Wine Shop Service

Lately, I've noticed more and more that when I walk into a wine shop (not a BAWS) I can shop/browse endlessly without ever being approached by staff asking if I need any assistance. It doesn't only happen to me, but other customers as well. I my not be your typical customer, but I like to have the clerks/owners at least give me the opportunity to ask questions and/or seek suggestions on their inventory or generally engage in wine-talk. When I was ITB, we almost always approached customers at some point during their visit. If they wanted help, fine. If not, that was fine as well. In my mind this is one thing that distinguishes the small shop from the mega-stores and this failure to provide service is not in the best interest of wine retail, especially the smaller operations.
Do you see the same trend or is this a local phenom?
Bill

I've found over the years that even the better wine specialty shops in the Boston area have slowly phased out the staff of knowledgeable wine people on the sales floor. I really don't want to name names but in just about every shop that I visit I notice fewer and fewer real wine guys than 10 or 20 years ago. I've found that most wine shops now try to provide key information via emails several times a week and they hope you come into the store requiring little assistance.

Tom T.

As I posted on another thread, on our first visit to brand new Whole Foods in Portland, ME recently; the wine guy approached me as I was looking around with a $10 U.S. Spainiard in my hand. He was handling wines that ranged from the one I was holding up to $200. He was very helpful and seemed to know quite a bit about the whole inventory.

Being used to experiences like those above, it was a pleasant surprise.

[Robin Garr]

Do you see the same trend or is this a local phenom?

Not applicable here at several of the smaller wine-geek shops that I love, but I think the trend toward staff reductions (and lower pay for less skilled floor staff) is pretty much a national scandal in retail in general, not just wine retail.

[David M. Bueker]

Real story from last week:

In a shop in Western, MA with which I am unfamiliar. In a hurry and need to find what they have in Burgundy. Ask young-ish salesperson to point out the area where I can locate the Burgundies. His response: "Is that wine?"