It was a good visit, until the manager got involved.
I went in today without a price point in mind, looking for something special for my birthday. I know my tastes are frequently out of stock and getting harder to find, so I was looking for maybe some help from one of the sommoliers. Elise was great and knowledgeable, easy to talk to, had plenty of recommendations and an honest, candid way of speaking. She's also the only reason I'm giving 2 stars instead of one. I intend to follow up on her recommendations, I had 3-4 items she pointed out I was going to buy. However, since I was looking for some assistance with scotch (an area she mentioned her boss was an expert in) she thought it would be a good idea to grab him to help me.
The manager (I believe his name was Jason or something with a J) from the start, looked annoyed that she bothered him to begin with. He came over and spoke as if he'd never had a pleasant conversation before. I understand that many years of experience can lead to certain quirks developing over time when it comes to the subject of one's expertise, but to be dismissive of your customer and what they're asking for and not budging on the matter of opinion versus fact is honestly appalling. I knew I was in trouble when I said I was looking for a scotch that wasn't 'too sweet.' He cut me off and said "No scotch is going to be sweet, it's dry. If you're looking for sweet, try a bourbon." I tried to clarify by saying I was looking for a scotch that didn't have too many sweet notes. He rebutted that with a contradiction in a dismissive tone saying "Almost all scotches have honey notes in their primary or secondary taste profiles, which has a sweet taste." At this point, I'm annoyed, thinking to myself, "Okay, so which one is it pal? Are all scotches dry and not sweet? Or do they have major sweet notes that taste sweet?" I try to level with him by pointing out scotches and brands that I don't like, and every time I mention one, he cuts me off. Eventually he just hands me a japanese whisky and says "You're gonna want this one, it's one of my favorites." I was a little taken aback, since I'd said I was looking for Scottish Scotch only, but at that point I realized I wasn't getting anywhere, put back the scotch he gave me, and kept looking for myself without another word, and he was all too quick to say "Well, guess you don't need any help then," and walked off---considering the 'help' he was giving, I was better off alone.
I struggled to make more decisions on the whiskies I hadn't heard of before after that without input from someone who knew the customer reviews, so I ended up browsing for a little while after until I walked out, not wanting to give the manager any business. I wrote down Elise's recommendations in my phone and I'll buy elsewhere.
It's a wonder Elise did such a great job considering she has such a rude fella for a manger---she obviously did not get her skills from him.
Head to any other location or liquor store but this one unless you want to feel like an inconvenience and get talked down to by a short guy. read more