What should vendors do to ............

[Timwis]

In order to get my attention, vendors should do the following:

Juice
- explain new juices, are they local or international, what do they taste like? If you liked the following juices... you will probably like this...

Hardware
Same thing, I am into MTL. I would like it if vendors can position their products to help educate the buyer who doesn’t have much time to research these things, so for example, say it’s a new MTL tank. Explain it’s basic pros and cons and say how tight it is and what it’s similar to. Who will like it? Just a bit of extra info like that I think will go a long way to earning trust from me and I will likely buy more frequently from that vendor.

The problem in the UK and i don't want to paint everyone with the same brush so no doubt there will be exceptions but my experience of a lot of vape shops is that they are just managed by sales people as in if the vape shop shut they would work in an electrical shop or clothes shop and before vaping was a mainstream thing probably did.

In my suburb of Bolton there are 2 vape shops, both just have one member of staff who also manage the shop, one when he hasn't got customers just stands outside the shop smoking a cigar and the manager of the other shop who is a really friendly bloke but actually admits he neither vapes or has any interest in it, it's just a job. Not exactly qualified to give advice unless i am missing something!

 

[Silver]

The problem in the UK and i don't want to paint everyone with the same brush so no doubt there will be exceptions but my experience of a lot of vape shops is that they are just managed by sales people as in if the vape shop shut they would work in an electrical shop or clothes shop and before vaping was a mainstream thing probably did.

In my suburb of Bolton there are 2 vape shops, both just have one member of staff who also manage the shop, one when he hasn't got customers just stands outside the shop smoking a cigar and the manager of the other shop who is a really friendly bloke but actually admits he neither vapes or actually has any interest in it, it's just a job. Not exactly qualified to give advice unless i am missing something!

I see that too sometimes
And I can understand it @Timwis
Here we are at the enthusiast side of vaping, listening to reviews (including yours) and discovering whether the manufacturer has made a hot product or just an average one

I get your point that many of the vendors employ people that most likely have not tried all the products in their store.

but there are some vendors who do have the knowledge but they don’t expose it or communicate it online well enough. That’s all I am saying. and I think it would add a lot of value to buyers like me who don’t have the time to research everything thoroughly.

 

[Timwis]

I see that too sometimes
And I can understand it @Timwis
Here we are at the enthusiast side of vaping, listening to reviews (including yours) and discovering whether the manufacturer has made a hot product or just an average one

I get your point that many of the vendors employ people that most likely have not tried all the products in their store.

but there are some vendors who do have the knowledge but they don’t expose it or communicate it online well enough. That’s all I am saying. and I think it would add a lot of value to buyers like me who don’t have the time to research everything thoroughly.

I agree what you are saying is desirable and i wasn't talking about online vendors but just giving my experience of vape shops in the UK which tend to have staff that don't vape, know next to nothing about it and who's only interest is selling without knowing or even caring if the product was suitable for the customer.

 

[Silver]

I agree what you are saying is desirable and i wasn't talking about online vendors but just giving my experience of vape shops in the UK which tend to have staff that don't vape, know next to nothing about it and who's only interest is selling without knowing or even caring if the product was suitable for the customer.

that’s interesting

I would say the opposite is true for most vape shops here

they are mostly manned by vapers and many of the staff have excellent knowledge of the products. Granted some have way more than others. But on balance I’d say most of the vendors are quite passionate about what they’re doing

I just wish they would explain things more often - because many vapers especially newer vapers can be quite confused about all the gear and juices on offer

 

[M.Adhir]

recycling bins for empty juice bottles,
batteries, pods and coils.

My local vape store had this
Separate colored bins for each type of item
really cool. and colorful

 

[NOOB]

In order to get my attention, vendors should do the following:

Juice
- explain new juices, are they local or international, what do they taste like? If you liked the following juices... you will probably like this...

Hardware
Same thing, I am into MTL. I would like it if vendors can position their products to help educate the buyer who doesn’t have much time to research these things, so for example, say it’s a new MTL tank. Explain it’s basic pros and cons and say how tight it is and what it’s similar to. Who will like it? Just a bit of extra info like that I think will go a long way to earning trust from me and I will likely buy more frequently from that vendor.

Couldn't agree with you more @Silver.

I was introduced to vaping by a colleague. When I decided to buy my very first device/setup I walked into the shop and said that I was a smoker trying to quit and that I wanted a Voopoo Drag, but had no idea what else I need, or should get. I was told that the Wotofo Bravo will go well with the Drag and was also sold some batteries and juice. They wicked the Bravo up for me so that was awesome, but I had endless problems with wicking after that. The tank would leak, I would get dry hits etc. This put me off RTA's (especially the leaking) and that's when moved to squonking and RDA's and thanks to this forum I managed to figure out how to wick the RDA properly. I have only recently started using RTA's again, and I have to say I am thoroughly enjoying it. Some of you may point out that I should have gone back to the shop, but I live in a small town and the closest Brick & Mortar shop is about 120KM away, so it's not just a quick trip into town for me.

The issue I have is that I was brand new to vaping and wicking and (I feel) this was never considered by the staff when bought that setup. The Bravo is not a beginner friendly RTA. Thinking back on it, I think they were perhaps trying to either get rid of stock or pushing a sale and took advantage of the fact that I knew absolutely NOTHING about vaping. Now, in all fairness not all B&M vendors are like this, so it would irresponsible of me to paint all of them with the same brush.

I just feel like vendors should take the time to suggest and discuss products that would suite the end user's needs. There is absolutely no point in suggesting a device suited for experienced vapers to someone that is buying their first setup. This can be off putting to newcomers and they could end up going back to stinkies because "It's just easier" than vaping.

 

[M.Adhir]

My personal take. Just a general view over the few years I've been vaping. This doesn't apply to every store so before I get crucified for it let me rather make it clear.

1) Better, less arrogant service. Whether I spend 5 rand or 5 grand, I'm a customer. Get the chip off your shoulder and treat us equally please. And no need to bash your competitors/ nearby stores.
2) Better advice. Listen to what my needs are. Don't just sell my what is currently the hype because it's good for your sales. If I had proper advice when I started vaping, based on my needs. Those first few setups wouldn't have been needed.
3) Testers in store. A problem during covid I understand, but being unable to test or sample before buying is a problem. Most of us have wasted thousands on juice which end up tasting like stale toenail jam when we get home.
4) Free shipping - over a certain (fair) value.
5) Range- why is it that we have to self import so much of our stuff? I'm not a high end vaper so it's not like I'm asking for exclusive stuff etc.
6) Product descriptions - take the time to write descriptions which make sense after testing the darn product yourself. Almost every stores website has the same copied and pasted product descriptions
7) Pricing- most of understand the dynamic about RRP and price ranges. A debate for another thread on another day but I'm sure people understand what I'm getting at here
8) Product ranges for spares - basics such as o-rings (most are common sizes) but hardly any store keeps them
9) Service (in terms of warranties/ product defects) . Most stores forget that when we make a purchase, we have an agreement with the store for which CPA should apply. When my product breaks why do I need to contact the manufacturer directly. When my car engine seizes under warranty, my first contact is the dealership, not the car factory in Germany. Same goes for juices when there's issues. I don't want to have to deal with a distro or juicer, I bought from your store. You should assist.
10) After sales service. Follow up with customers after sales are complete. Even if you automate these initial messages. Ask you customer if they are satisfied with the purchase, if they need any help with anything. Many times the store sets you up the first time. When you get home and try to rewick etc for yourself, it's a nightmare.

Again - just my 10 cents and nothing more.

 

[Stranger]

In order to get my attention, vendors should do the following:

Juice
- explain new juices, are they local or international, what do they taste like? If you liked the following juices... you will probably like this...

Hardware
Same thing, I am into MTL. I would like it if vendors can position their products to help educate the buyer who doesn’t have much time to research these things, so for example, say it’s a new MTL tank. Explain it’s basic pros and cons and say how tight it is and what it’s similar to. Who will like it? Just a bit of extra info like that I think will go a long way to earning trust from me and I will likely buy more frequently from that vendor.

I like this suggestion a lot and if I may add to it.

If the atties or devices had a card with relevant info on it.

RBA suitable for beginners
Single coil/dual coil
2ml/5ml tank
Best for MTL/DTL

You could even have these printed on mass with tick the box options.

Often I have looked at the new shiny thing in the display but had to leave the shop to go research it on a PC.

 

[Silver]

I hear you @Stranger
That is a good suggestion
Even if its not done at a shop - this would be nice to have in a little table on the website.

 

[Stranger]

@Timwis

Nah man Tim, you can't exclude a bloke from employment cause he has no inside info init. You gotta give on the job training like. What wif the POS and the stock taking, shop hygiene, labour laws, compliance and customer courtesy, how do ya expect product knowledge an all.

Asking a bit much if ya ask me. i mean if you know nuffing about nuffing that is one fing, but knowing sumfing about sumfing is summit else init. ?

 

[Timwis]

@Timwis

Nah man Tim, you can't exclude a bloke from employment cause he has no inside info init. You gotta give on the job training like. What wif the POS and the stock taking, shop hygiene, labour laws, compliance and customer courtesy, how do ya expect product knowledge an all.

Asking a bit much if ya ask me. i mean if you know nuffing about nuffing that is one fing, but knowing sumfing about sumfing is summit else init. ?

I once asked the Cigar smoking manager explaining i DIY (as he does sell concentrates, PG & VG) whether he had any sweetener and he proceeded to tell me that both Asda and Tesco's (supermarkets) will sell it, lol he actually thought i was after what you would put in a cup of tea rather than sugar, when it comes to hardware his knowledge doesn't improve!

 

[Stranger]

Aw man Tim, I have the picture in my head.

Man in pub " I ad a customer today wot asked me for sweetener, bloody idiot fawt he was in ASDA, not the bloody vape shop init."

 

[Timwis]

Aw man Tim, I have the picture in my head.

Man in pub " I ad a customer today wot asked me for sweetener, bloody idiot fawt he was in ASDA, not the bloody vape shop init."

He's the real Del Boy type!

 

[Jacques3Fox]

For me I would prefer:

1. Honest business
2. Items should be in stock if on the online store
3. Free shipping for a reasonable amount spent
4. A secure website and must be aesthetically sound and professional looking

 

[Timwis]

For me I would prefer:

1. Honest business
2. Items should be in stock if on the online store
3. Free shipping for a reasonable amount spent
4. A secure website and must be aesthetically sound and professional looking

We found a site exactly like this but we are not allowed to mention them again as it will put other vendors at an unfair disadvantage! HP

 

[The eCigStore]

My local vape store had this
Separate colored bins for each type of item
really cool. and colorful

View attachment 208659

This is so cool.. Where can we get these. Been searching for these for a while now.

 

[Puff the Magic Dragon]

This is so cool.. Where can we get these. Been searching for these for a while now.

Just Google recycle bins. There are tons of retailers who sell them. I would recommend a company that disposes of the contents as well as providing the bins.

My bet is that a lot of shops have bins for recycling but just chuck the contents in their normal municipal rubbish bins. They appear to be green and don't need to pay for the recycling aspect.

 

[Timwis]

This is so cool.. Where can we get these. Been searching for these for a while now.

We have colour coded bins so for household waste Black for landfill, Burgundy for Metal, plastic and glass, Beige for Paper and Cardboard and Green for Garden waste and so on with different collections each week. I went into a vape shop in Manchester about a year ago and they had a similar system but what became obvious was people were short of a bin or two!

 

[Kiai]

I want free shipping for a decent order amount. Not free shipping above R1000 except for you since my courier company says your city Is further. I spend R5000 at one vendor in 7 weeks and then got told free shipping is not for me. That really **** me off. Then tell me R2000 for free shipping but not **** you regardless of how much you spend. Is there no loyalty for supporting customers? Vendors give a **** for me and I give a crap for them. I want good service at a decent price. If I cannot get it in South Africa then I will order from others. At least from an international supplier I expect the courier cost

 

[fbb1964]

Beat or match proven price, some people like to support their favourite vendors.

I so agree with this one @LeislB . I noticed it today for the very first time from a vape shop in Sydney I bought from
Price match guarantee. And to make it even better they added an additional free extra pod cartridge no charge to the order as a gift. A practical gift that actually adds real value. I bought a OXVA Origin X kit. And their price was AU $15 less than the closest other AU vendor. That's ZAR 170 less. Low free shipping theirs was AU$ 50 most others are 80 or 150. This is how you attract customers and win market share. One guess where I will look for gear next time I buy local and maybe even pay a bit more if needed.

 

[Timwis]

For me I would prefer:

1. Honest business
2. Items should be in stock if on the online store
3. Free shipping for a reasonable amount spent
4. A secure website and must be aesthetically sound and professional looking

HufflePuff!!!!

 

[Munro31]

STOP MAKING US SHARE STUFF ON SOCIAL MEDIA FOR COMPETITIONS

 

[ace_d_house_cat]

1. After ordering a bunch of stuff from a few different places over the last few months, I can't understand how some vendors still charge R150 as a flat shipping rate, especially when it's less than 20km from me. I was pleasantly surprised when I saw the R65 delivery from vendors like BLCK, etc.

Is it that vendors don't know about it or are they just not interested in saving customers money?

2. Offer a click-and-collect service; I've done it for my old company (that validated 20 000+ products between 70 branches) and I've got to say - it's not that difficult!

That is all - KTHXBYE.

 

[Munro31]

I see @Sir Vape has items you can add that makes your orders shipping free, that is so awesome and others should think out the box like that!

 

[Hooked]

Courier fees are a killer. Vendors should use Pudo https://www.pudo-sa.co.za/ which is MUCH cheaper, in spite of the fact that it is actually TCG who collect and deliver the parcel.



To use Pudo, one must use a locker somewhere - either for collection or delivery.

The big vendors could have orders collected from them by Pudo, but delivered to a customer's locker. The customer would need to find out where their nearest Pudo locker is and exactly what the name is (which they can find on the Pudo website) and simply state that as a delivery address.

The only downside is that there is no insurance, so I wouldn't use it for delivery of expensive items such as mods.

I've used Pudo a number of times already and none of the parcels have gone astray.