Beer store employee stories

Discussion in 'Great Lakes' started by Chrisfarleywine, Apr 5, 2014.

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  1. Chrisfarleywine

    Chrisfarleywine Initiate (0) Mar 27, 2012 Iowa

    I'm venting a bit here, probably because of my shutout on KBS..but curious if everyone has similar run-ins with their local beer proprietors? Most people are pretty nice, but Binny's is far and away the worst. Vague release dates, extremely limited availability and a couple of comic book guy type clerks.

    Story - I was venturing in to grab some Zombie and/or some Gumball head at the local Binny's store. It's not that rare around Chicago, although it is limited. Most of the time it's kept in back and you have to ask for it, which is annoying enough.

    Me - "Did you get any Three Floyd's in today?"

    Clerk - "Uh, yeah" in an agressive tone. Continues to stare at me.

    Me - "Well, could I get some?"

    Clerk - "It's in the back."

    Me - "Okay, can I go back there?"

    Clerk - rolls his eyes, "No. I'll get you six pack, what do you want?"

    This past week I asked about KBS release on Wed. Guy said, come in on Friday that's when we get it. Came in on Friday, guy said it sold out yesterday. I have to give a lot of credit to the Bourbon County marketers. A set release date was established and I stood in line for half an hour to get a Proprietors, much easier than driving to five stores and getting backsass about how people are sick of getting asked for KBS.

    I don't understand why buying something from a store has to be such a painful procedure. I try to find a local shop, establish a relationship with the owner and hopefully find myself in favor when these limited releases come out..but Binny's rules the market on volume and gets stuff most shops can't. Very frustrating. Curious to see if this is limited to the Chicagoland area or if the "Comic Book Guy Syndrome" as I'm now calling it is a regular phenomenon.
     
    Mitchell57, evilcatfish and Jwhere like this.
  2. dortenzio1991

    dortenzio1991 Crusader (486) Aug 12, 2011 Connecticut

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

    RomeSmith Initiate (0) Jan 15, 2014 Massachusetts


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

    beepthebot Initiate (0) Nov 12, 2011 Indiana

    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.
     
  5. evilcatfish

    evilcatfish Pooh-Bah (2,116) May 11, 2012 Missouri
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    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
     
  6. evilcatfish

    evilcatfish Pooh-Bah (2,116) May 11, 2012 Missouri
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    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!
     
  7. Jimbobebop

    Jimbobebop Initiate (0) Jun 12, 2013 Illinois

    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.
     
  8. stevegoz

    stevegoz Savant (1,122) May 5, 2008 Illinois
    Trader

    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.
     
  9. beepthebot

    beepthebot Initiate (0) Nov 12, 2011 Indiana

    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.
     
  10. trginter

    trginter Pundit (755) Dec 1, 2008 Michigan

    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."
     
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  11. JakeT469

    JakeT469 Initiate (0) Jan 13, 2012 Colorado

    "Customer is always an assshole!" - Shannon Hamilton
     
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  12. Prager62

    Prager62 Grand Pooh-Bah (4,292) May 7, 2010 Colorado
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    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!
     
  13. mtskier

    mtskier Initiate (0) Feb 23, 2013 Illinois

    My Binnys guy is the man... always helps me out and hooks me up.
     
  14. ohiobeer29

    ohiobeer29 Pooh-Bah (1,675) Feb 2, 2013 Ohio
    Pooh-Bah

    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 :wink:
     
  15. stephenieman

    stephenieman Zealot (552) Oct 14, 2011 Illinois

    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'.
     
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  16. Chrisfarleywine

    Chrisfarleywine Initiate (0) Mar 27, 2012 Iowa

    I didn't mean this to be an indictment on Binny's, more of an indictment of the turds who lord over special release beers like you're not deserving to drink them. As to the back room, R&S in Batavia sells Zombie Dust on the shelf with a note about limits. There's no need to hide stuff and then be a jerk about someone asking for it.That's why I'll continue to go to R&S, I don't have to get an eye roll and a ''worst customer everrr" for asking for a beer I don't deserve. For the most part Binny's is great and there's a lot of helpful people there. I also appreciate them not trying to load me up with shelf turds the way a small shop always seems to do.
     
  17. ohiobeer29

    ohiobeer29 Pooh-Bah (1,675) Feb 2, 2013 Ohio
    Pooh-Bah

    which binnys I went to south loop and had no issues even found some fff sitting around I grabbed up to try
     
  18. beersdmf17

    beersdmf17 Pundit (881) Jun 26, 2012 Illinois
    Trader

    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.
     
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  19. sbxx

    sbxx Initiate (0) Mar 21, 2011 Illinois

    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.
     
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  20. Ckoz

    Ckoz Savant (1,174) Feb 15, 2014 Michigan
    Trader

    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?
     
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