The Bar Towel

So, I’ve done three online orders, one for home delivery and two for store delivery. The home delivery went off without a hitch. The first store delivery resulted in me getting a nice case of Spanish wine instead of the beer I ordered. Turns out they screwed up the paperwork, which we eventually sorted out. For my second online order recently, I got an email saying my beer was in. Went to the store and was told no, the only beer we have is under the name so-and-so. Went back a few days later and it’s the same thing, the only beer we have is under the name so-and-so. But, this time they asked me what was in my order. Turns out it was my beer all along, just under the wrong name. Anyone else experienced problems with the online ordering service?

BeerIsGood wrote:So, I’ve done three online orders, one for home delivery and two for store delivery. The home delivery went off without a hitch. The first store delivery resulted in me getting a nice case of Spanish wine instead of the beer I ordered. Turns out they screwed up the paperwork, which we eventually sorted out. For my second online order recently, I got an email saying my beer was in. Went to the store and was told no, the only beer we have is under the name so-and-so. Went back a few days later and it’s the same thing, the only beer we have is under the name so-and-so. But, this time they asked me what was in my order. Turns out it was my beer all along, just under the wrong name. Anyone else experienced problems with the online ordering service?

I’ve been told similar things. The system seems different based on the store you choose for delivery. I often work near the one on Brock in Pickering. The manager there calls me when my special orders are in. When I arrive for pick-up, it is a crap-shoot as to how quickly I’ll get the bottle/s. Some employees seem to have no idea where it is or how to process the pick-up. With others, it is quick and easy.

Now, when I have done it the one time near my home at the new location on Yonge, north of Lawrence, I got no call, no email. I went in a couple weeks later and asked at the cash and someone went to get the bottle for me. This was a bourbon lottery win though, so perhaps a little different? The store is very new though, and I may have been the first customer to use the service. Who knows?

I have done several in-store orders without any issues. everything is done via email. you walk up to a cashier and tell them you have an order waiting, they ask your name, you show id, they ask if anything is missing, you say no and that's all there is to it

just a tip since we're talking about in-store delivery, you can circumvent the Buck-a-beer sale (if it ever comes back) by placing an online order and have it delivered to your local LCBO. Henninger, DAB, No Name, etc. are decent beers for house guests or just filler beers.

I strongly object to DAB being on a list with No Name beer. DAB is very good, imo.

I've done loads of online orders with a decent success rate. I think I've only ever had two messed up orders. One where the wrong box had my name on it, but they had the right one in the store so it wasn't a big deal. Label must have just fallen on the ground or something. The other was a special release where my order got "cancelled" then I got a note saying it was in store, but only half of it showed up. They charged me correctly, so no biggie. So in general my experience has been positive (so much better than before this was even an option) but the failure rate is enough that I don't take it for granted each time. You gotta check the boxes.

Craig wrote:I strongly object to DAB being on a list with No Name beer. DAB is very good, imo.

I've done loads of online orders with a decent success rate. I think I've only ever had two messed up orders. One where the wrong box had my name on it, but they had the right one in the store so it wasn't a big deal. Label must have just fallen on the ground or something. The other was a special release where my order got "cancelled" then I got a note saying it was in store, but only half of it showed up. They charged me correctly, so no biggie. So in general my experience has been positive (so much better than before this was even an option) but the failure rate is enough that I don't take it for granted each time. You gotta check the boxes.

I find No Name Beer inoffensive, it's just a boosted Euro Lager. I am a scrooge

https://on.thegrowler.ca/2019/12/07/hop ... ZW-H6Lwr3w

I've done 5-10 store pickups and the product was always correct. The pickup process on the other hand is terrible.

When I present with my order confirmation email I am met with a combination of confusion/skepticism/annoyance. It's 5-10 mins of asking others what to do. Much confusion about whether it's a Vintages, Same-Day Pickup or Web order.
At my local they put the Web orders in these purpose-built wooden cabinets. The cabinets are opaque and each has a unique key. And there's no rhyme or reason to where orders are placed. So it's another 5-10 mins of poking through each cabinet to find the right box.
Then we walk back to the cash registers to sign the paper work.
I am usually told at least once throughout the process that the order has probably not arrived and I have to do my best to keep the employee committed to the task.

However, for my last pickup I was blown away as the clerk was on the ball and I was in and out in 5 mins.

beerstodiscover wrote:I've done 5-10 store pick ups and the product was always correct. The pick up process on the other hand is a terrible...

One store kindly offered to put a hold on a case for me, and then called me to come get it any time - but when I arrived that same day, they said it was still in the pallet and they would not be breaking it down that day. Totally unapologetic, no sense of doing that all wrong.

As much as the LC has evolved from a completely backwards Soviet-style embarrassment to something more resembling a retail operation, they really fail hard whenever it's not something the store staff don't do every day. They often lack any kind of service attitude that is sympathetic to the customer.

Belgian wrote:They often lack any kind of service attitude that is sympathetic to the customer.

This has not been my general experience. If I go into a store knowing they have stock of something, but can't find it, almost always I get good service when I ask someone about it. I've had situations where they went out back for quite a while and finally found what I wanted. It helps to show them that the website is showing stock at their store.

I don't mind if it takes a few minutes to find my box, it's a new process for everyone involved. Generally it takes about 10 minutes to find my order, so I'm usually out the doors in 15.

My problem is that my orders often have items cancelled on me without notice. I have 4 orders being processed right now, and so far 2 of them have cancelled items. I know that they had plenty of stock at the time that I placed my order, so now I'm wondering if they prioritize home delivery orders. I'm bummed out because the bottles that get cancelled are always the rare ones and usually the reason for the order. Today I'm going to go pick up 2 partial orders that are almost entirely "filler" bottles that I bought to reach the $50 minimum. I think for future orders with "important" bottles I'll pay for the home shipping and see if I get better results.

S. St. Jeb wrote:If I go into a store knowing they have stock of something, but can't find it, almost always I get good service when I ask someone about it. I've had situations where they went out back for quite a while and finally found what I wanted. It helps to show them that the website is showing stock at their store.

Yep they are batting 1000 for me in this regard as well, but it usually takes a little convincing a la "This is a new product, I'm pretty sure you just received it and it may be in the stockroom."

I'll say LCBO generally has better service than most retailers of this scale. However, the web order pickup process needs some serious optimization.

beerstodiscover wrote:a la "This is a new product, I'm pretty sure you just received it and it may be in the stockroom."

LOL, yes, I have done exactly this.