Do you share a similar experience?

Renaissance_Man

So I have a B&M nearby my house and occasionally shop there. They have a limited edition Camacho Liberty 2005 and I was interested in getting it. Hopefully with some discount for quantity. So I went there and looked around. Then I took one of the 2005s that was slightly open and opened it to check the status of the cigars (i have had the experience of getting quite cracked liberties since they are nicely hidden in the coffins)... The seller storms in the humidor as I was putting back the coffin and is "gently" raising his voice - "What are you doing?!".
I'm like - "Just checking the cigars. I am interested in buying some of them. Maybe the whole half a box you have left."
and not trusting me he is like "Really... really" and grabbed the coffin right from my hands as I was putting it back and eagerly opened it expecting for the cigar to be missing!
I said "I have shopped here before multiple times. I am not going to steal your cigars!" He didn't say anything so I proceeded -
"How much are the 2005s?"
He says "$20 plus tax"
and I am like "Well, can you give me a discount if I get all of them?"
and he blows up saying "What do you think we are? We are not lepers?! We don't change our prices! Its $20!"
Me - "I am sorry - I was just asking."
he - "We are not lepers!"...

I wanted to punch him in the face, but I kept my cool, put back all the cigars I was going to buy and told him "I am sorry, but I will not trouble you anymore. I promise you this will be the last time you see me here. Good luck and I hope your business flourishes!"

Sorry... I had to share this... Anybody have a similar experience?

stephen_hannibal

Not at the B&M but at other stores all the time.
Fortunately the local B&M is still cool....

Cooper33

He protested about not being a leper one to many times, my gut instinct tells me he was in fact..a leper. Now how that translates into pricing policies I'm not real sure. If anything I'd guess a leper would be more than used to taking a little off.

dennisking

My B&M treats me more than fairly. He gives me a discount as we do business together at my work and I reciprocate the discount to him. He sold Phobic a box of Anejos for MSRP which is pretty generous given the rarity and ability to mark those up. Yeah, I would find a different B&M

Hawk55

Most of my buying experience has been online. however out of two B&Ms I have visited I would not return to either...One the "consultant" I was dealing with was not very hospitable and seemed to be in a rush..also very condescending about my questions> The other allowed me into the walk-in humidor as he accompanied me but he was very helpful> During my second visit I happened to overhear comments about his clientele that was not very complimentary and I refuse to spend my hard earned money supporting such an establishment...

Krieg

You know, that guy was a jerk. I was up at my local BM once, and actually had a beer and a cigar, and when I was getting ready to leave i realized i didnt have my wallet. The guy that worked there could have been a total *** to me, but he actually said not to worry about it. I felt like such a @#$@ u have no idea, I went home and found my wallet and came back up there and paid my tab (and bought another cigar) needless to say, techically he said not to worry about it, but I thought it was really nice of him to say that. If the guy was an ***, I probably would have said screw it and not run back up there and pay my bill.

lilwing88

I love my B&M. There's lots in the Chicago area and, needless to say, a few are filled with pompous ***holes. I've had similar experiences, so I just don't go back to those places. But my B&M owner is laid back and friendly. I'm a newbie and he's been patient with me from the start. They have a great selection, nothing too fancy. Some leather recliners, a few TVs, good company...... what more could you ask for? If there's a particular brand that he doesn't carry, there's lot's of B&M's that'll carry it. So I just go there buy what I'm looking for and take it back to my B&M to enjoy it.

Hays

Renaissance_Man:

So I have a B&M nearby my house and occasionally shop there. They have a limited edition Camacho Liberty 2005 and I was interested in getting it. Hopefully with some discount for quantity. So I went there and looked around. Then I took one of the 2005s that was slightly open and opened it to check the status of the cigars (i have had the experience of getting quite cracked liberties since they are nicely hidden in the coffins)... The seller storms in the humidor as I was putting back the coffin and is "gently" raising his voice - "What are you doing?!".
I'm like - "Just checking the cigars. I am interested in buying some of them. Maybe the whole half a box you have left."
and not trusting me he is like "Really... really" and grabbed the coffin right from my hands as I was putting it back and eagerly opened it expecting for the cigar to be missing!
I said "I have shopped here before multiple times. I am not going to steal your cigars!" He didn't say anything so I proceeded -
"How much are the 2005s?"
He says "$20 plus tax"
and I am like "Well, can you give me a discount if I get all of them?"
and he blows up saying "What do you think we are? We are not lepers?! We don't change our prices! Its $20!"
Me - "I am sorry - I was just asking."
he - "We are not lepers!"...

I wanted to punch him in the face, but I kept my cool, put back all the cigars I was going to buy and told him "I am sorry, but I will not trouble you anymore. I promise you this will be the last time you see me here. Good luck and I hope your business flourishes!"

Sorry... I had to share this... Anybody have a similar experience?

I seem to have a lot of b&ms in my area, and I make it a point to try to visit them at least once. My regular b&m is just plain awesome, no if, ands, or buts. Another shop, right in the center of town however, was another story entirely. My second time in there was, almost to the T, exactly like your experience. Plain and simple: I've never gone back since.

MarkH

Being a noob as well, I've only been in 4 different B&M's and all have been good people and helpful.
I found a B&M in Chicago that has great staff and a new smoking room which I visit once a month when I'm in town. Last trip I bought a box of Oliva O maduro robusto's for $65!! Hows that for pricing? Probably a promo & wont last but I'll be checking next trip.

j0z3r

Sounds like you were very nice to the guy Stan. Personally, I probably would have called him some sort of name and maybe thrown something on the floor...not really, but I sure would have been an ass-hole right back to him.

Guess that guy forgot he's in a service oriented industry and being hospitable to customers is a priority.

jsnake

My current B&M is great. They will talk to you all day if you want. They will make recommendations and walk through everything with you. If you don't need any help they leave you alone to look. Great guys, great selection, great atmosphere.

My old B&M in Springfield is a great store but I do have one problem. Keep in mind I was a Sheriff's Deputy and went several times in uniform. They would follow you into the humidor and stand over your shoulder as if you were a common thief. One of the guys was an upitty snob who would talk to you but treated you like his inferior. They wouldn't let you have any time to yourself to look and make a selection. It was like they were rushing you and on your butt the entire time. I always felt I was treated as if I had been caught stealing before. All of my friends felt the same.

MAJORdorMo

I can't stop laughing at how he kept saying he wasn't a leper.

My local B&M is nice n all, but not really knowledgeable at all. I have no problems grabbing a stick or 2 there, but I generally stick with CCOM.

jsnake

MAJORdorMo:

I can't stop laughing at how he kept saying he wasn't a leper.

My local B&M is nice n all, but not really knowledgeable at all. I have no problems grabbing a stick or 2 there, but I generally stick with CCOM.

Did you picture it in your head? I imagined a guy with a crazy look of disgust on his face and laughed. Too funny.

ScottTDawg

Renaissance_Man:

I wanted to punch him in the face, but I kept my cool, put back all the cigars I was going to buy and told him "I am sorry, but I will not trouble you anymore. I promise you this will be the last time you see me here. Good luck and I hope your business flourishes!"

You handled that extremely well! Like you the thought would have crossed my mind to punch him in the face (not that I would have done it) but I was raised to be polite. I think I would have put the cigars in a pile and just left. It was big of you to put them back for the guy. He must not have the awareness that 'word of mouth' advertising, good or bad, can impact a business like that.

Rob1110

You could have easily went with "Leper or not, you keep talking to me like that and you're gonna lose a body part."

All the shops around here that I've been to are great. Everyone seems to go that extra step to talk to you and make you feel welcome, offering advice or just conversation. Could be because the taxes are so high up here and the state, as well as local towns are constantly looking to shut these guys down, they probably feel they need all the friends and support they can get.

Renaissance_Man

Thanks for the support boys! It seems Betasynn's B&M is going to become my B&M too ... As for this guy - I later realized he referred to lepers because of his nationality. He is Indian and in India there are big and utterly sad colonies of lepers that get by by begging and peddling (aka selling stuff they find and always bargaining for it - always willing to cut prices)... Whatever... I was sooo angry at him, but I was mostly in disbelief that he would behave like this. Mainly because I have bought stuff there several times before! However, I decided that blowing up and cussing him back would achieve nothing so I decided to be nice to him and apologize for HIS mistake. I slept better the night thinking that maybe, just maybe later on he felt like a piece of sh*t and an a$$ ... It also helps thinking that maybe his mom was a leper... Sorry - that was mean ... I just hate it cause he is the only one in the area that has a half box of 2005 liberties ...

ironhorse

Hey Ren, check your inbox..

betasynn

Renaissance_Man:

Thanks for the support boys! It seems Betasynn's B&M is going to become my B&M too ... As for this guy - I later realized he referred to lepers because of his nationality. He is Indian and in India there are big and utterly sad colonies of lepers that get by by begging and peddling (aka selling stuff they find and always bargaining for it - always willing to cut prices)... Whatever... I was sooo angry at him, but I was mostly in disbelief that he would behave like this. Mainly because I have bought stuff there several times before! However, I decided that blowing up and cussing him back would achieve nothing so I decided to be nice to him and apologize for HIS mistake. I slept better the night thinking that maybe, just maybe later on he felt like a piece of sh*t and an a$$ ... It also helps thinking that maybe his mom was a leper... Sorry - that was mean ... I just hate it cause he is the only one in the area that has a half box of 2005 liberties ...

My B&M is sick, you should be going there in the first place. It's actually rather strange, though. Me and Stan will go there sometimes, and be fine, and I personally have never been treated as Stan has (twice now.) Stan dresses way better then me, and is in fact several years older then me, I wonder why he's treated that way.

Renaissance_Man

betasynn:

Renaissance_Man:

Thanks for the support boys! It seems Betasynn's B&M is going to become my B&M too ... As for this guy - I later realized he referred to lepers because of his nationality. He is Indian and in India there are big and utterly sad colonies of lepers that get by by begging and peddling (aka selling stuff they find and always bargaining for it - always willing to cut prices)... Whatever... I was sooo angry at him, but I was mostly in disbelief that he would behave like this. Mainly because I have bought stuff there several times before! However, I decided that blowing up and cussing him back would achieve nothing so I decided to be nice to him and apologize for HIS mistake. I slept better the night thinking that maybe, just maybe later on he felt like a piece of sh*t and an a$$ ... It also helps thinking that maybe his mom was a leper... Sorry - that was mean ... I just hate it cause he is the only one in the area that has a half box of 2005 liberties ...

My B&M is sick, you should be going there in the first place. It's actually rather strange, though. Me and Stan will go there sometimes, and be fine, and I personally have never been treated as Stan has (twice now.) Stan dresses way better then me, and is in fact several years older then me, I wonder why he's treated that way.

I wonder too... I guess I have that very "dishonest" look... Or maybe WHEN he was a leper, a guy that looked like me bargained him out of all his belongings... BTW.... Happy Birthday, Beta ! Finally LEGAL!

phobicsquirrel

At least you have other options. I will say that I would be a little confused why someone would be opening up a coffin to look at a cigar. I understand where your coming from, but for me, if the seal is broke I won't buy it. I know the liberty's I have have a sticker on them that is over the slider. It is sad that the guy freaked out though. Sounds like a ***.

gmill880

I , having a warped sense of humor, would have said " Are you sure , damn sure , your not a leper because by God someone down the street told me this place was run by lepers !!!And if your positive your not a leper , then by God you need to quit telling other people you are , thats false advertising and I'm not buying a damn thing from you !!! " Then I would have shoved the cigars into his chest and walked out while pretending to be all huffed up Hahaha !!!

Luko

Speaking of, did you guys hear about the leper hockey game?

There was a face-off in the corner.

And about the leper poker game?

One guy threw his hand in and the other laughed his head off.

YankeeMan

I only have one decent B & M in Ithaca and when the owner is there, he leaves you alone to take your time in his walkin. He usually doesn't discount, but whenever I am there buying cigars, he always sticks one in my pocket and says it's on him. Not cheap ones either. Therefore, I return to his shop.

RM, you have a lot more restraint than I have, if that were me, he would have been using one of those cigars for a suppository!

kingjk729

Luko:

Speaking of, did you guys hear about the leper hockey game?

There was a face-off in the corner.

And about the leper poker game?

One guy threw his hand in and the other laughed his head off.

Funny man you got jokes ........ well my mom is part leper and that makes me part leper and .......... wait wait ...... oops sorry what i meant to say was ........ What did the leper say to the prostitue ............ KEEP THE TIP

j0z3r

A little known fact about lepers is that they're incredibly thrifty. You will never see a leper who owns something that cost an arm and a leg.

YankeeMan

All right, you guys started it... The Leper in traffic court told the judge his foot stuck to the accelerator. Sorry!

alienmisprint

Cooper33:

He protested about not being a leper one to many times, my gut instinct tells me he was in fact..a leper. Now how that translates into pricing policies I'm not real sure. If anything I'd guess a leper would be more than used to taking a little off.

Yeah, like WTF does leprosy have to do with price reduction? And I agree with everyone else here Stan, you handled that extremely well. I tend to get aggressive quickly if provoked, that situation would not have ended well with me.

And I have to give props to my B&M in Lake Charles. They are super friendly, very professional, and it is a really nice establishment to boot. The only downside is that there are two knowledgeable (about cigars) employees and two who really know nothing about cigars, lol. It is kind of a toss-up as to who you are going to get. But even the ones who don't know cigars are veyr nice, and honest about their lack of knowledge, so its all good.

CigarDisciple

If it had been me, I'd have told him to kiss my entire A** and take his cigars and his attitude and shove it up his A**. Shop somewhere else where your money and time are appreciated. Just my two cents worth.

zoom6zoom

kingjk729:

What did the leper say to the prostitue ............ KEEP THE TIP

Yeah, that hooker in the leper colony was making plenty money.... until her business dropped off.

Renaissance_Man

OMG - the jokes here are INTENSE! I hope people do not get offended as it is all in good black humor. Leprosy used to be pretty bad in the past, but it is at least curable now. Too bad though that there are still countries where these people are segregated in "colonies"... I'm sure the owner of the cigar store might have had an interesting experience to share... Ha. Whatever ... Thanks for all the responses! I believe in God and honestly - I think that when you go on a bad path, nothing good awaits you - so thats why I did not lash out at this guy. I felt angered of course, but I felt mostly sorry for him cause with that character - a lot of things must come hard in life. He doesn't seem to be doing good anyway - the only people buying these stinking Liberties he was selling were me and Joe...

Duder2

Wow, sounds like you handled that well. I have only been to a few "real" B&M's around here (lots of head shops) and both have been great. The one close to my house in south Everett is run by a guy and his wife and they are both really nice and welcoming. I was referred there by a friend and have since sent others there and all have had a good experience and have sent their friends as well. In the last month or so they have gained at least 3 or 4 more loyal customers due to good hospitality as well as great selection and very fair prices. Just goes to show how good word of mouth can make or break a small business that is service oriented.