Shopping, B&Ms and cultivating customer loyalty

[Mawsley]

I've been a confirmed eShopper for years now for two reasons: Firstly, I hate mixing with people as they tend to smell, say things in public that makes me want to hit them and get in my way. Secondly, you find better deals online.

Vaping was all about the webpages for me - be it forums or buying.

Vapefest changed that. All of a sudden I met people I'd interacted with and (not mentioning Teflon by name) no one smelt bad or made me want to punch them.

The Leicester vapemeet took it one stage further as I could get pissed and talk about vaping. What a great combination of hobbies.

Then I bought some Pinoy mods from midlands vaping.

"Come along to our monthly vapemeet" said Andy MV. So I did.

What I saw tonight was an eye-opener for me. I saw a bunch of people who are Midlands Vaping spending a huge amount of time doing that thing we do at vapemeets, helping people. They were fixing stuff, advising on stuff and letting people drip juices.

If I could have taken a sleeping bag and a bottle of tequila I'd have been in seventh heaven.

All of a sudden it dawned upon me that B&Ms have a massive role to play within our community, because that's what this was - a meeting of the local vaping community. I'm guessing 12-14 people came to our Leicester one in a pub, there was double that in the all closed bar one vape shop shopping mall.

Tips were exchanged, atties swapped, mods tried and broken stuff fixed.

What a wonderful extension of vaping, I thought to myself. What a great idea, so great you wonder why every B&M isn't doing it.

Some free snacks, some free Coke and I had to text the wife that she was about to spend another £110.

Hands up: I'm rapidly becoming addicted to Pinoy mech mods - and events like this just strengthen a bond between customer and vendor. I'm desperately smitten with Middy Vapes now.

So, this is me just punting the idea out there to you other B&M shops. I wasn't a customer tonight, I was welcomed as a person, as a friend and it was an absolute pleasure to put names to faces/emails.

Maybe, just maybe, more vendors might like to organise mini-vapemeets? Maybe this could be the best marketing strategy I've seen a store do in a very long time.

Now who wants to buy my left liver or penis - I want a Colossus.

 

[Mawsley]

And leisureliquids - I spent most of the night trying to plug the Grape Ape and Pow-Wow. No one wanted to like the idea of a custard-biscuit-tobacco vape...but everyone bar Pepper tried it and loved it.

As well they damn well should

 

[clint]

Colossus? You'll be needing a colostomy after you sell them body parts.

 

[Mawsley]

Colossus? You'll be needing a colostomy after you sell them body parts.

I care not, I'm in love - the thing is a beast of a mod. The weight of it is incredible and some lucky bastard won one in the raffle.

At least I've got *013 put in a little cupboard for me pending the wife finding the money.

 

[Miss Pepper]

Mawsley even though i didnt directly try it, i tasted it all right, im smelt it, my vape tastes like it, my clothes smell like it, even my car does. Its different i didnt mean to insult you. I felt so shy, so overwhelmed and also my evod felt outa place tonight. I was trying to take in so much tonight to mull over. So many pretty things.

I too think b&m shops should do what the crew tonight did. After seeing how they helped by making a pin for me. Lending gear to try. No obligation to buy. It was obvious they all knew their stuff. As an open door b&m shop tonight midlands vapers know they will get one or two customers from it.

I also wish others would do it. Its a trek and a half for me to go MV but ive chewed OH ear off about it he is encouraging me to go again maybe not every month, but a few quid in my pocket

Dont fret - i will prewarn people when im going

 

[clint]

Definitely beasty. I had to google coz I hadn't heard of them before.

 

[Mawsley]

@Mawsley even though i didnt directly try it, i tasted it all right, im smelt it, my vape tastes like it, my clothes smell like it, even my car does. Its different i didnt mean to insult you. I felt so shy, so overwhelmed and also my evod felt outa place tonight. I was trying to take in so much tonight to mull over. So many pretty things.

I too think b&m shops should do what the crew tonight did. After seeing how they helped by making a pin for me. Lending gear to try. No obligation to buy. It was obvious they all knew their stuff. As an open door b&m shop tonight midlands vapers know they will get one or two customers from it.

I also wish others would do it. Its a trek and a half for me to go MV but ive chewed OH ear off about it he is encouraging me to go again maybe not every month, but a few quid in my pocket

Dont fret - i will prewarn people when im going

We've got another one in a pub in Leicester in March, it was a lovely night out for everyone last time - maybe you could pencil that in. I took my full kit and toolbox with me to that, although it di end up on the floor and awful lot. Daz from here will tell you I often forget to close the top sections

It'd be another trek but it'll be worth it as beer makes people more relaxed and sociable, especially me. It was my first time over there too and I felt like a fish out of water.

Oh, and no one should ever feel embarrased about having an Ego and an Evod. Everyone has them as backups or their mainstay. Evods were my first greatest vaping discovery! Viva Evods!

 

[AdamSon]

I love pow-wow sauce! It's my all day vape now, and I will hold my hands up and admit that I ordered the last 2 bottles from leisureliquids the other day!

I would like to go to a meet like the one described, but as far as I'm aware, there are no B&M shops in the northeast. I also have social anxiety so it will be a struggle for me, it won't stop me going though!

 

[Rumdog]

Most of my experience has been online up to now too. I think I would like to make the next big social leap and actually meet some real life vapers. I've only been at this since about November but already I feel quite passionate about this newfound hobby.
Mawsley Out of interest....are you from Mawsley (near Broughton) by any chance or is the name incidental?

 

[Mawsley]

I love pow-wow sauce! It's my all day vape now, and I will hold my hands up and admit that I ordered the last 2 bottles from leisureliquids the other day!

I would like to go to a meet like the one described, but as far as I'm aware, there are no B&M shops in the northeast. I also have social anxiety so it will be a struggle for me, it won't stop me going though!

A) You bastard. I was going to order some

B) You'll find nothing but a warm welcome among like-minded people with a love of sharing information about a habit that's a hobby.

Hopefully more B&Ms will take up this idea or someone in the North-East will organise a meet in a vape-friendly pub.

Failing that, just look for the POTV shirts at Vapefest 2014