Dealing With B&Ms

[Irish]

Looking for some opinions/advice on issues regarding dealing with B&Ms. I have several B&Ms in my area that I buy from – I typically give my most of my business to a small shop about 10 minutes from my house that I’ve been going to for about 6 months. He's only been open for a couple of years, so they don’t have the most extensive selection (no Fuentes ) as they're still on waiting lists, but the prices are OK for a B&M and the shop is kept really clean and at the proper RH/temp. You’ll never find a moldy smoke or a damaged wrapper, and it’s the only place I can light up immediately after I purchase without getting draw/moisture issues. I’ve gotten to know the gentleman who runs the shop during the week - he knows what I like and look for, is great at recommending sticks & has a little hiding place for some of the nicer cigars he saves for his better customers. Great guy, great place, they get 90+% of my B&M business on principle alone.

Now, when I’m looking for something different that my go-to place doesn't have, I’ll hit up two of the larger more “established” shops – both have awesome selections, often will get in HTFs, Fuentes, Anejos at Christmas, etc., and have excellent prices. However, both of these shops are part of larger chains (local chains, several shops in NJ) and just don’t seem like they’re maintained very well. The humis are terribly over humidified, I'll often find moldy sticks, and the other day I noticed several beetle infested boxes. I almost bought one just to take some pictures to post, I felt like I was looking at moki’s beetle page, I actually found a few sticks with beetles crawling around and munching away :0 – ah, but I digress.

So, here’s the question - do you guys alert the shop owner/manager when you see sticks in peril, especially at a place you don’t regularly shop at? I’ve done so with mixed reactions, and I’m curious to see what you guys do and have experienced.

 

[Gonz]

Alert the shop owner or manager. Don't bother alerting the pimple faced kid making minimum wage, he doesn't care. If the shop owner or manager blows you off or gets defensive then it's not a shop worth going to. Show him the beetle infested cigar, and show him the moldy cigar right out of his own humidor. If you are really persistent, and want to keep shopping there, try contacting a few of the local sales reps for the cigars in the shop, and tell them your concerns about the storage conditions.

 

[MTovarez]

Alert the shop owner or manager. Don't bother alerting the pimple faced kid making minimum wage, he doesn't care. If the shop owner or manager blows you off or gets defensive then it's not a shop worth going to. Show him the beetle infested cigar, and show him the moldy cigar right out of his own humidor. If you are really persistent, and want to keep shopping there, try contacting a few of the local sales reps for the cigars in the shop, and tell them your concerns about the storage conditions.

Gonz doesn't mess around! :laugh:

 

[Gonz]

I've worked my share of retail jobs and I'm a little obsessive-compulsive about customer service. It really bothers me to see store owners who don't care about treating people right or about providing the best possible service and product. :thumbs:

 

[KeyserSoze]

Go straight to the top if you can. In some cases the person behind the counter doesn't know jack and more than likely the warning won't go any further than your discussion. Where are you in NJ? I have a feeling I know what b&m was referenced to the beetle issue. I ran into one that had some nice lfd 200's looking like swiss cheese. Went to my guy who runs it and we spent the next few hours going through all of the cigars close by. Look out for your fellow botls if you can.

 

[mmburtch]

I actually found a few sticks with beetles crawling around and munching away

The larva do the eating, the beetles just screw and lay eggs.

I agree with Gonz. Let the manager know. They should be concerned with the beetles. They should be concerned with mold, but will probably tell you its bloom or plume, good luck convincing them otherwise.

Finally, shop elsewhere. I would be a fool to put a stick from a beetle infested humi in my humi regardless of storage conditions on my side.

 

[StinkiMonki]

I know I would want to know immediately if someone found a moldy or infested smoke in my humidor. As for damaged sticks, that happens. I constantly see damaged feet which is caused by shipping, poor storage at some point in the cigar's life (usually affecting more then just the foot), and customers picking them up and handling them. People can live with a damaged foot, not so with the mold/beetles.

 

[Irish]

Thanks for the replies guys. This is what I’ve come to in my limited experience so far – if I see something, I typically bring it to someone’s attention – once. Their response will dictate if I say anything in the future. I’ve been to a place where I got the whole plume excuse for obvious mold (it’s white, it can’t be mold!!), so now I simply don’t buy from that humidor or area of the walk-in, really check the smokes I do buy, and limit my spending there to only what I can’t find elsewhere (only place that stocks Opus that I’ve found locally so far).

With the whole beetle story, it was pretty obvious there was a problem (“holy” cigars, beetles/larva crawling around the box), and that particular shop was very appreciative that I pointed it out (older guy at the counter, no pimples :laugh: ). If I decide to head back there (again, a more established shop that gets Anejos and some other special sticks), I wouldn’t hesitate to point something out again, unless I got some attitude or excuses.

@mmburtch – thanks, learn something new something everyday! This beetle must have gotten his fill while a larva, though, he was pretty plump.

@KeyserSoze – you have a PM

 

[amateuraficionado]

Thanks for the replies guys. This is what I’ve come to in my limited experience so far – if I see something, I typically bring it to someone’s attention – once. Their response will dictate if I say anything in the future. I’ve been to a place where I got the whole plume excuse for obvious mold (it’s white, it can’t be mold!!), so now I simply don’t buy from that humidor or area of the walk-in, really check the smokes I do buy, and limit my spending there to only what I can’t find elsewhere (only place that stocks Opus that I’ve found locally so far).

With the whole beetle story, it was pretty obvious there was a problem (“holy” cigars, beetles/larva crawling around the box), and that particular shop was very appreciative that I pointed it out (older guy at the counter, no pimples :laugh: ). If I decide to head back there (again, a more established shop that gets Anejos and some other special sticks), I wouldn’t hesitate to point something out again, unless I got some attitude or excuses.

@mmburtch – thanks, learn something new something everyday! This beetle must have gotten his fill while a larva, though, he was pretty plump.

@KeyserSoze – you have a PM

I need a PM dammit! :0

 

[Spade]

I live in Chicago and split my business between four different B&M's in my area. One day I walked into a very well known, highly reputable tobacconist (not Jack Schwartz) and saw a beetle walking around in a box of Gurkha's. The cigars were pretty well chomped. I got a box of matches and called that night to let them know about the beetles I spotted.

Needless to say I moved my business to the three other B&M's since seeing the beetle, but I did venture back in a little while ago. The Gurkha's had been moved (not completely tossed) and in their place was a horribly ravaged box of Rocky Patel Old World's. That did it for me.

 

[cigar1993]

We're always appreciative when customers point out problems in the shops. I can't get around to every store every week, and often when I have to hit several in a day my time is limited, so when someone gives me a heads up about something at one of the shops that we may have missed it just helps us deal with little problems before they become big problems.

Oh, and it quite often results in a little thank you gift.

 

[thatsonofa]

I would def. say something and I would hope someone would bring it to my attention if I owned a B&M...

I am with Gonz.....I dont work in the cigar industry but I am a manager for a major cell phone company so customer service is second nature and I am also a bid OCD about presentation and product quality. If the owners don't know about the problem that hurts the customers as much as the owners.