Good Shop, Great Selection, Lousy Proprietor...

[CigarAl]

I have the luxury or the burden, depending on your point of view, of traveling quite frequently for work.

One of the perks is I get to visit a number of cigar shops across the country, the down side is you can also get stranded for hours at the airport as I did last night.

I wanted to get the opinion of the folks here on some of their thoughts on the following...

During my trip this week I visited two local shop, One I had visited twice before (Shop A) on trips and one I visited for the first time.

Shop A was a good shop, great selection but a lousy propietor. The two previous times I had visited I had the same experience with the woman who owns the shop. She exteremely unfriendly and border line rude. She was more interested in lottery customers. Now before we get into a discussion about whether lottery or cigars is here primary business, let me tell you about the shop. It is mostly a smoke shop, no lounge, but the entire store front is cigars (good size walk in), pipes and acessories. They also had a great selection of better smokes. They literally had boxes of opus, hemingway, padron 64 and other great smokes. While slightly above MSPRP they were in line of most retail shops. When another customer asked for help in the humidor she acted as if this was a burden. As result I put back the two boxes I was going to buy and only bought one smoke. As I said, I have been to this shop before, tried to interact with owner and always got the same response.

In visiting Shop B, this was much less a cigar store but more of a news and lotto place (i.e, place to sit and play keno). However they had several large humidors and a nice walk in. Good selection of some premiums also a bit over MSRP. His selction was not nearly as robust as Shop As. Now when I walked into this shop, my first mind you, someone from behind the register came to see if he could help. When I explained that I was in from out of town and just checking out the shop he said great, take you time and let me browse. Next thing I know that guy has brought one of the owners over to introduce to me and we have great discussion about smokes and I get a couple that I have never tried before that he recommended after talking about what I like to smoke. Upon leaving the guy who first help me also introduces the 'cigar manager' who also handles their internet business. Turns out he was from a town near where I grew up.

The reason I seek out cigar shops during my travels is becuase I know I can usually find place to relax, enjoy a smoke, engage in some good conversation, and sometimes a drink. I have many positive expereieinces in my travels and many places I would visit again in a heart beat.

I do try and support local vendors but would have a hard time supporting Shop A if I lived there. These shops are less than 20 miles a part.

Sorry for the long post but this recent experience had me thinking about how and why people run their shops.

Also, it is raining for the like 10th straight day here and I cant get outside to smoke....

Just wondering what you think of this story and what your experiences are in shops besides your local shop.

Enjoy the weekend.

 

[JimK]

Ideally you would have the best of both, but if you had to choose one, it would depend on what your needs are. I'm so used to getting lousy service from people that don't smoke cigars that I now get most of the info I need here at CP, the greatest collection of cigar aficionados in the world. So I would go to the shop with the selection. Others may choose differently.

JK

 

[PSTAN]

Got one for ya.

When in Oklahoma City I usually stop in at a place called Tobacco Exchange, some days great service some days so, so. They generally have a good selection around MSRP.

On my way home today I wanted to stop in at a different cigar shop, Cigar & Company. I got to where their store is, now it is gone. Still a sign at the shopping center entrance but no cigar shop. I think, fugg it I am going to TE. Driving down the road to TE I see a new sign for a new location, I pull in. I go in the walkin and look around, as I am about to pick up some sticks and go WTH! I start looking around at all the open boxes. I found one entire box of RP 10yr with a lot of fuzz. I go out and tell the guy, I know he is the owner because I remember him from his previous location. Now the discussion of what Plum is and isn't and what mold is after he said "it is just Plum" and he saw the look on my face. He finally gets out of his chair and follows me in the humidor. He picks one up and rubs it. Then repeats exactly what I had said about it being mold and starts checking the entire box and inventory. Pulls the moldy box from the shelf and carries it out of the walkin to do whatever with it.

I can honestly say that I am always looking for a B&M shop and will give one several chances. I will give this guy another shot but he is getting real low on the list for repeat business.

 

[knightlaird]

Greetings! I personally do more than 90% of my shopping for cigars online. I prefer to shop online because of greater selection and much better prices. However, there is an excellent little tobacco shop located here in our neighborhood, called "Texas Tobacco". I enjoy going there, because the employees are always very friendly and courteous. They make their customers feel welcome. I would always rather give my business to a cigar shop, and maybe even pay a little more, where the employees are friendly and helpful, as opposed to a shop where the employees, or the owners, are rude and indifferent. I always appreciate good customer service. Have a great day, everyone! Regards, knightlaird

 

[smallg]

My habits are similar to knightlaird's on this. I do the majority of my cigar shopping online. I can buy a box or try several fivers without running into "max per customer" restrictions and moldy humidors.

BUT... just like a kid in a candy store there's a lot to be said about a walk-in humidor lined with great smokes. It's that "WOAH!" factor. With that said, I judge everything by first impressions. If I walk into a shop and I get so much as a snear, eye-roll, or slightest bit of attitude from the proprietor I don't care if they have trees with OpusX's dangling from em, I'm gone. I have no time for anyone who doesn't value my business as there are so many others out there who will.

 

[SMOKE!]

Pstan- Ever make it into Tulsa for your shopping? We've got a few good shops here and a couple that are ok. One has some kids working in it and they dont ever offer much help, another has some 20 somethings that work there that seem to have some pretty good knowledge. There is a little combo cigar and glassware/drinking supplies store that has a nice older lady that ownd the place, but her selection isnt that great. There are also a couple of shops with good selection and good service with people who actually offer their help and have a great knowledge of cigars. Kind of a snobby atmostphere, but good smokes. I frequent several different ones to see who has what selection and so forth.

 

[PSTAN]

I missed your entro Smoke, welcome to CP.

Oddly enough I was in the Tulsa/Broken Arrow area Friday. I kept my eye out for any cigar shop that I might have run across but the wife and I were there to visit some of her family then we went to the War Eagle Festivle just outside of Springdale, AR. Next time I am up that way I will try to do a better search for the local B&Ms.

 

[SMOKE!]

You might check these areas if you know you're way around.
Ted's in the Farm at 51st and Sheridian
Tobacco Pouch at 61st and Yale
Fogue and Bates at 71st and just east of Sheridian-great selection

 

[Nobel]

There are three shops near me (in the closest large town/city), and they are all owned by the same proprietor. They cycle the employees from store to store, which can lead to some bad experiences. Two of the guys have a decent knowledge of cigars and brands, and always have recommendations for me, but two of them are not so spectacular. One time I went in, and one of the not-so-good ones was drinking and playing cards with a friend, and would barely take care of me. I left him alone to his game while I browsed, but when it was time to pay, he somewhat huffed/puffed that he had to stop his game. On top of it, on the days that he is sober, he has almost no knowledge of cigars whatsoever. So a shop can't always be judged on a first visit, because you never know when you may get the drunk old poker player as your salesperson.