The Grapevine

Being a Responsible Wine Shop Owner

May 15th, 2018

Apologies for a heavier-than-usual article today, but this is a topic we can’t ignore. [level-members]

And quite frankly, I’m not ever sure there’s a solid actionable item or take-away, which is usually what I’m shooting for when I decide what to write.

But as much as we focus on the positive aspects of wine and spirits, there is a downside. That downside includes the fact that about 36% of violent crime includes alcohol as a contributing factor. And the crimes are pretty grim, from drunk driving to child abuse to domestic violence, and on and on.

For most of us, we probably aren’t staring the problem in the face, at least not in any obvious sense, in our daily customer interactions. Most of us can probably tell a story or two of clients about whom we’ve had suspicions of a problem. And I hope we’ve all had the courage to say something when a problem becomes obvious.

That’s hard, of course, but it feels like the responsible thing to do. dBe a good neighbor, help someone who seems to be in distress, reach out to them and their loved ones. In short, do what you can.

In short, being responsible means taking responsibility for the reality that though we may be responsible in our sales practices, our customers may not always make the best choices. Whatever we can do to help, we should do to help. Right and wrong isn’t a legal concept here; it’s a matter of morality.

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