Re: Advice for B&M customers anyone?
 

I would think that's fair. Maybe they don't keep their humidor at your preferred RH.

Re: Advice for B&M customers anyone?
 

I've done it a few times...What's going to keep them open if people just come in and don't buy but smoke their own stuff? I'll usually bring a 3 cigar holder and just swap one I bought with one I'm going to smoke.

Re: Advice for B&M customers anyone?
 

:tpd::tpd:

Re: Advice for B&M customers anyone?
 

I hate the know it alls. You ask an employee about a stick and the know it all customer steps on him and proceeds to try and tell me everything he thinks he knows and than proceeds to tell me why I shouldn't smoke the stick I asked about but insists I try X, Y or Z instead because they are his favorite. These are usually the guys that live at the shop and even most of the staff can't tolerate them.

Re: Advice for B&M customers anyone?
 

that is the worst of all!

Re: Advice for B&M customers anyone?
 

This video makes me sick. I wish we could go to a system where it's eye for an eye style. You steal, you lose a hand. You steal again, you lose the other one. You get the idea!:fl The best part of that video is they think they are being so slick about it meanwhile they are in dead view of the camera.

Fixed that for you. ;)
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Re: Advice for B&M customers anyone?
 

This is a great Topic. My experiences are similar to all of yours. The price thing is what gets me the most. Here in Texas, cigar taxes are at a minimum (1.1 cents per stick), which allows me to be quite competitive with everyone....including all the online giants.

To be honest with you, their prices aren't that great when it comes to box pricing and single stick pricing. I got that covered easily. It's the sampler packages that I have to explain to customers. From time to time, I get a gentleman coming in carrying a catalog from one of the Online Giants, and he whips it open and points to a particular package. What most of these guys are looking at is stick Quantity, not quality. They'll be pointing at a sampler that has 25 sticks for $30 and all the sticks in there are garbage. Or even the samplers that include some decent sticks, but mixed in there are 5 Vegas and Padilla "Hybrid". Most of us retailers know, from being in the business, that these gimmicks work very well. It just gets old explaining that 5 Vegas is just some garbage CI came out with, or Rocky Patel "Connecticut" is not the same as Rocky Patel Vintage 99'. Once these customers are educated, I feel they appreciate the honesty and the lesson.

Down here in Houston, it rains alot. Well in the shopping center I am in, there is a flower bed in front of the store. On a rainy day, I cannot count how many times people park curb side....run through the muddy flower bed....come inside the store for 1 cigar....hand me their soaking wet money...and run out as if their shoe prints aren't all over the tile. Really bugs me...

The cell phone thing isn't an issue for me here, people just seem to recognize that their conversations should be kept to theirselves outside before they come in.

Another big one for me, is what another member mentioned above. Someone will come in, and look for 10 minutes at everything you have, and pick the one thing you don't carry (vitola wise) and blurt out "Oh you don't have Macanudo XYZ!?" when there is like 9 different sizes of Macanudo on the shelf. I find it kind of interesting though, because when I call them out on their bluff, they usually man up and buy something realizing that they just made an ass out of theirselves in front of (usually) 5-6 guys sitting down and smoking. There are those, however, that come in and ask for certain things from the "Big 5" I call it (Cohiba, Montecristo, Macanudo, Punch, and Romeo) but are highly acceptable to suggestions of a better stick and better value for the same price range. Those are the customers that come in the next time and usually Thank me for "opening my eyes".

Let's keep this topic going, its always interesting to hear what other retailers have to say about their day to day experiences in their stores.

Re: Advice for B&M customers anyone?
 

1. If you are going to be touching sticks, wash your hands

2. Don't over-handle the sticks. People like those oils on their stogies, not on your hands

3. Introduce yourself to the proprietor. A little friendliness goes a long way

4. If you are new to the shop, but not to cigars, maybe bringing in one of your fav or special sticks to give the shop owner might be a good way of introducing yourself.

5. Don't be a dick. If you are being pushy, overbearing, or just rude...expect rudeness back.

6. Don't ask for Cubans. Haven't had them since 51.

Re: Advice for B&M customers anyone?
 

Although if your intent is to just steer them away from the 5 Vegas "garbage" and into something from your store, I'd say you were doing more marketing and less educating. I'm not a retailer or even a cigar expert, but 5 Vegas makes some pretty good sticks, price point aside.

Not trying to start something, just my :2

Re: Advice for B&M customers anyone?
 

I got one...

Everytime I walk into my favorite B&M with my girlfriend. All of the regulars stare at her like she's some kind of RARE Cuban or a HMR Gurkha that no one has seen before. Although I think that my girlfriend is beautiful and all, can you guys stop drooling. It's not like she's on the Victoria Secret catalogs.

You could be honey and I think you should be***(Just in case she reads this)

Re: Advice for B&M customers anyone?
 

^^^^^ :np

You mean like that? ;)


j/k, I know what you mean.

Re: Advice for B&M customers anyone?
 

When you have a beautiful girlfriend/wife, guys are gonna look. Get used to it, or get an ugly girlfriend. :r4

Re: Advice for B&M customers anyone?
 

"If you're gonna be happy for the rest of your life..."

Re: Advice for B&M customers anyone?
 

;) :r

Re: Advice for B&M customers anyone?
 

Or in your case Tom, if you walk in with a beautiful wife AND girlfriend.....people are going to look.

Re: Advice for B&M customers anyone?
 

you're taking a presumably good looking woman into a store that is populated by men...the hell do you expect to happen?

Re: Advice for B&M customers anyone?
 

Yeah... :D

Re: Advice for B&M customers anyone?
 

I work one day a week at a cigar shop, so I'll not get involved...that way it won't sound like I'm *****ing! :banger

Re: Advice for B&M customers anyone?
 

Did that once, Bill.......ONCE. :r

Re: Advice for B&M customers anyone?
 

Gee I wonder why? :r

:r

Re: Advice for B&M customers anyone?
 

Once a week........:=:

Re: Advice for B&M customers anyone?
 

Had a customer crap himself and let it trickle down his pants and onto our lounge floor one time, then bolted. Please do not crap on our floor. Haha

Re: Advice for B&M customers anyone?
 

haha
bet it was a $hitty day for him too

Re: Advice for B&M customers anyone?
 

guess he had to run....or had the runs...either way

Re: Advice for B&M customers anyone?
 

Who's wife?:sh;)

Re: Advice for B&M customers anyone?
 

Exactly. :)

Re: Advice for B&M customers anyone?
 

not to mention...


Whose girlfriend?

Re: Advice for B&M customers anyone?
 

I'm guessing it's someone else's wife and her bi-curious girlfriend?

Re: Advice for B&M customers anyone?
 

:r:r

Wow, any idea what he was smoking? Please share if you do!

Re: Advice for B&M customers anyone?
 

All that guys smokes is La Flor DL 700s. It was terrible cleaning that crap up.

Re: Advice for B&M customers anyone?
 

Thanks, I'll smoke one next time I'm constipated.;)