Cigar/Pipe lounges have become less friendly places?

[kaitlyn3837]

The title of this post really caught my eye because I work as a manager of a pipe/cigar store and used to work at our other location cigar/martini bar.

The title was a little misleading to me because my mind immediately went to "employees not being friendly in tobacco stores?!" But alas, it is the customers themselves that are lacking interaction.

I will say that the company I work for has put a huge emphasis on employees being very in tune with customers and conversing with them. Employees are never allowed to have their cell phones on them.

I also recently banned talking on cell phones in my humidor. I find it very rude when I go in to help a customer and they have the phone glued to their ear OR they try and carry on two conversations at once.

For me and my group, I usually go with friends for the purpose of socializing, so the phones aren't as much of a role in my group of friends. But I can understand that if you were trying to strike up a conversations with strangers, it would be much more difficult in the culture of today.

 

[Ozark Wizard]

The title of this post really caught my eye because I work as a manager of a pipe/cigar store and used to work at our other location cigar/martini bar.

The title was a little misleading to me because my mind immediately went to "employees not being friendly in tobacco stores?!" But alas, it is the customers themselves that are lacking interaction.

I will say that the company I work for has put a huge emphasis on employees being very in tune with customers and conversing with them. Employees are never allowed to have their cell phones on them.

I also recently banned talking on cell phones in my humidor. I find it very rude when I go in to help a customer and they have the phone glued to their ear OR they try and carry on two conversations at once.

For me and my group, I usually go with friends for the purpose of socializing, so the phones aren't as much of a role in my group of friends. But I can understand that if you were trying to strike up a conversations with strangers, it would be much more difficult in the culture of today.

I must say it sounds like I would enjoy going to your shop......

 

[kaitlyn3837]

I must say it sounds like I would enjoy going to your  shop......

Well if you ever find yourself in Greenville, SC look up Outman Cigars. We have two locations.

 

[Ozark Wizard]

I must say it sounds like I would enjoy going to your  shop......

Well if you ever find yourself in Greenville, SC look up Outman Cigars. We have two locations.

I will look into that for sure!

 

[bdhact1]

The cigar bars here in Palm Beach County are too expensive to spend long periods of time in. They are mostly cigars with maybe Drew Estate and CAO pipe tobacco at most.   I'd stay longer and enjoy a couple of cigars or bowls with a beer or two; But the beers start at $8:00 each and spirits $12.00.  I get more satisfaction staying home smoking out on my back lanai.

 

[user 3779]

I don't frequent the smoke rooms here in MA, we have a ban on smoking in public areas, restaurants, bars etc. As a result the cigar/pipe shops if they are allowed to have a lounge, charge a yearly membership fee so they can call it a private club which can allow smoking, only if the town approves it. Usually to the tune of about $250-300 per year, more if for some reason you would like to have a locker to store something in.

To me the phone thing is not just an obsession, but has induced a fear of legitimate interaction in our culture, IMO. When I list something on c-list, I always put it in the ad call/email for more info. I will inevitably get a text. When I respond with please call it would be easier, they disappear forever. The anxiety of having to answer a direct question without the convenience of a faceless text which you can answer after you have had time to think it over is too much for most under 30 years old to handle. Direct eye contact is.... well ....just plain :affraid: for most of them as well.

 

[tslots]

This issue brings to mind the Disney / Pixar movie "Wall-E" (2008). 

Mankind has left the earth in a huge space station and basically live their life riding around in hover carts with screens in front of them for constant info and entertainment.  They are fat from lack of any physical exercise and don't interact at all.

We are well on our way and haven't even left the earth ...

 

[deathmetal]

All I see anymore is folks holding their little devices and staring into them as they walk down the street, sitting over coffee or food, or driving!

Online interaction lets us choose people who agree with us, therefore we're not likely to offend them.

No such option "IRL" (in real life).

It's the fear.

 

[JustPlainBill]

my local smoke shop is almost more of a head shop / RYO tobacco place. I buy a lot of OTC at the corner gas station / qucky mart.

in 1978-'84 (my first go-round w/pipes) things were different. The neighborhood tobacconist was an old gent of the old school. Handy with repairs, too.

even then most of the chit chat took place at the cafe down the street, you could smoke in more places then.