Favorites and why I'm all about it

Discussion in 'Beer Talk' started by terrapinfan88, Aug 28, 2012.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. terrapinfan88

    terrapinfan88 Initiate (0) Nov 15, 2009 Virginia

    I know a lot of BAs have a problem with playing favorites, and I can understand why. It means you may not get a beer you wanted because the retailer is holding out. As a retailer I am a fan of favorites and as a customer I don't mind it. Allow me to explain myself.

    Where I work we have 6 or 7 people who travel on a regular basis, who also happen to be fans of great breweries that just don't come through Virginia. These people will bring us really cool stuff that they want to share with us, not to gain favor when limited stuff comes out, not for any privilege. Its as simple as them liking cool beer and wanting to share it with us. It is fantastic and we are greatfull and fortunate that when these people are on vacation they think of us. Sometimes they have our personal taste in mind when they bring us gifts, and sometimes they don't even bring us things they just tell us all about the cool brews they got to try in Washington, Vermont, California, Texas, etc. Which is just as rewarding depending on how vivid the description and how refined the palate. and we appreciate that.

    We also have people who shop with us exclusively. They may and may not have a palate the average BA would say is distinguished. They may even just buy Bud Light or Becks but they pay a couple extra cents just to shop with us, they actively support our small business. Some come in everyday and get the same thing but they will stand around for 15 - 20 minutes and shoot the shit. Be it about beer, wine, sports, or just a recap of their week. These people shop at our store for more than just staples they shop with us because they enjoy the experience.

    My favorites are the people who come in every now and then and say "tell me what to buy". These are normally people who I've helped before and trust that I know their taste. I may point to a 15 dollar six pack sometimes (never something I know or think they might not like) but they trust me enough that they don't blink at the price and they are happy to give my boss the money and eager to try my recommendation. That trust means a great deal to me because I honestly trust very few people to pick out beer for me, Granted I seldom need help in that department. Helping people find a beer they like is my favorite part of the job, I get to refine my skills and they walk out with a product I'm certain they will like based on my perception of their taste.

    That being said their is a giant difference between a good customer and a regular customer. If you shop with us on a regular basis and come in at 5 till close routinely and shop for 30 minutes, or walk in and walk right to the counter and demand what ever limited release is in this week, or cant be bothered to even say hello when I greet you, or dig through my cases looking for dates because you don't trust my ability to rotate product and don't bother to clean up after yourself, I will probably just politely wait for you to finish making my job harder and then go back and restock the mess you made. All with a smile on my face, because I get paid to re-stack those cases and deal with people I may not like.

    I wan't to reward the people who spend more money at our store just for the sake of doing business with us. I want to reward people who think of us on vacation not just when we have something hard to find that they want, or the people that trust my judgement to quench their thirst on a weekly basis.

    Example 1: A buddy of mine recently went to Vermont and brought me back some Heady Topper and Celia. A couple that are regulars recently learned that one of them has developed a gluten intolerance, and I immediately thought of them when I got the Celia. So the next time I saw them I gave them each one. I can't legally sell it to them because it isn't approved by VAABC, and even if I were able to it's not about making money in this case. I wan't to continue to see those people in the store and I know a gluten intolerance for a beer lover may as well be a terminal illness. I wan't them to find a good gluten free alternative (which Celia is IMO) that they will enjoy regardless of whether or not I can provide them with it again.

    Example 2: Every now and then we put a 6 pack of something we all like in the walk in just so we can grab a good beer on a slow day or when we are closing up, or any other excuse we can find. So today a semi regular customer who comes to town on business frequently and fellow BA apparently, came in and brought us a whole bunch of awesome texas stuff. 3 750s and 3 12oz bottles again not expecting anything, just spreading the love and talking beer. As soon as she continued shopping me and my co worker looked at each other and started thinking of things we have that we could give her to repay the favor aside from a discount. We felt kinda shitty because we didn't have much to offer, like I said we aren't hoarding RR or incredible one offs but we gave stuff that wasn't on the shelves any more, or stuff we had in our personal stashes. That is something I wouldn't do for many customers but than again its not everyday one of them walks in and plops a couple 4 packs of Heady Topper down on the counter, or a few 750's of Jester King and other solid locals in this case. It's not a big deal and they typically bring us things THEY like for better or worse, and I prefer it that way. I get to try something new, and I get a better idea of what they drink which makes my job easier and more fun.

    From a customers perspective I could care less. I've been to a few place that I either suspect has cool off the self stuff or know for certain does. I don't ask for those things or snoop. If that retailer wants to give me something special they will fill me in, or give it to me. If they are giving it to someone they favor over me... that person most likely deserves the beer more than I do. As I said people trust me to show them what they will like and that trust doesn't come easy, it works both ways. A retailer has to develop a relationship with you, regardless of whether you bring them things or you've never been there and they just like the cut of your jib.

    Favorites policies when implemented responsibly is real life beer karma. Not for internet recognition, just spreading the love of beer, and being generous for the sake of beer and generosity alone.
     
    crusian, Hanzo and Kuemmelbrau like this.
  2. jbertsch

    jbertsch Pooh-Bah (2,710) Dec 14, 2008 Massachusetts
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    Funny how everything can relate to sex. You can either get a one night stand and score some limited barrel aged whatever hiding in the back room, or form a long-term relationship that will be far more rewarding in the long run...and not just in a material way.

    I hear you. As a consumer, I realize stores have favorite customers and I may not be one of them. It's ok. Thats life. I wish I had a store nearby worthy of me being a "favorite" of, if you know what I mean. Seems like your shop would be easy to like.
     
    terrapinfan88 likes this.
  3. brooklynbrews

    brooklynbrews Initiate (0) Jan 21, 2010 Uzbekistan

    so basically you withhold stuff from some regular customers who don't bribe you with free beer, but make sure those who suck up to you by bringing in Heady Topper or whatever for free, get the privledge of buying limited releases? cool.
     
    BigCheese, Horbar and yemenmocha like this.
  4. Hanzo

    Hanzo Initiate (0) Feb 27, 2012 Virginia

    You make it sound so cynical. He's just saying he rewards his best customers, that's a pretty standard concept in the small business world be it beer or anything else.
     
    pjs234, Kuemmelbrau, andylipp and 2 others like this.
  5. jmw

    jmw Initiate (0) Feb 4, 2009 North Carolina

    Did you have a question Timmy?
     
  6. brooklynbrews

    brooklynbrews Initiate (0) Jan 21, 2010 Uzbekistan

    No, he clearly stated he rewards the customers who bring in gifts. He stated:

    "If you shop with us on a regular basis and come in at 5 till close routinely and shop for 30 minutes, or walk in and walk right to the counter and demand what ever limited release is in this week, or cant be bothered to even say hello when I greet you, or dig through my cases looking for dates because you don't trust my ability to rotate product and don't bother to clean up after yourself, I will probably just politely wait for you to finish making my job harder and then go back and restock the mess you made. All with a smile on my face, because I get paid to re-stack those cases and deal with people I may not like."

    So, those sound like regular customers to me. They don't get special treatment because the make his job "harder"?

    Look, I know this practice happens all the time. I'm not going to get too bent out of shape about it, I was surpised he was so brazen about saying he favors customers that bring him gifts versus those who simply spend a lot of money in the store.
     
    Horbar and yemenmocha like this.
  7. Rempo

    Rempo Initiate (0) Jan 18, 2010 Indiana

    The only bad part is when you go to your regular stop and it isn't the normal people working. I always make sure to leave a note describing what we talked about and for how long, then get everyone to sign it.
     
    afrokaze, BigCheese, mychalg9 and 2 others like this.
  8. hmph

    hmph Initiate (0) Jun 9, 2011 Virginia

    God forbid you know what you are looking for....
     
    Horbar, yemenmocha and Rempo like this.
  9. azorie

    azorie Pooh-Bah (2,409) Mar 18, 2006 Florida
    Pooh-Bah

    From a customers perspective I could care less.

    wow please name your store so I can never go there. thanks!:grimacing:

    What a long winded bunch of crap to read.:confused:
     
    Horbar and yemenmocha like this.
  10. terrapinfan88

    terrapinfan88 Initiate (0) Nov 15, 2009 Virginia

    It's not to say an out of towner just wondering in off the streets for his one and only visit won't get something out of my stash. I've talked to first time customers for 30 - 45 If I get as much out of that exchange as I hope they did its entirely possible I will try and hook them up with something.

    I also have people I will text when the truck with the Parabola pulls up I wont hold it for them but I will make them one of the first to know. There are several people I will text when out pallet of Pumpking comes in. Not that it will be hard to get but just as a courtesy.

    In either case it depends entirely on how you conduct yourself in the store, and how I gauge your enthusiasm after I have established that you are not a Dbag. People have asked me if they could give me FFF or something else I can't get for me to hold this and that and I refuse, because I don't want to skimp the regulars I actually do like and yes my favorites. I'm no ones beer whore you can't just wave FFF in my face and expect preferential treatment.

    You can twist it any way you want to, hold a grudge even. More the 50 percent of the things I give away I HAVE ALREADY PURCHASED or cannot legally sell. The beer belongs to me it's MINE to do what I want with. It has much more to do with the kind of person you are and less to do with the tangible things you bring me.​


     
  11. CellarGimp

    CellarGimp Initiate (0) Sep 14, 2011 Missouri

    Some things are better left unspoken.
     
    bum732, JohnB87, afrokaze and 2 others like this.
  12. brooklynbrews

    brooklynbrews Initiate (0) Jan 21, 2010 Uzbekistan

    You can twist it any way you want. You are justifying your behavior of playing favorites.

    I'm not a customer in your store, doesn't matter to me, but you might consider those "dbags" are paying customers and might take the business elsewhere if they knew you were treating them with contempt and withholding products they wanted to purchase. :slight_smile:
     
  13. Hanzo

    Hanzo Initiate (0) Feb 27, 2012 Virginia

    Wow, is it really that strange customers that frequent his store and are nice get preferential treatment?
     
  14. hmph

    hmph Initiate (0) Jun 9, 2011 Virginia

    I think its more strange that he openly commented on his technique for deciding, I could frequent his store, but know what I want and not have time to shoot the shit for 30 minutes. Does that make me a worse customer?? I find more an issue with his requirements of a 'good customer'....

    We all know it happens.



    Edit: Hanzo, we're both from VA, lets take a road trip and test it out.. see who gets a 'secret stashed' bottle


    OP, what store?

    We'll post results upon our conclusion..:grinning:
     
    brooklynbrews likes this.
  15. terrapinfan88

    terrapinfan88 Initiate (0) Nov 15, 2009 Virginia

    No the Dbags normally drove over from some office park with three mules in the car to get as many as they could of a beer I am going to sell out of regardless of whether they give me their business. Or the people kicking and screaming because of bottle limits, or walking up to the counter getting their allotment and not even browsing through the store they have never been in. That says to me I don't care about beer... unless its hard to get.

    I would hope you never accidentally wonder into my store and I mistake you for someone worthy of special treatment than again you'd probably refuse it right???:wink:

    "NO SIR I DO NOT WAN'T YOUR FREE OR DISCOUNTED WEARS IN EXCHANGE FOR MEANINGFUL CONVERSATION ABOUT BEER AND MUTUAL RESPECT, SERIOUSLY GET THAT BOTTLE OF HOPSLAM AWAY FROM ME!"

    You would shout as I chased you around the store showering you with gift after gift. Waving my middle finger at old lady's just because they don't shop there regularly or talk to me about beer. because thats just how my store works...
     
    Kuemmelbrau likes this.
  16. brooklynbrews

    brooklynbrews Initiate (0) Jan 21, 2010 Uzbekistan

    Nope, but it is strange that he felt the need to create a thread about his process of playing favorites in a forum that is 99% beer consumers versus store owners.

    As hmph said, we all know it happens.
     
  17. brooklynbrews

    brooklynbrews Initiate (0) Jan 21, 2010 Uzbekistan

    Man, you're the one who posted this thread. Don't take it out on me! :sunglasses:

    Edit: You have every right as a retailer to decide who you sell what products, I understand this happens at every bottle shop in the country. I'm not trying to change your mind, just stating that some of your customers might not appreciate missing out on a product because they didn't shoot the shit with you, or bring you beer. You might consider that some of those "cool" folks are just bringing you stuff, not because they like you, but because it's the price they pay to get at rare/limited/behind the counter stuff.
     
  18. Hanzo

    Hanzo Initiate (0) Feb 27, 2012 Virginia

    Reston is quite a hike for me.

    I am not saying I agree with having to shoot the shit for 30-45 to be considered a good customer, but talking to the staff/owner just builds a rapport. If you go in everyday and buy stuff without uttering a word to anyone that's fine, but that's not really being friendly.
     
    terrapinfan88 likes this.
  19. Longstaff

    Longstaff Initiate (0) May 23, 2002 Massachusetts

    Sounds like pay to play to me.

    Don't think there aren't any alternative motives to bringing you beers you can't get...I know plenty of beer geeks who do just that while making seem like they are just doing it out of the good of their heart.
     
  20. Hanzo

    Hanzo Initiate (0) Feb 27, 2012 Virginia

    Is this like the guys that give beer and/or money to their UPS/FedEx guys so they ignore the sloshing sound when they make deliveries?
     
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.