If You Don't Know Anything About Vaping, Don't Open a Vape Shop

[Nate760]

The following is a true story. The names have been omitted to protect the stupid.

A new vape shop opened up on the other side of town a few weeks ago, and I like to always pay a visit and get acquainted with the proprietors when a new one opens up in my area, so being in need of some fresh atomizer heads, I decided to drop by there a few hours ago.

It appeared to be a husband-and-wife operation, and that the two of them were having a great deal of trouble dealing with the number of customers on hand, which consisted of me and three other dudes. After waiting in line for a good 15 minutes, I finally made it up to the counter where the wife greeted me.

WIFE: "Hi! How can I help you?"

NATE: "Hey, I just need a few atomizer heads. joyetech, type A, normal resistance."

WIFE: *blank stare* (She didn't have the faintest idea what I was talking about.)

WIFE [TO HUSBAND]: "Honey, this guy says he needs some....what was it? Atomizer heads?"

NATE: "Yes. Atomizer heads. joyetech, type A, normal resistance."

HUSBAND: "Uhh, I think these are the only ones we have." (He gestures to a row of clearos in the display case. I am not making this up.)

NATE: "Those are clearomizers. I need atomizer heads. You do know the difference between a clearomizer and an atomizer head, don't you?"

HUSBAND [AFTER LONG, AWKWARD SILENCE]: "Uhh....what do they look like?"

NATE: "A small cylinder with a spike on one end and a wick inside it, about 1/2 inch long."

WIFE: "Ooh, I think we have some of those!" (Disappears into back room.)

HUSBAND: "Sorry about this. We're kind of learning as we go."

NATE: "Clearly. I just came into your store asking for the most common replacement part for one of the most common PVs on the face of the earth, and you guys looked at me like I was from outer space."

HUSBAND: "PV? What's that stand for?"

NATE: "Am I on freaking Candid Camera or something? This cannot be for real."

WIFE [EMERGING FROM BACK ROOM WITH LARGE ZIPLOC BAG]: "Are these what you're looking for?"

(At this point I examined the contents of the bag, which was a random collection of generic joyetech knockoff attys, all heavily used, some so much so that the contact plates were caked with rust.)

NATE: "Umm, yeah, but these are all used and completely worthless. I want new ones."

WIFE: "No, they're not used. The guy I bought them from said they were brand new."

NATE: "Brand new with rust all over them? Is that like a new custom feature I haven't heard about?"

HUSBAND [CLOSELY INSPECTING ONE OF THE RUSTED ATTYS]: "Damn, he's right, there is a lot of rust on here."

NATE: "Just out of curiosity, have either of you guys ever actually vaped before?"

HUSBAND: "Of course, we've both been using Blu for like three months."

NATE [IMMEDIATELY FLEEING SHOP]: "Bye."

 

[jclifford]

absolutely hilarious!!!

Although I do prefer the natural selection thing over protecting the stupid.

 

[Mailablemage]

I sense a new show idea

B&m nightmares

THIS COIL IS GUNKY

but seriously tho. I have to call a head at the vape store before i go to make sure the guy thats always on drugs isnt working the counter. The guy took half an hour making me a 30mil house brew and i was the only customer. They are lucky their juices are so good and their prices so good.

 

[Merryhellion]

Awesome!!! sorry you wasted your time at the shop, but mine reading about it was well spent =)

 

[MorpheusPA]

You had the same reaction I do after watching any Scott's commercial.

"Seed your lawn. Seed it!"

Sure, if you want the seed to sprout beautifully in April or May and watch it die in July because it didn't have time to grow root systems. Seed in mid-August.

 

[Mogy]

I live in the boonies.. We dont have vapeshops here but few of the tobacco shops have started carrying some e juice and starter kits. I went in one day wondering if I could use their juice as back up in case something happened to stash and vapemail did not get here in time (very unlikely). I could not identify the bottles or see them from I was standing. My first question was how much pg/vg they had.

Resulted in blank stare and mumbling about nobody has ever asked that question before..


Yeah did not buy any

 

[kachuge]

good story,
I can see that happening, totally......
my own vape shop that I like a lot and they are totally helpful......... actually doesn't have any staff that rebuilds... believe it....
you figure that they would be hiring total keeners..... DIY guys, rebuilders, cloud chasers, etc
...anyways..... enjoyed the read
g

 

[omyeyes]

That was too funny. They won't be in business too long!

 

[pauly walnuts]

I live in the boonies.. We dont have vapeshops here but few of the tobacco shops have started carrying some e juice and starter kits. I went in one day wondering if I could use their juice as back up in case something happened to stash and vapemail did not get here in time (very unlikely). I could not identify the bottles or see them from I was standing. My first question was how much pg/vg they had.

Resulted in blank stare and mumbling about nobody has ever asked that question before..


Yeah did not buy any

If you go into a tobacco shop and see 'Criss Cross' liquid, try some, its truly not bad. Its not too thick or too thin and the flavors are pretty decent. I always use the 24mg 'criss cross black' tobacco flavor to mix with my home brews.

 

[DebiK]

Wow, just wow.

 

[KODIAK (TM)]

Geez. Give ‘em a break. It’s a new biz. And another vaping resource you never had nearby up until a few weeks ago. That’s got to count for something. Unless they’re mixing their own juice line in the back room they’re just harmless resellers trying to make a go of it. They’ll catch on soon enough or hire somebody that knows.

 

[edyle]

People don't get into a business because they know the business; most get into it because there's a demand.

Right now vaping is big business. It's booming; for somebody looking to start up a business, the vape business is high on the list of possibilities because it's booming. For b&m's its more about distribution/retailing, shelf space, location; specialty stuff is more effectively done online; for b&m's the main business is going to be starter kits and or eliquids.

I'm surpised mom and pop actually had the joyetech heads even though they were rusty; interesting though they must have recognized the joyetech name after a while and managed to find the correct item.

 

[Hey.al]

You should have applied to work there. Sounds like they could use some help


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[NORCALEX]

Luckily I haven't had a personal experience with inexperience vape shop owners, only guys in smoke shops that carry some e-cig stuff. I'm sure with the popularity the community and market there's going to be an unfortunate amount of uneducated people opening up shops.

 

[jwag1973]

There are a number of shops in my area that are/were similar to what your describing there. Most of them got up to speed pretty quick. Hopefully they'll catch on and expand their inventory. For a lot of people I know, it's an ego with a evod or Protank.

 

[Rickajho]

Wow. Practically poster children for the FDA.

 

[catilley1092]

Well, at the least, I can say they're honest, evidently vulnerable to crooks (evidenced by the bag of rusted coils). They need someone who knows what's going to to manage the store, otherwise they're going under fast.

I have to agree, if one is going to get into any business, know about it, regardless of type.

When I got to the part about the coils having rust on the heads, it caused me to cough out a deep hit of 11 O'Clock e-juice.

Cat

 

[ClasslessKing]

Oh my... Sounds like my recent trip to a new vape shop that opened up here. It is a stone's throw from my work, so I decided to drop in (like you, I like to get acquainted with new shop owners and see what stuff they have. I was actually in the market for a mech mod, so they had some decent cash coming their way). I spent at LEAST 45 minutes discussing mechs and VV/VW with an extremely knowledgeable girl who didn't look a day over 16, but the guy that was working there openly admitted that he had NO idea what was going on with the product. Instead of ridiculing him, however, I did show him a quick little in and out of the Vamos they had and some of the mechs they had in stock (They had a few that were nice and a few clones). They're an offshoot of a store in Phoenix which itself is a B&M of an online wholesaler. They were both extremely nice and I kind of felt bad for the guy, because he was really kind of lost in the fog, so to speak, but the girl was on the damn ball. When I walked in she was building coils, so that definitely made me feel a little better for the future of the store.

 

[Rocketpunk]

..........

This smacks of author elaboration.

Instead of belittling a husband and wife, perhaps you could have politely conversed with them in conversation and help educate them a bit. You like to get to know your proprietors, you say. Maybe extend a hand of friendship and courtesy and welcome them to the community. Are you making them out to be fly-by-night shysters? Being smug and thinking you're above anyone else is poor vaper behavior. I hope you feel good about yourself.

P.S. I've had poor service at a number of retail/food chains and I've never felt compelled to regale my behavior over the employees or companies and make an almost screenplay-like rant. I chalk it up to, well, that was a miss. Man.

 

[Nate760]

Being smug and thinking you're above anyone else is poor vaper behavior.

I don't think I'm above anyone else, but thanks for letting me know what goes on in my own mind, Captain Omniscient.

I hope you feel good about yourself.

Yes, quite. Thanks for asking.