Retailers: Do you ever 'pre-judge' customers?

When someone comes in, do you ever pre-judge them by the way that look? That would include, age, sex, race, clothes, ANYTHING?

I only ask this as I recently went into a local wine shop (which I have been in before and there customer service has never really been great) and this time it was especially bad.

It’s not that they ignored me, it’s that the guy automatically assumed I knew nothing about wine and it really pissed me off.

I’ll spare you the details, but I just thought I would ask and see about you guys.

welcome to the life of the 25 yr old Chinese kid who doesn’t look above the legal drinking age. Sigh.

judge people by appearance? never!
been surprised too many times not to talk to everyone and see if i can help (or just chat)

don’t worry charlie, i’d show you where the dom, opus, and lafite were

NOPE, I learned a long time ago never to pre-judge a person. The customer coming through that door could be in the shaggyiest clothes, covered in tattoos and a total mess, he could be the one that would buy a thousand dollars worth of wine. Everyone has to look the same until they prove themselves otherwise. BUT, if they come in with a brown paper bag and ask what I have for $1.00 or two, that’s different [gheyfight.gif]

What if they come in with a Dodger hat on?

Charlie, I feel your pain and that’s basically what happened to me. I walked in wearing grubby clothes (and I’m only 30) and the guy automatically started talking to me like I was an imbecile. I told him I was fine and just browsing around and he immediately picks up a bottle and says “you should like this, it’s a well known brand, everyone likes it.” At that point I told him to leave me alone.

Maybe I’m over-sensitive, but that was just really offensive.

what did he try and pass off to you? just curious

How did you know that’s what I was looking for! Don’t forget the Le Pin, Petrus, Harland, and Hundred Acre! I wish I were more like my Chinese wine buying brethen. Any wine over $50 they will try to bargain the price.

Sorry for your disappointing experience. I don’t pre-judge customers by their appearance or age. You never know just how much a person knows about wine until you speak with them. We get customers who are extremely knowledgeable in wine, as well as customers who don’t know that pinot noir is a red, but you just have to be ready to speak with anyone on their level; and if I can make them excited about a wine, that’s what makes it fun for me.

You know, everyone says they don’t pre-judge… but I have been approached all one or two times by a wine store worker to ask if I needed help. Even when I go ask for help I get talked to like an idiot or there’s a very high level of disinterest. But in 25 years, i’ll be the one laughing when I still look young =P

Do you guys ever judge (pre-judge) retailers based on their individual appearance (or their space’s appearance?

Of course. The retailer is working. He or she should be dressed in a reasonable way for work. I have very low standards for what this means, but if a retailer has BO, that would definitely put me off.

Also, whenever I go to a new store, I check out the appearance. First, how is the wine cared for? What is the temperature? I don’t mind folks wearing shorts, but if they have to because it is so warm in their store, that’s a problem. I have to say, I’m also put off by a too fancy appearance. There are a couple of old fashioned stores in NYC with lots of dark hard woods. That’s doesn’t make me comfortable.

I love retail war stories!
The difference between a wine shop and a great wine shop is always customer service. I’ve always been happy to allow my staff to seek greener pastures if they don’t understand that simple fact. They’re welcome to “help” my competitors with their terrible customer service hahaha

I remember going to a new wine store in town, actually, just a nice deli that expanded their liquor area to be a wine retail section. Anyway, looking around at what they had, I noticed they kept all the higher end wines up front…IN THE WINDOW

Carrie

So you never have an idea what someone may spend when they walk into the door?

Charlie

I do not prejudge. I expect the worst in everyone I help., I show them around the store, showing them many value wines and ask what they like to drink.

If I sense they know a little and will spend a little, I will show them better wines, but for the most past, I have a pretty good sense beforehand (plus we can see what kind of car they drive!).

Steve and I wandered into an Italian deli in downtown Portland that did that too. We walked in on a summer day, and the place was not air conditioned. They had some of their best wines stuffed into a plain glass case. We’re talking Gaja, Giacosa…

A Cambria Pinot, Julia’s Vineyard. Regardless of what he was trying to sell me, it’s the way he went about it in assuming I would like it just because ‘it’s a well known brand and everyone likes it.’

(I forgot to mention this, this was what really pissed me off.

He then pointed to the bottom of the bottle and said something to the effect of “see here, it’s from a single vineyard, so it’s better than a lot of wines that aren’t.” He did it in such a tone like he was teaching me something.

That was actally the point where I told him to leave me alone.

Say it ain’t so, Mel!

Bring back the death penalty!

Just this past Saturday a 30-ish Filipina pushing a baby carriage comes in and the first question out of her mouth is “Do you still have any of the 1979 Emidio Pepe Riserva?”…that’s a $300+ bottle that she had evidently tasted with another customer. And she bought one too.

We had another customer who used to come in without a SHIRT on but always bought big Champagne and Barolo.

You TRULY never can tell.

Dude, that was me.

I hope they don’t walk into the door, they could get hurt ! hahahaha !

Generally speaking, NO… unless it’s a regular customer or I ask if they are looking for something in a specific price range, I’ve had people say they want something for $20 and decide on a $50 bottle and the opposite. I’ve had people walk in that give the appearance of being homeless and end up spending quite a bit. The person that is spending $15 or $150 are all just as valuable. Here in the Napa Valley it’s a strange breed of wine buyers. I had a winery owner come in looking pretty shabby, I didn’t know him at the time but he was a customer for a couple years. I razzed him alot, kicked his dog out of the store, had lots of fun with him, then one day he asked if by chance I had this high end wine that came from his vineyard and he said “that vineyard is me” . We had a good laugh, then I nagged him for his own wine that’s not usually available for retail until I got it. I’m a big tease and love to have fun with our customers, Randy says I abuse them and they come back for more
I treat everyone the same, well except if Yoni walks in with a Dodger hat on, he will have to leave it outside !