What Are Your Thoughts On The New VIP Mugs?
VIP WBT Members. What are your thoughts on the new VIP Mugs that are going to be implemented?
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BLOG.OLDCHICAGOTOUR.COM: What Are Your Thoughts On The New VIP Mugs?
Whats the new VIP mugs? I haven't heard anything about them yet
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Existing VIP Mugs are given to World Beer VIP Tour Members who have completed 10 complete tours. The mugs are approximately 35 oz in size and are filled for the price of a pint.
Corporate has notified VIP members that due to mug supplier issues that these mugs will be discontinued and replaced with mugs supplied by a different supplier. The mugs are going to be shaped like a keg. No volume size has been mentioned yet. They say that the mugs are supposed to be better insulated to keep your beer colder. Old mugs can be kept by members but no longer be in use. The new mugs will still be filled for the price of a pint.
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It's hard to know what to think until we get more information. The rumor seems to be that the new VIP mug will be at least 10 ounces smaller than the current mug. If true, that would be a pretty significant change for all the mug holders. They would in essence have to purchase a fourth beer in order to get the same amount of beer (actually still 5 ounces less) than they used to get with just three mugs. Obviously this smacks of an attempt to short change the VIP members and to renege on a long term contract on the benefits of achieving VIP status. Hopefully the rumors are false, but I am pretty skeptical.
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Mugs are smaller, roughly 24 ounce is my understanding.
They did surveys apparently and the vip members claimed that the steins were too big at 32 ounces and the beer got too warm by the time they got to the bottom.
The new mugs or steins are pretty neat looking, but I know some are really griping about the size being cut down so much from 32 ounces to 24 ounces.
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I am not a big fan of the new mug design. Of course it is a personal preference, but I do not like the name being etched near the top of the glass. It looks odd to me. Does anyone know what the material of construction is for the new mug such that it will have better insulating properties than the existing mugs?
As far as beer getting too warm, I drink out of my mug on a regular basis. The only time I can remember my beer ever getting warm is when I am a bit hungover, and it takes me two hours to finish my beer. I typically drink a mug in 70 minutes or so, and it is always still cold. Of course, unless it is an American style pilsner, many beers taste better warm anyway. All of course IMHO.
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As a long time Old Chicago World Beer Tour Member, I have seen many changes to the WBT. Change is never easy to accept, especially when something is taken from you. Over the course of the past few years, we have seen a reduction in the number of beers that can be registered per day from six to four, eliminating happy hour pricing in VIP mugs, elimination of happy hour pricing on mini-tour beers, as well as several other measures aimed at cost reduction. This latest effort is yet another attempt at increasing the profit margin. The real question becomes whether corporate understands the impact that the VIP members have in the success of the WBT itself. I would venture to say that if one would take a poll, the majority of the world beer tour members joined as a result of interacting with other WBT members rather than from servers and bartenders. The best sales pitch in the world is the look of satisfaction and pride from another WBT member. This latest attempt to paint over the stein change as anything other than a profit margin adjustment would be false. However, once again, the company is following a flawed mentality. Profit can be made through margins and volume. This does not have to be mutually exclusive. In the case of VIP members, they have given to the bottom line of the company for 10 tours. This fulfills the profit margin side of the business. Just because we now enjoy a beer from our steins does not mean that we are no longer profitable to the company. Quite the contrary. Because of our loyalty, we bring in new customers, we tend to spend our weekly entertainment budget at Old Chicago more so than at other bars and restaurants, and we are goodwill ambassadors for Old Chicago at no cost to them other than a few extra ounces of beer. The bottom line profits may look better for Old Chicago based on accounting rhetoric, but the impact of the VIP members no longer actively supporting the company is an uncalculated revenue loss.
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It's not -entirely- a cost-saving measure, though I also subscribe to the notion that reducing the stein size is a big factor in the decision going forward.
As I understand it:
New steins will hold 25oz - same as a current "jumbo".
The non profit-motive reason for this is that some jurisdictions make it illegal to serve patrons drinks larger than a certain size and/or outlaw allowing some patrons to be served a larger drink than is available to any other random bar customer.
I wish they'd keep the current liter steins where allowable, and either issue smaller steins to size-limited states, or just customize jumbos for VIP members in those states.
The redeemable prizes per tour for VIP members are already quite different in different states, and presumably for much the same reasons of legality for "drinking incentives" offered by liquor-serving establishments.
Were you other VIP members aware that if you're drinking at a different OC than one where you have a stein, you're entitled to drink from the jumbos for the price of a pint, even outside of happy hour (local laws not forbidding). Some locations also reportedly have "guest VIP steins" available for use by VIP members drinking away from their home stores.
Big Rich, Academy (Colorado Springs) 32 tours.
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I agree with you that if allowable by law, they should let existing stein holders keep their steins. I also understand the various laws that may control decisions in other states. For example, I know that Arizona does not allow a larger size for VIPs. Missouri, Oklahoma, and a few other states only incentivize based on visits rather than "getting your four in". I have typically had no problems in getting a 25 oz. glass of beer for pint price at any Old Chicago where I requested it if they did not have a VIP stein or if I didn't bring my mug. Overall, on a store by store basis, I have never really seen any problems. Most changes sent out by corporate tend to be unpopular even with the individual store management. However, as most fof us in the workplace realize, you become the good little soldier and follow along. I understand liability issues, but smetimes that can be used as a guise for making a change for profit. Certainly if consumption was an issue, they would not allow a person to continue to drink after they completed their four beers (remember when they lowered it from 6 to 4, but you are still able to keep drinking). Granted, by limiting it to four, they have it in writing, and it probably saves them from a legality standpoint, and overserving then becomes the responsibility of the bartender rather than the company. It is good to see some feedback on this issue, as it is a passion for most WBT members.
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Here is my response to Old Chicago regarding the e-mailed announcement of the VIP mug change:
Hello Tourguide,
Thank you for the many years of enjoyment I have had as a WBT VIP member. To appropriately honor all those good times, I’ve got some great news to share!
I’m excited to announce that I just can't ask you to spend all that money to buy me a new VIP mug. I have had my current mug for many years and it has become like an old friend. I can always count on it to keep my beer cold and delicious. Why would I want anything else?
At no cost to you, I’ll just keep and continue to use my old mug, the one I was promised when I started the WBT. Good news, that means you’ll have an extra one-of-a-kind, custom design VIP mug to give to someone else. Hope you don't see this as a bump in the road!
Yours with good news,
VIP Todd
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