LHBS (when your LHBS Stinks and it is time to walk away)

[notyal]

It sounds like you were setting yourself up for disappointment even before this cream ale debacle. You already knew the owner and lady behind the counter didn't know much about brewing. I'm an avid mountain biker and have walked into shops were it was obvious that I was more knowledgable than the staff. Even if it's less convenient, I'd rather go to a trusted shop.

Would you go to a vegetarian butcher?

What are you hoping to accomplish by emailing the owner? If his next reply is "You're right. That recipe was not correct.", will you return and purchase any other recipe with confidence?

 

[BrewHound]

There's a lot of people running stores out there that either don't know their customers or lack the basic skills to handle situations effectively. My impression of many of the HBSs that I've visited has been it was opened by someone who enjoyed making beer and/or wine but had no experience in retailing, service, merchandising, or customer service.
If this guy really was concerned about saving a customer he would have called you or invited you to arrange to stop by and see him to discuss what would make it right. Anyone who plays the "well nobody else has complained" card is not so one who should be working with customers.

 

[TheHappyHopper]

That's fine! I'll open my own LHBS! With blackjack! And hookers!.....actually, forget the LHBS!....and the blackjack!

But in all seriousness - I submit another vote for just ordering things online. If you have an emergency and need something but can't wait for shipping, then go to the other LHBS.

 

[Pyg]

What are you hoping to accomplish by emailing the owner? If his next reply is "You're right. That recipe was not correct.", will you return and purchase any other recipe with confidence?

As previously detailed, I was looking to correct what he was selling. You cant have a kit where the instructions indicate a SG of 1.055 or a potential ABV of 5.5% if the ingredients barely get you to an SG of 1.042 or 4.% abv.

I was not looking for a refund and I was not looking more than to correct and error.
When I bought this I did not know any better and know I do. I was hoping to save someone the same experience.
it was his response that he would "try" corn in a "cream ale", when he simply should know this, is what I was trying to correct.

There's a lot of people running stores out there that either don't know their customers or lack the basic skills to handle situations effectively. My impression of many of the HBSs that I've visited has been it was opened by someone who enjoyed making beer and/or wine but had no experience in retailing, service, merchandising, or customer service.
If this guy really was concerned about saving a customer he would have called you or invited you to arrange to stop by and see him to discuss what would make it right. Anyone who plays the "well nobody else has complained" card is not so one who should be working with customers.

This!

 

[Runyanka]

I wouldn't burn a bridge, you never know when you will need them in a pinch. My LHBS also sells their hops in hop union packages, and you weigh your own grain. I have never bought a pre-packaged kit, or had them fill my order, mainly due to your original post.

 

[rldawson]

I have the same problem. I'll use the same letters..

I have L and R.

L is about 10 minutes from my house, R is about 30.

L has grains all over the floor. LME is dripping out of barrels onto the floor. They don't close all the buckets of grain at night. I'm pretty sure the owner has 2 cats that roam around in there even when closed. Whenever I go he is out of something. Lactose sugar, specific hops, etc. He is always out of specific hops. Doesn't have certain size buckets or fermenters. He has screwed up charging me in the past and double charged me for items or forgot to put items I have purchased in the bag. He is not a people person. One time when I went in, I bought what I needed for one recipe and when I found out he didn't have what I needed for another, I just asked him if he had a brown ale kit. I got home and found the recipe for an Amber Ale.

R is, as I mentioned, further out. It is also 10-20% more expensive, hell, some things are 40-50% more. However, the shop is immaculate. They always have everything I need plus more. They keep an inventory of about 300% more.

It took me walking into shop R only once to realize I'd never go back to L ever again, unless I was pressed for time and needed something very specific that I knew he would have.

Based on your location and description I know exactly where "L" is and have a good idea which "R" you are talking about, in a generally eastward direction near a shopping center and brewpup? "L" is recently under new management, waiting to see how that turns out.

I concur, the first time I went to "R" i nearly lost my mind at how clean it was and the ingredient selection and packaging. And while the prices are a little higher, it's still cheaper than paying shipping and I like to be able to put hands on. I have not set foot in "L" since. Luckily one of my sons goes to school near "R" I can sneak an occasional trip in.

 

[sboyajian]

Based on your location and description I know exactly where "L" is and have a good idea which "R" you are talking about, in a generally eastward direction near a shopping center and brewpup? "L" is recently under new management, waiting to see how that turns out.

I concur, the first time I went to "R" i nearly lost my mind at how clean it was and the ingredient selection and packaging. And while the prices are a little higher, it's still cheaper than paying shipping and I like to be able to put hands on. I have not set foot in "L" since. Luckily one of my sons goes to school near "R" I can sneak an occasional trip in.

You are spot on. I believe "L" re-opened today. I'm hoping to get out there maybe this weekend, although my understanding is it will take a little while for inventory to get back up.

I also start a new position on May 1, which has me driving 2 miles past MyLHBS in Falls Church, so I suppose I now have a 3rd option.

 

[OmegaRed]

$42's for a cream ale kit?! Damn extract is expensive...

I have two homebrew stores that are within a reasonable drive to me. I won't go to one because the owner insulted me when I was a new brewer. I basically was asking his staff questions about an off-flavor and he acted like I was wasting their time. I was the only customer in the store and buying merchandise so yeah....

Fortunately there's a much better homebrew store closer to where I work that has way more inventory and great staff. Atlantic homebrew supply in Raleigh - check it out.

I had a similar experience at one of my semi local ones. Owner was a ******, I take my business somewhere else.

 

[Pyg]

$42's for a cream ale kit?! Damn extract is expensive...

.

:u



So I drank the beer and it was OK. I prefer the other half of the batch which I over dry hopped with Citra.

The unhopped version is a low end , unremarkable beer!



I went to my other LHBS and bought the ingredients for a cream ale (with corn) and bought extra DME to get a ABV of 5.5% and the cost was $31



While the cream ale I bought from the intial LHBS was barely 4.2% and cost me $42



I have had a few more email exchanges from the owner and he has indicated he would listen to tweeks on recipes. However that is not my job to give him recipes, so he can up the price and make a profit.

I have started buying LME & DME and ingredients from other, Cheaper LHBS, so I can store for when I decide to brew!View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1428589756.155125.jpg

 

[xvgjvhj]

I'm not sure I would bother with the whole "how to tell him I'm making a stand" bit. Just stop going, give your business to the other places, even if it requires some advance planning.

 

[BrewHound]

I'm not sure I would bother with the whole "how to tell him I'm making a stand" bit. Just stop going, give your business to the other places, even if it requires some advance planning.

+1
If he can't see that the business is wrong then a customer telling him so is unlikely to change anything. He just sounds uninspired and disaffected.

 

[OswaldvW]

I can certainly commiserate. I have to travel about 1 hour in a variety of directions to get to various home brew stores.

Store A (45 minutes away) is basically an extract store with really old ingredients. They are sweet, but their hops are at room temperature along with their yeast. Yikes!

Store B (1.5 hours away) on my one and only visit, the manager told me that she wasn't going to interrupt, but then spent the entire time talking about how I was doing everything wrong, Star San is terrible and makes the beer taste weird, BIAB is not really all grain because if you don't sparge like a brewery then it's all fake, extract brewing is way better than all grain and the beers taste the same so why not save time, etc., etc. My shopping experience there was like something out of a terrible sitcom.

Store C (1 hour 15 minutes away) is simply filthy with grains, tape, paint and children's toys all over the floor. The store is not always open when they claim to be, and they like to package their own hops from bulk which I found kind of weird. Only visited this place once.

Store D (1.5 hours away) is outrageously expensive and the staff seem like monks in that they didn't offer any information and just stared at me while I was perusing the shelves. The prices alone made me want to run out of the store screaming.

Store E, (1 hour away), has the best and most varied ingredients and equipment. Their prices aren't shocking, but they aren't cheap either. I visit them about 4-6 times a year. Stores A-D: I just don't see myself returning.

 

[rldawson]

You are spot on. I believe "L" re-opened today. I'm hoping to get out there maybe this weekend, although my understanding is it will take a little while for inventory to get back up.

I also start a new position on May 1, which has me driving 2 miles past MyLHBS in Falls Church, so I suppose I now have a 3rd option.

Congrats. So what was your number two, or "R" I guess, then? I was thinking that it was MyLHBS. Is there ANOTHER homebrew store in the area that I have not seen yet???

 

[sboyajian]

Congrats. So what was your number two, or "R" I guess, then? I was thinking that it was MyLHBS. Is there ANOTHER homebrew store in the area that I have not seen yet???

Kettles and Grains up in Leesburg. Beautiful shop. Also has a nice small selection of craft beer.

I've been back to Jay's since it reopened with new owners. They have done a fantastic job getting inventory back up and continue to add more.