newb post & quesion: Vape shop sexism?

[casloll]

So I'm pretty new to this. I've got about a 1.5 months vaping and just shy of a month off smokes.

My friend gifted me my set up gear (a vamo and a mini protank) and I got fanatically excited about the whole thing. The big piece of advice he gave me was "find a local vape shop, it will be your most important resource".

The closest to me is in a pretty hard to park area and the second closest ones are about an hour away but my partner (who is switching to vaping with me) and I drove up anyhow.

I picked a shop that seemed welcoming and seemed to have decent stock.

My experience was infuriatingly similar to the experience of most girls in comic shops.
Every person who worked there was a guy and every question I (a girl) asked they would look at my partner (a guy) and answer. My partner wasn't even doing any of the talking, he only went to support me and wasn't interested in getting anything. I asked about a provari and the guy "helping" me pulled it out of the case and handed it to my partner saying "check out the machining on those threads man".

It totally turned me off vape shops. Is this normal?

 

[ftbb3000]

Hi,
In San Diego it is usually just a clerk being a jerk to everyone. The good shops treat everyone the same the poor shops treat everyone bad. Just an observation for my local. I've got more than a dozen B&M shops within 30 minutes drive time. The customer breakdown is about 60/40 male to female and the shop staff is usually 90/10. there are about 4 shops owned by women in this group. Most of the time a rude clerk gets a gentle prod about who is the customer and if that doesn't work talk to the owner and update yelp. It's your money and their job.

 

[dshgr]

Go to Vape Dojo in Ellicott City. They don't act like that.

 

[alsmom]

I don't know why so many retail shops of any variety do that, but they do, whether it be sexism or classism, but the top retailers in my book know that they have to treat every customer like royalty to get customers to return. I loved shopping at Nordstrom's--they don't care if you rolled in looking like a homeless person, they will check your shopping cart and help you with whatever you need. Helps that most self-employed contractors roll in there all dirty with a pocketful of cash!!
But back to the question, yes, why do most guys think that women don't know about technology?? Just sad...

 

[GoodahSP]

You have a great friend getting you set up to start. I think the advice should have been "find a good local vape shop, it will be your most important resource". He...heh.

Personally I would find a different vape shop to spend my money on. Unless that shop you went to had the most amazing e-juice in the world that makes you see fireworks and walk on water, or they sell original Provaris for $50 with free batteries and a charger and e-juice, I wouldn't spend a dime there. I have 4 vape shops near me and I always go to the one that's farthest from my house, its not the prettiest, and not the least expensive either, but they get 100% of my non-Internet vaping buys. Because they're no nonsense, not overly polite but not rude either, aren't pushy overselling people, answer people questions without making them feel dumb, mix e-juice in house and carry other brands too, and don't charge people $2 for a drip tip for sampling their juices.

Let your hard earned money talk for you, go buy that Provari you were looking at someplace else.

 

[casloll]

You have a great friend getting you set up to start. I think the advice should have been "find a good local vape shop, it will be your most important resource". He...heh.

Personally I would find a different vape shop to spend my money on...

For the record I never intend to go to that shop again. I did want to check to see if this is something that is ingrained in vape shop culture before I started trying out other shops. If it was I'd just skip brick and mortars all together but from the responses so far it sounds like I just got burned on my first try and may have more luck someplace else.

 

[casloll]

Hi,
In San Diego it is usually just a clerk being a jerk to everyone...

I would have said something to an owner/manager but I talked to four separate clerks and only one of them didn't behave offensively sexist and dismissive. With that kind of consistency I can only guess the owner/manager knows and is ok with this behavior.

 

[GoodahSP]

For the record I never intend to go to that shop again. I did want to check to see if this is something that is ingrained in vape shop culture before I started trying out other shops. If it was I'd just skip brick and mortars all together but from the responses so far it sounds like I just got burned on my first try and may have more luck someplace else.

I don't think it's specific to just vapes shops but a lot of different shops in general. Try some other places and I'm not going to say "if" but "when" you find that little jewel of a shop you like go treat yourself to something nice in there and support that local B&M.

 

[happydave]

that sort of thing happens more than you would think.
seems like it is the type A male dominated fields. when i worked in the automotive industry female mechanics or parts store employees are often made fun of or judged just because they are female. same thing when i worked in the paintball industry. its not really that uncommon.
lots of type A males smoke cigarettes so its only natural they become vapers.

 

[jkc64]

I get the same at some shops (I'm almost 50) I walk in with my provari with a Russian 91% and they act like I don't know anything. I also have several mech mods and will just walk out and find a shop that wants my business. I am in retail myself and know that you don't judge a book by its cover. Some of us older folk have more to spend that the "cool" crowd. I have been in many shops that are very helpful and are more than willing to help you just have to find the good ones.

 

[casloll]

that sort of thing happens more than you would think.
seems like the is the type A male dominated fields. when i worked in the automotive industry female mechanics or parts store employees are often made fun of or judged just because they are female. same thing when i worked in the paintball industry. its not really that uncommon.
lots of type A males smoke cigarettes so its only natural they become vapers.

It's too true. Most of my interests are typically "male interests" so I've dealt with A LOT of discrimination (working in a hardware store and knowing more than most of the guys was super fun lemme tell you *sarcasm* ). I guess the vape community seemed so welcoming online so it really threw me off finding that kind of treatment in a vape shop... BTW, thanks for your input

 

[serenity21899]

No not at all. I have lots of Vape Shops in my area. The woman who work there have mechs and build, as do I. I'm a collector and everyone always wants to look at my new mods. They taught me how to build and are very helpful.

Only negative experience I have had was going to a shop that sold mostly beginner stuff. I had a ProVari with me that day, and the clerk seemed disappointed that he couldn't really sell me anything. I bought juice and never went back.

 

[casloll]

I get the same at some shops (I'm almost 50) I walk in with my provari with a Russian 91% and they act like I don't know anything. I also have several mech mods and will just walk out and find a shop that wants my business. I am in retail myself and know that you don't judge a book by its cover. Some of us older folk have more to spend that the "cool" crowd. I have been in many shops that are very helpful and are more than willing to help you just have to find the good ones.

Thanks, hon. Sorry to hear that you've dealt with the same thing.

 

[ScandaLeX]

I've been to a vape shop in which they act like men are the only ones with brains.
I've been to a vape shop that didn't give me the time of day after they got my money.
I've been to a vape shop where the only person (counting employees) that knew anything was me.
I've been to a vape shop in which all the customers were local & I was treated like the out of town space invader.
Out of the 4 shops I was able to get to, none of them would I go back to!

 

[emily n portland]

Yikes....you walk in willing to drop $$ on a Provari, and get treated like that? Bet you didn't walk out with one!!

I've only been to two vape shops here.

One was EXTREMELY helpful, knowledgeable, and professional -- interestingly they had two women on staff. I would go there often but it's clear across town for me.
Tried another that's closer with just two young men...still nice and willing to be helpful if I initiated the conversation, and didn't jump to conclusions about my knowledge but a little less professional. Just young and seemed a little lost in the clouds.

Hope you have better luck at the next shop!

 

[MrPlink]

It seems like every shop I have been to is like this. And I live in a "liberal" area.

I was in sales for a long time, so I have a sensitive ear to way employees interact with customers.

The trend I have noticed is that if a male customer walks in with a problematic or defective item, the employee typically starts frothing at the mouth cant wait to pitch an upgrade to the latest greatest whiz bang version. When it is a female, they keep it as simple as possible and usually just offer identical or comparable replacement with no explanation or pitch.

The worst part is I have noticed even female employees do this to female customers.

From a former salesman's perspective it just really bad and lazy technique. Not only is it potentially offensive but you are likely loosing out on a good deal of sales buy making ANY assumption about any customer for any reason.

 

[casloll]

It seems like every shop I have been to is like this.... assumption about any customer for any reason.

I've been to a vape shop in which... none of them would I go back to!

Yikes....you walk in willing to drop $$ on a Provari, and get treated like that? Bet you didn't walk out with one... Hope you have better luck at the next shop!

Thanks for the feedback all.

When you find that all your local shops... suck for lack of a better word. What do you do? Just buy exclusively online?

 

[Seleya]

Haven't really had this at my local B&M, but they're about 70% male/30% female on staff. They've always been friendly and helpful. Even offered to teach me how to rebuild my coils the second time I went to pick up a new tank.

 

[bhswmc01]

I've experienced this far too often, unfortunately. It's just taken time, and repeat business for the dudes to see me as a knowledgeable human being. Learn your terminology, and visit shops on your own, and they'll come around. Stinks, but most boys do. ;-)

 

[Jscheiben]

The shop near me(i'm in Canada) talks to women the same way they talk to me, granted I do get a bit more attention as i'm usually just shooting the crap with em asking questions and such but when in there I'm also giving my suggestions to customers(they've told me I should work there). I'd find another shop with nicer employees as they are a good resource for assistance(not as good as ECF though).