Where do you personally buy your Cigars, and why?

[SurfnSafari]

Well many years ago I shut down my little business, the reason was simple, the "service" I provided was not in demand as much.  Effort did not justify staying open, as revenues fell way off.  Did I fail, no almost every other person doing what I was doing across the U.S.A., feeling the downward spiral.  Honeslty I never say it coming, and predicting it was like predicting an earthquake.  Bad Customer Service was not the reason I closed, but it was the reason for 30 years my phone rang.

My step-son-in law who has a shape business mind, is GM of a multi-dollar company, asked me one day about the Cigar business, and local shops.  His question was do theses shop have exclusive dealerships on what they sell?  Can you only buy some product in any geographical area from XYZ Cigar Shop?

My reply was no, and normally maybe 3 - 5 other shops in a 25 miles area have a clone (same stuff for sale) of the close shop to home.

Second question was can you buy Cigars, Cutters, Lighter, or other stuff these shop sell on line?  My reply was yes, and cheaper.  His reply was two fold.

First these shop are one bad customer experience away from loosing a customers.  Two people (customers) have little loyalty to any business in 2018, it is not like it was 27 years ago when I started at my company.

IMHO ten years or less from today most B & M will close if they do not server Beer & Wine, and have a lounge.  Those B & M that offer no incentive to buy local will close because people are in an online mode of buying, it is growing, not shrinking.

But the online merchants also need to be on top of their game IMHO, with specials, e-mail, and just good old marketing.  The one that do it right will survive, the one that don't have inventory, ship slow, mis pack order, or have bad customer service will be gone.  One thing I noticed when I phone in an order for something Cigar related, over 50% of the time I get a thank you from the person on the other end of the phone.  They are saying they apprieciate me buying from their company, they understand the customer pay their saleries.

[SurfnSafari]

Well there are several things the local B & M can do to keep customers, that cost nothing or next to nothing.

1.  Greet ever customer entering the shop with hi, is this your first time, can I help you find something? Cost Zero.  Learn name people like being called by names.

2.  When they go in the humidor staff goes with them, it is a time to say what's new, just arrived, is back in stock, or specials.  Again cost nothing.  One local shop always reminds customer of their "BOX" Discount 20% off every day.

3.  When customer is checkout, or paying up if you have new items in that area. Tell them about the new stuff.  Again cost nothing.  One local shop started this with their new line of lighter, Jetline, shold like 150 lighters the first 30 days.

4.  If shop has e-mail list, and customer is not on list, ask if they want to be added to the email list for event, sales ,etc.  Again cost nothing.

5.  As customer is leaving even if there were there 3 times this week, a simple thanks for coming, thanks for coming back, or even if they did not buy, thank them for coming in.  Again cost zero.

A short list of things I personally do not see in my local B & M's as a whole, and all these thing cost nothing but are good old customer service.  Love the shop were you go in and staff is busy on electronic, and customer leave before they realized they had a customer.

Last thing I will say is a Cigar is a luxury item, or luxery purchase.  Plunking down say $10.00 or more for a single Cigar is not what the average working person does 10 times a week.  Part of what the B & M clerk is if a customer is paying a premium price local, plus tax, and cigar tax.  Make the experience of buying locally a positive one, or as I said you will loose to online, over price 60% or more of the time.

As a formor outside salesman I know why people buy from salesmen, or businesses.

1.  They have the desired product.  Price is not a big deal.  FEW Customer.

2.  They have the Product & service to support the product.  Few Customers.

3.  They have the product, and best price on it.  A lot of customers, Internet is killing B & M.

I was selling Printing supplies, and equiptment.  Small County Print Shop puts out a big for 5 items.  We got the order for the items.  Because we were low bid by less then $3.00, the total cost was $36,000.00.  Sometimes business is koo koo.

[Jimmie the Mum]

That gets applied to almost every retail business but times have also changed.
My older son does all his shopping online. From electronics,food to toilet paper. He says it’s much easier for him with working etc. 2 day shipping with Amazon helps and now other retailers have joined the party (Walmart). 
In  that case I don’t think it has anything to do with Customer service as opposed to a matter of convenience. Even when he got married this past April, he sent me a linked to rent a suit. I did everything on line. They mailed me the suit, if it didn’t fit they had several options to adjust the fit. Afterwards, they provided you a shipping label and you mailed it back. I think the place was callled “Black Tuxedo”..

[SurfnSafari]

Well we have one Cigar shop in the Phoenix area, I do not shop there but have gone to see.  It is very high end, staff wear pants, sports coats, or suites and ties.  No discount, it is the kind of place you go and would expect to be on Rodeo Drive, or NYC.  They have stuff on display & for sale that you only see online.

They are all about service, and experience.  Customers are the have money crowd, and spent it there.  Those customers keep those doors open.

Online is the new Sears or Montgomery Ward Catalog business model, you can buy anything from your phone, online is here to stay.  It convent also, plus not tax, no shipping sometimes.

If your B & M compete with online, it will stay open, or if not close.

[Benfishin1]

I personally hate it when the clerk at a B&M follows me into the humidor. I don't mind when they poke their head in and ask if I have any questions. That's just good business.

But when I say no, and they come in and jaw-jack for 5 or 10 minutes it bugs the hell out of me. I don't care what they just got in or what the clerk likes.

I enjoy just walking around the humidor looking at the selection and deciding what I want.

[SurfnSafari]

I personally hate it when the clerk at a B&M follows me into the humidor.  I don't mind when they poke their head in and ask if I have any questions.  That's just good business.  

Well I totally understand how your feel, but let me say something from the prospective of the B & M Owner.

NOT ALL Customers are honest people, there are a few bad apples who plan to shall we sat take advantage of the owner.  I have seen people come in and slip a few sticks into the pockets of the cargo pants. Or some lady with a big purse slip a few sticks into her purse.

Friend is local Wall-World store manager, left say his loss prevent people only catch the stupid criminals who come into shoplift.

One day I notice while I am parking some kids is returning to his pickup truck riding a skate board, he opens the camper shell and unload his back pack, deposit it contents.  Nothing is in VA'ds all loose.  A few minutes later he in Wal-Mart carrying his skate board, with backpack on.  I tell my fiend what I saw as I have his cell number.

I leavening Wal-Mart and the local Cops are talking to this kids.  He apprently took more.  This time they were waiting for him in unmarked cars close to his pickup.  Hear later from my buddy the store manager this thief had over 2 grand retail in stuff in his pickup, he had been busy that day.  Most Ipone cases, accessories, and CD's.  Hopefully he got some punishment for his crime.

Apprently the skateboard was his method of getting away a few times when Wal-Mart security trying to catch him, he would skateboard away, then he would return to the pickup that was park far away fron the store.

Honestly I understand the problem of shoplifting.  Let say not everyone is their to pay for everything they take.  

In our society there is an element that are not honest.  Honestly people are penalized for the dishonest people.

Maybe your local B & M has had shrinkage problems in the past, so that is why you are not allowed in the humidor alone.

Like I said I understand why the B & M clerk is in the humidor with customers.  Loosing 3 or 4 $20.00 dollar Cigars to a thief, sure make it a crappy day for the owner of the local B & M.  If that happen 10 time a month, the numbers hurt your profit real bad.

[Jimmie the Mum]

I would think most lounges  especially inside humidors are updated with cameras.

At Barclay Rex in NYC the guys always walks in with you. When you pick a stogie he writes down the nbr on a piece of paper & you bring it to the cashier.. That's just the way they operate.

The closet shop to me doesn't really have a walk in, all the stogies are in glass cases (all humified). 

The other shop I go to every now & then has a walk in. They don't follow you in as there's a camera in the humidor and the screen is right by the register & one in the office. They do tell you that if you need any help they will gladly assist you.

[SurfnSafari]

Cameras do help but if it someone who wants to hit a business once, all you have is photographic evidence of the crime.  Then you hope the Cops are not so busy they have time to catch the thief.

One of the guys in our Cigar Club is active Law Enforcement.  His department does not let their officer chase people who steal beer from convince stores.  

If they get a call, the bad guy is still in the store, they will react.  If they roll up and the guy is running outside the store they stand down.  Too many officers have been shot, hurt or worse dealing with these petty criminals.  So they stand down.

We had a B & M owner who recently died.  He never ever let anyone in his humidor alone.  He was aware people were not all honest.

Remember a year ago going to a Cigar event at a local B & M, the SWAD table got hit by a couple of senior who wanted a free hat.  They bought no Cigar, just walk in, wait for the rep. to be busy, bye bye hats.  Seniors stole the SWAG.

[Tonto]

Most of the things I buy (not just cigars), I get online...UNLESS, I either need it right away, need some advice with it, or need some help in choosing the correct part.

A few years ago, I replaced our upstairs toilet.  It was the 1st time I ever did a toilet.  Now I knew what brand toilet I wanted & locally, they were selling for $500 and up... I found it on Amazon Prime for $25, with free shipping.  I had it in 3 days.  Now the rest of the parts...wax rings, flange repair kit, new water valve & water suppl line, I bought at a local hardware store.  Sure I could have bought them online, but I had a few questions as to the right parts to use, so I didn't mind spending a few extra $$ for the help.

Now with cigars...I mostly order online, for several reasons:
I know mostly what I like or want to try
I don't have much extra $$ to spend (4 kids...1 starting college next month), so cost does matter, a lot
I don't get out as much as I used to, & the one really good b/m near me closed a few years ago. 

Now there are a few small shops nearby, but I only go to them a few times a year...mostly when I'm in the area & not feeling crappy.  Most of the time I go in to look, not looking to buy anything...but I always do, even if it's just an extra can of butane.  I like to see what is new & out there and if anything just happens to catch my eye.  I will talk with the shop keeper, say hello & exchange some chit-chat. 

Some of the owners are pleasant & knowledgeable, but some are not.  The ones I find helpful, are the ones who will point out something new they recently got in &/or will ask what I prefer to smoke, offer a few suggestions, & then let me look around in the walk in humidor.  Sometimes they will "escort" me, in order to
point out the newer arrivals, & then let me know that if I have any questions, they will be outside.

Now the ones that piss me off, are the ones that act like used car salesmen & don't know anything about their product, but try to make you believe they do.  I don't like it when someone tries to push a crap $20 cigar on me, tell me their locally rolled, hand made 9that looks like crap) is better than a PAM '64, etc.  I also get turned off when I'm followed, like a thief, with the person hanging right over my shoulder.  I do understand the theft issues they have, but if I haven't been caught stealing cigars...don't treat me like a crook.  Like I said...I 'm not always looking to buy cigars when I walk in, but I always end up buying something.  Now treat me not like a crook & I tend to spend more than I even planned.

I'd also say that having a nice lounge & running decent events is something I like.  However, lately, the biggest, recent event near me was for Villager cigars    
Also, the rules for the lounge matter as well.  I don't mind having to pay their price, for a cigar I have a box of in my own humidor, to sit down & smoke a cigar, watch some sports on TV & have a beverage.  A/C is a must (during the warmer months)  & also having, at least a vending machine to buy a soda, water or iced tea is a big plus.  Some places let you bring a few of your own cigars in, if you wish, as long as you buy at least 1 or 2 from them on your visit.  Others insist you only smoke what they sell.

I've recently become aware of 2 new shops near me & I will try to check them out.  I don't know what I'll find.

[SurfnSafari]

I'm Well I use to sell printing equiptment, and printing supplies.  Everything a print shop needed but stock (paper & envelopes).

What I quickly learned even though our company was in business over 50 years when I came on board.  Our clients were most price shoppers.  Yes they want service for technical problems, but price, and fast delievery was why we made sales.

When we had two new competitor come into out primary market.  Both competitors were cutting our prices, and eventually the company I work for went under, because the owner did not want to change his business plan to survive.

It came down sometimes to pennies on item, but everyone was selling the same products.  Example would be a box of 100 offset printing plate, we lost a sale of one box of 100 plates because we were THREE to FIVE CENTS per plate higher.

But to the small print shop owner if they could save a couple of hundred bucks a month on supplies, they were adding profit to their bottom line.

Like I said in an earlier post my Step Son in Law says in his business, client loyalty is not what it was like 27 years ago when he started there.  There was not an Internet to compete with.  Today they must compete against online seller.

Years ago when I was a kid I remember the Sear Roebuck Cataloge was like today Internet, you could order anything you want from that big catalog.  A rifle, bullet, baby chickens, a Henry J (Branded Allstate), a Moped, Motorscooter, you name it, Sear Roebucks sold in the Sears. Catalogue, and shipped by Railway Express to your home or farm.