DISGUSTED…

I’m hearing a word more and more in the community lately and I’m getting quite disgusted by it. The word is “discouraged“. This email is a perfect example of the things I’m hearing:

Hey Phil,

I live in south western PA and am becoming very disappointed in the stores in my area. Most cater solely to dripper users and there are a bunch that don’t even carry starter set ups, and if they have them, the selection is very limited. I have friends that have walked in to get a starter set-up and the salespeople tried to talk them into RDAs, RBAs, and high end mods. They called me and told me what they should start out with. I gave them advice on what I started with, and they said that is what they wanted. They then told me that they felt a lot of pressure from the people working that, they needed to get involved in rebuildables. I fear that with this growing industry, these store are forgetting that new people start every day and don’t need or want these high end pieces. I just wanted to tell you that appreciate when you say “if you aren’t smoking, then its working.” I just wish all these store felt the same way. I do use more high end pieces, but even I feel pressure. I was just criticized for using rebuildable tanks and not a dripper. And I quote “how can you even use thoses, they can’t even compare to a dripper!” Its a shame. I am getting very discouraged about even still being involved in the vape community because it seems “vape snobs” are ruining the whole experience. Thanks for listening.

I think it’s very important to not lose sight of why we do what we do, and that’s to help people off of cigarettes. To eventually eliminate the traditional tobacco cigarette. We’re trying to prevent things like cancer, not people using clearomizers… not people who aren’t rebuilding.

It’s also important to understand that not every one wants to drip, or rebuild, or use some crazy high powered or expensive device. No matter WHAT you use, be very very proud of the fact that your don’t smoke anymore.

A vape shop’s most important customer is a smoker. They can’t be made to feel intimidated or overwhelmed by things like rebuilding or dripping off the bat. Any vape shop who thinks a smoker wants to go from the ease and convenience of pulling a cigarette out of the box and lighting it up to the potential complexities of rebuilding and the inconvenience of dripping is sorely misguided, IMHO.

There is nothing wrong with a vape shop catering to the hobbyist or enthusiast side to vaping, but it’s important to keep in mind that not everyone falls into or WILL fall into this category and there’s nothing wrong with that.

The person who vapes an ego with a clearomizer is every bit as much a vaper as everyone else and they need to feel welcome in the community and never looked down upon or made to feel “inferior” in any way.

We vape… we don’t smoke.