Age bias when it comes to B&M dealings?

[glfgd82]

I will start this off by saying the following:

I'm 29, been smoking cigars for 9 years religously and although I've not smoked everything in the recent 2 years, I have a pretty decent base knowledge overall about the market as when I'm not working at the shop, I"m reading about cigars and drooling over the stuff which currently with my situation I cannot afford. I'm an across the board smoker, everything from light to full in strength and from bargin bundle to the upper ends of what I can get my hands on. Usually anything over $7 is handed to me as a gift by someone for recomending them a good smoke, or because they see how passionate I am about my hobby and trying to give my customers the best experience when getting a cigar. I strive to find new gems and try to suggest items to get in our shops that I think would go over well.

2 weeks ago:

Guy comes in, determined that nothing in this world is better than the RP's he's wanting to buy. I'm helping a customer in the humidor pick out some cigars in his range and the Patel guy asks me how the Xen from Nish was. My response was that I haven't sold many, smoked any, and those who I have personally talked to about the cigar expressed to me that they are forgettable in the end and if you like Patel's this one was easy to pass by for other offerings. I was honest and made it a point to keep him reminded that I myself did not smoke one yet. So he puts the cigar back and says thanks, I walk out with my other customer and ring him up, as I'm putting cigars in a bag for the customer, the Patel guy walks past the counter and into the smoking lounge to ask the older guys (45-75) about the cigar, to which they all reply with the exact same information I gave the guy. He then puts comes to the counter and blatantly tells me he did not believe my advice about the cigar because I'm young and he figured Patels were out of my league . I laughed it off and proceeded with my evening.

Today:
Guy comes in to the shop out of our 4 which has a small humidor and sells mostly RYO cigarette products. Our humidor selection is budget friendly with some classics as well. Nothing amazing but some good smokes to be found in there. He buys his cigarette making materials and you could tell from the second he mentioned cigars he played me for a complete idiot who knew nothing about cigars, which if he took a second to see me smoking my Undercrown he would have realized I might know something (not saying its a given, but it shows I do smoke cigars). His first comment was "Yall need to get some of dem warlocks in here, best cigar around and you guys are missing out not putting them in here" To which I reply the humidor really just stocks basics but I'll let the owner know. He then says "well ya'll can ask me about what you need to carry cuz last time I wanted one of them Perderma Lot 46's and youz guys can't even get them in here!"

OK......so...at this point I'm blown away and say "Oh, we do have PER-DO-MO lot 23's in here" Yes I did slow it down a bit so he could hopefully pick up the O in the name. His response was as epic as they get, "well I guess you guys can't get the 46's, they are very limited and are probably more expensive than anything else in the humidor" I pick up my UC and he sees the band, asks me what I'm smoking and then says it sounds like a cheap bundle cigar, at this point I'm annoyed and respond with no and he says if he's never heard of it it must be low end.

I understand this happens and is part of the territory, but I just had to vent somewhat about this. I've had guys who smoke more cigars that I probably ever will commend me on recomending a cigar which they never thought of trying, those are the high spots in the end, and I hang my hat on those praises I get.

How important is the age of the person if you are going into a cigar shop and they recomend a cigar, or give you and opinion about a cigar which you might had not tried. I guess on here at the level most of you guys are opinions are formed before you go into a shop, but never the less, just wondering what everyone thinks.

 

[ilikefishes]

I don't put any significance on age. If you know your stuff, I will be able to tell. You have to remember that there are a few retailers that may have turned the guy off. So you might be dealing with his baggage.

I pretty much go into my locals to get recommendations or to purchase singles.

 

[PhobicSquirrel]

Wow, sorry man. Sounds like BS to me. Never had anything like that b4 happen to me. But I'm not surprised. You seem like you can handle stuff like that better than I can. I have an issue with people getting into my sh*t. Perdomo and RP aren't my favs, in fact they rank rather low on my scale.

 

[CO Smokes]

I'm in my mid 20's and have only been working in cigar retail for about 5 years and I've learned that with some older guys I just need to earn their respect. Some of our customers have been smoking 20+ years and they still value my opinion and knowledge because I earned it from them.

It can be obnoxious sometimes but who knows how we'll act when we're older buying cigars from the 'kid' behind the counter.

 

[Craig Mac]

You're in customer service bro, you will see all types. Just have to take the good with the bad. Working in the shop I've had people try to tell me shit that just wasn't true, but you just let it ride and remember you get to smoke cigars at work.

 

[glfgd82]

I don't put any significance on age. If you know your stuff, I will be able to tell. You have to remember that there are a few retailers that may have turned the guy off. So you might be dealing with his baggage.

I pretty much go into my locals to get recommendations or to purchase singles.

Problem is, they are both regulars, the Patel guy is a regular at the store which it happened, and the other guy is a regular at another location of ours. I always keep an open mind with customers and really let them guide me if they ask any questions, I have my go to cigars depending on the person, of course we do not stock much in the way of "fancy" sticks, but the trusty faithfuls are always there for me. I always tell someone I can get them a $5 cigar they will enjoy, or spend $20 a stick if they wish, it's all up to how much they tell me to spend and what they are looking to get out of the cigar.

 

[Goalee1]

Where is the shop you're in located? The first scenario with the Rocky P guy, sounds like he's really just going by a Thompsons catalog and so not really knowing whats out there. First question I have is how old was the guy? If he was in the same age group as the guys he asked (45-75) where the 45 end Reeeaally shouldn't be grouped with the 75 year old guys, just sayin, I'm sure he thought they would have a different opinion. Also I'm assuming you look young. That also will have an effect on perception. Me personally, if I go into a shop and though I know whats out there, if they suggest a house stick, my first question to anyone is what do you smoke and how does stick A compare. If I feel that the person whether they're 21 or 51 knows what they're talking about , they're gold.

Scenario 2 just sounds like a townee who happened to smoke a cigar at a strip club and thats what he remembers fondly. I love when people say something is hard to get so you should get them. Sounds harmless and just wanted to talk "shop" with you lol. When he said if he had never heard of it, its probably low en, I would have rambled off a bunch of manufacturers and sticks and tell him those are high end, NOT your Perdomo 46's. I can imagine how this guy would have killed the pronunciation on anything Tatuaje LOL. G1

 

[Goalee1]

You're in customer service bro, you will see all types. Just have to take the good with the bad. Working in the shop I've had people try to tell me shit that just wasn't true, but you just let it ride and remember you get to smoke cigars at work.

Hell Yeah Craig! G1

 

[CO Smokes]

You're in customer service bro, you will see all types. Just have to take the good with the bad. Working in the shop I've had people try to tell me shit that just wasn't true, but you just let it ride and remember you get to smoke cigars at work.

So true

 

[glfgd82]

Where is the shop you're in located? The first scenario with the Rocky P guy, sounds like he's really just going by a Thompsons catalog and so not really knowing whats out there. First question I have is how old was the guy? If he was in the same age group as the guys he asked (45-75) where the 45 end Reeeaally shouldn't be grouped with the 75 year old guys, just sayin, I'm sure he thought they would have a different opinion. Also I'm assuming you look young. That also will have an effect on perception. Me personally, if I go into a shop and though I know whats out there, if they suggest a house stick, my first question to anyone is what do you smoke and how does stick A compare. If I feel that the person whether they're 21 or 51 knows what they're talking about , they're gold.

Scenario 2 just sounds like a townee who happened to smoke a cigar at a strip club and thats what he remembers fondly. I love when people say something is hard to get so you should get them. Sounds harmless and just wanted to talk "shop" with you lol. When he said if he had never heard of it, its probably low en, I would have rambled off a bunch of manufacturers and sticks and tell him those are high end, NOT your Perdomo 46's. I can imagine how this guy would have killed the pronunciation on anything Tatuaje LOL. G1

The 45-75 was the range of the guys in the back room, I understand the "I look young" thing, but I must bring up another point to this topic:

As stated by another customer who recently defended my knowledge, "do you really think the owners of this cigar shop would put someone in here to work BY HIMSELF if he did not know at least which end of a cigar to set fire to?" I know there can be shops and instances where someone just doesn't know, but in the end, what is good for business is someone who knows the business and can at least translate it to sales.

Prime example was yesterday a good customer who smokes a ton of cigars responded to my liking of the San Lotano oval 6x60 by saying "eh it wasn't that great, I could pull better sticks out of my golf bag" My response was one in which I asked what size he smoked and he told me it was the smaller size. I merely got into a discussion about what he did not like about it as well as saying maybe the size just fit that cigar better and possibly he would like the larger gordo. He immediately drew back to the Habano wrapper and stated "anything that is connected with Connecticut wrappers is just not good and for sissy's" Well today even though I really have 0 extra spending money especially for a cigar which I'm not smoking, I purchased a gordo Oval and will present it to him Monday, not because I'm trying to prove a point, but becasue I'm looking for closure on the topic. If he truely does not like the cigar then good for him, but to shoot down something you've never had experience with and then tout how you've "smoked it all" gets my gears moving and grinding a bit.

 

[sean]

I had similar situations when I worked in a beer bar while I was an undergrad. We had 30 taps and a list 200 bottles long... There are always those people out there that need to feel like they more than the kid slingin' the stuff. Whatever. Like Craig said, it is all a part of the service industry... you still get to smoke at work (my job would've been a lot better if I could have drank at work.)

 

[crispy_monkey]

"Prime example was yesterday a good customer who smokes a ton of cigars responded to my liking of the San Lotano oval 6x60 by saying "eh it wasn't that great, I could pull better sticks out of my golf bag" My response was one in which I asked what size he smoked and he told me it was the smaller size. I merely got into a discussion about what he did not like about it as well as saying maybe the size just fit that cigar better and possibly he would like the larger gordo. He immediately drew back to the Habano wrapper and stated "anything that is connected with Connecticut wrappers is just not good and for sissy's" Well today even though I really have 0 extra spending money especially for a cigar which I'm not smoking, I purchased a gordo Oval and will present it to him Monday, not because I'm trying to prove a point, but becasue I'm looking for closure on the topic. If he truely does not like the cigar then good for him, but to shoot down something you've never had experience with and then tout how you've "smoked it all" gets my gears moving and grinding a bit"


Bro it sounds like this guy has his mind made up, I would take the band off of it and give it to him under the guise of asking for his 'expert analysis'. Then hit him with the truth.

PS The retail world and the world in general is full of people that would grow 3" taller if they took a Viagra. Sorry, but thats just how it is.

 

[glfgd82]

Oh I blow it off, it will not change my day, just makes me shake my head because in my mind, the pure foundation of cigars in general would be the bonds which can be formed just because you and someone else share a common activity.

I know this thread comes off a bit as me complaining and bitching, but it's not intended to be that way, more along the lines of sharing my experiences and how I handle them. Customer service is my only goal in the end, but I somehow turn it against myself in cases like the above wondering how I can be better and pass on info and feel like the person is leaving more informed.

 

[veeref]

In my travels to B&Ms over the country, age has been irrelevant to whether or not I can put any merit into what advice has been given. Like others have mentioned, I can usually tell pretty quickly if I'm been fed a line of crap by someone who doesn't understand the product they're selling. I walked into a shop in El Paso back when I was starting this hobby several years ago and asked the guy about Ashton VSG's. He fed me a line that pretty much mimicked what was on the paper insert inside the box. When I asked him how long he had been smoking, he told me he doesn't smoke cigars, never has and never will.

Like Craig mentioned, you're in the customer service business - some people will hang onto your every word, some will be skeptical even if you're 100% right, and some just want you to affirm what they already know.

Good luck, and maybe I'll get the chance to visit your shop someday,
Randy

 

[GoingPostal]

It's not age it's retail, no matter how long you've been smoking or working there will always be the customer who "knows more than you" or "has forgotten more than you know" Part of doing buisness.

 

[crispy_monkey]

Oh I blow it off, it will not change my day, just makes me shake my head because in my mind, the pure foundation of cigars in general would be the bonds which can be formed just because you and someone else share a common activity.

I know this thread comes off a bit as me complaining and bitching, but it's not intended to be that way, more along the lines of sharing my experiences and how I handle them. Customer service is my only goal in the end, but I somehow turn it against myself in cases like the above wondering how I can be better and pass on info and feel like the person is leaving more informed.

I still say hand that guy the Oval unbanded and see how smart he really is.

 

[pbear1973]

I sympathize with you.. it's always hard to deal with clueless people who assume they know everything. Xp

I'm kinda glad I can't smoke at work; I'm going to have one really awful nicotine dependency if I could.

 

[madaxeman]

Do you guys carry dem dare Rocky Partels with the tobacco from 1990 or 1992? Dem ar good ems.:smile:

 

[LigaPrivadaFanboy]

Chew gawt dem kyoobin seegarz? Ah wuz towd to bah nuttin else...

Retards abound in every hobby/passion. You're right to blow it off and not let it get to you. I see the same shit with motorcycles, guns, scotch, asian whores, cars, and especially cigars.

edit: and keep up the solid advice, everyone here was a noob once...

 

[JayD]

I have got the opposite from a local cigar bar. I am 24 and when I was a senior in high school I went to a local cigar bar (which I had never been before but heard good things) to get a smoke to celebrate. At that time I had been smoking for about 3 years and been around cigars my entire life. As soon as I walked in the owner came over and said "oh you must be here for these" and pointed to a box of Game cigars. I politely declined and told him I was there for a celebratory smoke for prom. He smiled and then said I would be much happier with these and pointed me to their Acid cigar selection. I told him that although I was a huge DE fan, I was not a infused cigar fan and those were not for me. After another 5 minutes of browsing and him telling me that Acids were what all the people my age smoked and that I would do much better with an Acid, I simply walked out and have not been in since.