So I'm very new to vaping and I'm not usually one to complain about service either. But the vape shops I have been frequenting are pretty terrible . Firstly they have to realize that I can buy the same thing on line sometimes for 1/2 the price or better than the shop offers it for. I choose to spend my money at the brick and mortar stores because I enjoy having them around and it's generally more convenient than on line ordering. That being said convenience can only make up for so much. If I am a good customer who has spent hundreds and hundreds at your shop over just a few weeks time , please don't insult me with a 2 dollar discount to replace 3 defective coils, just replace them and I will come back and buy many many more over the years. Don't offer to sell more at 2 dollars off lol. Also be reasonable and offer samples of the premium lines you carry so i can decide if I want to spend 20 or more on a 30 ml. Trust me I will find one I like and spend my money on it , I'm not just looking for a freebie, besides that I believe its mandatory to charge something for a sample any way so offer a taste subscription or something. Still new at this and already sick of reading a description of a liquid and taking it home and tasting nothing like as described and having to just say oh well bye bye 20 bucks , maybe next time eh? Also please dont be condescending , I'm new to vaping but been alive for 36 years so don't treat me like a kid please. Geez I hope my local shops step up their game it's pathetic. If you want to be taken seriously and be succesful conduct yourselves like an actual business please ! I'm embarrassed and I'm not even involved with the damn place.
Want to support my local shops , hate the service I get.
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I hear you on feeling embarrassed!
We have 2 pretty good shops in town.
Relevant stock, fair prices and employees falling over themselves to help you.
I popped into a 3rd one and was neglected and ignored, the stock was ancient and over priced. When I asked if they had any battery wraps the guy didn't know what that was and suggested Princess Auto for heat shrink tubing.
Shop was dirty and looked like 1 or 2 people were living there.
Some guy with an idea on cashing in on the trend and knowing little about the business, products, or customer service is what I figure.
If a newb walks in there for their first set-up they will certainly pay too much for old crap if they do get any service.
It will be a very poor first experience and perhaps deter them from the lifesaving technology. Embarrassment and shame.
We have 2 pretty good shops in town.
Relevant stock, fair prices and employees falling over themselves to help you.
I popped into a 3rd one and was neglected and ignored, the stock was ancient and over priced. When I asked if they had any battery wraps the guy didn't know what that was and suggested Princess Auto for heat shrink tubing.
Shop was dirty and looked like 1 or 2 people were living there.
Some guy with an idea on cashing in on the trend and knowing little about the business, products, or customer service is what I figure.
If a newb walks in there for their first set-up they will certainly pay too much for old crap if they do get any service.
It will be a very poor first experience and perhaps deter them from the lifesaving technology. Embarrassment and shame.
I don't bet why stores aren't kissing the butts of newbies. A new customer NEEDS to spend up to $100 on the spot if they decide to take the plunge into vaping. More than the clowns (not being disrecptful, just using a stereotype!) hanging around the store for hours discussing their 8 coil 0.01ohm mech setups and not buying anything.
A newbie will also make multiple visits to buy coils, juice, a better tank/mod, etc. They also have never heard of Fasttech, Ligtning, Mount Baker, etc, etc. They are high margin and loyal cust and need help (and willing to pay extra for it) more than folks like us that look at the inflated prices and MAYBE leave with one emergency coil or some cotton.
End of rant, but if I owned a B&M I would jump for joy every time a middle aged guy or soccer mom walked thru the door.
O.p... a B&M can't compete with online as they need to pay rent, hire employees, etc. I DO agree that some of them are completely out to lunch with pricing. I love seeing 5 packs of Nautilus coils for $19.99 and Releaux RX200's for $79.95!
A newbie will also make multiple visits to buy coils, juice, a better tank/mod, etc. They also have never heard of Fasttech, Ligtning, Mount Baker, etc, etc. They are high margin and loyal cust and need help (and willing to pay extra for it) more than folks like us that look at the inflated prices and MAYBE leave with one emergency coil or some cotton.
End of rant, but if I owned a B&M I would jump for joy every time a middle aged guy or soccer mom walked thru the door.
O.p... a B&M can't compete with online as they need to pay rent, hire employees, etc. I DO agree that some of them are completely out to lunch with pricing. I love seeing 5 packs of Nautilus coils for $19.99 and Releaux RX200's for $79.95!
May be these are tough times for vape shops and there are lot of ragged edges. May be there are a few too many vape shops around. May be a lot of their customers discover mail order, DIY, etc. Last but not least the Federal government is trying to put you out of business. In the mean time may be your life savings is tied up in the business and the chances of making your money back are fading. Two years ago I wished I could be in the business. I don't wish that now.
Are you aware of the constraints the FDA has implemented on B&M's.
It will only get steadily worse until they no longer exists.
It will only get steadily worse until they no longer exists.
The local b&m is doomed by this kind of attitude, and lack of understanding, among other things.
Let's take the prices... They buy from regional wholesalers to avoid shipping delays, customs, and minimum order quantities. The aforementioned wholesalers get massive quantities on the cheap, and mark them up to sell to retailers at a profit. Then, they cut their client's throat by offering the products online at far less than any b&m can... For instance, that $79 reuleaux likely cost the wholesaler $25. They sold it to the retailer for $45. The retailer, needing to cover rent, utilities, licensing, asvertising- employees, shipping, and merchandise should charge $90. However, the same wholesaler - through their retail division - is selling it for $50...
And those defective coils? If a retailer replaced, at no charge, every coil that every vaper claimed was defective, they'd be out of business in a couple months. Not saying you do/did/would, but many either do not prime their coils properly, install them properly, or run them at reasonable estranged leading to a large number of failures. And, there are those that will claim a coil is defective when it's simply old...
Samples can no longer be offered for free because of the FDA. This means that the shop has to gamble every time they crack open a bottle of juice. They've already invested in the tank, the coil, the disposable drop tip, and now the juice. In some cases, it's a worthwhile gamble and sales will be made. In other cases, tanks walk away, and quantities of e-liquid are used with no sales.
The real reason to support a b&m is to support your local vaping scene, and local economy.
If you are dissatisfied with a shop, but want to support that shop, have a non-belligerent conversation with the owner or manager. Explain your wants, needs, expectations, and listen when they explain their situation. If they can't be bothered to do this, don't support them. If you can't be bothered to do this, don't complain.
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Let's take the prices... They buy from regional wholesalers to avoid shipping delays, customs, and minimum order quantities. The aforementioned wholesalers get massive quantities on the cheap, and mark them up to sell to retailers at a profit. Then, they cut their client's throat by offering the products online at far less than any b&m can... For instance, that $79 reuleaux likely cost the wholesaler $25. They sold it to the retailer for $45. The retailer, needing to cover rent, utilities, licensing, asvertising- employees, shipping, and merchandise should charge $90. However, the same wholesaler - through their retail division - is selling it for $50...
And those defective coils? If a retailer replaced, at no charge, every coil that every vaper claimed was defective, they'd be out of business in a couple months. Not saying you do/did/would, but many either do not prime their coils properly, install them properly, or run them at reasonable estranged leading to a large number of failures. And, there are those that will claim a coil is defective when it's simply old...
Samples can no longer be offered for free because of the FDA. This means that the shop has to gamble every time they crack open a bottle of juice. They've already invested in the tank, the coil, the disposable drop tip, and now the juice. In some cases, it's a worthwhile gamble and sales will be made. In other cases, tanks walk away, and quantities of e-liquid are used with no sales.
The real reason to support a b&m is to support your local vaping scene, and local economy.
If you are dissatisfied with a shop, but want to support that shop, have a non-belligerent conversation with the owner or manager. Explain your wants, needs, expectations, and listen when they explain their situation. If they can't be bothered to do this, don't support them. If you can't be bothered to do this, don't complain.
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Gotta say, I hung around some spots when I was young. Not much else to do. And there were social / hobby reasons. No way was home a place to be.
But, Vape shops, for the most part are rather poorly managed. They just want the money. Service, professionalism, and even knowledge and skill were not very evident.
And, sharing the hobby via the internet let's me where my Daffy Duck slippers with out with anyone knowing.
(Was I just thinking out loud?)
But, Vape shops, for the most part are rather poorly managed. They just want the money. Service, professionalism, and even knowledge and skill were not very evident.
And, sharing the hobby via the internet let's me where my Daffy Duck slippers with out with anyone knowing.
(Was I just thinking out loud?)
Mike:
If a B&M vape shop doesnt provide service they are unworthy of your support.
Here in Tucson i am stocked up fof at least 6 more years but still drop in at Velvet Vapor Twice a month to pick up a battery shoot the breeze look at tge new gear.
Then Moon smoke shop wants to charge INSANE prices for everything so i don't go there.
another option... go to the B&M, play touchy feely with the products, get an idea of the size weight quality... then purchase online. As for juice, check out Heathers Heavenly Vapes... ( Ive been using them for over 3 yrs now exclusively)
Actually, the shop I'm thinking of wouldn't blink at Daffy Duck slippers... Your Bugs Bunny Underoos, on the other hand...
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From a consumer perspective, you're absolutely right. From a retailer perspective, that's the nightmare that drives them out of business (regardless of any FDA regs). Pretty much the same as happened in the electronics and even bookseller market. Go to the store, check out the TV/stereo/speakers/computer monitor/computer or even books, spend time with a salesperson going over features and getting questions answered (hopefully correctly) or leafing through that bestseller to see if you really want to buy it, then go home and order what you like off the web for half the price. That killed off large US retailers like CompUSA and Circuit City. I'm not suggesting you should pay twice the price just because the salesperson was nice to you, but you can see how it is an unsustainable market for B&M retailers to compete with web retailers.
One area I find most problematic is buying juice without a sample. It doesn't matter in person or by the web, spending $20 on a juice solely on a marketing description is something I will not do. For that matter I don't even like taking the opinions of vapers (never mind "professional reviewers") because tastes are so different. Which is another reason I'm happy I've gotten into DIY as it's a lot easier to stick with juices I like. Unfortunately, that's just another nail in retail B&M shops when they can't even win on juice.
Yes, DIY is so much better. And, so much less costly. Definitely the way to go for me.
I'm already researching where to buy the best of the best supplies. I plan to do my homework and make my own juice . At least this way I won't be charged ridiculous prices and still get the very best. Plus being able to customize according to my taste is a tantalizing proposition.
Yeah, I will use them for certain things, actually I don't mind paying 100 for a mod I can buy for 60 on line. I think it's a worth while investment to keep the local shops here. I love the convenience of buying what I want in person. Juice is another story. I won't be buying premium juice ever again , save for the 3 flavors I've found so far that hit the mark. At least until I can make my own which I plan to be doing in 2 weeks. Can't wait to gwt started making my own juice. It's all so subjective that really the only clear way I can see to get what I want is to make it on my own. Not a knock on the juice makers out there . I'm sure their flavors suit many many people , but at 20 per 30 ml I can't afford to sustain that any way when I vape 10 to 25 ml a day . So off for more research for now. Planning planning planning lol.
Flavors I use Bull City Flavors, Ecigexpress, and One Stop DIY. Nic for me from Heartland, others have fave brands but IMHO, unless you vape unflavored it really doesn't matter. PG/VG by Essential Depot. I get it from Amazon with free Prime shipping, but I don't buy a gallon at a time like some folks do (4 gallon cubes of VG/PG direct from Essential Depot).
I figured taxes and the FDA would further affect costs of vendor-bought juices. Not so much the flavorings, but the nic involved. I don't use much nic, but, I do really enjoy experimenting with recipes. It takes a lot of little test bottles, but in 8 months I have about 35 good recipes completed.
I encountered something like that at a local shop here a year or so ago. Never been back. It was kind of a turn off. The guy was unkempt and IMO not presentable to be a customer facing employee. Im an outdoor blue collar guy myself so Im not trying to act uppity here but the guy really looked like he hadnt showered in a while. The place was kind of dirty all around.
There was a door left open to a back room and you could see a mattress on the floor surrounded by trash/wrappings/boxes possibly from vape gear. It just appeared the guy probably lived there.
To be honest, you could substitute just about any retail business for the words "vape shop".
Retail service, in fact retail competence, is becoming a lost art.
Retail service, in fact retail competence, is becoming a lost art.
I had good luck
Nicotine Wizard Labs
USP grade VG AND PG from Essential Depot ( got mine on Amazon because Prime Shipping
Flavors (The Flavor Apprentice, and High Desert Vapes.
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