Hey Guys-
We are sorry that we screwed up. We want to be perfect, but it sounds like we missed the mark. beermebeavis - feel free to give me a call. It sounds like you are unsatisfied and I can probably help more if you contact me directly.
My direct line is 651-289-9771 or email is Todd.Jackson@NorthernBrewer.com.
Cheers,
Todd Jackson
CS Manager
I sent an e-mail to NB. Gabe responded and is taking care of me. I’m happy.
Just wanted to toss in my two cents, mostly for people here that may have just started brewing, and/or started buying items from NB: I’ve been purchasing products from NB for 6 years, over $5,000 total, and can only recall one instance of being unsatisfied. I didn’t get a $25 gift card as part of a promotional buy. After contacting them, it was rectified timely, and they ended up giving me a $10 off code on my next buy.
I think we have all got to admit, having grains, hops, good live yeast, equipment, etc. delivered from around the planet, to my doorstep, in under a week?? Pretty complex processes to fulfill an order. They do seem to have good continues improvement strategies in place to deal with missteps and unhappy customers.
The only issue I ever had was the first immersion chiller I ordered leaked at the hose fittings. They replaced it immediately without question. Since then I’ve placed around a dozen orders and every one has been perfect. (Mostly equipment type purchases, as I get most of my ingredients either in bulk or from my LHBS.)
But I think it’s ok to make valid complaints on the forum. I just have a hard time believing one person could get so unlucky with orders when NB in general seems to get it right most of the time. Though probability works in ways that the human brain often has trouble grasping.
I know they are incredibly busy, and I know that humans make mistakes. I realize that sometimes my intolerance for non-perfection is a real flaw, something I’m working on. I must say that NB’s customer service is some of the best I’ve ever seen. They have bent over backwards on the orders that have not been correct.
I knew “I” would be “bashed” for saying anything against NB, so that’s not unexpected. But guess what- I’m tough.
As Beersk stated, part of the reason I said anything was
As far as “is it appropriate to say anything on this forum?” To quote Uncle Rico, “Free country! Can say anything I want!!”
…They can always kick me off the forum if they think I am inappropriate. Keep in mind that I have helped many people (most probably their customers) on here with my knowledge and experience.
I’ve placed a lot of orders with NB and I can honestly say I’ve never had anything screwed up and, living right next door in SD, I always get my stuff in two days. Now, I have had a couple of orders from Midwest (same company, essentially) that were wrong or a defective product, but they always took care of it quickly and satisfactorily.
Having said that, I would be frustrated too if I had several orders that were not right, no matter who the retailer was. I still do order from NB, but I’ve also been ordering from RiteBrew a lot lately. I really haven’t found anyone with cheaper prices. Shipping tends to cost more, but it usually balances out with the money you save on their products. And, if you do BIAB, they’ll double crush your grains for an almost inconsequential fee (like, 2 cents per pound or something).
Nothing wrong with shopping around and finding what works best for you.
I don’t think anyone was bashing you, and I really don’t see any issue with posting a complaint. Asking for recommendations for another online site struck me as a little tacky, and nothing more. Complaints certainly keep a retailer honest.
Best of luck finding a new online retailer, and I hope this doesn’t stop you from posting here. :cheers:
I am the lucky one here. NB’s S. Minneapolis store is only about a 10 min drive for me. The store is awesome and the staff is even better.
Cheers!
I am not trying to start a loyalty war here but there have been plenty of posts that talk about other brewing sites. This guy obviously has some issues with his ordering. With that said, I personally have never had any problems with NB. I see no problem with suggesting other competitors. That also keeps companies honest. As for this being “their site”. Of course it is! They wouldn’t have it any other way. They make money off this site. 
I have gotten a few Brewer’s Best kits from Label Peelers. They don’t quite have Northern Brewer’s variety of kits at this point.
From a somewhat neutral perspective, I would think any other company would have about the same percentage of issues as Northern Brewer.
I’m going to latch-on to the “person” taking the order. I have never phoned-in an order. I have never had a real person take my order; I’ve always entered my own order via the web, meaning I am the person taking the order. I know they have have a phone, I’ve just never used it.
I have also never experienced this “long-term issue” getting orders right.
How do you place your orders? Are you using an actual person at northern? Maybe that’s where the problem is…
Happy to say I have never had an issue with an order from NB.
Probably why I never order from anyone else.
I do wish the catalogs would tone down the wine / cigar types of tasting verbiage…I’m a brewer. Give me the stats and some of the flavors and that’s it.
I can’t stand the “J. Peterman” poetic descriptions. sigh.
[quote=“JMcK”]
I’m going to latch-on to the “person” taking the order. I have never phoned-in an order. I have never had a real person take my order; I’ve always entered my own order via the web, meaning I am the person taking the order. I know they have have a phone, I’ve just never used it.
I have also never experienced this “long-term issue” getting orders right.
How do you place your orders? Are you using an actual person at northern? Maybe that’s where the problem is…[/quote]
I have done a few phone orders due to severely outdated work computers and once during a NB sale that probably bogged down their server. I didn’t find it any better or worse than online ordering.
Glad you said that, and I totally agree. Seems like rather bad form to me as well.[/quote]
Same thought occurred to me as well. Its not about being a loyal customer, but about courtesy. They are being nice enough to host this site and let anyone use it, we could at least refrain from bashing them here.[/quote]
I kinda disagree.
I was on a 3D art site for years, they sold the content and had a free forum. Many Many people would talk about the items and sales at the other 3D sites, ask where they could get certain things and be told go to ??? to buy it. Hey XYZ is having a big art contest this month, etc…
Worked great for everyone! That 3d site did not complain about it at all and had the best forum and largest following and most sales, much of it because we could talk freely about anything and even say when things were wrong with their products and why they did not work well sometimes, then they would get things fixed.
When new management took over and allot changed many of us left, some folks even started a new forum of their own where many of us went. They lost allot of sales from many of us that had been loyal customers for years though we also bought some things elsewhere too, they had been getting 90% of our business up till the changes.
It’s also nothing new here to mention the competitors anyway.
Though I bought all my beer kits and most other stuff here, I have followed posts telling of other sites and sales.
I bought my 5 kegs elsewhere because of a post on this forum about a sale, I got a great price on them. I then bought 3 kits here once my kegs arrived!
So that got them a 3 kit sale because I bought those kegs, which I have still never used the kegs yet. I would never have bought the kegs here because I really could not afford the kegs at normal prices. I was able to afford 5 at the blowout prices elsewhere though!
