New Policy

Received this e-mail from the formerly Premium Wine Buyer in my local store.

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I would like to inform you about a change that occurred on Monday. I no longer order the wines (now designated "Luxury wines) for the specialty, premium, or fine wine area.

All ordering is now done by a small group of individuals in Harrisburg. Theoretically, buying decisions will be based on prior sales of a wine or of a similar wine. My knowledge of your preferences, the relationships I've built with you over the years, your requests for individual wines, and my years of experience will not be part of the equation. I will have no input into any of these buying decisions, nor will I taste these wines. I will no longer know what has been ordered or when it might arrive. In the past, I know some of you have relied (at least partially) on my palate to recommend wines to you. Other than the wines that I personally purchase and enjoy, I will no longer be able to provide this service.
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I've received great service from this person, and also from the buyers in Harrisburg who I've come into contact with. They are all genuinely interested in getting the wines I want into the store(s) I visit.

I also remember a conversation with a couple of the guys in the Ardmore store while visiting that corner of the state last summer. I asked them why they thought their store was the busiest in the state, they quickly said that they ordered a lot of wine on their own without waiting for Harrisburg to tell them what was coming.

So regarding this new policy, is it true for all stores, and is it a step forward?

Mark

It's another step back.

A state run monopoly that is putting a little more distance between themselves and the consumer.

Its too bad.

This is a shame. This is not what wine is about. It is obvious the state does not care about what the consumer wants or needs. They do not need to provide any sort of personal customer service because they are the only game in town.

-Eric

With the state's budget situation don't expect to see this reversed in the short term, in fact I suspect this might be the beginning of the end for the guys & gals who run the premium selections in the stores. Ironically, all this is happening when wine sales are up 7% or whatever it is now. I fear we'll soon be left with the PLCB lifers like the ones at my closest store (overheard: when asked by a woman to recommend a good champagne for the host of a dinner party, the store manager said "The Korbel is popular" - that's service)

On the up side I never thought we'd have a spell like the last 5-6 years here in PA. Our current Gov has only 2 more crony-laden years left & the campaigning has already begun in western PA so maybe we can pound the heck out of the candidates & representative until then. Don't forget that the guy just elected president raised a ginorumous pile of money using the 'net, $100 at a time. Maybe we can mobilize online communities to put pressure on the weasels in Harrisburg