As a customer, I have a tendency to be rather picky. In today’s fast paced internet world, buying products online is fast, easy, and typically cheaper than a physical location. With that said, if you want to earn my business and keep me coming to your store you need to provide a service and atmosphere that makes the trip and inflated price worthwhile.
As far as cigar shops go, I rely heavily on the experience of others. The guys I hang out with at my local shop have far more experience than I do, these days, when it comes to visiting different shops. If one of them tells me about a poor experience, chances are very good that I’ll write off that shop even if I’m in the area.
As an example, there is a shop about 10 miles away from the shop I currently spend time in. A couple of years ago one of the shop regulars stopped in to purchase some cigars. After buying about $40 worth he was told that he could not use the smoking lounge unless he paid an additional $5 cover charge for a day-pass. Being as that was the only lounge in the store, this individual left a bit disgruntled.
When word got around that this happened to at least one other member, I wrote the shop off. I’ve heard the shop has since changed their stance on using the lounge but, in my mind, the damage has been done and I’ll spend my money elsewhere.
The same fast paced internet driven world that makes buying online so easy also makes word of poor shop experiences travel fast. Just this weekend I got word that one of our regulars had a bad experience at another shop. Within minutes other regulars at our shop were writing off this other B&M as a store they would no longer visit.
There is a little more to the story (which is on the Cigar Noise App if you want to hunt it down) that paints a clearer picture. I’m okay with the gun policy (their store, their rules) but the military thing rubs me the wrong way. I don’t get out to the area where this shop is located very often, however, there is enough here to keep me from stopping in the future.
I can understand charging a cover charge if it’s advertised in the shop you have to pay a cover, other than that then no way in hell. No cover should be charged if you want business flowing in or regular customers. Your regulars bring you more regulars and so on. You have that snowball effect. But to low ball a regular by charging a cover to use there smoking lounge is bullshit unless it’s advertised and everyone knows that. You’re now lowballing your regulars and you have the snowball effect that will hurt your business not help it.
Just my opinion
F*ck that shop! I know CN from another cigar forum and that would piss me off too…
It wasn’t me, but one of our members. I was pretty shocked to hear that it happened though – not every day you hear that sort of sentiment.
A few years ago, I was browsing the selection of a shop I’d never been to before. Low and behold, very clear signs of beetles in one box of cigar. I took a very obviously beetle-chewed cigar up to the counter to advise them of the dire situation. The guy’s response was “yeah, that’s why that box is on the discount shelf.” I walked out of that shop never to return.
Wow. Just wow.
What the fuck!!! I would have done a lot more that just that
The biggest turn off for me is when you go into a shop for the first time and the staff treat you without regard because you are not a regular. This has happened to me at more than one shop and I simply never return to those stores.
Yeah, there’s no cause for that. The BOTL/SOTL community is a very welcoming one, and it makes those sorts of shops stick out like a sore thumb.
That’s never happened to me before. Worst thing that happened to me is when the staff had no clue what the hell they were doing and not helpful in anyway. I’ve helped out one of the stores customers where he thought I actually worked there.
I just simply emailed the shops owner to let them know about this as he wasn’t at the shop at the time. I did Email my resume to him aswell for a job. Sadly I did not get it but the person was fired.