Am I the only person in town who knows what's going on?

[mackman]

I'm not so concerned with what they carry, as much as what they know about the safety and efficacy of what they carry. It's the lack of knowledge that bothers me. Not the lack of selection.

This is the nature of the beast and as stated all about the fast $$ for some shop owners. The good ones educate and hire knowledgeable people to staff their businesses and instill that knowledge in their customers that desire it. There are businesses and their staff that could care less and let's face it clientele that could care less too as long as they have their vape "bling" or whatever. Oh yeah I think they call that "human nature".

 

[Racehorse]

Have you ever been in *any* kind of store where they are "over-knowledgeable" lately? :snicker:


That said, I guess it's better than walking into a store with a blow hard who is a know-it-all...........those are the ones that drive me nuts.

 

[grayscale]

Have you ever been in *any* kind of store where they are "over-knowledgeable" lately? :snicker:


That said, I guess it's better than walking into a store with a blow hard who is a know-it-all...........those are the ones that drive me nuts.

Good point. Went to a vape bar the other day and the kid that was showing me their different flavors was looking at me the whole time like I had no idea what I was doing. When I asked for the store owner and started talking to her about ECF and CASAA, he quickly retreated to a corner to hide.

However, it's not always about the quick buck either. Vape shops are not cash cows. The budget to hire said "knowledgeable" staff usually only extends to minimum wage or just slightly higher, in which case your selection is, guess what - college students. Most kids that age inherently don't care. Not all of them, just most.Try as an owner might to change that with the staff, that's just the way it is. This is the nature of the beast. This is why so many walk into shops where kids are more interested in fiddling with their own gear or vaping as much free liquid as possible. In the end, yes, it is the owners to blame, or possibly managers depending.
I think what would help most shops is to have simple cards that stay with each product that highlight the product and and give a few unique points about it, at least the kid behind the counter could just read it to the unwary customer.

 

[SissySpike]

I strolled into a local tobacco shop that I know sells Vape gear. They get all of their supply from a relatively high profile website, and are listed as one of their authorized outlets. I decided to look over one of their Mech kits. They've obviously just collected together a bunch of stuff from their source and made a kit out of it.

I have a few issues with the kit...

For starters, its an anodized Bolt style mech. Okay, whatever.
It comes with a couple of CE4's. Really? CE4's in a mech kit?
It also comes with a Boge F-16 carto-tank. Not bad, but are they standard res cartos? Not gonna be very good performance on an unregulated device.
This all comes in an eGo style case.
With 2 panasonic protected li-ion batteries. Well, at least they're protected... BUT, why on Earth select those batteries, when their supplier also sells MNKE IMR 18650 1500mah batteries? "Well, here's a mech kit, with batteries that might not blow your teeth out. We could have gotten much safer ones, but they cost $3 more."
...
These batteries were just shoved into the pockets of the case. The supplier also sells battery cases...

I also gave another visitor sales spiels on all of the products they carried... The person behind the counter was in awe over how much my knowledge surpassed theirs...

Why, why, why must these places that sell vape gear continue to hire people that don't know what they're selling? I'd really not like to read about someone blowing their face off with a mech that they didn't understand the limitations of.

Lots of us here are fanatics rivaled only buy the cool aid drinking people of Jones Town.

 

[madqatter]

Lots of us here are fanatics rivaled only buy the cool aid drinking people of Jones Town.

It was actually Flavor Aid. Just sayin'.

 

[Fulgurant]

However, it's not always about the quick buck either. Vape shops are not cash cows. The budget to hire said "knowledgeable" staff usually only extends to minimum wage or just slightly higher, in which case your selection is, guess what - college students. Most kids that age inherently don't care. Not all of them, just most.Try as an owner might to change that with the staff, that's just the way it is. This is the nature of the beast. This is why so many walk into shops where kids are more interested in fiddling with their own gear or vaping as much free liquid as possible. In the end, yes, it is the owners to blame, or possibly managers depending.
I think what would help most shops is to have simple cards that stay with each product that highlight the product and and give a few unique points about it, at least the kid behind the counter could just read it to the unwary customer.

Yeah, the truth is that retailers always employed largely clueless staff. The difference now is that the internet empowers any consumer with half a brain and half an ounce of interest to do his own research. But as with anything, you have to pick your battles; you can't become even a quasi-expert on everything.

By the same token, you can't expect minimum-wage workers to keep up with all of the developments in tech industries (or young and rapidly changing industries like vaping's). Every once in awhile, you will come across a retail associate who's a genuine enthusiast, and that's great -- but those kids aren't always the best at customer service either. They might be the most knowledgeable vapers on the planet, but that's not necessarily a good thing if it means that all they want to do is fiddle with their personal RBA on the clock.

Low paid and high-turnover positions are a pain in the neck to fill with knowledgeable, courteous and attentive staff. That ain't gonna change, and it isn't a problem unique to vaping. At least nowadays we have some recourse; I actually appreciate it when a pimply faced kid at the Best Buy or the local vape shop tells me he doesn't know the answer to a particular question, because it means he isn't bluffing for the sake of making a sale, potentially at my expense.

 

[geeve]

So why not offer to help them out for gear? I help out my local B&M by doing classes on gear maintenance, Mods, Etc. I also get them literature and knowledge so they can learn and take care of the customers. I will work a couple hours behind the counter if they need it as well. They also know they can call me with questions. In return I get Juice, Tanks, Batteries Etc.

Most small B&M's can't afford folks with the knowledge and good help is hard to find. However trading knowledge and a little time for stuff you need anyway saves everyone in the long run. My vape budget had dropped a lot because I don't have to order stuff hardly anymore. (there is a mod that I am getting, but I wouldn't exect them to order it just for me).

Just a thought anyway, I am a bartering fool though

Geeve

 

[bosun]

Local vape/RYO/cigar/pr0n/glassware shop. Been in there once since I got off the coffin nails. Don't really know what they have, as they put the vape supplies in a glass counter right in front of the door. Bend over to look and get hit in the but with the door. Figured I had something better to do with my time and left. I should try again.
These shops are the ones that are making vaping available to the general public. They should have relatively inexpensive start up kits available. Fifty - sixty bucks shouldn't kill the curious when they get two bats, a charger, some cartos and a complimentary bottle of juice. And just enough education from the counter clerk on how to work things and actually 'smoke' one of these new-fangled things. We all remember our first puff (cough, choke, cough) don't we? Vaping isn't easy to start with, these folks can make life easier for all of us!
I've dealt with people in various businesses who had their own agenda (I get a bonus if I sell these POS'S) or totally ignorant about the subject but unwilling to admit it. I even told one, after I got fed up with him, "I expect the next conversation I have with you will be you asking me if I want fries with that"!

 

[grayscale]

So why not offer to help them out for gear? I help out my local B&M by doing classes on gear maintenance, Mods, Etc. I also get them literature and knowledge so they can learn and take care of the customers. I will work a couple hours behind the counter if they need it as well. They also know they can call me with questions. In return I get Juice, Tanks, Batteries Etc.

Most small B&M's can't afford folks with the knowledge and good help is hard to find. However trading knowledge and a little time for stuff you need anyway saves everyone in the long run. My vape budget had dropped a lot because I don't have to order stuff hardly anymore. (there is a mod that I am getting, but I wouldn't exect them to order it just for me).

Just a thought anyway, I am a bartering fool though

Geeve

That's fantastic Geeve, you should be commended. I know not everyone has time to spare, but a thought occurred to me while reading your post. Most people do have some small amount of time on the weekends. People could do something like Home Depot does and have a "Vape Shop" once a month for a couple hours on a Saturday.

 

[Huckleberried]

That's fantastic Geeve, you should be commended. I know not everyone has time to spare, but a thought occurred to me while reading your post. Most people do have some small amount of time on the weekends. People could do something like Home Depot does and have a "Vape Shop" once a month for a couple hours on a Saturday.

I LOVE that idea. Hmm. I'll have to make a suggestion to the one I go to. I'll quote you.

 

[TyPie]

Have you ever been in *any* kind of store where they are "over-knowledgeable" lately? :snicker:


That said, I guess it's better than walking into a store with a blow hard who is a know-it-all...........those are the ones that drive me nuts.

This is EXACTLY right. In this day and age, I rarely expect or rely on retail salespeople to be experts, not in Home Depot, not in an appliance store, and not even in a vape shop. As long as they are reasonably helpful, that is fine with me. If they are, in fact experts, I consider it a bonus.

There is just so much info available online about any product or service you might be considering, that I would much rather do a little research on my own to become as knowledgeable as possible. It is one of the most valuable aspects of the internet, imho.

 

[madqatter]

People could do something like Home Depot does and have a "Vape Shop" once a month for a couple hours on a Saturday.

I've been to a vape store that has events like RBA workshops (in addition to movie nights, etc). I thought it was a smart offering.

 

[Xcighippy]

Its all about a quick buck. Vape shops are popping up every where around here and tobacco stores are all now "carrying all your ecig needs!!". For the most part im pretty certain people are just jumping on the make a dollar bandwagon, making a massive order of items from china and selling them. They dont know how they work, they dont care how they work and they darn sure dont care about anyones safety. Thanks to places like this forum I try to educate myself and make wise decisions. This very matter is one of the reasons we can expect STRICT regulations all around.

My thoughts exactly! The local smoke shop near me has jumped on the e-cig craze bandwagon. They filled the shop with a case load of stuff from china and they dont have a clue what it does or how to use it! I went in to see what they had after seeing their big new banner, "Your Vape Headquaters" Anyway, I see they have a bunch of knockoff vivi novas and some cleros and such. I ask if they have any carto's and tanks and the lady gives me the "deer in the headlights" look. I show her mine on my Provari and she says " Oh no we wont sell those. Those are unhealthy! They bad for you. I say WHAT? She goes on to explain how the strings (what we would call the wicks) in the vivi are the "filter" and that mine doesn't have a "filter". I say OK and didn't argue with her. I left with a bad feeling for the future of vaping.

 

[patkin]

A new local B&M offered me a job because I knew more about their gear than they did... mostly learned on ECF and youtube btw. I thanked them and said "Nope, I'm retired and like it that way." But, truly, I think its a trend. I experience the same lack of knowledge among clerks everywhere... ie: from Home Depot to Hobby Lobby.

 

[NiNi]

"Oh yeah...I invented that"

Priceless!!!!! Bawahahaha!

 

[JulesXsmokr]

I strolled into a local tobacco shop that I know sells Vape gear. They get all of their supply from a relatively high profile website, and are listed as one of their authorized outlets. I decided to look over one of their Mech kits. They've obviously just collected together a bunch of stuff from their source and made a kit out of it.

I have a few issues with the kit...

For starters, its an anodized Bolt style mech. Okay, whatever.
It comes with a couple of CE4's. Really? CE4's in a mech kit?
It also comes with a Boge F-16 carto-tank. Not bad, but are they standard res cartos? Not gonna be very good performance on an unregulated device.
This all comes in an eGo style case.
With 2 panasonic protected li-ion batteries. Well, at least they're protected... BUT, why on Earth select those batteries, when their supplier also sells MNKE IMR 18650 1500mah batteries? "Well, here's a mech kit, with batteries that might not blow your teeth out. We could have gotten much safer ones, but they cost $3 more."
...
These batteries were just shoved into the pockets of the case. The supplier also sells battery cases...

I also gave another visitor sales spiels on all of the products they carried... The person behind the counter was in awe over how much my knowledge surpassed theirs...

Why, why, why must these places that sell vape gear continue to hire people that don't know what they're selling? I'd really not like to read about someone blowing their face off with a mech that they didn't understand the limitations of.

You are expected to be "totally impressed" with that state of the art kit that no one else sells!
You will be in the new tech vaping crowd when you buy these things..
You see, it's all self explanatory...