Some Wineries Get It...and Others Are Clueless....

Customer relations, that is.
It never ceases to amaze me how some wineries do it right. Last week was a good example.
We'd tasted the new TablasCreek wines and my group really liked them. Had orders for 5 cs worth, some of which were rather limited allocations. I e-mailed Darren to see if my limits could be stretched a bit. Within 15 min, I got a reply from JasonHaas that he knew some people in high places at TCV who could probably help me out!!
That same day, I got in the mail a nice postcard from SamBilbro/Idlewild that crush was complete and the fires were out & he was doing some stocktaking and just wanted to thank my group for their support over the yrs. Just out of the blue.
Folks like these two; Carlisle/Ridge/Ryme/LimerickLane/Marietta/EdmundsStJohn/Lagier-Meredith/Forlorn-Hope...there are others...all know that that little touch can make a difference. Just BasicMarketing101.

It never ceases to amaze me how some wineries don't get it. I few weeks ago, I had a WashState Syrah that really impressed me. I sent the owner/winemaker my grandoise TN and my compliments on how good a Syrah it was. I was going to order some of his other wines to try. His response...nada. Needless to say....I wrote this wnry off. Same story a few months before w/ a new wnry whose wine I rather liked. Again no response.

I do try to cut some of these wineries some slack. Sometimes it's some low-level office functionary who intercepts all incoming e-mails and doesn't bother to knock them upstairs. I can understand. But the owner should make it clear to them that when someone reaches out to them, they should do more than just add the e-mail to the mailing list.

Tom

[David M. Bueker]

Apparently you don't.

I wonder how many full time employees that Washington winery has. Maybe the winemaker was busy making wine. I struggle with the idea that you would write off a winery because they did not respond to flattery.

Just saying.

Apparently you don't.
I wonder how many full time employees that Washington winery has. Maybe the winemaker was busy making wine. I struggle with the idea that you would write off a winery because they did not respond to flattery.

Just saying.

Flattery: excessive and insincere praise, especially that given to further one's own interests.

I suppose.
Tom

[David M. Bueker]

Your list of wineries that "get it" is at odds with other reports.

I got an e-mail from the said wnry last night thanking me for my note.
When I sent them my TN to their e-mail as listed on their WebSite, it was bounced.
So I went thru their contact page on the WebSite itself. It, too, presumably had the same e-mail address
and didn't go thru, although the WebSite automatic response thanked me for communicating.

So the said wnry was not clueless..it was a technical glitch that the e-mail address was not working
that resulted in no response. She even offered to send me their newest Malbec that was concrete
frmtd.

That said, my comments still stand. I've had enough wineries who fail to respond to my comments
when I reach out. Once even directly to my face. But, by & large, most of them do "get it".
Most winemakers are interested in what their customers have to say, has been my experience.
Some, even to the extent, they will take the time w/ a handwritten note. Nobody writes a note
anymore save a precious few that know the value of that gesture. Even if it's nothing more than
writing on the bottom of your packing slip "Thanks for your order. Let me know if you enjoy the wines".
Those small gestures can have an impact.

It's always worth telling somebody when they're doing a good job, winemakers, growers, or what ever.
Even if it's the barrista at BetterDayCoffee, or the guy who makes my grilled cheese samwich
at the Murray's Chhese Bar. It makes the World a much better place.
Tom