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B&M's have to do better....

I know what you guys mean i went into my only local B&M to get some single for the bowl games. I had pick up a couple vsgs and oliva v's and was looking around when a lady comes in and ask if i needed any help. So i ask if they had any anejo's she said yes but they are only for our good customers. I thought wow how rude. I mean before you say that just say your out. That will be the last time they see me i'll drive 70 miles to a friedly place in springfield. Btw it's 25 miles to that shop so the extra drive is worth it.

John
 
yogimon said:
I know what you guys mean i went into my only local B&M to get some single for the bowl games. I had pick up a couple vsgs and oliva v's and was looking around when a lady comes in and ask if i needed any help. So i ask if they had any anejo's she said yes but they are only for our good customers. I thought wow how rude. I mean before you say that just say your out. That will be the last time they see me i'll drive 70 miles to a friedly place in springfield. Btw it's 25 miles to that shop so the extra drive is worth it.

John
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Holy Sh**! I would have handed the sticks to the lady and walked out, making her put them back for you. Unreal. I don't understand the cigar business sometimes. In normal businesses, owners want to purchase products in high demand in order to move the items and earn a profit. In the cigar world, they want to hold onto hard to find cigars (AKA: inventory), insult their "non-regular" customers and lose money.

:rolleyes:

Sorry about your experiences John. Thank god we live in an age of technology - now head to your favorite internet retailer. :laugh:
 
Recently I was at a B&M and I walked into their humidor. A clerk gave me the "do you need any help?" line in which I replied "No, thank you, I am fine". She then waited in humidor silently with me. After about five minutes, I put down the cigars I was going to buy and left. I hate being watched as if I were a thief.
 
I have three B&Ms here in Des Moines. One of them is owned by a very knowledgeable and friendly guy but he has a small selection and is very high priced as he is still financing his private smoking room. The second one is minutes from my house in a mall, has a decent selection and is reasonably priced. They get a decent selection of Anejo and Opus and have had the Padron 40th and 80th as well. However it is staffed with fairly unknowledgeable people, however, they are friendly and welcoming. They just started getting the Illusione line this summer and were shocked as all get out when I told them I have loved these cigars for quite some time. I was also guided to the Rocky Patel Vintage 1992 when I couldn't make up my mind between a Padron 1964 and a Padron 1926. The third store has a good selection, decent pricing and has a small smoking room. It is run by the most unknowledgeable and apathetic guy I've ever met. Everything you inquire about is "pretty good" and if you don't start the conversation, you would never know he was in the room. There is a bit of an old boys club regulars that smoke in there but they are friendly and are a pretty good bunch to share a smoke with. I have found that using my local B&Ms to buy singles and try different smokes but buy boxes and large samplers from the good shop owners here on CP has worked best. There are a good number of excellent people here on CP that make the rest of our B&Ms pale in comparison and I am more than happy to throw the majority of my meager purchases their way. They know how to treat a customer.
 
Customer service seems to be an all forgotten thing in general. Again, what people tend to forget is that a happy customer will be a repeat customer. My current shop is so because many years ago while visiting DC, I went to several shops and my B&M is the one which had the friendliest, non overbearing, relaxed atmosphere, even being smack downtown. I walked in, in jeans, t shirt into a midst of politicians and was treated with a relaxed "how you doing" attitude. My regular B&Ms have always been downtown locations (Iwan Ries in Chitown and Drapers in DC) so sometimes people who don't wear a suit for work are intimidated walking into places like them. Well, I still don't wear a suit for work and still walk in, in jeans, whatever shirt and now, I just get shit on (in a good way lol) but the attitude is still the same as when I first walked in as a visitor to the city over 10 years ago. Well, 10 years later, I'm a resident of the city and I didn't have to search for my shop.

I'm amazed at some places that have even a bit of attitude as if the customer should be the lucky one walking into a store. I see this often, not only in cigar shops but any store which sells higher end items and especially towards young shoppers. First time I walked into Iwan Ries, I was 20 years old, on vacation from college and yes intimidated but was treated with respect which I was a little surprised, used to the watchful eye in so many other places. Well, this young college kid ended up smoking a cigar with the owners son and manager, and buying a couple of boxes of cigars.

IMO, people need to feel out a situation and deal with every customer differently. I remember waay back in the day when I was working retail over the summer in high school, my boss told me never ask the question "can I help you" as the customer can answer back "no" Or "just looking" and thats the end of the conversation. He said to always just start a conversation and you'll be able to feel if the customer feels like chatting or need help etc. You really don't see that often anymore. Maybe its just because we're in the day and age of the internet so person to person interactions aren't the norm anymore. G1
 
I find, that when visiting a new B$M, it helps, if you look like you can afford to set fire to a $10 bill.

Doc.
 
Guess Ive been quite fortunate then, as I haven't had such bad experiences. And Im young, 22 here. My local B&M, run by fellower BOTL & CPer Jim (Keyston_Raider), was very welcoming and helpful the first time I stopped in his shop and met him after he bought it. I had visited the shop a few times under the original owner, who was a pretty nice guy as well. I really didnt know much about cigars at the time as I was just starting out. But Jim always took time to stop and welcome me and talk for a bit. And he'll do what he can to get a box that Im looking for if he doesnt stock it.
 
Seems to be the norm here in Pasadena. There are a few local shops, however the staff in a couple of the shops are beyond cocky. They talk down to you like this is your first time smoking a cigar. Funny thing is, when you listen to what they have to say, they have no idea what their talking about.
 
Rod said:
Seems to be the norm here in Pasadena. There are a few local shops, however the staff in a couple of the shops are beyond cocky. They talk down to you like this is your first time smoking a cigar. Funny thing is, when you listen to what they have to say, they have no idea what their talking about.
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menace2society_10.jpg


"What the f..k you mean you ain't got my cigars, motherf...er. I'm Rod motherf...er, you don't know who I am? You ain't never heard of no CigarPass, motherf...er?"

Do you ever feel like just droppin a little Samuel L. Jackson on these punks, Rod? I mean, come-on, you're not Moki or anything, but still... As far as the cigar world goes, you could make these guys your bitches. :cool:
 
yogimon said:
I know what you guys mean i went into my only local B&M to get some single for the bowl games. I had pick up a couple vsgs and oliva v's and was looking around when a lady comes in and ask if i needed any help. So i ask if they had any anejo's she said yes but they are only for our good customers. I thought wow how rude. I mean before you say that just say your out. That will be the last time they see me i'll drive 70 miles to a friedly place in springfield. Btw it's 25 miles to that shop so the extra drive is worth it.

John
Click to expand...

So what happens when the "good customers" die out or get laid off or just don't buy the anejo's. That is absolutely rediculous. I think I would have had to walk out on that one. I failed to mention that my background is in marketing and customer relationship management. So this kind of stuff just burns me up.
 
I'll add a story as well. There's a guy in NE Mpls who owns a couple of 'ok' tobacco stores with 'ok' humidors in the them. There close to my house, and I never used to mine buying an 858 maduro from him just for the right to sit and smoke. One day, the owner comes around. This guy owns various businesses all through NE. He starts chatting me up about whatevers on the television which I'm not watching. Something comes on that triggers politics for him. The first thing out of his mouth just blew me away.

"This guy is going to be our president. This guy... We would have hung him 50 years ago. Now, he's going to be president."

I couldn't even believe this guy was talking to me. And, just to make it very clear, he wasn't insinuating 'how amazing' it was that 'this guy was going to be president.' He was in a state of obvious disgust. He went on... and on... and on.... Then stopped. I just sat there in near shock and told him, "Well, I don't agree with anything you've just said... and yeah, he is going to be our next president."

Here's the clincher to this story, and on my grandfather's grave, all of this is true. I get a call just before the last set of debates. The 'blanks' are holding a debate watching party and want to know if I'm interested in attending. The event is being held at 'blank restauarant'. Now, this was going to be a big affair. The restaurant is owned by the same man who owns the tobacco store and made the comments about hanging the future president. I shared this with the folks on the phone. I asked to speak with their team leader or whoever the f... was running this thing. Everyone I talked to told me they were shocked to hear this, and that 'the owner' was a tremendous supporter... They didn't believe me.

A tremendous supporter... I thought I was losing my mind.

That day in his store, I saw who he really was. With the campaign, he found a way to make some money. That's also who he is. A slimy f'ng hustler.
 
H311oLHD said:
yogimon said:
I know what you guys mean i went into my only local B&M to get some single for the bowl games. I had pick up a couple vsgs and oliva v's and was looking around when a lady comes in and ask if i needed any help. So i ask if they had any anejo's she said yes but they are only for our good customers. I thought wow how rude. I mean before you say that just say your out. That will be the last time they see me i'll drive 70 miles to a friedly place in springfield. Btw it's 25 miles to that shop so the extra drive is worth it.

John
Click to expand...

Holy Sh**! I would have handed the sticks to the lady and walked out, making her put them back for you. Unreal. I don't understand the cigar business sometimes. In normal businesses, owners want to purchase products in high demand in order to move the items and earn a profit. In the cigar world, they want to hold onto hard to find cigars (AKA: inventory), insult their "non-regular" customers and lose money.

:rolleyes:

Sorry about your experiences John. Thank god we live in an age of technology - now head to your favorite internet retailer. :laugh:
Click to expand...

I think a lot of guys want a private club or hang out and not a cigar business. I certainly believe people have that option but then just say that and get on with it. Take the open sign off the door, give your regulars a key and play house all you want. Oh wait...your regulars who buy a couple of cigars and then just sit around for the next 3 hours taking up space don't keep the lights and heat on. Oh sh*t that's right.
 
There are a couple B&Ms that are nice around here but only one is nice to you. Leavitt & Pierce in Cambridge MA is great. And they are normal to youngsters since they are near Harvard. To tell you the truth the best experience I have had was in Davidoff in NY.
 
tsmckenney said:
I'll add a story as well. There's a guy in NE Mpls who owns a couple of 'ok' tobacco stores with 'ok' humidors in the them. There close to my house, and I never used to mine buying an 858 maduro from him just for the right to sit and smoke. One day, the owner comes around. This guy owns various businesses all through NE. He starts chatting me up about whatevers on the television which I'm not watching. Something comes on that triggers politics for him. The first thing out of his mouth just blew me away.

"This guy is going to be our president. This guy... We would have hung him 50 years ago. Now, he's going to be president."

I couldn't even believe this guy was talking to me. And, just to make it very clear, he wasn't insinuating 'how amazing' it was that 'this guy was going to be president.' He was in a state of obvious disgust. He went on... and on... and on.... Then stopped. I just sat there in near shock and told him, "Well, I don't agree with anything you've just said... and yeah, he is going to be our next president."

Here's the clincher to this story, and on my grandfather's grave, all of this is true. I get a call just before the last set of debates. The 'blanks' are holding a debate watching party and want to know if I'm interested in attending. The event is being held at 'blank restauarant'. Now, this was going to be a big affair. The restaurant is owned by the same man who owns the tobacco store and made the comments about hanging the future president. I shared this with the folks on the phone. I asked to speak with their team leader or whoever the f... was running this thing. Everyone I talked to told me they were shocked to hear this, and that 'the owner' was a tremendous supporter... They didn't believe me.

A tremendous supporter... I thought I was losing my mind.

That day in his store, I saw who he really was. With the campaign, he found a way to make some money. That's also who he is. A slimy f'ng hustler.
Click to expand...

WOW
 
I've come to accept that, being a younger smoker (I'm 20 but I look 16-17), I'm going to be treated differently than older patrons. Generally, I don't mind it--I'm fine with being carded (provided they're courteous about it) and being called "young man" but I do have a threshold and several weeks ago, one of my local B&M's employees crossed it. I was going in to pick up a few singles for the weekend and as soon as I walked through the door, the gentleman behind the counter looked me over and, in the most rude tone he could muster, asked "Are you sure you're old enough to be in here?" I don't know sir, hold on while I check my ID card and try and remember how old I am...way to insult my intelligence. I understand that they run a business that doesn't cater to minors but I feel he could have found a better way to handle the situation.
 
I only go to two places in my town. Most of the time I go to a new place that is SOP. The person will usually follow you into the humidor and ask you a few questions to gauge your interest. The owner sets the tone for his or her shop, the employees follow suit. Rudeness is certainly not to be tolerated and your dollars should be spent at a place that values you as a customer.

The other side of the argument is the person that goes into a shop and starts saying yeah I can get those for this. That kind of behaviour is unacceptable. Respect the vendor, they are trying to make a living. If they charge a cutting fee so be it, they aren't getting the overhead costs for free. I also marvel at the guys that go to places like Casa Fuente and have no problem paying a ton of money for cigars spending a boat load on drinks and then complaining when they go home and have to buy a $5 cigar from their local place to smoke there. As in all things in life YMMV!

Great thread and discussion.
 
The fact is, young people spend money. A lot of them have more expendable money (ie no kids, mortgage, etc. etc) to devote to hobbies. Isolating that demographic seems pretty damn stupid.

I am 25 year old who enjoys pipes a lot. Luckily, I have found some B&Ms here in Denver that “get it”. I would highly recommend Edward’s off Broadway/Hampden here in Denver. They have never once treated me like a newjack and are very welcoming and nice to new people.
 
H311oLHD said:
yogimon said:
I know what you guys mean i went into my only local B&M to get some single for the bowl games. I had pick up a couple vsgs and oliva v's and was looking around when a lady comes in and ask if i needed any help. So i ask if they had any anejo's she said yes but they are only for our good customers. I thought wow how rude. I mean before you say that just say your out. That will be the last time they see me i'll drive 70 miles to a friedly place in springfield. Btw it's 25 miles to that shop so the extra drive is worth it.

John
Click to expand...

Holy Sh**! I would have handed the sticks to the lady and walked out, making her put them back for you. Unreal. I don't understand the cigar business sometimes. In normal businesses, owners want to purchase products in high demand in order to move the items and earn a profit. In the cigar world, they want to hold onto hard to find cigars (AKA: inventory), insult their "non-regular" customers and lose money.

:rolleyes:

Sorry about your experiences John. Thank god we live in an age of technology - now head to your favorite internet retailer. :laugh:
Click to expand...





When i got home i did i ordered a box of tat noellas & vsgs. I must say the 2 week layoff in has been great. Haven't missed a game, while the little wifey is out bringing home the bacon. :laugh:
 
I have been finding myself frequenting B&M's less and less over the last couple of years. Mostly, it's based on the same reasons that have been mentioned in this thread such as poor customer service. But, one of the things I'm finding just as troubling is the utter lack of cigar knowlege that some the employees seem to have. I know there is a learning curve for new employees, but I continue to be amazed by people that have worked in some of these stores for years and seemingly have no clue about the product they are selling. I used to go to B&M's to try and learn something but more often than not you get steered in the wrong direction. It's just easier to learn and exchange information on CP and buy my cigars on-line.

As long as people are sharing B&M stories I might as well share mine. The last time I went into my local, they had Opus in stock. I bought the remaining 16 Petit lanceros and a couple of tins. The total for the cigars + sales tax came out just over $300. As I'm checking out the guy behind the counter says I cannot keep the Opus box since I did not buy a full box. I told him that I would have if it was full. He then tells me that I can have the box for an additional $25!!! You would think after dropping over $300 in the store he would have at had the decency to throw in the box?? What galls me is that I've been going to this store for over 8 years and have spent untold thousands of dollars there and they want to gouge me for a freakin' Opus box?? WTF??? Needless to say I won't be going back there even if Opus or other HTF's are in stock.
 
Well, the other side of the coin is, what if you're not a cigar smoker? That's why they ask if they can help you as soon as you walk in. If you were just there to buy a gift for someone, and walked in, and wandered around the humidor for 10 minutes before anyone came around, there would be something else to complain about.

When I first started going into cigar shops, it was to buy things for my dad. I knew nothing. And by them asking if they could help me right off the bat, it eliminated my going in circles for no reason.

As far as the guy who says he looks 16, the owner has right to ask you if you're old enough to be in there. It's not just about selling tobacco products to minors. In some places, they (the owner) can be in trouble just for letting you in. And if you're sent in by the state/county/town and he doesn't ID you, he faces losing his license.
 
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