Beer store employee stories

I thought this was going to be about the crazy stuff employees at a beer establishment see on a daily basis

 

Agreed! As a store employee I would love to trade stories with other customer sufferers.

 

I've only been to Binny's once, but I'm from Indiana and was visiting Bloomington-Normal IL. Never really shopped out-of-state for beer before, so I was wandering around the rather large beer section for probably half an hour. There had to be at least 6 employees working, and they were all hanging out near the registers talking to each other. Wasn't approached once, never asked if I needed help/a suggestion. A perfect time for an up-sell, but nobody even tried. Oh well, found Sucks. Great beer.

 

What Binny's was this? I went to the one just southwest of downtown not long ago. It was a Sunday and I was heading home to Stl from a bachelor weekend. I asked the worker in the beer department if they had any FFF available and he creepily looks me up and down (like a guy checking out a girl in a completely unsubtle way) and just says "no." I'm not sure if it was my lack of a beard or that I didn't look local but it was kinda off putting. I still spent about $120 there though

 

Hey man please post a thread for your stories! I do not work in a beer store but have witnessed some other customers being ridiculous!

 

There's a reason they keep it in back, so you don't walk away with a case of ZD. Thanks to Binny's my KBS hunt was pretty easy, the Lincoln park even sold it by the 4 pack and Grand store keep everyone updated via Twitter. I also like the fact that they don't hold for regulars. They have it, they sell it. No you don't come here enough or outrageous pricing.

Is customer service lacking, at some locations. what do you expect, this is just a crappy retail job to some of these people. I don't walk into Binny's and stir up a conversation about carefully cultivated strains of brewer's yeasts, spontaneous fermentation and what hop's are currently in season.

I suggest you hit up beer temple if you want a great shopping experience with no attitude. Chris may call you out for being a hoarder but won't roll his eye's when you miss pronounce Cantillon or ask about a special release.

Aaron top notice too.

 

The employees in the beer departments at all three Binny's locations that I frequent in DuPage County are great. Especially at the Downers Grove location. Best way to follow releases is through the individual stores' Twitter feeds. The random employees who answer the phones do not always have the best info.

Beer Temple and West Lakeview also have incredibly helpful employees, especially the owners at each shop.

 

I don't expect most people to know that kind of stuff. A simple "can I help you find anything" or some other form of pretending you take an ounce of pride in your job would have been cool. Either way, not like I have some vendetta against Binny's. I personally work in a liquor store and enjoy talking about beer with customers.

 

My favorite:

Them: "So....do you guys have any *Beer X* or *Beer Y* hidden in the back?"

Me: "Yeah, that's actually how we operate our business. Our entire stock is located in the back and we don't intend to sell you any of it but make money at the same time."

 

"Customer is always an assshole!" - Shannon Hamilton

 

Welcome to 2014! More players, bigger distribution, not enough product, and stores that sell more than special release beer. I treat these releases as scavenger hunts instead of entitlements, and I'm rarely disappointed. Cheers to the hunt!

 

My Binnys guy is the man... always helps me out and hooks me up.

 

I agree the hunt is fun I had a pretty shity experience this past week with KBS but the hunt is still fun I don't take it too serious other than for bourbon county I get there early super early

 

These experiences are exactly why I dont attempt to buy anything "rare" thats not just sitting on the shelf for sale.

I'll never forget having to ask for Zombie Dust at a couple stores a few months back, all because a visiting relative REALLY wanted to try it. The treatment I received (none of it from a Binny's, mind you) made me feel like a needy asshole. I left the stores thinking "Well. Attempting to buy beer certainly shouldnt make me feel like such a dickhead. Maybe its time to change things up a bit."

I'm not going to stroke someones ego just to buy a beer that sat in a Barrel. I'm also not going to let anyone selling me anything treat me like a piece of shit, ain't happenin'.

 

which binnys I went to south loop and had no issues even found some fff sitting around I grabbed up to try

 

It's not necessarily a matter of deserving or not. A Binnys might get one or two cases of zombie dust every few weeks. Chances are when they come in they go fast since every one who likes beer and anyone who has the internet and hears about how great this beer is wants some, you probably aren't the first ones to ask. Put yourself in an employee's shoes. Getting asked by everyone if you have this one beer, even though most of the people asking probably know they are sold out of it. I have good relationships with a few guys at my local Binny's and they have told me just how many people want ZD and how annoying it can get. They understand its good and people want it but still.

 

Most places get a case of Zombie and/or Gumballhead at a time. That's 4 measly sixers. How many people do you think come in every day asking for it? More than 4?

I understand your frustration, but also understand the garbage they have to deal with as well.

 

Bells received 250+ calls the first day Black note was released at the General Store...I was there and they didn't seem to mind one bit. Each time they answered the phone was like the first time someone called asking for it. I called myself on the way out there and the guy was super cool.

It's just bad business to give people a hard time for trying to buy a beer you are trying to sell.

Any store thats ever done this to me i've stopped shopping at. And its a list that most people here would deem as damn good stores. Too many places to get good beer now...which is great for this reason.

I remember one store I went to that was brand new (maybe 3 months old) and the guy wouldn't sell me a bottle of Sam Adams Infinium and said "I have to be one of his best customers to buy that"...da fu#k?