I'm a older vaper, and I'm sick and tired of these vape shop owners and workers treating us older vapers like crap, ignoring us acting like we are the dumbest people who ever lived when we ask a question.. I went into this vape shop here in Northern Michigan, and we are limited to shops, and this has happened to me more than once the eye rolls the deep breaths and once I was asked if I was stupid.. I'm sick of this considering I have disposable income to spend in there shops.. Has this problem ever happened to anyone else.
I have to complain!!!!
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It has but no more. I shop on line. I get advice here.
It might be worth trying some other shops in your area... Honestly, if you have any high end cigar/tobacco places, some of them have started carrying vape equipment and they can be more professional about things. How much the owners may know about vaping is debatable, but it's a different kind of environment.
If you have a Freedom Smoke USA near you, it might be worth a look. They've gone somewhat national, they're kind of "utilitarian" in approach and as are their juices (not bad, not good, just decent) and I think they have something going with Kangertech, they carry a lot of that equipment. I will say, a couple near me have decent employees and I've gotten "help" there before, but as CMD-KY states, I now do most of my vaping orders online, and I DIY juice, from wholesalers, and buy my equipment online, as well as using RTAs (rebuildable tanks) and it is rare for me these days to need the "aid" of a vape shop, usually if I have a problem, I can get the answer here.
I would like to support my local vape shops (the good ones) but I don't very much anymore. The savings are huge and I now know a lot more than many of the staff, many of whom aren't really trained much in e-cigarette knowledge.
I would never darken the door of a shop that asked me "are you stupid?" and I don't think you should either. I would try to do more online purchasing, and I have found ECF as a collective to probably have more knowledge than the majority of stores, period. Unless you have something exceptional near you, which isn't always the case....
Best of luck,
Anna
If you have a Freedom Smoke USA near you, it might be worth a look. They've gone somewhat national, they're kind of "utilitarian" in approach and as are their juices (not bad, not good, just decent) and I think they have something going with Kangertech, they carry a lot of that equipment. I will say, a couple near me have decent employees and I've gotten "help" there before, but as CMD-KY states, I now do most of my vaping orders online, and I DIY juice, from wholesalers, and buy my equipment online, as well as using RTAs (rebuildable tanks) and it is rare for me these days to need the "aid" of a vape shop, usually if I have a problem, I can get the answer here.
I would like to support my local vape shops (the good ones) but I don't very much anymore. The savings are huge and I now know a lot more than many of the staff, many of whom aren't really trained much in e-cigarette knowledge.
I would never darken the door of a shop that asked me "are you stupid?" and I don't think you should either. I would try to do more online purchasing, and I have found ECF as a collective to probably have more knowledge than the majority of stores, period. Unless you have something exceptional near you, which isn't always the case....
Best of luck,
Anna
The young of this country have little or no respect for the older people. Do they honestly think we were born old? I would say your experience is typical.
Excellent strategy. Write the vape shop a letter explaining why you won't do business with them any more, and include a copy of a few invoices from online shops to show them what they missed. I bet that will get a few more eye rolls !
I don't want to waste my time, paper and a stamp because I don't care if they improve their customer relations, remain without change, double their yearly revenue or file for bankruptcy protection. I simply don't care.
I'm 64. I can remember when there were no brick-and-mortar vape shops. I was excited when the first vape shop opened in my state in 2012. I drove 1 1/2 hours to get a 14500 battery (which they didn't have in stock, but it was available on their online website). But I got to talk "vape stuff" with the owner for about three hours. I got to see what other customers were using as they came in to buy gear or e-liquid. It made the fruitless trip worthwhile.
I became friends with that shop owner and actually worked for him in 2014 as a sales person for a year. It was the second vape shop in the city (Cincinnati) when they opened it up. When I left the shop a year later, there must have been 20 other shops in the city. I actually believe my second shop manager (not the owner) didn't like me because of my age. She didn't treat me like the other sales staff because they were all in their 20's and she was in her 30's. I believe I related very well with the older customers, most who had smoked for over 20 years and were looking for a safer nicotine delivery system to quit smoking. I also believe I related well with the younger customers, as I had children in that age group.
I didn't really like the cloud chasing contests that the shop sponsored, but that's a personal thing.
I can't say that I am happy with the way that many vape shops have evolved in the short time that they have been around. I no longer visit them to buy gear or e-liquid. I go more out of curiosity on how the vape business is evolving. I still feel there is a place for "good shops", but I buy all my needs online.
Sorry that your local shop isn't one of those "good shops".
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@j3000 - I haven't experienced what you have with local shops, because I haven't even been in 1 for more than 3 years. There is no excuse for vape shop employees to treat customers the way you were treated! I, too, do all my vape shopping online now.
If there's something you need help with as far as your vaping set-up, there are many here who are ready and willing to provide information, tips, troubleshooting steps, etc. that would hopefully help you. If you need a new mod, tank, batteries, parts and supplies, etc....we can also help steer you to reputable vendors we've dealt with online, and/or who may have the best price on something, etc. Just let us know what we can help you with.
If there's something you need help with as far as your vaping set-up, there are many here who are ready and willing to provide information, tips, troubleshooting steps, etc. that would hopefully help you. If you need a new mod, tank, batteries, parts and supplies, etc....we can also help steer you to reputable vendors we've dealt with online, and/or who may have the best price on something, etc. Just let us know what we can help you with.
First off I'm legally blind so I don't drive. The problem I have. Vaping is not a big thing here at the tip of mitt. I have one shop that's is a hour away and there one of the major problem shops. But when I travel I like to visit local vape shops, while my wife goes shopping. And about 1/3 of the shops i visit does this to me.. The best vape shops I have ever visited was in Indiana. There was one where I spent all day at I bought the whole shop pizza. I was having so ooo much fun.
It hasn't happened to me, but then again when I leave a shop the people I dealt with are usually more knowledgeable than when I went in.
I found what worked for me right here on ECF... even bought my first ProVari/Kayfun used in the ECF classies.
Skipped the whole Vape Shop Hobby Vaping routine ... what really put me off was how Vaping went from helping folks quit smoking to literally tons of youth who never smoked before picking up Vaping as a cloud chasing hobby.
not a big fan of filthy looking neck beards either
Skipped the whole Vape Shop Hobby Vaping routine ... what really put me off was how Vaping went from helping folks quit smoking to literally tons of youth who never smoked before picking up Vaping as a cloud chasing hobby.
not a big fan of filthy looking neck beards either
I have been vaping for 4 years now, I just got fed up, after revisiting this one shop yesterday. I do 70 percent of shopping online but I also like that one on one time I get with people. It's winter time here in Michigan so I can't walk to my local coffee shop. I like to hang out with people and I like hanging out with people who have the same interests. And when I go to a good vape shop and spend a lot of time in there shops hanging out talking to people it doesn't phase me to spend $100 or more in there shops for putting up with me. My average spending in a vape shop I just figured this out is $150-200.. Be nice to your old blind people we don't know how much we are spending..
Wow, I'm sorry you experienced that. I'm in the older crowd and I have to say the vape shop near me, all of the employees have been great! I came in there with a problem and they helped me out, spent time talking to me and have been super. They even changed out my ejuice when I realized that I purchased the wrong one, on top of that trusted me to bring the other juice back that they changed out for me, I didn't have it with me at the time. Hopefully you can find a shop near you that will treat you right!
I have to add that they really need to think about how they treat the older people, because it was MY mother who introduced me to vaping!
I have to add that they really need to think about how they treat the older people, because it was MY mother who introduced me to vaping!
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I'm 59, turning the magical 60 next month. We have numerous vape shops here and I've been in all of them. Nobody has treated me that way. Maybe I'm just lucky. If it were me I would not go back to a shop that did treat me that way. I don't do any sort of business with one that treats anybody like that.
Nearly 4 and a half years of vaping and I've never been in a vaping store. At first, there weren't any within an hour drive so I learned through ECF and did my shopping online. Now, there are multiple stores within 30 minutes and I've never bothered to check one out. If I had time, I just might visit one to see how they treat a 61 yr old blonde!
Wishful thinking, inline with J3. My husband used to like cigars and there were several stores that had an area for the patrons to sit back, enjoy a cigar, and socialize. A vape store like that would be nice to visit. I've only met a few vapers in the wild but never at a time when we could swap stories.
Wishful thinking, inline with J3. My husband used to like cigars and there were several stores that had an area for the patrons to sit back, enjoy a cigar, and socialize. A vape store like that would be nice to visit. I've only met a few vapers in the wild but never at a time when we could swap stories.
I retired early about eight years ago and have always vaped MTL. Cloud vapers in the shops are most of the business these days. When I go in the local shop it's so full of vapor that the owner had to install a high CFM exhaust blower because someone complained and the local city inspectors required it. There's still a haze most of the time. Last time I walked into the shop I was met with a thick stream of hanging vapor from the other side of the room.
I used to enjoy stopping in to see what's new. I bought my first couple of mods there. The prices are about 50% above online stores, but sometimes you just have to have it now. I bought my first Kanthal and Koh Gen Do cotton there as well as my first variable voltage mod and Nautilus tank.
These days I just shop online prices and order using Paypal. It's too easy.
I used to enjoy stopping in to see what's new. I bought my first couple of mods there. The prices are about 50% above online stores, but sometimes you just have to have it now. I bought my first Kanthal and Koh Gen Do cotton there as well as my first variable voltage mod and Nautilus tank.
These days I just shop online prices and order using Paypal. It's too easy.
Vaping is so simple a technology, that you really don't need a B&M anymore. Thank God I'm old enough to recognise this.
It happens in the bottom of the mitten just as much as the top. I've gotten withering looks from 20 something cloud blowers working at most shops in the Detroit area for the last few years. I'm glad I found the camaraderie among vapers in the early days at meetups and one early shop but those days are just memories now.
Maybe we can break the ice by talking their language when we walk in, saying "What's the newest mod from Smok?"
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