I rarely leave negative reviews, but this experience was so hostile and unsettling that I feel a…read moreresponsibility to document it publicly.
My adult daughter (20) and I recently moved to Oregon from out of state, where liquor is not sold in separate stores. Neither of us was familiar with Oregon's liquor store protocols. We stopped in to purchase margarita mix for my husband and a guest arriving for dinner. I was the sole purchaser.
As we browsed, I was casually explaining to my daughter the difference between non-alcoholic mixers and pre-mixed alcoholic products and discussing brandy in the context of a holiday recipe and an upcoming international trip. It was ordinary, instructional conversation--nothing more.
When I approached the register, I smiled and was met with no greeting at all--only a frown and an angry demand for my ID, which I immediately provided. The employee, who identified herself as Rachel, then sharply demanded my daughter's ID. I calmly explained that I was the purchaser and asked--genuinely--why my daughter's ID was required when she was not buying alcohol. We were not trying to hide anything. My daughter even offered to show her ID, which the employee refused.
At that point, the interaction escalated rapidly and unnecessarily. Rachel stated angrily that she had "heard our conversations while we were walking around the store" and that she had us "on camera."
Retail security and surveillance may be standard, but invoking it in an aggressive, accusatory way--before any explanation is offered--fundamentally alters the customer experience. It replaces service with suspicion and education with intimidation.
Instead, we were met with surveillance-based insinuations, refusal to explain, and a confrontational tone that suggested a conclusion had been reached about us before we ever spoke.
I asked multiple times for clarification so I could understand what policy was being applied. Instead of education, I was met with escalating hostility. I have never felt so criminalized simply for asking a question in a retail environment.
For context: I am a former Disney executive, have worked on White House-level events alongside the U.S. Secret Service, and currently train organizations globally in customer experience, service recovery, and how to uphold laws while professionally handling pushback. I fully understand that liquor laws must be enforced--especially in a university town. This was not about asking for an exception or bending a rule. It was about trying to understand what was happening.
Employees who accuse or pre-judge customers rather than explain policy are not just providing poor service--they represent a significant liability to the business.
A simple, calm explanation would have resolved everything.
After this experience, I was shocked to read multiple other reviews describing nearly identical issues with employee hostility and attitude, which suggests this is not an isolated incident.
This experience is also being formally documented with the Better Business Bureau and the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission.
This store would benefit from serious training in discretion, communication, and customer education. Customers can be told "no" without being treated like criminals.
When the same issues appear repeatedly in customer reviews, it suggests this is how the store operates. That points to a leadership problem--and it raises real questions about the future of the business.
