Vape stores and the over 30 crowd

[Penn]

Obviously your "in sales" experience is rather limited.

Try selling luxury cars. See if ignoring the well dressed businessman in the nice car in favor of the kid in bluejeans and a ragged t-shirt driving a clunker works for you. Try the same with jewelry, fashion clothing, Rolex watches. Try it with electronics or life insurance.

A GOOD salesperson knows how to spot the customer with the money ready to spend, and knows not to ever pass up a potential sale to someone who very obviously has money. If you want to ignore me in favor of the shabby looking kid, that's fine, I'll go give my hundreds of dollars in future sales to your competitor instead while you can be secure in knowing you didn't judge the kid on his looks.

But which of us is losing out? I'll still get the products I want, will you still get the sales?

Just when I got bored and was about to move on to the next thread.

Maybe a good salesperson does that. But a great on knows you can't judge a book by it's cover. The will size the person up by TALKING to the potential customer.




Since I joined the thread - I lived in Omaha long ago. If you were in that city (except The Old Market) I wouldn't expect that treatment. Elsewhere, maybe.

 

[NealBJr]

Well, Luckily for me, the closest B&M caters more towards the slightly older crowd. Here's one of their pics from their facebook:



and it honestly looks like that. Only sad thing is, they tend to have a slight hint of "elitism".

 

[Wonkie]

Sadly, living in eastern Iowa I don't have many B&Ms nearby. The only one I have happened to wonder into was much more of a head shop than anything else. They had a few juices and an ego style battery or two, but the bulk of their stock was glassware. Now, I was a teenager once and I understand this a college town, but I am not likely to frequent a shop that caters primarily to "tobacco" enthusiast who prefer a 4 foot glass .....

I don't mean to say your concerns aren't founded, just pointing out that you might have it better than some others...

 

[xanderxman]

Obviously your "in sales" experience is rather limited.

Try selling luxury cars. See if ignoring the well dressed businessman in the nice car in favor of the kid in bluejeans and a ragged t-shirt driving a clunker works for you. Try the same with jewelry, fashion clothing, Rolex watches. Try it with electronics or life insurance.

A GOOD salesperson knows how to spot the customer with the money ready to spend, and knows not to ever pass up a potential sale to someone who very obviously has money. If you want to ignore me in favor of the shabby looking kid, that's fine, I'll go give my hundreds of dollars in future sales to your competitor instead while you can be secure in knowing you didn't judge the kid on his looks.

But which of us is losing out? I'll still get the products I want, will you still get the sales?

Try selling a luxury car to me. I walk into a car dealership (my favorite place to play "stupid) wearing jeans and a cut off tee. Tattoos showing, stretched ear piercings. And a bank account large enough to buy what I want. Guess how I get treated. I do it for fun really. People that judge a book by the cover get what they deserve. You can assume the well dressed guy in the BMW has money, but maybe they are in debt up to their ears and about to lose their house to afford that fake lifestyle they live.

I got over judging people by the way they look long ago. A GREAT salesperson will make the sale, regardless of how the person looks when they pull up.

 

[eebant]

I've only been to one b&m shop and will continue to go there. It's not local but we go to Atlantic City a few times a month and this store is on the outskirts. Vortex Vapor.

They are more than willing to help me (aged 59) (YIKES!!!) out anytime I've been there. And when I'm there, there are people MUCH older than me and people MUCH younger than me. We are all treated the same, questions answered, advice given. Always, ALWAYS a friendly atmosphere there.

They will help out anywhere they need to. It's a good shop. And most are younger who work behind the counter. And they all vape! Another plus!

If they treated me like they did you, OP, one visit would be enough to end it. And no, I don't have any tats or piercings (cept for my ears in the appropriate place). and we drive either a BMW or Durango, not a Harley. They are very respectful of their clientele, no matter what/who they/we are. After reading your problems, I'm so glad I found my place.

 

[Hotfern]

I would just order online. Hit up your local vape shop in a pinch if you have to. I say that because I have never even seen a vape shop anywhere. So for me online is just the way it is.

 

[Yankez]

I guess you've never been around real money........."old money". They don't flaunt it.

Well said.

I know a few people that fall into this persona and you'd never know it.

I had a boss ( construction company ) that was worth millions. Yet he had no problem showing up at the job site and picking up a shovel or hammer to help in the trenches. Awesome guy !!!

IMO those that feel the need to flaunt the " riches " are lacking in the confidence department and using the dollar sign as a crutch to seem important

 

[Racehorse]

Sadly, living in eastern Iowa I don't have many B&Ms nearby. The only one I have happened to wonder into was much more of a head shop than anything else.

Well I live in the middle of nowhere, and there's one here now, so you never know!

The one in my town doubles as a rock shop (the geologist's kind).

I look like a somewhat conservative older woman. The proprietor looks like one of the guys from ZZ Top.

So---appearance wise, we have nothing in common, but he's a truly nice and helpful person and I never felt uncomfortable going in there. I wish I could give him more business but I mostly DIY and have the PVs I need so I mainly go in to "shoot the breeze" as they say, compliment the store, etc.

It sure was nice though, I was sending some newbie kit type stuff (my castoffs) to some friends in the Dakotas and I needed a tank support, THAT DAY, and it sure was nice not having to wait for vape mail!!!!!

 

[eebant]

Well I live in the middle of nowhere, and there's one here now, so you never know!



So---appearance wise, we have nothing in common, but he's a truly nice and helpful person and I never felt uncomfortable going in there.
QUOTE]

I can sooo relate to that! As an older conservative woman. You said it all. Yes, deal with me like you would any other person and you've got my business.

 

[Fisheeboy]

Sadly, living in eastern Iowa I don't have many B&Ms nearby. The only one I have happened to wonder into was much more of a head shop than anything else. They had a few juices and an ego style battery or two, but the bulk of their stock was glassware. Now, I was a teenager once and I understand this a college town, but I am not likely to frequent a shop that caters primarily to "tobacco" enthusiast who prefer a 4 foot glass .....

I don't mean to say your concerns aren't founded, just pointing out that you might have it better than some others...

That's pretty much the same problem I have where I live. There is nothing but a crumby head shop with a few lame cig a likes and over priced ego styles. The owners are crooks and the nearest place is about a 90 mile trip. I am so envious of all you folks that have great vape shops. I'm 36 and a grandpa. I have several piercings and tattoos and will be getting plenty more in the years to come, I love heavy metal music and I could walk into the vape shop the OP has in mind and I'd make my presence known and I'm sure I'd fit right in. And I'd be grateful just to have the vape shop to go to. But if they acted like jackasses then I'd vocalize my thoughts and opinions and go back to online shopping if the issue wasn't taken care of properly. I'm just saying it must be nice to at least have a local vape store. Even one to complain about. I don't even have that.

 

[sando7]

i got a B&M rite up the road from me, actually several in my general area...the one i went to has a real hip type tv spot asking if you are a "Member"...i'm in my early to mid 50's and me and my dear old Mother went inside...i was in a spot for some juice and mom just wanted to check it out....soon as i opened the door i heard some old Stones playing on the speakers and felt rite at home....young dude was help-full to my plight & let me sample away...wound up buying a few bottles of various flavors to get me by and i also became a member and got a punch card for future discounts...hehe...all in all it was a good experience, the prices on Mods were very high tho....in a pinch i will go back.......my Mom is just amazed that i'm not hitting the analogs anymore; be coming up on 2 months soon....i guess i'm still hip...at least i feel like it even if i don't look like it......you all have a good one

 

[HauntedMyst]

Vape stores and the over 30 crowd

As one of the over 30 crowd I take a cue from the wolves. When I walk into a vape shop, I find the cockiest, smuggest looking hipster in the place, strike up a conversation and wait for him to say something smug. Then I bite onto hit neck until he fails to the ground crying like a little girl. At that point, I pee on his and mark him as my territory. It's amazing how much more respectful the rest of them are and I usually get a discount and great service. Takes a few vapes to get the taste of hipster out of your mouth.

 

[jwag1973]

Find a good shop, took me four months to find one! They I.D. anyone that looks young when they walk in the door. They also realize when folks like myself (early 40's)walk in, I'm there to spend money. I rarely pay list and have learned a lot from them as well. The smart shops will welcome you and your hard earned cash.

 

[NineToez]

I'm over 40. I make a pretty good living. I typically buy 90% online, the balance is filler stuff from B&M stores or the latest juice du jour. I've rarely had an issue with most vape shops but while I may not appear to be your typical twenty-something vaper fogging up the block, I come to spend money. Don't judge my gray, but take my green. Or plastic.

 

[AndriaD]

I was thinking that the majority of vapers were a bit older. The idea of quitting the analogs is more on our minds.

Because the young, of course, still think they're immortal. They haven't yet experienced... ohhhhhhhhhhh why do I hurt so bad? Must be all the decades of wear and tear...

When my son was about 12, he told me he had a headache... I'm afraid to say, my first impulse was to laugh at him, "just you wait!" But then my husband chimed in with "how can you have a headache when you ARE a headache?"

Andria

 

[numbskull]

I don't enjoy these when going to the local shops:

Tons of 420 related stuff, including, glass "tobacco" pipes/....s, huge Bob Marley blankets (red/green/yellow related stuff), ......... leaf posters, etc. Head shops = no go.
Black lights - very unprofessional.
Dark walls - why? Make the shop pleasant to go in.
Tinted windows - again, why? It's a legit business, not some back-alley massage parlor. Leave the windows clear.
Bad service - either ignored or just plain bad customer interaction

I have yet to find a "professional" shop in my area with good prices.

Where in California are you located?

I'm only 29 but can sympathize with a lot of these statements. I dread sending my aunt or mother in to my local B&M's in fear of them experiencing poor service, or no service in some cases, due to their age. I have only seen it happen in one of my local shops, but to be fair I don't see many 30+ waling in. To be honest, I sometimes feel like the old guy in some of these shops, as everyone seems to be in their late teens/early twenties.

 

[Katya]

Where in California are you located?

I'm only 29 but can sympathize with a lot of these statements. I dread sending my aunt or mother in to my local B&M's in fear of them experiencing poor service, or no service in some cases, due to their age. I have only seen it happen in one of my local shops, but to be fair I don't see many 30+ waling in. To be honest, I sometimes feel like the old guy in some of these shops, as everyone seems to be in their late teens/early twenties.

I've been to several B&M stores in SoCal and most are really nice--in Costa Mesa, Newport Beach, Irvine. There is a store in Laguna Beach that I really like, even though I haven't been there in a while. Several ECF members like to shop there. It's called E-Cig City: 1970 S Coast Hwy, Laguna Beach, CA 92651 (949) 715-5100. They have a long chat thread here: http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...174797-new-southern-ca-store.html#post2921460

I've only seen one creepy looking vape store in LA (in Westwood), but they seemed to be empty and had a pitiful selection.

I'm not a 20-something, but I know my e-cigs and nobody ever treated me poorly in a vape shop. I'm really sorry to hear that this nonsense is happening elsewhere--but they are shooting themselves in the foot. We are the ones with the money, as has already been pointed out in this thread.

 

[Giovanni99]

My experience as well, the first local B&M I visited had apparently become a clubhouse for the sales clerk's high school crowd. I did have the run of the display case, it was unlocked. But not a word was spoken to me, though I was the only customer for almost half an hour ...

The second time I stopped in, same experience ...

Been happily shopping online ever since ...

That's a shame. They are passing up a golden opportunity. They will shake out and leave the current good ones and the ones still to open.
I did speak with 2 investors and they have already investigated the industry for retail. Both are waiting until they know for sure what the feds are going to do with regulations and taxes. Once the ground rules are established, then the professional retailers will step in.

 

[MikeMills]

I've been to several B&M stores in SoCal and most are really nice--in Costa Mesa, Newport Beach, Irvine. There is a store in Laguna Beach that I really like, even though I haven't been there in a while. Several ECF members like to shop there. It's called E-Cig City: 1970 S Coast Hwy, Laguna Beach, CA 92651 (949) 715-5100. They have a long chat thread here: http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...174797-new-southern-ca-store.html#post2921460

I'm in the Westminster/Huntington Beach area and there is definitely no shortage of B&M's in Orange County and they do treat you well for the most part.

The prices are hard to swallow though after you find online sources.

 

[TheBestest]

Where in California are you located?

I'm only 29 but can sympathize with a lot of these statements. I dread sending my aunt or mother in to my local B&M's in fear of them experiencing poor service, or no service in some cases, due to their age. I have only seen it happen in one of my local shops, but to be fair I don't see many 30+ waling in. To be honest, I sometimes feel like the old guy in some of these shops, as everyone seems to be in their late teens/early twenties.

Sonoma County. I am also 29 and a professional person.