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#1 | |
Gravy Boat Winnah.
![]() Join Date: Oct 2008
First Name: Pete
Location: my attorney has advised against giving this information to insane people
Posts: 5,326
Trading: (22)
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No... I gotta ask, are you serious on this one? |
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#2 | |
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Asked about Warlock (by omar ortez), and the older salesman told me "yep, we just had some dropped off in the back for promo, but i haven't inventoried them yet". I laughed all the way out the door. |
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#3 |
Simple Pleasures - 2oL
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So are you now saying that a local cigar shop should keep prices in line with a online store and if they can't they should move out of state to avoid the taxes but continue to stay in state and provide cigars and a place for you to smoke?
Seems impossible... |
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#4 | |
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No, I gave two of the local shops their opportunity to earn my business several times. Timber Valley Tobacco's owner died, and the sales woman who bought it, Dawn, ran it into the ground by not ordering any more stock. Paul's has the worst service I've ever had, of ANY retailer, tobacco or not. Rich's is a good place. They have a markup of about $1-2 per stick compared to other places, but it is downtown and I understand that. Pearl Specialty Market is right down the road and charges 20% more than Rich's. I love threads that ask you your opinion, then you get chided for giving it! lol I never said they needed to keep prices inline with online retailers. I said putting an extra $10 a stick compared to other stores in town would get you labeled a scammer. |
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#5 | |
Simple Pleasures - 2oL
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If you scroll back a few pages you and I made the same point, my biggest piece of advice to store owners is "Give a damn" |
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#6 | |
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It wasn't meant to be an attack on B&M owners, just what many people feel when they walk in. In all honesty, a good friend of mine is thinking looking to purchase Timber Valley and turn it into a private club. Hopefully, he will be able to lead by example rather than follow what other shops in town do. 1. Interact with customers 2. Offer the best service available. Customer service is what adds value to the product you sell. Customers can get that thing you have at a number of stores, they come to you because they either like you or you offer something they can't get anywhere else, usually outstanding service. 3. Thank the customer for the patronage. Simply put, a little praise goes along way with people. 4. If you have to lose money in order to get a box of Anejos in your store for your customers once a year, do it. Mark the price up .25 on all your "reject" sticks, and flavored items to make up the difference. I doubt you'd have to go to that extreme however. Your customers will LOVE you for it, and will return for sure. I promise. |
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#7 |
H.A.T.E
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so you do everything the second you get it? maybe he'd just done inventory the day before, maybe he just did it before you got there...maybe you should open your own shop since you have the perfect way to do everything
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#8 |
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Nope, the online guys do a perfect job for me. Thanks!
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#9 |
Simple Pleasures - 2oL
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However, then you made this post.
Online guys do not provide a lounge, they don not clean the ashtrays, they do not give personal service. I too order a lot of cigars online but each the online and the local retailers play a certain role. |
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#10 | |
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Neither do our shops. They don't allow smoking, except Pauls which has two chairs. I go to the Mark. I don't buy my cigars there, but I do spend $20-40 each time I go on food, and drink. Seeing as they have around 30 humidors that are owned by patrons there, I don't see them as making their money on stogies either. |
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#11 | |
Bunion
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Also, Dawn never owned Timber Valley, although she was looking for investors. The son of the late owner eventually sold it to two guys, who seem enthusiastic but are relatively new to cigars, or so I am led to believe.
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I refuse to belong to any organization that would have me as a member. ~ Groucho Marx |
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