Dirty Rats, FFPs, UF-13

[Grrrrr609]

So I called one of my local B&Ms today to see if they got any UH-13s in. SCORE! they had 9 of 12 left in a box. Drove 45 minutes there to pick them up. While there the manager told me I just missed a box of BOTH Dirty Rats and FFPs by one day. Darn it.

Then she told me that an employee purchased them. And that she wasn't too happy about that. At first it irritated me a little. But then I thought if I worked there I would have done the same thing. Not sure where I stand on that now. They only get one box in at a time. I havent seen a Dirty Rat in a store in over 2 or 3 years. Im always too late to order it seems when I get any emails that they come in. The FFPs I have found in stores twice since they came out, Only have 4 of them left.

The manager told me they only get them in every couple of months or so. On one hand Im irritated that they are bought before the customer has a chance to buy them. But on the other hand if I was an employee I would have done the same. So my question to you guys is this; How do you feel if the only supply of Dirty Rats and FFPs are bought by the store employees before they ever get on the shelf?

On a positive note I got some UF-13s!

 

[Martin3203]

I don't blame them, they need to buy their sticks somewhere to. I think that's why so many retailers limit the amount of what you can buy. They want to try and spread the wealth.

 

[MoJo]

I don't like it, but I don't blame the employee. I would do it if I was in their shoes. I don't like it when a store sells all of their good stuff to one or two people, whether it's an employee, members, or just a big spender. I understand the thought process for it, but it's a turn off to me and keeps me from coming back usually

 

[Stillinger]

Don't blame them either, but it is a bit of a letdown.

I do think if it happens too much, you could hurt your store. I know some places hold most of their LE for locker guys, and that's ok as well. Just makes it a bit harder, but those are the perks of some.

 

[Grrrrr609]

Yea I understand if they hold for the guys that spend the big bucks monthly, have run into that too over FFPs. I dont hold that against a shop. If I was an employee I would have done the same. But would be nice to at least get a chance. Last time I got the FFPs I was told I was lucky because so and so hadnt gotten to work yet or they would have been gone. The shop wont lose my business. I like them. The manager is always very nice and very helpful. Just woulda loved to have scored a few Dirty Rats.

 

[UtahRootBeer]

i would say with a employee and especially with something HF limit them where they cant get a whole box but maybe a 5er. Just my .02

 

[MylesT]

I work at a liquor store...we can buy the rare stuff too, but not until its on the shelf, and we have to mind the bottle limit, just like everyone else. I know from past experience that this is far from common practice. I don't mind employees buying...many of us work at these types of jobs because we're passionate about it....but it should be a fair shot just like the customer gets. Just my two cents.

 

[Master Shake]

Thats complete and utter bullshit. This stuff does happen with everything that is limited though so I'm not surprised. Many places have regulations in place to prevent that kind of thing. As a store you are supposed to be catering to your clients not your employees.
I had a friend who worked at Footlocker and said this kind of crap happened all the time. Once they got a special edition shoe and he said they only sold like 3 pairs at the store because the employees bought up the rest and sold them on Ebay at an insane price hike.
Unfortunately, bitching about it usually doesn't get you anywhere so I can only wish you better luck next time in grabbing some.

 

[Stillinger]

Well, if they're just abusing their job to screw the owner, that's different. I do know some guys who only work a retail job to get a discount and a first shot at a new release.

It doesn't make me mad, but its certainly a bit rough on the consumers. I think you're shooting yourself in the foot as an owner if you don't regulate it

 

[KcJason1]

At a local shop.. A dingle berry employee decided to push rats to everyone that came in the door if they had never had one.. Yeah... they sold out in 3 hours.. Don't push them to people that have no clue what they are!

 

[UpInSmoke]

If I was an employee I'd buy the $h!t outta my inventory haha

 

[UpInSmoke]

If they're allowed to buy unlimited ammounts from their employer, then more power to 'em

 

[mistaforty]

If they're allowed to buy unlimited ammounts from their employer, then more power to 'em

Yeah that's. my thought. If the policy doesn't prevent it then most people would do it. As an owner certain situations should be foreseen and restrictions/allowances made to benefit the customer.

 

[Master Shake]

There just needs to be some forethought from management or owners on these kinda things. Dirty Rats aren't easy to come by and when they do get delivered from DE a shipment is somewhere around 300 boxes and it only happens every 3-4 months from what I understand. So basically, an average store would be lucky to get one box once a year. For that one box to get bought up by an employee before any customers get a crack is hot garbage.
As an employee who may only stick around so that they can grab smokes it would blow not to get the premium stuff just because you work there. So I can definitely see the other side of the issue but I think it makes a lot more sense to tell an employee "tough luck" then it does to say the same thing to your customers. Just one man's opinion.

 

[Grrrrr609]

There just needs to be some forethought from management or owners on these kinda things. Dirty Rats aren't easy to come by and when they do get delivered from DE a shipment is somewhere around 300 boxes and it only happens every 3-4 months from what I understand. So basically, an average store would be lucky to get one box once a year. For that one box to get bought up by an employee before any customers get a crack is hot garbage.
As an employee who may only stick around so that they can grab smokes it would blow not to get the premium stuff just because you work there. So I can definitely see the other side of the issue but I think it makes a lot more sense to tell an employee "tough luck" then it does to say the same thing to your customers. Just one man's opinion.

Thats kinda what I was thinking. With so few going out and if alot of shop employees buy them, how are we the consumers suppose to get them?

 

[Robertsndr68]

I work at a liquor store...we can buy the rare stuff too, but not until its on the shelf, and we have to mind the bottle limit, just like everyone else. I know from past experience that this is far from common practice. I don't mind employees buying...many of us work at these types of jobs because we're passionate about it....but it should be a fair shot just like the customer gets. Just my two cents.

Wtf is a bottle limit..... That sounds freakin terrible

 

[Paul3]

It is what it is. Some feel slighted because it was an employee that got to them first as if they had some kind of unfair advantage or prior knowledge, but the end result is no different than if a total stranger showed up a day prior and snapped up the only available box. You can't knock the employee, it's a nice beni of working in a cigar shop. If it really gets under somebodies skin well there are two options. Get a job at a cigar shop or don't patronize a shop that let's their employees buy the good stuff first.

 

[Craig Mac]

I seem to be battling some insomnia tonight, so I'll chime in on this one.

As one of those employees, I can tell you that I have seen 3-4 boxes of rats, close to a dozen boxes of FFP's and 3 boxes of L40's in the last year. I have purchased 1-2 cigars of each. I get most of my LE singles from the shops after they have sat on the shelf for a couple weeks, and in some cases months. We have a policy as far as what percentage of an LE the employees can buy, and it ain't much. In the case of items like the Tat Monsters, Opus, Anejo, Mule Kick, ect... There is an initial limit as to what the employees can purchase. If the cigars sit around, then the limit is raised/lifted. We had more people on the waiting list for UF-13 than we had boxes for, so we limited the amount per customer and hooked almost everyone up on the waiting list. And you know how many of those cigars I got.... None, zero, zilch.

That said, we have some hard working and well deserving employees, some of them are cigar geeks like most of us here. They get shot down on some cigars, it can be frustrating for them to look at a full box of cigars and know they won't be able to get any. Here's the funny thing guys, LE's are constantly coming out and there are a lot of good regular production sticks currently available. The shop employees know that and it's not the end of the world to most of them if they miss this weeks latest release.

Now here are the questions I have for those that are upset about employees buying cigars. Say for example that I have seen 12 boxes of Dirty Rats over the last 3-4 years that I have worked for the company. As a full time employee, at what point is it acceptable that I get a box of Dirty Rats/Flying Pigs/Mule Kick/UF-13/L40 or whatever ubber rare cigar? Should I have to call another shop to get my cigars? Am I greedy if I buy a box? Does my hard work and dedication to my job not warrant me access to exclusive products?

And finally... Personally, I think a shop owner shouldn't throw their employees under the bus like that and tell customers that so-and-so got the last box of (insert latest LE here). Not only does it reflect bad on the business, it also undermines the employee.

 

[Grrrrr609]

I seem to be battling some insomnia tonight, so I'll chime in on this one.

As one of those employees, I can tell you that I have seen 3-4 boxes of rats, close to a dozen boxes of FFP's and 3 boxes of L40's in the last year. I have purchased 1-2 cigars of each. I get most of my LE singles from the shops after they have sat on the shelf for a couple weeks, and in some cases months. We have a policy as far as what percentage of an LE the employees can buy, and it ain't much. In the case of items like the Tat Monsters, Opus, Anejo, Mule Kick, ect... There is an initial limit as to what the employees can purchase. If the cigars sit around, then the limit is raised/lifted. We had more people on the waiting list for UF-13 than we had boxes for, so we limited the amount per customer and hooked almost everyone up on the waiting list. And you know how many of those cigars I got.... None, zero, zilch.

That said, we have some hard working and well deserving employees, some of them are cigar geeks like most of us here. They get shot down on some cigars, it can be frustrating for them to look at a full box of cigars and know they won't be able to get any. Here's the funny thing guys, LE's are constantly coming out and there are a lot of good regular production sticks currently available. The shop employees know that and it's not the end of the world to most of them if they miss this weeks latest release.

Now here are the questions I have for those that are upset about employees buying cigars. Say for example that I have seen 12 boxes of Dirty Rats over the last 3-4 years that I have worked for the company. As a full time employee, at what point is it acceptable that I get a box of Dirty Rats/Flying Pigs/Mule Kick/UF-13/L40 or whatever ubber rare cigar? Should I have to call another shop to get my cigars? Am I greedy if I buy a box? Does my hard work and dedication to my job not warrant me access to exclusive products?

And finally... Personally, I think a shop owner shouldn't throw their employees under the bus like that and tell customers that so-and-so got the last box of (insert latest LE here). Not only does it reflect bad on the business, it also undermines the employee.

Well stated.

Appreciate everyones opinions here. Was just curious what everyone thought. I went from feeling mildly irritated to feeling that had i been in the employees shoes, i would have done the same.

The UH-13 is an incredible cigar btw.

Sent from my SPH-D710BST using Tapatalk 2

 

[RacFocus]

As part of my job I had to go to the release day of one of the Iphones at an ATT store or Verizon store I don't remember. I was asking the manager if he and his employees had gotten one of the new phones yet. His response was emphatically NO. It was his store and I believe company policy to take care of customers first. If you don't keep the customers happy, you do not stay in business.

Not saying that the employees shouldn't have a chance at the smokes, but I don't think they should be able to buy them all.