Winetex  
Austin, Texas
Master of Wine
Posts: 11069
 | | 12-21-2005 04:00 PM |
| We've talked quite a bit about Premier Cru so I thought a thread should be devoted to the subject. Here is my latest experience and this one ended on a positive note: I called PC a few weeks ago to ask them to ship the latest bunch of wines that were in. In the previous shipment they filled to a case and left out three bottles of 1996 Paul Bara Champagne Comtesse Marie de France. They did this knowing they could ship them in the next shipment. OK. At the end of the week no shipment showed up and I called them to find out why. It turns out that when they went to ship the 3 bottles they couldn't find them so PC went out and purchased the champagne at a much higher price and shipped them to me. Luckily they were able to find the champagne which is on the rare side but they did make an effort to source the wine. So "good job" to Premier Cru. Please post your latest PC experiences.  | | |
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love_cab_chard 
Master of Wine
Posts: 12607
| | 12-21-2005 04:12 PM |
| My only problem with PCru is that I have to keep calling & checking if the wine(s) came in. I don’t think it is my job to do that, but their job to call me when the wines are available. I placed an order, please tell me what I can get this order. I am too busy & usually cannot call from work to keep calling & checking.
Otherwise, I have nothing against PCru. | | | |
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Jim Hanlon
Barrel Filler
Posts: 1205
| | 12-21-2005 04:46 PM |
| Quote:
My only problem with PCru is that I have to keep calling & checking if the wine(s) came in. I don’t think it is my job to do that, but their job to call me when the wines are available. I placed an order, please tell me what I can get this order. I am too busy & usually cannot call from work to keep calling & checking.
Otherwise, I have nothing against PCru.
In my experience, there is no reason to keep calling and checking. Usually, when your wine arrives, they just set it aside for you. Call them every few months and have them ship you what they've got in. That's how I handle my pick-ups. As has been previously said many times, do not order pre-arrival wines if you're impatient. I personally appreciate the delayed receipt as PC is basically storing my wine for free. I know that leads to concerns about handling and provenance, but I haven't had any negative experiences yet. | | | |
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JimmyV
Central Connecticut
Wine Connoisseur
Posts: 5168
| | 12-21-2005 05:25 PM |
| Quote:
Call them every few months and have them ship you what they've got in.
I'm with LCC on this one. A customer shouldn't have to tickle his/her calendar every 3 months to check to see if the wine has arrived, or if it is sitting in a back room somewhere. I'm not taking any position on the issue of how long it takes the wine to arrive. But when it does eventually arrive, it is a fundamental part of the transaction to alert the customer that the wine has arrived, and then address how it should be picked up or shipped. Simply holding it until the customer reaches out to the shop might work for a walk-in customer who makes an appearance in the store once or twice a week. But if a shop is going to conduct coast-to-coast e-commerce, it can't just sit on the product and wait/hope that the customer will some day materialize. | | | Beta testing a new signature. | |
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JonesWineNo1
Sommelier
Posts: 8568
| | 12-21-2005 05:51 PM |
| Quote:
do not order pre-arrival wines if you're impatient.
I strongly disagree with this characterization. Its improper. | | | |
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Jim Hanlon
Barrel Filler
Posts: 1205
| | 12-21-2005 06:35 PM |
| Quote:
Quote:
do not order pre-arrival wines if you're impatient.
I strongly disagree with this characterization. Its improper.
How so? They don't promise the wines in any specific time frame. And everyone who lurks or posts here certainly is on notice as to potentially lengthy delays.
The only way this could be improper, to me, is if PC were promising to provide the wines in a certain time frame and failed to do so. That's not what's happening, at least to my understanding.
Anyway, their business model is clear and those who don't like it can shop elsewhere. That's how the market works. | | | |
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JonesWineNo1
Sommelier
Posts: 8568
| | 12-21-2005 06:48 PM |
| | By labeling the people who have a problem with Premier Cru's business model (fyi there are numerous posts on this board where PC has said it will be here by X and delivery does not occur by X - even skwid, one of their most ardent supporters, has stated that PC has essentially no idea when a wine will arrival no matter what they tell you) "impatient" you imply that the customer is the one with the problem not PC. Impatient is a pejorative term. Many people including myself reject PC's business model not because we lack patience but have serious concerns with how PC operates and the potential resulting manifestation of their questionable business model - their inability to deliver in a timely fashion. | | | |
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skwid
Wine Connoisseur
Posts: 5452
| | 12-21-2005 06:56 PM |
| I don't think that SFWine is labeling people who don't like Premier Cru's handling of Prearrival wines as impatient. I think SFWine is saying "if you are the impatient type don't order prearrival wines from Premier Cru".
Analogous to this I was talking with an owner of a small winery said that one of the reasons he sold his wine when he did for cashflow reasons (which is perfectly sensible as long as folks like the wines). However this timing also occurs during one of the busiest times of the year for him and makes it really tough on him. I told him to just delay shipping for a couple of months and his reply was "I can't these folks get really pissed when they don't immediately get their wines".
So there does seem to be alot of folks who want things "right now". It is the way the world works for the most part these days. You purchase something and then get it delivered the next day (or pick it up immediately). Premier Cru's wines listed as prearrival don't work this way. | | | |
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Winetex
Austin, Texas
Master of Wine
Posts: 11069
| | 12-21-2005 07:17 PM |
| | Back to the shipping issue - it used to be that you could log in to PC, see what you had that had arrived and arrange shipping online. I really don't like having to call them to see when they think stuff might be arriving. Alas they keep sucking me in... | | | |
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skwid
Wine Connoisseur
Posts: 5452
| | 12-21-2005 07:22 PM |
| | Is the "order page" no longer working? I haven't checked things in awhile but you used to be able to check what wines you had on order. | | | |
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Winetex
Austin, Texas
Master of Wine
Posts: 11069
| | 12-21-2005 07:35 PM |
| | The "order" page works but that page used to show when the wines were in actually in stock. | | | |
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scottj
Houston, TX
Barrel Filler
Posts: 1097
| | 12-21-2005 11:15 PM |
| I did get an email from them recently telling me the Christoffel I ordered was in. This was a few days after their offerings email showed it in stock, so I knew it was there. Nonetheless, it was nice to get notified about my order. I don't order a lot from PC, so I don't know if this is a new SOP (or maybe they were justr trying to clear their warehouse).
Scott | | | |
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GATC
Wine Lover
Posts: 4740
| | 12-22-2005 06:14 AM |
| People call me impatient all of the time - I thought that was a good thing.
I've had my share of problems with PC, but I am so pleased to get 23 cases of my favorite wine for 70% off and breaking the monopoly that I'm now their biggest fan.
You have to understand their strengths and weaknesses or they will drive you crazy. | | | |
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BellaDonna
Barrel Racker
Posts: 1890
| | 12-23-2005 05:43 AM |
| | With their pre-arrival prices, I don't think anyone should complain. The bad thing is that you can only get your wine from Nov-March or they will have to hold it for a year. | | | |
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jaimetown
DC area
Wine Labeler
Posts: 3536
| | 12-29-2005 04:32 AM |
| I got an email that one of my wines has arrived! (gasp) I dunno what to do with myself - I guess I better arrange for shipping before it disappears and I have to wait another 9 months. | | | |
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JonesWineNo1
Sommelier
Posts: 8568
| | 03-16-2006 12:08 AM |
| | I've criticized Premier Cru oftentimes in the past (deservedly so) but I do appreciate one aspect of their business: they don't have any hidden allocations. You call Premier Cru and if it is available you get all you want. With other retailers (just experienced this with K&L and as a result they have lost my business, a customer for well over a decade (bought 89 Bordeaux futures (Le Tertre Roteboeuf for iirc $19 a bottle) from K&L)) that is not the case. | | | |
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Winetex
Austin, Texas
Master of Wine
Posts: 11069
| | 03-16-2006 01:50 AM |
| | I did not think that K&L did this either. Care to share on the K&L thread? | | | |
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PlanoWino
Plano, TX
Grape Stomper
Posts: 181
| | 03-16-2006 04:03 AM |
| | I have not experienced this with K & L and I have bought from them for years. New policy? New contact? | | Here's to the corkscrew - a useful key to unlock the storehouse of wit, the treasury of laughter, the front door of fellowship, and the gate of pleasant folly.
W.E.P. French | |
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ChangeMe
Master of Wine
Posts: 11169
| | 03-16-2006 04:14 AM |
| | Some the prices at Premier Cru are extremely low. It's worth the couple of extra calls I have to make to get the wine delivered. | | | |
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BellaDonna
Barrel Racker
Posts: 1890
| | 03-16-2006 04:41 AM |
| I've bought from Premier Cru a few times. All experiences with their customer service have not been good. They are rushed, not helping, and almost rude.
I had some wine come in and asked them to ship ground on Monday. The wine sat in a Texas warehouse over the weekend at 75 degree weather. I called Premier Cru to discuss this matter as I am afraid of the possibility that the wine could be cooked. They blamed me for shipping ground instead of overnight. How ridiculous! I told them I have been buying wine and having them shipped from Cali to Texas by ground on a Monday and it has never taken over 5 business days. It seemed like UPS dropped the ball and the package got misplaced and had to be rerouted which consumed an extra day or two. They also told me that they weren't responsible and basically tough crap. | | | |
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