Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Why the people who sell beer annoy me....

I really want a bottle of Samuel Adams Infinium.  I don't know why, I just do.  I first stopped into Binny's out in Downers Grove on the release date.  Their truck is a day late.  I hear it is selling fast so I call Binny's Beverage on Grand Ave and ask nicely if they have one.  The man says yes.  I ask for one to be held.  He replied that Binny's does not hold beer.  I know this is untrue, because they do it all the time.  I even offered to pay by phone.  A few hours later I trudge in ask where they are and I am promptly told all the bottles are spoken for and waiting for people to come pick them up. 

The manager was less than helpful.  He did say he would call me if someone did not pick theirs up, but made no effort to check about transferring a bottle from another store.  Blows me away, that no one seemed to consider how valuable a customer can be, especially a customer who is looking for a specific beer.  Binny's is now the main player in Chicago's beer retail segment.  However, there are plenty of other small shops looking to play David and Goliath.  Binny's really needs to begin to take the craft beer market seriously and look at treating it more like wine in their service level.

As for me in my quest for Infinium: My brother stumbled across three cases in Ohio and bought a few bottles, and he is not impressed.  I will let you know my thoughts after the holidays.

2 comments:

  1. I don't like this new beer. Part of it might be that $20 a bottle it just did not say this is a great beer. I did not like the smell and taste.

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  2. I also tried to get the Infinium at Binny's. It was the Clark & Halsted Location. I was told that the Infinium wasn't moving because it was such an expensive beer. When the sales clerk took me to where she thought the beer might me there wasn't even a place for the Infinium. I then asked if when they got their next shipment could they let me know or hold a bottle, she told me that it was against there policy to hold beer.

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