WHY WE LOVE TOBACCONISTS

 

A Tobacconist, by definition, is an expert dealer in tobacco and the related accoutrements.  It sounds simple enough, but it is profoundly complex and challenging.  Partly because the products we sell are a combination of high art and science which exist to bring subjective pleasure to a vast spectrum of individuals with varying tastes, values and personalities.  If the world of cigar and pipe smokers are a "family" or "brotherhood" as many like to say, it is the world's most diverse example of these groups.  The fact that premium cigars and pipes bring people together is true, but it is the Tobacconist that stands at the center of this culture in service to the people and products.

They come in all shapes and sizes, genders, personality types and economic backgrounds, to say the least.  By its very nature, the job rarely provides enough to thrive, so most Tobacconists work part time as a way to engage their passion and enjoy the camaraderie.  In an industry dominated by celebrity cigar makers, aspirational marketing and a culture of luxury, Tobacconists are the humble infantry, bedrock and glue that sustain and support everything.  

Tobacconists are the unsung heroes of the luxury tobacco industry, and I'll tell you why...  

They are the face of every transaction.  Tobacconists are there to source and curate delicate products and be the human fount of helpful information for customers, both learned and not.  Tobacconists communicate about the provenance, features, and backstory of products while catering to the specific tastes and needs of myriad customer types.  But this is the fun part.  They must also face the customer when things go awry.  Tobacconists are there when your cigar is plugged, when the wrappers crack, when you find a foreign object lodged in the filler or when the product 'just doesn't taste right'.  And they do this every day!

Tobacconists must face their customers in real life, not hiding behind a screen, phone or sexy advertisement when things go bad: leaking lighters, bad humidification, broken humidors, cracked pipes, mold and so much more!  We didn't start the fire, but we put it out when a customer's fallen embers start a fire in the couch crevice - this has happened to me more than once!  And then there is the retail theft, or quarrelling political arguments upsetting the lounge, or the guy who only smokes Cubans, a defective batch of cigars/humidors/lighters, or the malfunctioning humidifier creating a catastrophic rain forest in the humidor that must be attended to, all while being present to service customers and honor the brands we represent.  And then there is that sad day when you find the brand you have introduced your customers to is available online for less than what you pay for it.  All of these things are happening every day and inevitable.  These are just some of the reasons Tobacconists are the unsung heroes of the luxury tobacco industry.

I remember back in 2008 when TU was organizing to become the exclusive academic curriculum of the RTDA, (then IPCPR and now the PCA) we were asked to consider changing our name to something that did not have the word 'tobacco' in it.  Those were darker days with snowballing taxation, increasing smoking bans and looming FDA regulation.  They suggested 'Cigarologist' or something absurd like that: we said no.  

We are Tobacconist University, always have been and always will be.  We exist to support, educate and celebrate professional Tobacconists!  We love Tobacconists and we hope you do too.