Vape stores and the over 30 crowd

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EBates

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Nov 4, 2013
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I feel for folks that don't have a choice of vape shops in their area. In small towns you may be captive to the closest vape shop. A friend of mine lives in a town where there is no vape shop at all. The closest vape shop is 30miles away. So in that scenerio you get what you get.
I'm lucky in that I have 6 vape shops within 5 miles. Those that I enter that don't seem to want or need my business are not troubled by my presents going forward. And I share my experience with other vapers. Poor treatment should not be tolerated.
 

Giovanni99

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Feb 20, 2014
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I'm in the Westminster/Huntington Beach area and there is defiantly 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.

I have been reading that cities in both north & south California have been placing moratoriums on new shops until they can do their "studies" and figure out how they can regulate it, (more like tax it). Opposition to new shops are citing the main concern of sales to minors which although a valid concern really skews the public's perception. What about sales of liquor & tobacco products to minors? You can buy both at any of hundreds of convenience stores, but there isn't any moratoriums on opening another 7-11 or gas station? Just doesn't seem fair, but life isn't fair.
And here is a link to just one city, (google for the rest please), for those who require one: Seal Beach News |Seal beach news|seal beach local news|seal beach politics|seal beach sports|seal beach local business



 

rudedog

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ive ran into the same and it was even a new vape shop.the owner walked in and never even looked over to say hello or anything.i spoke to his wife about if they wanted to hire someone in the future to let me know.left my number but I don't think ill hear from them.just saw an add in facebook that they are looking for a few employees to work weekends and nights.the owner and his wife are there all day everyday for the past few months,i bet she is tired of not getting a day off.i know im "older"but I did sit and build some coils with her hubby just cuz it was fun.it would be cool to "work"at something you enjoy.btw been disabled from a bike wreck in 1996 so haven't been able to do my construction work(bricklayer)I am not gonna give up though I pm'd them to remind em I had left my #withem.sorry for rambing.Rick
 

Giovanni99

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Feb 20, 2014
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ive ran into the same and it was even a new vape shop.the owner walked in and never even looked over to say hello or anything.i spoke to his wife about if they wanted to hire someone in the future to let me know.left my number but I don't think ill hear from them.just saw an add in facebook that they are looking for a few employees to work weekends and nights.the owner and his wife are there all day everyday for the past few months,i bet she is tired of not getting a day off.i know im "older"but I did sit and build some coils with her hubby just cuz it was fun.it would be cool to "work"at something you enjoy.btw been disabled from a bike wreck in 1996 so haven't been able to do my construction work(bricklayer)I am not gonna give up though I pm'd them to remind em I had left my #withem.sorry for rambing.Rick
Rick,
Keep plugging away and I am sure this shop or one of the ones that has yet to open will hire you. I have found a real lack of knowledge at many of the vape shops I visited and it would be a major plus to have someone like yourself with the experience and knowledge to advise customers. Anytime I walk into a specialty store, as in computer, cameras, vaping, etc. and the counter person has no clue in what they are selling nor wants to learn anything new, I walk out immediately. Unless they are new and say they are still learning, then I have no problem with them running back and forth asking others questions to get the correct answer.
Turning a hobby into a career makes all the difference in enjoying what you do. Hope you get the job. If the job you want is in sales, then perhaps you need to show the owners that you can be assertive and aggressive (in a good way, not being annoying), and really want the job by going in there and remind them in person as many times as it takes.
Good luck!
 

drummerskey

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Almost everyone pre-judges and puts everyone they see in a little box. I, too, dress down for large purchases but not for fun. I do it because when you are dressed nice and the salesperson has the ability to drop a price; they are less inclined to do so if you appear to have money.........not always but mostly. As a consumer, you have your own priorities and what you look like doesn't answer that. This could be: price, service, ambiance, availability and some people just want their rears kissed and make people feel like trash whether you care to admit it or not.

A good salesperson can take care of everyone by asking questions to establish these priorities and then CLOSE THEM. They can associate and comfortably speak to anyone and make everyone feel like they are the star; regardless of how many customers they have to deal with. I think you are asking a lot if you are expecting to always see a rock star salesperson at a retail store making $8-10/hr with crap commission.......maybe. It's like asking the fry guy at Mickey Dee's to make you a perfect risotto. I am not saying they cannot do it, just that I wouldn't expect it. As a salesperson and a consumer, I make my own judgement as well and if I walk into a blank store front with cheap furniture, floors, decoration......basically a low-end store; my expectations are low. If I walk into the Altsmoke pictures I saw in this thread, I would expect higher end service and better salespeople. Whether I buy from them or not is determined on whether they meet those expectations. For me, I at least expect the salesperson to know what they are talking about and a price that isn't twice as much or more than what I can buy it from elsewhere. This makes vape stores unique because it is one of the few industries you can circumvent the retail store by buying direct.

To the OP's point, I have been in the type of vape store they speak of. It isn't customers that I am being ignored for, I could accept that; it is a collection of like 10 of the sales staff's friends.........that are just talking and hanging out. If I did get attention, it was as rushed as possible so that they could get back to the conversation they were having about this twisted, super barrel, 2 wrap micro-nano-mini coil that they got .002 ohms on. Actually, it wasn't until I happened in that store one day with my Provari and a Kayfun that they acknowledged my presence and now when I go in, I get GREAT service.........every time.

The irony behind all of that is the store owner has 6 people working in a store front and adding to the retail space, adding a pro-shop, bar, big screen, Playstation 4 and their prices are 3-4 times what I can buy it from online, probably due to the owner's overhead. That doesn't sound like smart business to me. Even though they sell the Provari, I wouldn't buy it there and I don't make large purchases there so honestly, their original lack of service was pretty warranted............or is their original lack of service the reason I wouldn't make a large purchase there?
 

waldobeagle

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10% would be ok. yet i save a min of 50% by shopping on line. i have only been to one shop where they were up front and honest. most don't care if ya come back or not. you also have to look thru a ton of useless crap to find the good stuff cuz they won't tell what's the best i should start a class for noobs on what works and what is trash.i'm no expert but a little info when i first started would have saved me many bad words. buying online has been the best for me. i have not ordered from overseas. i've been told it's risky to do so.when i go into a store i want to feel like they want me there.i buy all equipment from madvapes 5 stars thank you i buy all my e juice from ecblends again 5 stars and again thank you
 

Rossum

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I'll be 55 this year and in the half-dozen or so B&Ms I've visited, I've never had a problem with the staff at any of 'em, even when I was a total n00b 3-1/2 months ago. As for the appearance of the stores, I don't care that much. I'm there for the merchandise, and I'm a firm believe in the "Keep your overhead low" philosophy of business.

What kills me is when the staff is all using gear that the store doesn't carry (something which happens way too often) and when they're vaping juice that the store doesn't sell (less common). If I owned a B&M (and I would, if I didn't already own another business) I would insist that staff use stuff that was actually on the shelf and available to sell while working. I vividly remember about a month after I started vaping when I got a couple of hits off Kayfun belonging to a local B&M's owner that I'd just watched him rebuild. "I'll take one!" Well, no, they didn't have any to sell; not even any clones. Really?
 

Tara CJ

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Mar 28, 2014
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The vape shops in my area welcome a variety of different customers. I'm sorry you are having a bad experience. I am 30, I do have tattoos, but I'm not trying to be 'hip' or 'cool' ... I HATE it when mainstream media depicts this community as people who are trying to be just that. I was cool enough in high school (haha, JK) I don't want or need to 'fit in' to any specific group, as I am 30 yrs old now. That's still considered young, I know...
But again, sorry you're having bad experiences. The last time I went out, I sat at the bar with a lady in her 60s. She was vaping a Halo Triton, and I spent a good hour or two, chatting her up about different products, what I was using, etc... that was great.
 

MissBlue

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Rossum you and I are lucky on the east coast; the shops here seem to be on the up-and-up, since there is good healthy competition.

Here in Philly there are SO many vape shops that competition works in the customer's favor... because of course they're all trying to outdo each other on price, attractiveness of the storefront, inventory, stock, etc. I've been to 3-4 of them and while there is some amount of hanging-out going on, they were staffed with knowledgeable people who stepped away from their activities as soon as a customer came through the door. And interestingly, many of them are decorated with posters, album covers, photos, etc of the Dead, Hendrix, Nirvana, and other classic rock stuff, as opposed to being hipster havens....and have a variety of music playing - classic and new - so they seem to get it around here, that the mature customer is a big piece of their target market.

i can't even IMAGINE a store without prices. that is a sneaky sales tactic, done SOLELY so a sales person can charge whatever they want based on the look of the customer, and what they THINK said customer will bear. puh-leeze. that shyte would NEVER fly here - we'll turn and walk out the door in a hot second, and walk down the street to the next shop. lol. Some folks think Philadelphians are snippy or rude, but really, we're just pragmatic - we have zero patience for bullshyte and just don't tolerate it. lol. :D
 
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Moedog

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Wow, I'm 65, maybe look 55, but with a snow white goatee, no tats and I haven't worn my earrings in years, but have never been treated with anything but respect and interest in the vape shops I've been to in Charlotte. The guys working the 2 or three I frequent are all in their early to mid twenties, mostly do have tats and piercings---and are very down to earth, friendly guys and always interested in whats going on with me. I guess it helps that I'm a long term vaper with good gear and somewhat knowledgeable. I'd say 80% plus of the clientele of these shops is between the late teens to about 30, and I've also found them to be friendly and respectful---had some good conversations with some of these people. I will say that some "older" people chose to be grumpy/judgmental/rude to young people and are perhaps getting payback. Maybe not wise businesswise, but understandable...
 

Fisheeboy

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What effing difference does having tattoos make anyway? We are the same as everyone else you know, we don't judge the people that don't have tattoos, thinking that they need them...
Sorry, off-topic, but...

I love your tattoos and when I open my own vape shop I will only allow people with tattoos and piercings to enter. Oh yeah, and women that have hairy legs and pits are also more than welcome. :drool:
But seriously, if you have a problem with your local vape shop or any local business then I say you address the owner and tactfully explain your concerns or complaints. It really has nothing to do with how people look or what generation they are. People are people. Or just do like I do, stop going into that place of business. It's that simple.
 

Coldrake

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If you want to make money then you need to seriously pay attention to the guy that just pulled up in the shiny new car, wearing business clothes,
I've had my own business for 19 years, so trust me when I say I do! They get as much attention as a 16 year old wearing jeans and a t-shirt. No more, no less.


I can assure you that such a person has a LOT more money to spend than your overpierced and overinked friends who apparently don't have jobs of their own to be at.
I honestly think you'd be shocked at how many "overinked" bodies there are under some of those dress shirts and business suits. ;)
 
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amoret

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Any salesperson that bases their attitude towards any customers based on their appearance needs to find another career. I don't have any local vape shops, but the one regional one that I was in seemed intent on ignoring this fat, gray-haired grandmother. Back online for me.

Way back when, I had a lot of money to spend on fixing up an investment property and the owners of a local business decided to ignore the young woman in bell bottoms that had questions about flooring and wall coverings. Their competitor got about $30,000 (1970s dollars) of business from me over the next two years. And half a century later I still will not do business with that company.

And in between, when I had my own business, the only time I got seriously ripped off it was by a customer with good clothes and an expensive car. Part of what I love about living where I do is that people aren't generally judged by their clothes, or age, or what they drive.
 
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