Total wine pappy btac email

[flahute]

5 hours ago, Bnrhodes3 said:

I'm pretty miffed about this whole Total Wine handling of things on top of this crash.

I was told by a manager in store late last week that if I hit Grand Reserve (was a few hundred off), that I would still get an email at this point. So, I spent a good bit over my budget to get the Grand Reserve status via the manager's recommendation. I called their concierge the next day to see about getting the email and they told me that it was too late, nothing they could do, the cutoff to get it was to be GR by October 8th, the managers should have known, try again next year.

 

I don't know if they have much experience with the idea of 'lifetime value of a customer', or if they even care, but being as I shop exclusively with them so I can get to this 'status', and I ideally have at least another 50 years of life left in me, moving my business elsewhere is a sizable lose of lifetime value for something as small as sending an access code in an email (I know, in the grand scheme of things, my business is barely a drop in the bucket to them, but as a business owner, I abhor treating any customers flippantly, let alone top customers). Rant over.

The points you earn this year determine your status for next year so you are already good to go. Achieving same year status is not official policy so there was no reason for you to know it could be done. I do know someone who achieved that but I’m not sure why TW made that exception. 

[Bnrhodes3]

4 hours ago, flahute said:

The points you earn this year determine your status for next year so you are already good to go. Achieving same year status is not official policy so there was no reason for you to know it could be done. I do know someone who achieved that but I’m not sure why TW made that exception. 

 I did know about the situation for the following year, which was the original goal I set early in the year. I was also under the impression that you received the perks immediately upon becoming GR (which it now shows on my account that I do get them for anything else this year). But, as the concierge rep told me, they drew a line in the sand at October 8th, which managers should have known, and also happens to be contrary to what I was told by management (hence my agitation).

 

Water under the bridge now though.

[GeeTen]

14 hours ago, Bnrhodes3 said:

I'm pretty miffed about this whole Total Wine handling of things on top of this crash.

I was told by a manager in store late last week that if I hit Grand Reserve (was a few hundred off), that I would still get an email at this point. So, I spent a good bit over my budget to get the Grand Reserve status via the manager's recommendation. I called their concierge the next day to see about getting the email and they told me that it was too late, nothing they could do, the cutoff to get it was to be GR by October 8th, the managers should have known, try again next year.

 

I don't know if they have much experience with the idea of 'lifetime value of a customer', or if they even care, but being as I shop exclusively with them so I can get to this 'status', and I ideally have at least another 50 years of life left in me, moving my business elsewhere is a sizable lose of lifetime value for something as small as sending an access code in an email (I know, in the grand scheme of things, my business is barely a drop in the bucket to them, but as a business owner, I abhor treating any customers flippantly, let alone top customers). Rant over.

 

The only thing TW Corporate cares about is "making their numbers", not customer satisfaction.  All of that noise about telltotalwine.com is "white noise" giving the appearance of caring.  They make so much money selling the middle-of-the-road National brands at 1 cent over cost to drive the "little guys" out of business and build their customer base.  Then they aggressively push their "Spirits Direct" and "Winery Direct" products (making 30% + profit) as "just as good or better than" the National Brands.  Don't care about their workers (extremely high turn-over rate) - only their managers (who's bonuses are base on % increases over last year's SD & WD sales).  

 

Only shop them for their prices, not their "caring about their customers" (big or little).  JMHO.   

 

 

[BigPapa]

I wish total wine would come out with some sort of card to present at the register for your discount. I am a member and I bet I have spent over 2,000 this year on whisky, beer and wine. I just don’t think and remember to tel them I am a member. Do the look it up by name or phone number at the register .


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[NDN98]

42 minutes ago, BigPapa said:

I wish total wine would come out with some sort of card to present at the register for your discount. I am a member and I bet I have spent over 2,000 this year on whisky, beer and wine. I just don’t think and remember to tel them I am a member. Do the look it up by name or phone number at the register .


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Phone number 

[GeeTen]

2 hours ago, BigPapa said:

I wish total wine would come out with some sort of card to present at the register for your discount. I am a member and I bet I have spent over 2,000 this year on whisky, beer and wine. I just don’t think and remember to tel them I am a member. Do the look it up by name or phone number at the register .


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And you can claim points for purchases up to 6 months old, IIRC.  Just log into your account and give them the info on your receipts.  However, if you don't have the receipts, they can't look them up for you.   Just FYI.   

[Clueby]

Something about the laws in Missouri doesn't allow them to have this program here. We get no discounts, benefits, etc. no matter how much we spend other than a possible personal relationship at the store level.

On the Spirits Direct front, I was literally cringing as I listened to a store clerk extol the virtues of Black Eagle (or Eagle Ridge or some such) to a customer asking questions. He convinced him to put back a bottle of EC Small Batch he had in his hand for the SD stuff. Went on and on about the rich nose and full flavor you wont get in any other bourbon.

[Birthday Man]

Anyone else get the state specific email for Total Wine?

[robertckim]

7 hours ago, BigPapa said:

I wish total wine would come out with some sort of card to present at the register for your discount. I am a member and I bet I have spent over 2,000 this year on whisky, beer and wine. I just don’t think and remember to tel them I am a member. Do the look it up by name or phone number at the register .


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The cashier asks me everytime when I check out if I'm a member and i just give her my mobile number.  Very easy, but you need to sign up.

[glen]

ok, here's my experience, fwiw.

and bear with me, since i'm a new poster.

yes, received the original TW email a couple weeks ago.

and, got blocked out of system on original sale date, this past tuesday, along with everyone else.

 

for florida, new date was 9am this morning, per email received Thursday.

the sale went live about 9:01, per my clock.

i was able to get into the 'select choice' page, but it was slow.

i chose a pappy 20 yr, then put it into the cart.

the cart was slow loading.

when it finally asked me to check out with the validation code and credit card info, i had to type in all the addresses, etc.

another minute or so.

by the time i hit 'confirm', the system reported that the 20yr was no longer available!

(note, items  in the cart are not sold until all the credit card info is entered and accepted!)

so, as backup, i simply opted for a bottle of 10yr, which was available and which was confirmed.

 

lesson for anyone else...get your "concierge addresses, credit card numbers, etc" ready to go ahead of time.

and now, as of 2pm, the site shows all product for florida has sold out.

good luck!

 

 

Edited October 27, 2017 by glen

[Bourbonmakesmepoop]

Sounds to me like being a grand reserve member ain’t all it’s cracked up to be. I’ll stick with the small stores

[Bnrhodes3]

2 hours ago, Bourbonmakesmepoop said:

Sounds to me like being a grand reserve member ain’t all it’s cracked up to be. I’ll stick with the small stores

I'm leaning in agreement with that. The only thing keeping me from ditching them are the prices. I still haven't found anywhere local that beats them - I picked up a bottle of Lagavulin 16 at TW for $70, and just saw it last night at a local LS for $110. Even on cheaper bottles, TW prices are usually $5 less per bottle than anywhere else around me. 

[kevinbrink]

1 hour ago, Bnrhodes3 said:

I'm leaning in agreement with that. The only thing keeping me from ditching them are the prices. I still haven't found anywhere local that beats them - I picked up a bottle of Lagavulin 16 at TW for $70, and just saw it last night at a local LS for $110. Even on cheaper bottles, TW prices are usually $5 less per bottle than anywhere else around me. 

For the most part some of the Local Chains around here have better prices than TW, at this point I basically only buy some of the Spirits Direct Rum, Indie Bottled Scotch, and for bourbon only when they have RHF or HPR which count as Spirits Direct here for some reason and generally only when there is a SD coupon.

[jvd99]

On 10/25/2017 at 3:11 PM, Bnrhodes3 said:

 

I don't know if they have much experience with the idea of 'lifetime value of a customer', or if they even care,

I doubt they care at all.  If they’re anything like Binnys, they could give a rats ass if you shop there.  They do so much volume, losing a customer or ten because you/they can’t get the allocated items you/they want is irrelevant to their bottom line 

[flahute]

1 hour ago, Bnrhodes3 said:

I'm leaning in agreement with that. The only thing keeping me from ditching them are the prices. I still haven't found anywhere local that beats them - I picked up a bottle of Lagavulin 16 at TW for $70, and just saw it last night at a local LS for $110. Even on cheaper bottles, TW prices are usually $5 less per bottle than anywhere else around me. 

Be warned that when TW drives all the smaller stores out of business, their prices will rise. If there's an independent store or two that you like, buy those $5 more bottles, build a relationship, and keep them in business.

[Bnrhodes3]

3 hours ago, flahute said:

Be warned that when TW drives all the smaller stores out of business, their prices will rise. If there's an independent store or two that you like, buy those $5 more bottles, build a relationship, and keep them in business.

If there is a bottle I want and I see it within $5 or so of TW, I do grab it, and I always chat a bit with the smaller stores when I stop in - the $15-$20+ difference is where it becomes prohibitive though. Even aside from smaller dedicated LSs, there are too many chain grocery stores with large selections, as well as Bevmo locations practically next to every TW here, for TW to have much of a chance of running the other places out of business. 

[BigPapa]

The cashier asks me everytime when I check out if I'm a member and i just give her my mobile number.  Very easy, but you need to sign up.

I have never been asked. Guess that’s MN for you .


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[glen]

22 hours ago, Bourbonmakesmepoop said:

Sounds to me like being a grand reserve member ain’t all it’s cracked up to be. I’ll stick with the small stores

 

really no complaints on my part.

GR at TW doesn't cost anything.

I'm not a follower of their 'GR events' and tastings.

Main draw for me, has been the Pappy allocation at straight retail price.

Was able grab a bottle VW 10 yr in 2015, then two bottles (12 yr and a 20 yr!) last year.

This year, while not able to get another 20 yr, I had to (settle) for another bottle of 10 yr, at $80!

(While I've not cracked open the 12 or 20 yr bottles yet, the 10 yr is amazing!)

 

Unfortunately, this will be my last year as GR member, since I've not been buying as much from TW as before.

 

 

 

[Clueby]

GR is 25000 point or $2500 in purchases? I know you get more points for their "direct" stuff. But that's like $200/month! I've spent more than that in a single month before but not every month. 

[DCFan]

11 minutes ago, Clueby said:

GR is 25000 point or $2500 in purchases? I know you get more points for their "direct" stuff. But that's like $200/month! I've spent more than that in a single month before but not every month. 

Get with the program and start bunkering! 

[chappy6107]

45 minutes ago, Clueby said:

GR is 25000 point or $2500 in purchases? I know you get more points for their "direct" stuff. But that's like $200/month! I've spent more than that in a single month before but not every month. 

I know right!?!

I guess if I am at a party and liquor/beer runs dry, I could volunteer to make the liquor run with everyone else's money. 

[Bnrhodes3]

2 hours ago, Clueby said:

GR is 25000 point or $2500 in purchases? I know you get more points for their "direct" stuff. But that's like $200/month! I've spent more than that in a single month before but not every month. 

If you did 100% direct stuff, it would be like $1600ish. I think I did a mix of both this year, but it was a lot of spending. I do also believe that gift cards count toward the points, so if you were close, you could get gift cards for yourself for the points in the current year, then use them for your booze budget going in to the next year haha. 

 

I've been told by a few people that some Frats will come in and spend a few grand every weekend. So if you are near a college town, you could try to make friends with whoever buys the booze for the Frat and see if you could get access to their allotment perks if they don't already use them (I'm not sure how many Frats are going to be worried about spending a few hundred $ on a single bottle of bourbon). 

[Clueby]

I've often thought of that. I'm sure there are people that buy for their company parties, weddings, etc. that could care less about allocated stuff.

[jvd99]

2 hours ago, Bnrhodes3 said:

 

I've been told by a few people that some Frats will come in and spend a few grand every weekend. So if you are near a college town, you could try to make friends with whoever buys the booze for the Frat and see if you could get access to their allotment perks if they don't already use them (I'm not sure how many Frats are going to be worried about spending a few hundred $ on a single bottle of bourbon). 

That’s digging deep for the unicorns

[Bnrhodes3]

2 hours ago, jvd99 said:

That’s digging deep for the unicorns

All a matter of perspective. I would say the people that follow delivery trucks around to get bottles to be a little off the deep end too, but that is all perspective again. Just depends on how much one wants something. I have my own disposable income, so I don't have any reason to go those routes haha.