Title: The Costly Lesson I Learned From Sherry-Lehmann As a business journalist and wine lover, I thought I knew everything there was to know about purchasing wine. That was until I found myself among the many customers of Sherry-Lehmann Wines & Spirits who were left empty-handed after paying for wine in advance. It was a shocking discovery to make, not only because I had been a loyal customer of Sherry-Lehmann for years, but also because I had never before encountered such a blatant disregard for customer satisfaction. Despite repeated attempts to get in touch with the company, my calls and emails remained unanswered, and I was left wondering how a business with such a sterling reputation could fail me and so many others so spectacularly. In total, more than $1 million of wine went undelivered to Sherry-Lehmann's customers. It was a stunning failure, and a bitter reminder that even the most established and respected businesses can fall victim to greed and mismanagement. As someone who has spent their career reporting on the business world, the episode was a sobering lesson about the importance of trust and accountability. It made me realize just how crucial it is for any business, no matter how successful, to remember that customer satisfaction is paramount to success. For Sherry-Lehmann, the cost of this lesson was steep. While the company may have thought shortchanging its customers would result in a quick payday, what it actually achieved was infamy and a loss of credibility that will take years to overcome. As I move forward, I'll be more cautious in my business dealings and will always remember the importance of supporting companies that prioritize customer satisfaction. In the end, it's not just about getting a good deal, it's about trust and accountability, and the knowledge that the businesses we patronize have our best interests at heart. Sherry-Lehmann Wines & Spirits failed to deliver more than $1 million of wine to customers who paid in advance, he wrote. One of those customers was the reporter himself.
![]()
