buy beer, why not build relationships with good customers.