Is poor customer service a deal breaker for you?

oldsoulrevival

After having the best customer service I've ever experienced with the folks on CCOM (I am head over heels in love with this site), I have raised my bar of what good service should be.

Now, I want to buy the Room101 OSOK that is coming out in a couple weeks, and there is a store near me that will have them. HOWEVER, when I called to ask about them, the people in the store (Cigar Connection in Arlington, Va) were incredibly rude - the guy actually hung up on me. I read reviews online and they all echo the same sentiments: that the people in the store are the worst in the biz.

So, I have an issue: do I bite the bullet and give these assholes my money, or do I walk the higher road because regardless of how much I want a cigar, I want to be treated with decency even more?

jasonusa1

It's certainly a deal breaker with me. I would try and find somewhere else. There are plenty of other shops within approx 20 miles that may or may not have them. The guys at Old Virginia Tobacco in 7 corners have always been real nice, maybe check with them?

Nick2021

Yes....it's important. Not a big thing in my town as a lot of employees working at B&Ms get paid based on commission so customer service isn't always a problem.....although it gets annoying when they push certain products to get the higher commission....

Salem

Bad service and bad attitude is a deal breaker for me. If it were me, I'd find another place to purchase what I want. There's bound to be another place to get it. Good luck!

Krieger

Definitely take your money elsewhere. This crap is $$$ so if they cant even be bothered to be polite, let them close down. btw, 242 posts in a month Salem? Impressive lol.

jlmarta

I've been known to have one-man boycotts against a number of businesses because of poor service, lousy attitude, bait-and-switch, etc. Do I think it teaches any of them anything? Certainly not. Do I give a sh it? No, again. But it does give me the satisfaction of knowing I'm not contributing to their bottom line.

Ken Light

If you can find it elsewhere, definitely go elsewhere. But, the flipside of that is that if you can't find it elsewhere I wouldn't cut my nose off to spite my face. Get the stick. Just walk in, buy it, and walk out. No reason you have to waste your time trying to be friendly. ;D

You're right about ccom though, I'm completely ruined for and miserable with all customer service everywhere now.

Thewelder

Why is this even a post? Kidding. Luckily around here we have some great B&M with even better employees. Poor customer service won't get my return business that's for sure

Salem

Krieger:

Definitely take your money elsewhere. This crap is $$$ so if they cant even be bothered to be polite, let them close down. btw, 242 posts in a month Salem? Impressive lol.

LOL!! I have a lot to say!!

bandyt09

jlmarta:

I've been known to have one-man boycotts against a number of businesses because of poor service, lousy attitude, bait-and-switch, etc. Do I think it teaches any of them anything? Certainly not. Do I give a sh it? No, again. But it does give me the satisfaction of knowing I'm not contributing to their bottom line.

+1 to this. Also, remember, you are part of this forum, the most awesome, extremely GENEROUS, coolest group of people ever, (I could go on and on and on but I think you get it), forum. With that being said you can either, give your money to a bunch of a-holes, forget about trying the newest cigar on the market (they will be out there and avaiable later) or see if one of the awesome, that call themselves a C.com forum BORK, will offer up a trade..........

JDH

Poor customer service is not a deal breaker for me, if they have something I really want at a good price, I'll put up with it. After all, I'm not perfect, nor am I the center of the world, and I don't believe the customer is always right. Sometimes, (and I mean a LOT of sometimes) the customer is just an asshat.

AJGARLETT

I wont pay someone to act like a jerk towards me, it just wont happen any day of the week out of sheer principle. If you choose to patronize that establishment just remember, as soon as you disregard their behavior/treatment towards you by spending money there, you lose ALL rights to complain about it. Just my .02

camgfs

This year in college, we are taking a "Customer Service" course, and this thread is EXACTLY what the course is about. Bad customer service = loss of sales period. The additional hit to the business owner is that an unhappy customer tells everyone they can about the poor service.

Some places will change, other won't, but your $ casts the biggest vote. Don't put up with poor customer service.

Dark Roast

Wouldn't bother me. Just buy it and leave. I got what I wanted and they got what they wanted. Tranaction complete.

Toombes

I'd look for another place to get my goodies. I'm not in retail, but I deal with the general public on a daily basis as a Paramedic. Trust me when I say that being nice can make things so much easier.

Krieger

Toombes:

I'd look for another place to get my goodies. I'm not in retail, but I deal with the general public on a daily basis as a Paramedic. Trust me when I say that being nice can make things so much easier.

Not down here! In our EMS system we get walked on all day and night, especially by rich old white people who think the Ambulance is a taxi service... lmao

I really treat people who shop at my store the same I'd want to be treated if I was coming to theirs. Unless it's something unique, I can find it elsewhere and support nicer people.

Toombes

Krieger:

Toombes:

I'd look for another place to get my goodies. I'm not in retail, but I deal with the general public on a daily basis as a Paramedic. Trust me when I say that being nice can make things so much easier.

Not down here! In our EMS system we get walked on all day and night, especially by rich old white people who think the Ambulance is a taxi service... lmao

I really treat people who shop at my store the same I'd want to be treated if I was coming to theirs. Unless it's something unique, I can find it elsewhere and support nicer people.

I hear ya, brother. Only difference is that, here, it's the monthly check-yankers who think we should be at their every beck and call for a ride to the ER so they can immediately walk out and head off to go shopping...

Rhamlin

Definate deal breaker, rudeness to customers is unacceptable. I got a short fuse when it comes to poor service so they'd never get my busisness and most likely anybody I knew.

skweekz

They need to remember attitude is a two way street. The way I see it, you wanna be a d!ck to me, it's coming right back two fold.

jr_p951

DONE!! I don't care what they have!! And I'd spread the word to stay away from that establishment!! I have a local cigar lounge here in TEMECULA, CA (not old town!) and I would never go back in there!! Went there once, and I'll never go back! I spread locally the word too.

KevinFitts

Yes, it is a deal breaker. Though, I am willing to give the benefit of the doubt if I still really want something. Depending on who you talked to and what they were doing, maybe it seemed rude bet there was an explanantion. I would go check it out when the sticks you are looking for arrive. If they are actually not as bad as it seemed on the phone, I would buy. If they are A-Holes, I would make it a point to let them know it andlet them know that you wont be spending your hard earned money there. This will give them a good chance to redeem themselves and you a good chance at getting what you want.

laker1963

oldsoulrevival:

After having the best customer service I've ever experienced with the folks on CCOM (I am head over heels in love with this site), I have raised my bar of what good service should be. Now, I want to buy the Room101 OSOK that is coming out in a couple weeks, and there is a store near me that will have them. HOWEVER, when I called to ask about them, the people in the store (Cigar Connection in Arlington, Va) were incredibly rude - the guy actually hung up on me. I read reviews online and they all echo the same sentiments: that the people in the store are the worst in the biz. So, I have an issue: do I bite the bullet and give these assholes my money, or do I walk the higher road because regardless of how much I want a cigar, I want to be treated with decency even more?

That is up to you to decide, how you let others treat you. If it were me, I would find them somewhere else. I would make sure I told the guy at the shop that was rude that I was buying them somewhere else and why. If that guy is just an employee then I would make sure to tell the owner.

Being treated politely and fairly is THE most important thing for me when spending money. I have on occassion spent a little bit more on an item because I wanted to give my business to the company who I felt deserved it most. YES Customer Service is EVERYTHING!!!

Poker Slob

Screw them!!! You have a world full of cigars at your fingertips, right here on this forum!

phobicsquirrel

eh, I don't really go to a cigar shop to shoot the sh!t, mainly because I'm never going there too. But in this hobby, it's more important for shops, especially local shops to have a friendly staff. I mean lets face it, the anti tobacco lobby is not going away. But if it was either I forgo a stick I wanted to try and the only place to pick it up locally was at a place where people were DB's, then I may do it, however I rarely need things right away so I can order online. Now when there is a special release or something one may have to buy locally.

acewoodson

Customer service is definitely a deal breaker in my book. I will gladly pay a little more with a company that goes the extra mile to do good business.

Direwolf

I'm a very respectful person , if you treat me right I'll do the same..If you disrespect me I'll stomp a mudhole in your ass and walk it dry.You don't have to feign friendship just take my money and be polite

Ken Light

KevinFitts:

Yes, it is a deal breaker. Though, I am willing to give the benefit of the doubt if I still really want something. Depending on who you talked to and what they were doing, maybe it seemed rude bet there was an explanantion. I would go check it out when the sticks you are looking for arrive. If they are actually not as bad as it seemed on the phone, I would buy. If they are A-Holes, I would make it a point to let them know it andlet them know that you wont be spending your hard earned money there. This will give them a good chance to redeem themselves and you a good chance at getting what you want.

+1 to this. Some people suck on the phone. Me, for example.

BigT06

That would be a deal breaker for me no question. You can find them elsewhere if you look enough. Just because you have a great product does it mean you can be a jerk to people. Maybe your b& m just haven't realized that yet.

RBeckom

Customer service should be priority one. I have no patience for bad service. Someone else will always be happy to have your business.

ellinas

yes, especially when i'm not taken seriously bc of my age...i wouldn't go back there if that is the way you were treated.

xIcedGuardianx

depends..if there is an expectation of service than I..expect it. If it is Wal-mart, I don't care when they don't want to help me and they can't find anything or just plain tell me it is out-of-stock without looking. I go there to pay 8.88 for a dozen tee-shirts- not to be treated like a king. Although in the case of dealing with items that require expertise ( someone knowing what they are doing and takes pride in it) It is very important. Electronic stores, car lots, and definitely Tobacconists, I expect good customer service and product knowledgability (might not be a word?). If I am treated poorly or feel like I am being judged when i walk in, I won't go back there unless I have to. I find that many B&Ms around Northern VA are plagued with jerks and it makes no sense to me. Only places I go is Saylor's, John B. Hayes and Leesburg Cigar and Pipe. Sorry for ranting btw lol