Be clear, I'm giving Pier Liquors a zero star review - it's just not an option on the rating meter. And I've never written a review on Yelp until now. Yes, Pier Liquors managed to reveal their complete ineptitude in such a profound way that I am actually taking time out of my day to write my first ever Yelp review. I will spare no details. The story follows, and always remember: with Pier Liquors, it could (and probably will) happen to you...
We search high and low for a keg of Harpoon Summer Beer, and order said keg on a Monday in preparation for a party we are holding on Saturday. We are told that it will be shipped by the distributor to be picked up the day of the festivities. We leave our phone number just in case there are any complications. This becomes very important later. On Saturday, the day of the party, the 4th of July weekend beach traffic is congesting all major routes down to Narragansett, the town in which Pier Liquors is located. No matter. The anticipated taste of Harpoon Summer Beer is already dominating my ability to think clearly, and the anticipation of revelry while enjoying such a fine brew with friends has me in a Zen like trance that an hour of beach traffic cannot penetrate. I arrive at Pier Liquors, stroll inside, and pleasantly ask a younger gentleman about the status of the keg. He calls an associate up from another part of the store and I inquire again about the status of the keg. The exchange follows, recollected to the best of my ability:
Me: 'We had ordered a keg of Harpoon Summer Beer for pickup today.'
Young male Pier Liquors employee: 'Oh, yeah, the distributor actually never sent that in. So we didn't get it.'
Now, recall how we left our phone number with them. Logic would suggest that they would go ahead and utilize methods of modern telecommunication and call us via the phone number provided in case of a delay or disruption in the shipment. Apparently, logic does not enter the vacuum that is Pier Liquors. So I ask the obvious question:
Me: 'You know, it would have been nice if you had let us know about this before I drove an hour down here the day of the party to pick this up.'
Young male Pier Liquors employee: 'We lost your phone number, so we couldn't call you.'
I immediately went to my happy place to keep from saying something I regretted. But consider the irony. This 'business' that is tasked with providing alcohol to the public cannot keep track of 7 consecutive digits? I was actually in awe of what I was being told. What followed almost knocked me off my feet.
Older female Pier Liquors employee: 'Yeah, keg didn't come in, not our problem.'
Not your problem? It's not your problem? The only logical conclusion from this statement is that it is my problem. In the universe I live in - and it's clearly not that one you inhabit - it's incumbent on the merchant to be responsible for orders that are lost in transit or never sent at all. This responsibility includes ensuring orders are going to be delivered accurately and contacting the customer in a reasonable time frame so other accommodations can be made in time. This responsibility is multiplied sevenfold when Harpoon Summer Beer is involved. This woman is telling me that it is my fault that Pier Liquors ceases to understand how to function correctly as a business. My anger is palpable at this point.
Young male Pier Liquors employee: 'We can give you a bunch of cases of beer and give you a discount.'
Me: 'OK...what kind of discount are we talking here? This party starts in two hours and it seems like you guys screwed me pretty nicely here.' (I'm thinking a 50% discount, or more, is in order)
Young male Pier Liquors employee: 'Like 5%'
Let's do some simple math, Pier. I'm not sure what the keg would have cost - let's just say $150 to keep it a round number. Assuming I purchased enough beer to equal the volume of a keg, and assuming the cost of this was also right around $150, Pier Liquors is offering me a 5% discount, or $7.50 off. I think the gas I used to get down to the store is worth more than $7.50. A 5% discount was almost more insulting than what had already transpired.
We exchange some more unpleasantries and I leave the store, vowing never to return again, and to warn others of the practices and attitude of this 'business.' So now you know. As for the party, we got resourceful and luckily located another keg in time for the festivities to go off without a hitch. Of course, I had to tell all 50 or so in attendance why there was no Harpoon Summer Beer. A few of them even remarked that Pier Liquors had done this kind of thing before to others, which I believe as I believe the sky is blue.
The moral of the story is this: do not give this place business of any kind. They do not deserve it. Do your best to relay this tale and prevent others from having to experience what my friends and I went through.
tl;dr: Don't shop at Pier Liquors read more
