Maximum is part of our traditional routine stop when we come up from NYC to visit family. We always look forward to the great prices and friendly staff. But this visit was a real let down and quite frankly concerning.
For the first time they asked me and my husband for our ID's. I had mine, my husband did not. They refused to sell me the wine. To be clear, my husband looks young, but neither one of us look under 21. Disclosing our ages is irrelevant because I was actually the one buying the 2 bottles of wine...and I had my ID with me. By the way, we were in the day before and my husband paid for the wine without being asked his ID.
When the manager came over, he responded with... "it seems pretty cut and dry to me". He seemed unconcerned in evaluating the situation and to provide the best customer service one deserves, he was simply dismissive and uninterested.
They went on to say it was their policy and they had to input the license detail. That's an interesting argument , because never once have myself or my husband, ever been ID'd in the past. They were so matter of fact and unreasonable that it was almost embarrassing. As a grown adult with his adult husband, we were treated like juveniles that were trying to get away with something... but what was I trying to get away with with 2 bottles of Chardonnay?
If neither of us had our ID.. ok
If my husband was clearly trying to pay.. ok
If they actually asked US BOTH for ID any other time in the past..ok fair
If we actually seemed like we were up to no good... fair
Every business has a right to turn a customer away... but I ask a couple questions... why are they really turning them away? Would it have been the same if I was with a girl that maybe appeared to be my wife? If I was with my 64 year old father.. would he have been ID'd too?
At one point, we suggested having my father (who was waiting in the car) come in to purchase the wine, we were told that they can't sell them to him (who had his ID).
What happened today just didn't make a lot of logical sense, even from a policy perspective, but even more for common sense and respectfulness. We can't help wonder if this is truly a policy or a selective discrimination?
I usually buy cases of wine from here.. but now I won't even be stopping here on my journeys home. We left sad, frustrated and angry, and frankly steering clear away from this establishment. read more