The cask that went back in March
A cask of guest ale was hazy and sour when you tapped it. You rang the brewery, they apologised and said send it back on the next dray and they would credit it. It went back. Another time a keg of lager ran with foam from the start, and the pub company's technician said to put it in for ullage. Then a case of bottles arrived with three broken.
Months later you realise you have no idea whether any of those credits arrived. The brewery says the cask was not marked when it came back. The pub company has a record of one claim but not the other. Nobody wrote anything down at the time, so nobody can prove anything now.
Why returns and claims disappear
A return involves several people who never speak to each other: you, the person on the phone at the brewery or pub company, the dray crew who collect the container, the warehouse who receive it and the accounts team who issue credits. Each step is a handover, and each handover is where a claim gets lost.
On the pub side, the claim is made at a busy moment, usually during service when the beer is found to be bad. There is no form and no reference. The container goes out with the empties, often without a label, and becomes indistinguishable from all the others.
Different suppliers also handle claims differently. One brewery wants the cask returned with the remaining beer in it. Another wants a sample. A pub company may want a technician to confirm the fault first. Without a note of each supplier's process, staff guess, and a claim made the wrong way is easily refused.
Credits you never see
| Where claims fail | Why |
|---|---|
| Agreed by phone | No reference or name recorded |
| Container not labelled | Warehouse cannot link it to a claim |
| Nobody checks the next statement | Missing credits are never noticed |
| Evidence not kept | Photos and dates lost when queried |
| Different rules per supplier | Unsure what to do for each one |
Each missed credit is a whole cask or keg paid for and poured away. Across several suppliers and a year of trading, that adds up, and it is money you have already agreed with the supplier should come back.
Following each return to its credit
- When beer is found to be faulty, a return is logged on a phone: product, container, supplier, reason and a photo of the pint or container.
- The tool shows that supplier's own returns process as you have recorded it, such as who to call and whether they want the container labelled, so the right steps are followed each time.
- The name of the person you spoke to, any reference number and what was agreed are recorded.
- A label with the claim reference can be printed or written for the container, and the return is marked when the dray collects it.
- When credits or statements arrive, they are matched to open claims. Anything still open after a period you choose is flagged to chase, with the evidence attached.
- A running list shows claims by supplier and product, which is also useful when talking to a brewery about quality.
Each supplier's returns rules are theirs. We record them as you tell us, and help you follow them consistently.
The next time a cask goes bad
The barman logs it during service with a photo. The next morning you phone the brewery, add the name and reference, and write the reference on the cask. The dray collects it and it is marked collected. Three weeks later, the brewery's statement arrives without the credit, and the tool flags it. You send an email with the photo, reference and collection date.
- Every return logged with evidence at the time
- Supplier returns steps followed the same way each time
- Outstanding credits flagged and chased
- A record of quality problems per product and supplier
Are your returns falling through the cracks?
- You send back faulty casks or kegs and are not sure you were credited.
- Claims are agreed by phone with no reference.
- Returned containers go out unlabelled with the empties.
- You have been asked for evidence you no longer have.
- You do not check statements for missing credits.