Loyalty.....Does It Mean Nothing?

Amended

Okay so I have had a few days to cool off and look at things reasonably….I am still kinda hurt but nowhere near as angry as I was when I wrote this post…..I don’t believe in changing or deleting because I see this as some sort of strange diary but I did want to add my much cooler comments.

I was acting a bit like a spoiled brat….part of the reason I felt I could was because this importer spoils us like crazy…a few days of level headedness has shown me that. We are treated better than anyone, our allocations are more than generous, they hold things for us when we can’t afford to take them and they never bust our asses when we are behind on payment. They are my perfect partner in the French department and I was being a bit of a turd! I still hate having to go to a tasting at another shop…..but for these guys I can suck it up for a day.
Now feel free to read on and enjoy my little tirade!!!

Loyalty, Does It Mean Anything?

I just received an invitation to a tasting being put on by one of my favorite importers, normally a pretty exciting thing for me but as I scanned the invite I was punched in the stomach when I saw that the tasting was being held at another wine store?! Huh? Not only am I supposed to enter another store to taste the wines but I have to stand there knowing that they are being paid by said importer to host the event……wow that sucks.

I know our little store is a touch out of the way which is why I almost never pout when this importer does events with winemakers in LA never even bothering to bring those winemakers to our store…..it is a drive I know and we are not in Los Angeles but man, we have been advocates for those estates for years, what gives? I respect the fact that time is money and everyone is busy….shit I am too and here I am now expected to spend my time off driving out to LA again, (and don’t get me wrong the wines are great) leaving our little store short staffed, not there to sell my wines in order to taste wines being showcased at another wine store…..WTF?!

Well, I’m pouting now and seriously thinking of passing on the tasting for the first time in I don’t know how long….feels horrible but I am at a loss. I’m not asking to be paid to host an event, (honestly I would never host a trade tasting at our store….too much of a conflict in my opinion) but it would be really cool to know that years of devotion would warrant a visit or two when you have winemakers in town, (meeting those guys helps me sell more wine) or at the very least not being faced with the choice that is before me now…..guess loyalty loses out to the all mighty dollar….kind of sad

I just want to thank all of our loyal customers for sticking by us even when they might be able to find a wine for a dollar less somewhere else…..means the world to me, it really does. I promise to never compromise by integrity by filling the store with cheap wines that taste just, “ok” in an effort to prove to you that your years of trust and loyalty are not being taken advantage of…..

Lesson Learned…….Deflated