There is a particular wine shop in Dallas that I use to frequent when I was getting into wine about 2 years ago. They have a great selection of Italians and they get stuff that nobody really gets anywhere else in Dallas. For the past year or so, I haven't made any big purchases with them because they don't have stuff that excites me and their selection is going downhill but I pop in every now and then to see if I can find something.

So I went to this store this afternoon and the female manager who is always there on Sat afternoons was there. She wasn't tasting like she was suppose to be. I was browsing through the pinots and they had nothing exciting...again. So to strike up a conversation with her, I asked her if she gets any Kosta Browne. Not thinking she would even know what KB was...she said yes. So I asked her if she had any. She took a moment and said, "Only the big dogs get it. The people who spend 10-20 thousand a year."

With that being said, I walked out of that store as fast as I could and vowed never to return. I think that ignorant manager saw that I was young and thought I was the Yellow Tail drinker. I wanted to tell her, "You have no idea how much I spend in wine each year but I will not spend a dime in your store nevertheless set foot in here ever again."

So am I overreacting about this situation or was this lady just wrong?

BTW...this store was Pogo's on Lovers Lane in Dallas.

I do think a wine shop should save wine for their better customers, particularly wine they know is hard to come by. However, does anybody spend that much at one wine store? I hardly ever buy wine at a wine store anymore...maybe $1000 a year....but my wine budget is $15k a year....and I tend to exceed that. However, the wine I do buy from stores is spread out over at least a dozen places or more....thanks to winesearcher.com. No way I'd spend the bulk of my wine budget at one store.

There's a wine store here in the Bay Area that saves me KB...even though I'm not a "big dog". They only do it because I bought it from them before.....but I think it's a nice touch that they do it at all.

You aren't over-reacting if their policy made you angry....you are the customer...and the customer is always right....right?

Chris

I don't think them saving the KB for the big dogs is an official store policy...it's one of those understood things. She could have said something along the lines of "The KB has all been spoken for."

Well yeah, I see your point. In essence she was telling you..."yes, we have KB, but you can't have any of it". That would piss me off as well.

Chris

i buy much of my wine from a store that does business in a similar manner. they do no internet business and rely on loyal customers who come into their store on a regular business. i get excellent prices and wines that most people think are mailing list only. if they get it, i get it. i like the practice.

I knew the store within the first sentence.

Yes, you overreacted.

You absolutely did NOT overreact. That is nothing but pure arrogance on the store managers part. There are a number of ways of saying the same thing, without attempting to "put you in your place".
"We get so little, we have to allocate it to our most loyal customers"
"It is already gone"

The way she put it was nothing more than a put-down of you.

And yes, there are folks that spend more than 10-20K a year at wine stores. I used to spend that much at Joseph George every year, until I realized that his prices were reliably the highest in the area. Now that money goes to Wine Club, or direct to wineries.

When I was spending that money at JG, it was mainly because I did not know about all the communities on the web. It was much easier to just rely on his palate and choices, which were (and are) excellent. The only reason to have such a relationship is if you trust (and agree with) the owner's palate.

That being said, I would have said something very snippy back to the b****.

I guess that's another way to look at it.

What Randy said. The practice of reserving wines is more common than not. If you get to know a wine store, they will take care of you. The way the manager conveyed that to you was very poorly handled.

BTW, I want to make it clear that I do not have a problem with the practice -- just the way the statement was made. Any outstanding store will reserve their best wines for their best customers... just as wineries reserve their best wines for their best customers. At least I've never known a store that has a waiting list...

I agree with most posters here...

The practice of reserving wine for your most loyal customers is okay (and very common) whether done by retailer or winery.

The salesperson at that store handled the situation TERRIBLY. Every customer or browser should be treated as important. If I owned the store, I'd want my salesperson to say:

I'm sorry, our Kosta Browne is already spoken for. But let me take your name and number in case more becomes available. In the meantime, have you had a chance to try the AP Vin over here?

Dito to Babnik and others. It was the salesperson at fault, not the policy. Gotta run with those big dogs.

What kills me is that it wasn't just a salesperson...it was the manager.

I think we should send someone else (who isn't a big dog) in that store looking for KB and see what she says to them. Any volunteers?

What's too bad here is that her statement feels rude ... yet it was a very honest, straightforward answer. If she had answered something about "it's only for our most loyal customers" ... that sounds nice, yet it's a pretty nebulous statement. What does it take to become a loyal customer? Well, she told you exactly that.

The policy seems unfair but isn't, her statement seems rude but isn't ... so what can you do?

Jon

So nobody in this thread has any problem with what transpired in all of this including the practice of saving certain wines for the best customers other than this one quote:

Quote:

---

Only the big dogs get it. The people who spend 10-20 thousand a year.

---

Correct?

Correct. I don't even think what the manager said was wrong. It was honest and concise. I'd like to hear her side of the story before she's executed.

Board O, no time for details here. Just get a rope!

I'll be living about a mile from Joseph George for the next two months...

As far as the Kosta Browne nazi goes (No KB for you!), she definitely could have spun it a little differently, but I don't see a problem with her saying it. If done correctly, it makes people want to spend more money in her shop; they'll pay more to get access to special bottles of wine.

Board_O,

I'm with you!

That is how a store keeps its loyal customers; giving them special treatment. And it is 110% the right thing to do.

I have two Sine Qua Non "suppliers" that call me when their allocation comes in. I get first shot. Both of them "ask" me if they can keep a bottle or two to sell to Mr. Moneybags who is also a good customer. I always say "sure" (I would be cutting off my nose if I didn't). And those customers "deserve" to get some too. But not some person, young or old, knows about wine or not, that walks in off the street.

And how is this policy any different from 95% of the winery mailing lists out there? Let's take Kosta Browne specifically; You have never bought a bottle of KB before. You read about it in Speculator send them an email asking to buy a bottle of 4-Barrel. Are they going to sell it to you? As nice guys as they are they're (I hope) not going to sell a bottle of 4-Barrel to this person. They've got people on their list that haven't "qualified" to be offered the wine yet. Why would they screw over their current customers for this sale?

Harlan's best customers can't get away with just buying Estate. You gotta buy Maiden too. And I might say for several years all you get is the Maiden. Then, maybe, they'll let you but an Estate.

Yes we have already decided the policy is ok, but not what she said. If a homless person asks you money and you, instead of say: "Sorry it's not a good time.", saying " I'm better than you, get out of my way you smelly street rat."
Break down her sentance. "It's only for big dogs." implies "You are not a big dog." How does she know he's not a big dog and just moved to the area? How does she know hes not a billionair who gives 10 million dollars a year to starving kids in Africa? She didn't say "Only loyal customers", or "Only customers who have invested highly in our wine shop.", she said that he's not rich enough, or important enough to get KB.
The other part of her sentance: "Only they get any." implies "You dont get any." Too blunt and insulting.
As was said 10 times in this thread already, its not what she said, but how she said it. But people keep posting defending the policy, when thats not the issue. This lady should be fired.