LCBO website is misinforming consumers

Belgian · Post by **Belgian** » Sat Mar 05, 2005 9:04 pm

Disturbing news; the current website now omits some items that ARE in stores. I tried to search Dogfish Head, and got:

"0 result found for "Dogfish Head"
We could not find a match for your search criteria.'

This is pure bull because DFH Raison D'etre is in some stores and was recently on the website - and because anyone who is looking for a convenient buying location will now assume it's sold out. I also tested a few more searches, and found missing Mahr's, Weltenburger, and Rodenbach, beers I 've seen in stores as recently as yesterday.

This is a website no doubt considered reliable by people wanting to check for availability online. Chimay Blue Cap did turn up on the site, so the inconsistency just reinforces the misinformation. If any item like this is in stores, then why shouldn't the website say so??

I find it irresponsible of the LCBO to practically lie to (or certainly mislead) its retail market. As our big shiny monopoly retailer, being this sloppy an institution they hurt everyone all down the line:
- the brewers,
- the importers,
- the taxpayers, and
- the consumers,
ALL of which are integral to the brewing industry. Product must be given a fair representation or everyone loses, LCBO.

Bobbyok · Post by **Bobbyok** » Sun Mar 06, 2005 11:18 am

This came up a couple weeks back when I was checking to see if Orval or RGC were still around anywhere. Apparently they take the seasonal releases off the website before they have actually sold out. Peter from Esprit mentioned there were over 200 cases of Orval still in the system despite the fact that it was taken off the web inventory. The Raison D'Etre would be gone from the web for the same reason.

Peter actually sent an e-mail address and phone number for people to call and register a complaint. Here is his post on the subject from the Fall Releases topic:

All of the Winter beers are in stock including Orval...in fact, there are over 200 cases of Orval in the province including some still in the Ottawa warehouse. Call the Infoline at 1-800-668-5226 or 416-365-5900. If any of you like, you can write to kathy.messersmith@lcbo.com. and chris.robertson@lcbo.com. who are the Product and Category Managers for Beer and ask them why these items get dropped from the website. I've addressed the issue on numerous occasions but nothing has happened so it does not appear to be a priority to have accurate inventory info on the site. As an agent, I am frustrated that I have get numerous calls asking about a product and even I myself have to call the Infoline during the hours they are open in order to get inventory info.

Publican · Post by **Publican** » Sun Mar 06, 2005 11:35 am

Not all seasonal releases have been taken off the LCBO's website. I Just found Adnams SSB listed.

JerCraigs · Post by **JerCraigs** » Sun Mar 06, 2005 9:53 pm

Sending an email to the LCBO expressing your concern is doubly effective since it tells them a) you like good beer and want to be able to find it, and b) that you consider the web site inventory and important tool and would like it to be accurate.

Beer Geek · Post by **Beer Geek** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 5:31 pm

I would agree that the site is very inconsistent. I was actually able to find some Rogue Chocolate Stout from the fall release on the site a couple of weeks ago. I found 4 of them in Brockville, luckily my sister works in Brockville and was able to pick them up for me. She found them in the clearance bin…..score!

esprit · Post by **esprit** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 6:50 pm

I don't want to stir things up because I get in enough trouble with the powers that be at the LCBO but this website product search issue has been eating away at me for a few years now. The issue is purely technical. Once a seasonal product is sold out of the warehouse, the Product Management people de-list it so that stores and their automated re-order systems don't continue ordering it. That triggers it's removal from the site....or so I've been told. Wnat doesn't make sense is why? VINTAGES has wines which are still searchable on the site 1 or 2 years after their release. What de-listing has to do with searchability is beyond me but no one at the LCBO seems to really care about this or at least their responses to my inquiries seem to indicate this. The response I always get is "you can call the Infoline"....why on earth would a consumer call the Infoline about a product which the website says doesn't exist any more? Again, I'll not be popular with my friends at the LCBO but if you care about this issue, write to them and let them know and don't take the Infoline as an answer because that's not answer.

esprit · Post by **esprit** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 6:58 pm

P.S....Belgian, write to the addresses given and see what they have to tell you and then maybe share with us.

Belgian · Post by **Belgian** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 9:44 pm

esprit wrote: The issue is purely technical. Once a seasonal product is sold out of the warehouse, the Product Management people de-list it so that stores and their automated re-order systems don't continue ordering it. That triggers it's removal from the site....or so I've been told. Wnat doesn't make sense is why? VINTAGES has wines which are still searchable on the site 1 or 2 years after their release.

They keep a zero inventory listing of many wines long gone.

They keep listing ONE of the Winter Warmers, Chimay Bleu, omitting others.

Who is picking and choosing such inconsistent candidates for listing? That's insane!!!

Re: the LCBO "automated re-order systems" excuse of theirs - okay, but their internal problem does not and SHOULD not concern me as a consumer, and my interests come before theirs because they (as a government body) belong to us, are accountable to US, first. They should deal with it, and their's is a lame run-around excuse which they shouldn't even bring it to us as a problem. Poor service attitude.

esprit wrote:The response I always get is "you can call the Infoline"....why on earth would a consumer call the Infoline about a product which the website says doesn't exist any more?

That's my point really. If people are told an available product doesn't EXIST, sales of the brewer's product suffer, you suffer, we suffer, and all this stale, dusty merchandise is spoiled and thrown away; a pointless loss at the taxpayer's expense. (It may even hinder product repeats, as it skews the popularity/sales data. "Gee, we had all this Rodenbach left over last time, let's not order THAT ever again!")

IF the LCBO can afford million dollar store remodellings and print incredibly beautiful free literature, all out of OUR tax dollars... then why oh WHY can't they do what we're PAYING them to do and provide an accurate website and clear open policy - with no bandaids slapped on it, no infoline BS, no doubletalk or backpedalling.

And anyway what does this say about our government, and what it is worth to us? Do they not in this case act stupidly, waste lots of money, and run us in circles if we question why?

esprit wrote:What de-listing has to do with searchability is beyond me but no one at the LCBO seems to really care about this.

Because they still have their jobs.

Believe me, I certainly feel bad for you, and even send no ill will to anyone working hard at LCBO. But we must encourage public pressure to reform LCBO's poor and inconsistent management. Half an effort does not fly in their priviledged position; all the glossy brochures will never change that basic inadequacy.

Bobbyok · Post by **Bobbyok** » Tue Mar 08, 2005 8:48 am

Apparently it's not just the customers - my brother-in-law is in Ottawa as we speak and just sent me a message saying that the clerk at the store (he didn't mention which store) he checked couldn't find any Orval in the inventory system at all. I'm assuming that isn't true since there were 200 cases or more available just a couple weeks ago.

I'll be sending that e-mail now.

esprit · Post by **esprit** » Tue Mar 08, 2005 11:23 am

Well, I'm not sure what the clerk in the Ottawa store was checking. Perhaps he was checking his own store inventory because, as far as I know, store personnel have access to the same inventory info as the Infoline, that is, actual inventory, not the website hit and miss inventory that we plebes access. As of today, there are 166 cases or Orval scattered around the province in various stores.

joey_capps · Post by **joey_capps** » Tue Mar 08, 2005 4:12 pm

Bobbyok wrote:Apparently it's not just the customers - my brother-in-law is in Ottawa as we speak and just sent me a message saying that the clerk at the store (he didn't mention which store) he checked couldn't find any Orval in the inventory system at all. I'm assuming that isn't true since there were 200 cases or more available just a couple weeks ago.

I'll be sending that e-mail now.

I saw a bunch of Orval today in Hamilton.

Philip1 · Post by **Philip1** » Tue Mar 08, 2005 11:09 pm

Beer Geek wrote:I would agree that the site is very inconsistent. I was actually able to find some Rogue Chocolate Stout from the fall release on the site a couple of weeks ago. I found 4 of them in Brockville, luckily my sister works in Brockville and was able to pick them up for me. She found them in the clearance bin…..score!

How did you know the store in Brockville had it? I haven't seen a feature on their website that tells you which locations the product is available in. Though when I click on the name of the product after finding it in my search the screen always goes completely white - perhaps a problem with my computer. Is that where the info on specific store products is supposed to be?

GregClow · Post by **GregClow** » Wed Mar 09, 2005 1:06 am

Philip1 wrote:I haven't seen a feature on their website that tells you which locations the product is available in. Though when I click on the name of the product after finding it in my search the screen always goes completely white - perhaps a problem with my computer. Is that where the info on specific store products is supposed to be?

Yes, it sounds like your computer or browser is having a problem with the Javascript that is triggered by clicking on a product name in the search results. You're supposed to get a page with some info about the product (brewery name & location, etc.) and a "Store Inventory" section with a drop-down list of cities & towns. You can select "All Cities" or a specific one, click "Find Stores", and it will show you a list of stores that carry the item or have it in stock (you can choose to see either).

Check which browser version you're running, you might need to upgrade.

Philip1 · Post by **Philip1** » Wed Mar 09, 2005 5:40 pm

Thanks Greg, I'll look into that.

Beer Geek · Post by **Beer Geek** » Wed Mar 09, 2005 10:53 pm

Philip1 wrote: How did you know the store in Brockville had it? I haven't seen a feature on their website that tells you which locations the product is available in. Though when I click on the name of the product after finding it in my search the screen always goes completely white - perhaps a problem with my computer. Is that where the info on specific store products is supposed to be?

What Greg said! It's probably your browser.