Urban Grape Discounts

[mr x]

This is one of the situations that should be more inclusive. If you're active on the forum, you've done some beer stuff with one of our guys, and IIRC, you used Brewnosers on a comp entry(?), you should be 'in' without question.

[Tony L]

This is one of the situations that should be more inclusive. If you're active on the forum, you've done some beer stuff with one of our guys, and IIRC, you used Brewnosers on a comp entry(?), you should be 'in' without question.

Oui to all three, and yes I consider myself a BrewNoser

[chalmers]

And I did meet Chalmers... if that counts for anything. lol.

Geez, you say that like it's a good thing!

I'm heading into NG tomorrow to grab some stuff, I'll see if they have any input for us and our plans.

ps. I'm heading back to your neck of the woods next month (either 3rd or 4th week of Feb). Think you might be available for a tasting?

[Tony L]

ps. I'm heading back to your neck of the woods next month (either 3rd or 4th week of Feb). Think you might be available for a tasting?

Not sure of my on call schedule just yet, but I have a couple of bottles of Storm Coffee Porter saved for you.

[Downs]

Maybe we need a secret handshake or password.

Hardly sure I qualify as a brewnoser actually, one of the reasons I don't welcome anybody in the welcome posts. (as I am only new here myself)

I am trying to get out again to a meeting and maybe even be someone's beer bitch.

Maybe that should be what is on my card ...

[mr x]

That's crazy. You're brewing beer, you been out with us for a few. You're in.

[vgoreham]

Well - to be honest I'm not really surprised they've found themselves in this situation. I was told about this forum (and encouraged to join the forum and take advantage of the discount) by an employee at our LHBS. I think what happened is that after advertising the group to everyone buying beer at the stores - eventually everyone was claiming the discount (even if they have only signed up for the forum and are purely lurking).

[mr x]

We definitely want to discourage that, so hopefully the changes we are making will out that to an end.

[Jimmy]

Ideally, everyone would get the discount, but only because of their participation in the club.

My thoughts; if you participate in the club in any manner, monthly meetings, informal meetings, forum discussion, brewing with club members, etc., then you qualify as a member.

If you're on the forums but find it difficult to make meets, etc and want to be considered a member, just post and stop lurking. It's not much to ask, considering this is a "community"

[vgoreham]

Ideally, everyone would get the discount, but only because of their participation in the club.

My thoughts; if you participate in the club in any manner, monthly meetings, informal meetings, forum discussion, brewing with club members, etc., then you qualify as a member.

If you're on the forums but find it difficult to make meets, etc and want to be considered a member, just post and stop lurking. It's not much to ask, considering this is a "community"

Yeah, there's a lot more to take from (and hopefully give to) the community than a small discount. That's my experience - even as a guy who's not to been any real-life meetings outside of group buy pickups...

[chalmers]

To re-animate this dead thread: I spoke with Mark H. at Noble Grape about how/what we can do going forward so this doesn't become an issue where "real" members will lose out on the perks because of others exploiting it. I brought up our ideas on a membership card or giving them an updated list with members names/nicknames/phone numbers. He took it all in, but didn't give me any indication that our discount is in jeopardy.
What had brought this to a head were some posts seen on Yelp (or the like) describing Noble Grape, and then mentioning to ask for the BN discount. Clearly not the intended target of the discount!
If I hear anything more, I'll be sure to post up and get everyone's reactions.

[TJ Brew]

I am still new to the Brewnoser's forum. I found the forum when looking for more information on how to start brewing with extracts and what is needed to do all grain brewing. I was speaking with one of the guys who work at NG the last time I was in to buy some supplies and he asked if I was registered on the forum. I have never asked for a discount, as I have not considered myself to be part of the "community" yet having only signed up for the forum. I have yet to be to a Tuesday Meeting, or meet any of you in person. I will remedy that come Sunday at Rockbottom though.

I agree with Chalmer's last post about supplying a list of nicknames/phone numbers. It would at least give NG a list of people registered on BN that they can compare to the people that are asking for the discount. It would be a starting point.

[jeffsmith]

So it sounds like Mark is fine with continuing with the way things are for the time being, knowing that we're willing to take the next step (cards/lists) should the need arise?

[benwedge]

What had brought this to a head were some posts seen on Yelp (or the like) describing Noble Grape, and then mentioning to ask for the BN discount. Clearly not the intended target of the discount!
If I hear anything more, I'll be sure to post up and get everyone's reactions.

I deleted the tip I'd left on foursquare - my general belief is that discounts should be shared. If their policies will cost us all the discount then that's not cool.

[BrooklandBrewer]

I'm new to Brewnosers and am from CB. I'd never ask for a discount as I am very new to the group. However, obviously it'd be impossible to make meetings in Halifax but my buddy and I (who is also a Brewnoser) meet often to discuss brewing and help each other with brewing. I'd even consider going to meetings in CB but I don't imagine there would be a big Brewnoser population in CB??? Anyway, I'm just glad to get some Brewnoser wisdom through the group and that should be a prize in itself.

[mr x]

Well, you've got a bit of a start on a local group, akin to the Aleanders and SAAZ groups. You may find enough people to start doing some group stuff. We can certainly help with the forum facilities.

[SteveH]

Hello. My name is Steven Haynes. For those of you who don’t know, I’m one of the owners of Noble Grape.

First off, I wanted to comment on a post...erslar00 mentioned that that we discontinued the beer kit stamp cards which is true.... but we absolutely honoured all of the cards that were out there. Not sure why you thought we didn’t, but just so you know... it isn't true.

As far as the accusation of "living in the past" goes, I humbly admit to this.

When we opened our first store in Cole Harbour in 1993, I was already an active member of the Brewnosers. As Jeff can attest, I am pretty close to being a founding member of this club (I know it was going on a little bit before I came along but not by much).

When we opened, we wanted to look after our "beer club friends" and entice them across the bridge (no easy task . We also wanted to help create some loyalty. The Brewnoser discount was born.
As we grew a little each year, we kept the discount in place.

The problem that we are experiencing now admittedly is the volume of people claiming to be Brewnosers. It feels like it's gotten out of control.

If you look up our Quinpool Rd store on “Four Square” (an app for getting tips about businesses), one of the first reviews contains the tip “don’t forget to ask for your Brewnoser discount”. We now even have mail order customers from other provinces who now claim to be members of the Halifax Brew Club.

You're right... I'm not sure that handing out a membership card to anyone who asks for one is the solution either.
I was hoping to get some suggestions from the group on ways that we can reel this in a little.
I mean, what are the criteria for even being a member? Is it simply having registered on this forum?
I don't think anyone can realistically expect us to offer a discount to anyone with an internet connection can they?

That was certainly never our intention. (and I apologize if this offends some people).
Remember... we started this discount because Brewnosers was "our" local club and we knew everyone by name.
We had a couple dozen people who really appreciated beer and brewing.
In my opinion (and again, I mean no offense), the club feels like it has taken on a "bulk buying group" persona. I feel as though there has become an "us against them" attitude towards us from some members and it really worries and saddens me.

A lot of the comments I see posted are very negative towards us and I just don't understand where it is coming from. People use words like "need for profit" and "greedy" like we're Walmart or something. We are not a franchise. We are not a big business. We are a small business. We are 2 guys who have been slugging it out for close to 20 years trying to make a living with a hobby we love. We're not rich. We're not even close. We both have mortgages on our houses and loans on our cars.... just like everyone else.

In the beginning, Brewnosers were partly responsible for nurturing our brewing passion. The truth is, we probably wouldn't have made it this far if it wasn't for drinking "weird beers" in Jeff's kitchen 20 years ago.

I also believe that we have done a lot for this hobby in Nova Scotia. We have been offering a better variety than is available in most regions since the beginning. This has I'm sure, created passionate brewers and helped developed the interest required to even have a club like this.

What have we done to warrant the negativity? (I am speaking specifically to the people consistently posting negative comments and speaking negatively about us) All we’ve ever done is try to offer the best variety we can and a club discount? I just don't understand where it's coming from.

I will acknowledge that there probably have been occasionally minor issues with various staff members that might be contributing to this. I am not making excuses for bad customer service, but try to understand their perspective: Sometimes people walk in on a busy day with 2 “all grain” recipes and expect staff to be able to put them together on the spot. This just isn't practical. It takes too long. We can not possibly have enough staff on hand to accommodate this type of service. It is a self serve bulk section. You are welcome to serve yourself or, if you'd prefer, give us some notice. We can often have it crushed and ready when you arrive. (This is a service I've never seen at another home brew shop, btw). Unfortunately, this “extra” service we try to offer when we can, sometimes leaves people angry with us when we can’t. Staff have even had people bring grain into our shops for crushing, purchased from other sources, who get irritated when they offer to let them do it themselves, instead of doing it for them.

Which brings me to my next point: We admit that we are not always the cheapest source for everything. Bulk grain purchases and ‘on-line mail order’ shops that don’t even have a store front will undoubtedly be cheaper than us from time to time. We have to run a business. We can’t tell you where to shop, but please try to understand that there are costs associated with running retail stores (that are open to the public) that these other businesses do not share. Please don’t resent us for occasionally being a little bit more expensive than a mail order business with no overhead. This being said, if there are specific items that you wish to buy on a regular basis, email Mark or myself… we might be able to match the price.

Anyway, just wanted to try to clarify our position and try to point out that we're not the bad guys. We love this hobby as much as the next guy…. So much so in fact, that we have tried to turn it into a career and so far, have done ok.

Getting back to my original point: If anyone has any suggestions or comments about the discount policy... I would LOVE to hear them. This has become on issue that we need to deal with.

Sincerely,
Steven Haynes
Noble Grape (and Brewnoser since 1989)

[SteveH]

And thank you for your post Jeff! I appreciate the understanding.
Steve

[RubberToe]

Thanks for the post, Steve. It's cool to see the history there.

I know people crap on NG, not really sure why. Sure, some prices are more expensive, but your beer ingredients are pretty good and there's no one local with even close to your selection. I'd certainly hate to see that change and outside of the group buys I get pretty much all my stuff from you. I'm in there every other week or so to pick something up. It's not big bucks but I'd rather support the local guy when I have a choice.

Thanks for the discount too, it always makes me heppy to go back!
-Rob

[bluenose]

I don't think anyone will argue with an entrepreneur trying to make a living, and those who do are either jealous or have no idea how hard it is. I try to buy local whenever I can, but sometimes the economics get the better of me.

Just throwing this out there, but what if Noble Grape helped organize group buys for their Brewnoser brothers... might be a way for everyone to win a little...

[Jimmy]

Good to see you posted Steve.

As far as the discount is concerned, I don't think there is a clear line as to what constitutes a member of this club. If someone joins this forum, contributes on a regular basis, but doesn't live near another BrewNoser (thus not being able to attend meetings), are they not a member?....I'd definitely consider them one. But at the same time, there are members who don't want to visit the forum, but participate in meetings or other club gatherings...they should be considered members as well.

We now have members all across the Atlantic Provinces, all contributing to the club in different ways. If someone calls NG from NFLD, Ontario, Quebec, or wherever, and asks for the BrewNosers discount after joining the forums, participating in a meeting, or talking to a club member, then why not offer the discount? In the long run it's another person supporting NG, that may have otherwise, been shopping elsewhere. Even if it was just a matter of one BrewNosers mentioning the discount to a friend who is thinking about getting in to brewing..that discount might be the thing that drives that customer to NG instead of shopping elsewhere. Is it right that anyone who asks for the discount should get it? No. But in the long run, it is growing the community and is business that may have went elsewhere.

Anyway, I for one appreciate the discount. I shop at NG in Clayton Park as much as possible, and have always been happy with the service.

[derek]

I don't think anyone will argue with an entrepreneur trying to make a living, and those who do are either jealous or have no idea how hard it is. I try to buy local whenever I can, but sometimes the economics get the better of me.

Just throwing this out there, but what if Noble Grape helped organize group buys for their Brewnoser brothers... might be a way for everyone to win a little...

Why would we even want to do that? They couldn't sell us malt for the price Robert does, so we (who as a group are likely their best customers) would be basically giving them a gift.

Patronizing NG is not "buying local", but I do it regularly anyway, because they're the best source of small quantities of just about everything.

[sleepyjamie]

It's unfortuante that people are spreading negativity about NG. I've always had good customer service from them. They were the first to guide me into the brewing process a few years back and have always been helpful. They always greet me whenever I come in the door and sometimes if they aren't busy I usually chit chat with them. I usually pre-order everything via email and mark or steve always has it ready within a few days, and sometimes shipped to cole harbour when i ask. I don't expect all of their employees to be completely trained in every aspect of brewing, and why should i? I don't know any business in atlantic canada which provides such great service as these guys. Sure you might run into a few employees that probably need a bit more education, but what business doesn't?

[BrooklandBrewer]

Good to see you posted Steve.

As far as the discount is concerned, I don't think there is a clear line as to what constitutes a member of this club. If someone joins this forum, contributes on a regular basis, but doesn't live near another BrewNoser (thus not being able to attend meetings), are they not a member?....I'd definitely consider them one. But at the same time, there are members who don't want to visit the forum, but participate in meetings or other club gatherings...they should be considered members as well.

We now have members all across the Atlantic Provinces, all contributing to the club in different ways. If someone calls NG from NFLD, Ontario, Quebec, or wherever, and asks for the BrewNosers discount after joining the forums, participating in a meeting, or talking to a club member, then why not offer the discount? In the long run it's another person supporting NG, that may have otherwise, been shopping elsewhere. Even if it was just a matter of one BrewNosers mentioning the discount to a friend who is thinking about getting in to brewing..that discount might be the thing that drives that customer to NG instead of shopping elsewhere. Is it right that anyone who asks for the discount should get it? No. But in the long run, it is growing the community and is business that may have went elsewhere.

Anyway, I for one appreciate the discount. I shop at NG in Clayton Park as much as possible, and have always been happy with the service.

Totally agree Jimmy. I, being from Cape Breton, am fairly new to the forums but participate fairly regularly when I can. I order everything through Noble Grape but have not mentioned the discount due to the "discount feud" that has arised. Even though I cannot attend regular meetings, and what not, due to geography I still would hope to be considered a "Brewnoser". I feel as though the discount offered (being 10-15%) will boost NG sales in the long run by consistently attracting new clients and keeping regulars satisfied. It is good business. I think maybe if someone is a verified user on the forums (participates regularly) that you could maybe have a list in your computer or something that allows the discount to be automatically applied to that person when they place their order. Again, I am fairly new so don't take my opinion to the bank but all in all I appreciate having a maritime business dedicated to brewing! Thanks for all you do!

[Tim Gregory]

Noble Grape is definitely a great resource and I appreciate the discount.

I doubt very many of us would ever have started brewing without NG.