I'm done with my LHBS

[Bad Goat Brewing]

I like the guys at my LHBS, but I'm often disappointed when I go there. My main complaint is with the yeast. They frequently don't have what I want, the amount I want, or it is 5 or six months old. I asked about special ordering yeast so I would have what I want on brew day, they said they could do that, but i'd have to come in and pay the Friday before. I'd be willing to prepay over the phone, but I'm not taking two trips the brew shop for yeast. And if I can't get the yeast I want there, FedEx can bring me my grain to me as well.

[mobrewer]

I can understand prepaying if it's a brand they don't normally carry. For example, they carry White Labs but the strain you need is Wyeast.

[AbacusBrewingCo]

This is the trouble with trying to marry the economics of small, local business with the inventory/customer service expectations of big box/online retail... Your concern is 100% valid, but unfortunately it's incredibly difficult to get everything you want all at once.

In my experience (in everything, not just homebrewing) usually you get two out of three of: quality (in this case the exact sku you want and fresh) convenience (being local), and low cost (opportunity cost of going to the store twice, waiting for a special order), so there's your two.

[Bobbie Dooley]

This is the trouble with trying to marry the economics of small, local business with the inventory/customer service expectations of big box/online retail... Your concern is 100% valid, but unfortunately it's incredibly difficult to get everything you want all at once.

In my experience (in everything, not just homebrewing) usually you get two out of three of: quality (in this case the exact sku you want and fresh) convenience (being local), and low cost (opportunity cost of going to the store twice, waiting for a special order), so there's your two.

Or they can just be cool about people supporting LHBS when they can get stuff cheaper online and trust the guy to be good for the order until he gets on the naughty list. They can always stock the thing for months afterward if he doesn't buy it.

[AbacusBrewingCo]

No argument about that, especially if he's a regular customer. Also, my comment wasn't a criticism of OP, it was a general point about local businesses vs big box/online retail.

[Bad Goat Brewing]

This is the trouble with trying to marry the economics of small, local business with the inventory/customer service expectations of big box/online retail... Your concern is 100% valid, but unfortunately it's incredibly difficult to get everything you want all at once.

In my experience (in everything, not just homebrewing) usually you get two out of three of: quality (in this case the exact sku you want and fresh) convenience (being local), and low cost (opportunity cost of going to the store twice, waiting for a special order), so there's your two.

For any other business I deal for work or hobbies I can call with a CC number, or they just trust me to pay when I pick it up. I'm only talking about 2 to 6 packs of yeast. I'm not trying to rag on them, they are really helpful, I just think they could be more organized.

Two trips is one more than i'm willing to make.

[AbacusBrewingCo]

That is where I do agree with you, since you're clearly making an effort to continue patronizing their business, and that implies to me that you're a pretty loyal customer of theirs, it doesn't seem at all unreasonable for them to pre-order something on your behalf and collect payment at pick-up

[spiderwrangler]

it doesn't seem at all unreasonable for them to pre-order something on your behalf and collect payment at pick-up

I believe he said he was willing to pay when he ordered, but they wouldn't take his credit card over the phone, and required him to be there in person to pay and order, then come back to pick it up, which is a bit odd. Perhaps just some straight talking with them would get them to change this policy. Especially if you were dealing with one of the guys low on the hierarchy there, he may not know if/how he can take cc info over the phone?