THIS made me stoked. Store managers take note.

I love love love Terry and will always support him and his store...always buy 90% or more of my beer from him. Support local!!! (especially since he is holding me a bottle)

 

See, I tried this exact line before when I was working the beer department. I got into a few arguments over what makes a "regular" a "regular" (how much money has to be spent, how often they have to come in, who has to recognize them, etc). I mean, I only had so many, so I wanted to try to hook up my super-regulars (so to speak) and be completely honest about the situation, but this left out several not-quite-as-regular-as-those-regulars regulars and came across as snooty to some, overly particular to some, and completely fair to very, very few. In the end, I looked good in the eyes of my uber-regulars, but I looked pretty bad in the eyes of the majority of the remainder (admittedly, some took my words in polite stride, but they were very few and very far between).

I know I'm a broken record here, but we need to quit this ridiculousness surrounding limited releases. These sorts of situations and seemingly inevitable arguments only arise when people fuss too much over these limited bottles of beer. Knock off the entitlement (believing you deserve something more than someone else simply because you shop there more often does indeed contain a good deal of entitlement) bullshit and just let the beer get sold as any other.

 

I think they should put a list up in the front a week before they are getting the release and you can go to the store and sign up. First come , first served. If our willing ot drive to the store in person, you are close enough to be a regular.

 

Did he?

 

Nope. I'm not here to judge. I don't like the truck chasers any more than most of the people on here, but the reality is, everyone should have equal access to any beer that is sold. So we miss out on a beer every now and then. Move on to the next uber release.

Going with this same idea, should we make sure the people we're trading with are going to drink the beer? Or should we ask "Why do you want this beer?". If they anything other than drink it myself, should we refuse to trade with them? In this case, you do have the right to refuse the trade because the beer is yours. In the case of the manager above, I don't feel he has the right to refuse service based on who he feels is entitled to his beers. But this is just my opinion.

 

This manager's policy is flat out obnoxious. And i am a regular at a beer store, do not chase trucks and quite frequently miss out on newly released beers. If they have a beer and a customer asks for it, that non-regular is just as entitled to that bottle as some regular who might come in there 2 hours or 2 days later. Talk about turning off potential new customers.

 

As someone who helps run the beer department at my store, I think that line of thinking is stupid and would never tell someone they can't have a beer just because they don't spend tons of time and money in my store. You're a regular and you want a limited release? Ask about it ahead of time and know when to be at the store. That's your advantage.

 

Wait so if you came to San Antonio and just by chance there was a release of something awesome you wouldn't be upset that you couldn't get any 'cause you're not from around here. Even if it wasn't by chance tht you came at the right time.

I can see how this is a good thing but it's still kind of lame. That guy doesn't have a chance to show any loyalty to that store and I'm sure if he could he would but that's not his fault. Still on this fence about this whole thing but I hear "I'm a really really good customer and you better fix this for me" all the time at my CS job. Every customer is a good customer. At first at least.

 

It's funny that this is about beer. #firstworldproblems

 

sounds like he got gintered out of some bottles

 

The situation won't come up because we don't hide the limited stuff, but if anyone on our staff pulled that shit I would probably see to it that they didn't work for us for much longer.

 

Fully agree. The owner of a local shop around here where I spend about $150 a month also tells me about awesome beers she keeps in the back and doesn't put out, and I usually always buy em. It's stuff like that that keeps me coming back time and again to support her store, even though it's a little bit pricier than the coop down the street

 

Beer Manager at my regular shop takes care of the regulars. I am loyal to his store, there are certainly other places around that sell craft. I choose to buy pretty darn much exclusively from him. I have made it clear on multiple occasions that if there is some kind of conflict, I will take a pass. I told him this yesterday before Bolt Cutter came in. I'll happily purchase one, but if there are others who really want it, then let them have it. His statement was, "I want to take care of you because you take care of us." There are certainly a lot of people that spend a lot more money than I do, but I have taken the time to cultivate a friendship of sorts with him. We know each other by name, we know what each other likes and doesn't like in the beer world. I've given him beers that I know aren't distributed here that I know he would enjoy. I don't feel entitled, but it's good to know you've got someone looking out for you. Heck, he sends me a text when the "good stuff" comes in!

 

That's crap, that's entitlement, and it is rampant in our country. Sad.

 

i appreciate the aim, as it's clearly a well-intentioned policy, but in the end there are just too many issues with it. as noted above, even if you agree that limited beers should be reserved for regulars in lieu of the general public, how do you define a regular? what if i shop at times when the beer manager is out, or when it's busy, or at metro stores with high customer volume and employee turnover? do i have to make it a point every time i'm beer shopping to loudy announce my presence and chit-chat with the staff? and is there a corresponding certain dollar figure that qualifies me for regular status? there's probably no good way to go about it, but 'first come, first served' with a bottle limit is probably most fair. JMO

 

I appreciate being good to "the regulars" but i have a little different view now that i live pretty far from good beer stores. Its hard to make regular trips to "the good beer store" and become known as a "regular" when the good stores that get limited releases are way out of the way and there are decent stores closer to my place that have good enough beers to hold me over between my irregular trip to the "good beer store". This may not be the case in this situation but i don't appreciate being shut out of limited release becuase i don't feel like spending a bunch of money on gas everytime i want to pick up a 6 pack. Again, i dont appreciate one person hitting up every single store in the area trying to swoop up a huge amount of a very limited beer, but it kind of sucks if you aren't a "vip" just because the person there that day doesn't recognize your face so you get told you can't have any.

 

I'm overgeneralizing, surely (at least, I hope I am...), but this is what most of the sentiment from the OP just reeks of. "I spend an awful lot of money here, so I deserve the limited stuff! If not, I'm going elsewhere, son!" I hated it when I was in the biz (both from the customers and from my bosses telling me to focus on higher-paying customers more than others), and I hate it now.

 

I made it a point to learn my bottle shop owner's name and the name of his wife and kids, I always ask about them when I go in and if he has time I shoot the breeze a little and drop hints about upcoming releases. When I travel to Santa Rosa once a year I pick up a sixer of Pliny for him and his employees.
What do you think happens to limited releases that he gets? I'll give you one guess. I don't even have to ask for stuff, He brings it out when I walk in the door. It works both ways.