Have You Ever Told Off a Beer Store?

link, pls?

 

Two times in the last couple of months for the same reasons. One store in Little Rock and one in St Louis. Both of these stores allow you to go online and place orders for their specific stores , not company wide , and show up to get your beer all ready for it's ride home only to show up at the stores to find out they do not have any of the beer they showed having in stock. I asked both stores why they did not keep their online stock up to date and both gave almost exact answers , a shoulder shrug and "You know how online stuff goes". That was the point at both locations I told them what I thought about their BS online system and their store , I drove out of my way to go to both of these locations just to buy beer , I left with nothing and will not go back

 

Yes. It's even more frustrating when all of the remaining stock of said beer at the larger store is 2 months past its prime because they cared more about saving a few bucks on the bulk buy than only ordering what would realistically sell within the time frame that the beer would remain fresh. Personally, I'll gladly pay a measly $1-2 more per 6 pack at a store in which I can easily find a fresh batch of something tasty rather than having to cross check bottled-on dates for 40 minutes before finding something acceptable.

 

If that was the case it would be illegal, it is illegal to sell beer below cost in Michigan, but sounds like this store is incompetent.

 

I think most large stores have their own stashes that they're saving for one reason or another. My boss has a pretty substantial stash of rare stuff (he'll pull anywhere from 2 bottles to a case depending on how much we get in) that he holds onto for special tastings and events and such. Yeah, he could choose to sell them however his logic is by holding it for tasting events, a larger number of people can try rare beers that they might otherwise miss.

 

With the benefit of experience, I agree.

I mean I worked in that 'other store down the road' which was 5 times larger than the one I work at now and just from the sheer busyness of it all you just didn't have time to properly rotate beers or check dates to ensure the beer was not out of date or getting old.

The smaller store that I work at now and whilst having slightly less amount of different beers compared to the other store and of course carrying those beers in a whole lot less volume, the good thing is that I know basically each case's date that comes into the store and I am able to rotate where needed.

This shouldn't be viewed as a big thumbs up to small stores as there are exceptions where clerks couldn't give a shit about beer freshness and whether this is due to me being obsessed with dates; irregardless I'm proud to say that ensuring beer remains fresh is a top priority for me

 

Where in the hell in Michigan was this? I know it wasn't Fairway, because I've had nothing but great experiences there. If I was in your position, I'd never go back, and I'd probably very nearly tell them to go fuck themselves.

 

I'm in the "just don't come back" camp on this one. I have had two experiences that somewhat perturbed me, though and I think I dealt with them accordingly.

When I used to live in Nashville my favorite little store was (and still is) Green Hills Wine Shoppe. Mostly wine but great on the spirits and a few good beers every now and then. Picked up a 4-pack of Old Rasputin and one guy tried to upsell me to some overpriced 75 cl bottles. I believe it was two of the bottles you can get in a 3 pack, one of which is 3 Philosophers. Runs for maybe $20 for all three? The two bottles separate were $30 (very odd for this store as it was usually very reasonably priced). I just smiled and said I was happy with my selection. He got the picture. Also tried to upsell me on wine one time, did the same thing, and once he started recognizing me it never happened again. And I should say that was the exception to the general rule at this place. They were fantastic, including the previously mentioned guy. The type of people that when you ask for some info about Scotch, the guy behind the counter grins, whips out a map and asks you your price point and taste preferences. Free tastings every Wednesday, too. Miss that place.

Second was at a Total Wine in Atlanta. Employee tried to convince me of the merits of Lucid absinthe at $60 over Vieux Carre at $52 (the price has since gone up on the VC) and I smiled, mentioned something about The Wormwood Society, and said I would stick with the VC. He left me alone after that.

I've been traveling a lot lately and I always make a habit of peeking in any beer/wine/spirits stores. I have a few points of reference, check those, and if they're out of whack I just leave and go somewhere else. Though if it were the local store and the only one in town, I think some respectful dialogue with the staff would be a good thing. As others have said, pricing is something that probably won't change, too much.

 

The cardinal sin for a clerk in the art of "up-selling" is not to provide value to the customer in each addition product you try to sell them. If a clerk is ever guilty of this sin (which is indicative of the store's practices), they may as well close their doors.

 

Tell em to fuck off. You know what you like, right? I frequent 5 shops where I live and all are very good experiences. I made sure that all of them know that I shop around. I've had nothing but good things. Btw that dark horse was fantastic, especially the citra.

 

I had to tell off FFF as they kept letting their place burn down.
And they can't keep ZD in stock when I go there once or twice a millennium.

 

I told off the owner of a local pub, never a beer store. Fucking guy lied to me that he never hosted tastings or did cork fees for byob. I called him on it knowing folks who'd done it there, he called me a liar. I didn't get angry, though I felt angry, but told him who it was who had had brought their own bottles, thinking maybe he would relent. He didn't.

As I walked out I said,"Oh, by the way, I am a member of a local homebrewers club, and also attend two local tasting groups, and I guarantee that after today not one of those eighty folks, or any of their friends, will ever set foot through the door of this place." Look on the asshole's face was priceless.

 

I haven't told off a beer store, but I want to. I'm patiently waiting for a good enough reason.

 

Never told off a beer store.

Now I told off an auto mechanic once (I mean an all out vein-bulging, shouting, they-were-probably-close-to-calling-the-cops telling off). But they outright lied to me about the price they were going to charge me...and they had my car. For some reason, though, it felt good to do it. Everyone in the shop, including other customers, was really uncomfortable.

But a beer store? I dunno. Is there really that much to get worked up about? I'd just shop somewhere else.

 

That is the worst thing to deal with at bottle shops, family owned or not.

 

My bottle shop has some serious freshness issues with their IPAs IIPAs and pales that always unnerves me a bit. I don't tell them off because it's my choice to buy it...but they recently tricked me. They were hanging onto all of last year's YuleSmith Summer and put it back on the shelves this month to try to fool people. It worked. I wasted $9 on an expired bomber of faded hops and a pretty weird all around taste because of their little stunt. Wasn't sure it warranted being told off, but I did Yelp em.

They even had some moldy bottles of Yulesmith Winter from who knows what year.

 

I'e never told off a store, and I've never told them how to run their business. But if I don't like a particular store, I take my money elsewhere.