Do You Trust Your B&M's Recommendations?

[Reverend Mike]

People don't generally like salesmen. I think it's because they are afraid they are getting steered to a product that's good for the salesperson to sell rather than what's good for the customer to buy.

I for one never steer a customer for the sake of selling sticks. My goal is to help you enjoy your next smoke as much as you possibly can. My personal experience does come into play here -- I don't like Macanudo for instance, so I will point out that Oliva is, in my opinion, a better tasting cigar for the same price.

When you browse a humidor and your B&M's staff comes-up and makes suggestions, do you feel like they are pushing you just to sell sticks or do you think they are looking to help you expand your horizons and to get you out of a rut maybe?

[Research-Colin-cl]

Both - I think that the difference between good and bad cigar shops is whether they give you advice that is good for you or not.

Of course you have to have selection and all that but assuming the rest is there, it is the people working that make a shop.

Do I trust them? No. Not at first. They have to earn my trust and I often try to ask them questions to test them out. You can quickly learn alot about a salesperson by asking a few key questions. I find that it is often best to talk with the owner of the shop if s/he is available.

I don't expect a salesperson to know everything about cigars but I do expect them to know their product and to be able to describe it and reccommend things that fit certain descriptions.

[oldfart54]

Some shops I go to recommend certain smokes when I'm there, but it's usually for another customer. I'll listen in and weigh the information (sales pitch) and decide if I'm interested. I've never personally been been helped without asking for it. IF I'm asked if I need help, my standard answer is "just browsing". On occasion I'll ask for a recommendation and have been given outstanding suggestions. Not always big name brands either.

[shrtcrt-cl]

I agree. A shop owner has to earn your trust and that starts with the first time you walk into the shop. Are you greeted in a friendly manner, do they offer help, do they watch you like a hawk, do they tell you any specials they have or upcoming events, do they make you feel at home. I look for these things and more when I visit a shop and that helps to know if they are a tobacconist or just a cigar seller. I HATE being followed like a little kid, I understand they fear people stealing, but there is a better way to do than to escort me around.

My girlfriend went to a shop to pick up something special for me. She has some knowledge of cigars so she headed to the humidor. The guy at the shop stood in front of the humidor and said "can I help you." She replied "no thanks, that she was just going to look for something." He would not let her in the humidor. She decided to leave and never return, neither did I. I should have stopped in and find out why he treated her with so much disrespect, but why waste the time.

[JoeyBear]

Depends on the salesman. I have a guy at one B&M who's been in charge of the cigar area for about 20 years. I believe him. At the other, the sales guy always recommends the most expensive/overpriced cigar in the humidor. I don't believe him.

[louistogie]

Well when I first started smoking cigars I went to one of my local
shops to pick up a smoke, I went to where the Montecristo are at and
pick up a Montecristo white, court. I took it out of the tube and noticed
it was dry? I told one of the guys who worked there and he said
"The tube keeps them fresh, It can't dry out in there, (In a mad tone)."
So I took his word for it, boy was I wrong, it was dry.

So a few months later I go back to that shop to pick up a smoke again.
"Note that I've been going there before this still." Anyways I looking around
And I ask another guy that worked there if the Partagas black tubos where
any good, he said there are very good. So I goto pick one up and it had mold on it!
And I said look theres mold...he said thats called bloom, I didn't buy it.
But I gave him the benefits of the doubt, sense his eye sight wasn't that
good. But it seems the problem was there cigars in tubes, but I guess they have
a little to much faith in those tubes? lol


Now I'm a lot more knowledgeable about cigars so I tent not to ask
any more but I do listen to peoples opinions.

[ER Doc]

When I first started looking a premium handmades, I went to my B&M and asked for advice on getting a good cigar that didn't cost too much.

He smiled, and said "Ah, yes - you'd like to find the $7 cigar that only costs $3!". It was obvious he gets this question a lot. He asked me about my personal tastes and what I was hoping for (everyday cigar or occasion cigar, etc).

After talking for a short while, he steered me to the Helix Maduro Robusto. He pointed out that it wasn't the flashiest of cigars, but it was a great cigar for about $3. He handed it to me and said, "Why don't you give that a try".

I thanked him and promptly left the humidor area to head for the cash register. I waited there for at least 2 minutes for him to show up. He looked at me surprised. He kind of laughed and said, "No, I meant for you to take that so that you can try it. Come back and tell me how you liked it."

Needless to say, although this B&M is not big and flashy, I go there regularly to show my appreciation for his efforts and kindness.

So - in a word - YES - I trust this guy!

[CigarRob]

Too many variables to lay down a blanket statement on this one, but a good rule of thumb is if they tell you not to use a triple-flame torch because it will make the end of your cigar too hot, you might want to seek out another cigar cognoscente. True listener story.

[ilovecl-cl]

I ignore them like the plague, unless I know tham and have a good relationship with them. I know what I am looking for and if I have questions, I research, read reviews, and ask questions online on CL. Some are actually knowlegable and some do not know what a figurado is. I can smell a "salesman" a mile away. You can't lie to a professional liar!!!

[Labman-cl]

Originally Posted by John51277

I ignore them like the plague, unless I know tham and have a good relationship with them. I know what I am looking for and if I have questions, I research, read reviews, and ask questions online on CL. Some are actually knowlegable and some do not know what a figurado is. I can smell a "salesman" a mile away. You can't lie to a professional liar!!!

Yeah! But, you're lucky...Steve's (Gatormoye) shop is right in your back yard!! Steve knows his cigars!!

[happy1]

Usually I know what I'm looking for when I go to one of my locals.I may ask him if he has smoked any and what he thought of them.But I'm only going to buy what looks tasty to me which is usually a maduro

[louistogie]

Originally Posted by happy1

Usually I know what I'm looking for when I go to one of my locals.I may ask him if he has smoked any and what he thought of them.But I'm only going to buy what looks tasty to me which is usually a maduro

Maduros always look so good lol.

[12stones-cl]

The B&M has to earn my trust. And I'm very reluctant to give most a third chance. I'm pretty lucky that I've got one very close to where I work that I frequent where the owner knows me and what I like very well. He also knows that I rarely drop a lot on one stick so he quickly passes by those as he's telling me his suggestions.

[Daver3283]

I usually have faith in my B&M's, although I recently moved on to a better more knowledgeable store, and the guy there is great, never pushes, and when I come in he pulls out everything new or unique that he think I may like based on past purchases.

[Webmeister]

The guys at my B&M know what I like and have always been straight with me. After all, they should know because I usually stop in once/twice a week and hang out to have a smoke with the gang.

Any time I go into a new shop, I head straight for the humidor. If I am asked if I need some help, I tell them I like Rocky Patels and am always interested in trying something new. Then I wait for the response. More often than not, they don't ask what like about the Rocky's, what line, what vitola, or other sticks I like. They just steer me toward something in a maduro and quite pricy (Oh, then you gotta try this!). There is a difference between a salesman and a tobacconist, and they are pretty easy to spot.

I travel a lot on customer visits, and have stopped at many cigar shops on the road. There are a few that I go back to every time I am in town just because they treated me right the first time.