Education Changes Perspective

 

Most people think education is about acquiring information. It isn't. Information is only the beginning. The true value of education is that it changes the way we see the world.

Before we learn, we see isolated facts. A cigar. A lighter. A pipe. A humidor. A tasting note. A favorite brand. As our education grows, those individual pieces begin to connect. Agriculture becomes connected to manufacturing. Manufacturing connects to preservation. Preservation connects to service. Service connects to taste. The fragments become a complete picture.

Most people enter the luxury tobacco world through a single doorway. Perhaps it's a favorite brand, a manufacturer, a YouTube personality, a friend, or a local cigar lounge. There's nothing wrong with any of those starting points. They often spark a lifelong passion. The challenge is that every doorway offers only one view of a much larger landscape. If your "education" comes exclusively from a single perspective, your understanding of the industry will inevitably be biased.

Luxury tobacco deserves a different approach to education.

We believe luxury tobacco should be studied from the tobacconist-consumer's perspective: brand-neutral, product-neutral, and centered at the convergence where luxury tobacco products meet the consumer. It is the nexus of accountability. It is here, at the point of service, where products are honestly compared, informed recommendations are made, traditions are preserved and shared, and the consumer begins to think like a tobacconist. Rather than beginning with marketing messages or brand narratives, we begin with the enduring fundamentals. Once those fundamentals are understood, every product, every manufacturer, every blend, and every claim can be evaluated from a well-educated, brand-neutral perspective.

Great education doesn't simply teach us new things. It also helps us recognize and replace misconceptions. It grounds us in fundamental truths and changes the way we think. As our perspective changes, the luxury tobacco industry becomes more connected, more understandable, and more rewarding.

At Tobacconist University, we believe the tobacconist stands at the center of the luxury tobacco industry. It is where growers, manufacturers, importers, distributors, retailers, and consumers ultimately converge. From that perspective, the entire landscape comes into view.

When you become a Certified Tobacconist, you don't simply acquire more knowledge. You begin to see the industry from the center.

When you change your perspective, you change everything.

The Most Important Number in Your Store

Over the span of three decades as a retail tobacconist, one of my strongest memories is standing in the humidor with a clipboard for hours counting cigars. It's certainly not one of my fondest memories, but it taught me one of the most important lessons in retail.

Row after row.

Shelf after shelf.

Box after box.

And just when you think you've found a rhythm, one manufacturer alone packs cigars in boxes of 20, 24, 25, and 26.

What the heck?

Then there's open-face stock.

Then there's sealed back stock.

Then there's back stock where somebody opened the box and never told anyone.

Was it Natural or Maduro?

Did somebody combine two boxes?

Did someone pull from back stock and forget to record it?

You can't assume. You can't estimate. You have to count.

By the time you're finished, your eyes are tired, your mind is numb, and all those little brown cigars begin to blur together. No matter how careful you are, you'll inevitably recount sections, question your numbers, and occasionally make mistakes. It's tedious work.

It's also one of the most important responsibilities of owning and operating a tobacco business.

Inventory counting is not glamorous. Customers never see it. Employees and managers rarely enjoy it. It doesn't create excitement, attract attention, or generate social media posts. Yet few activities are more important to the long-term health of a retail tobacco business.

Every cigar on your shelf represents money.

Not retail value.

Not projected value.

Real money that has already left your bank account and been invested into inventory.

If you don't know the wholesale value of your inventory, you don't truly know how your business is performing.

Sales reports tell part of the story.

Inventory tells the rest.

A disciplined inventory process doesn't need to be complicated.

We recommend:

• Monthly: Count all cigars. For most tobacconists, cigars represent the largest and most important inventory category.

• Monthly: Rotate spot checks through other departments such as lighters, cutters, humidors, pipes, pipe tobacco, and accessories.

• Quarterly: Complete a full-store inventory review to identify trends, discrepancies, and areas of concern.

• Annually: Perform a comprehensive fiscal year-end inventory. Your financial statements should reflect reality, not assumptions.

One of the lessons inventory teaches is that the number is rarely what you think it is.

The inventory value never increases on its own.

Theft happens.

Damage happens.

Sampling happens.

Breakage happens.

Receiving errors happen.

Miscounts happen.

Inventory is constantly being chipped away in small ways.

If the number ever goes up unexpectedly, it's usually because something was counted incorrectly the last time, not because cigars somehow multiplied overnight.

Inventory has a way of exposing reality.

That's exactly why it matters.

When a new inventory value is established, it should be entered into your accounting system. Whether you're using a spreadsheet, bookkeeping software, or a sophisticated POS system, inventory represents an asset on your balance sheet.

Every inventory count creates an opportunity to reconcile what you thought you had against what you actually have.

Those differences are called inventory adjustments.

Inventory adjustments affect your balance sheet, your profit and loss statement, and ultimately your profitability.

That's why inventory counting is not merely an operational exercise.

It's a financial one.

I can't tell you how many times I've heard a retailer talk about sales, profits, or growth, only to discover they haven't physically counted their inventory in months, or even years. They know what the computer says they should have. They don't know what they actually have.

Those are two very different numbers.

Inventory is one of the largest investments most tobacco retailers make. If you don't know its current wholesale value, you're operating with incomplete information. Every important decision you make, from purchasing and pricing to expansion and staffing, depends on knowing where you truly stand.

Before worrying about marketing campaigns, expansion plans, new product lines, or additional locations, make sure you know the wholesale value of the inventory already under your roof.

To be a retail tobacconist is to be a businessperson.

And businesspeople count.

They count because discipline creates awareness, awareness creates control, and control leads to better decisions.

You cannot manage what you do not measure.

And you cannot truly understand your business if you don't know the value of the inventory sitting on your shelves.

It's not glamorous.

It's not fun.

But it's essential.

Because inventory is more than the cigars we buy.

It's the responsibility to preserve them, protect them, account for them, and understand their value.

Your inventory value will tell you the truth, whether you want to hear it or not.

My 3 Biggest Mistakes As A Retail Tobacconist

After nearly thirty years as a retail tobacconist, operating multiple stores in different states, I am still haunted by regrets and mistakes I made.  I left a lot of money on the table by not being smart enough or wise enough.  

Control Your Real Estate
My first great mistake was not controlling or owning my own real estate.  Being beholden to a landlord and paying rent means you will never build an asset and get the benefits of appreciating real estate down the road.  I knew this in the early 2000s yet I chose to fund Tobacconist University (TU) instead of buying the building(s) my stores occupied.  I can forgive myself for this because my dream of helping other retail tobacconists and elevating the luxury tobacco industry became my real passion.   My next two mistakes are the ones that really haunt me.

Sell Your Own Brands
I spent most of my time and energy building other people's brands instead of my own.  I took great pride in procuring and selling popular and hard-to-get cigar brands that my customers wanted but neglected consistently building my own brand(s).  I should have dedicated 20% of my shelf space and focus to private label and house brands.  That would have greatly increased my profitability and given me a portfolio of dedicated and happy customers that I could keep forever.  They could continue to be customers beyond brick and mortar and be an asset and income stream indefinitely into the future.  

Embrace E-Commerce
Lastly, I failed to see the future and value of the internet in the 1990s when I opened my first store.  I was always focused on the physical environment and community of retail without seeing the power of permanently tethering my customers to my store with an ecommerce website.  If I had better foresight, I could still have proactive and enriching relationships with thousands of customers who were just 'passing through' town and loved my stores.  It makes me sick just to think of the lost potential.  And it is all my fault.

SOLUTIONS & STRATEGIES FOR YOU

On the bright side, my failures represent new opportunities for TU Certified Tobacconists.  I am trying to make up for my failures by creating solutions and resources for TU Certified Tobacconists.  Our TUECOM and TU Private Label programs exist so you won't make the same mistakes I did.  Above all, TU seeks to help retail tobacconists succeed because they are the keystone which makes the luxury tobacco industry so special!

Turnkey mail order websites for Certified Retail Tobacconists.  Our goal is to make it as cheap and easy as possible for retailers to operate their own mail order websites. 

We have partnered with extraordinary cigar makers to give TU Certified Tobacconists exclusive access to highly profitable cigars.  Having started with our R&D Cigars and moving forward with our private label cigars, we are shepherding products to market with an educational component.  In fact, we have created the only cigars in the world which require you to be certified to sell: a bona fide competitive advantage!

In Closing ...

I want to emphasize the key to capitalizing on these resources is to start early and take the long-term approach!  It takes time to reap the rewards and build the business so you must be consistent about investing in these programs now so you can benefit in the future.  There is no easy path or magic trick to success.  But by committing yourself now you will certainly be more successful in the future.  

Email info@tobacconsituniversity.org or call 609.651.2311 if you have any questions.

     

The Tragic Tobacco Trifecta Of Loss: Beetles, Mold & Damage

The cigars in this image were boxed and sealed in airtight plastic in 2007.  They were opened in 2020 and it was discovered that everything was ruined due to mold!  The financial and emotional damage is incomprehensible, especially if these were your cigars and your were salivating and ready to smoke them.  But mold does not just appear on older or aged cigars; it can be found on recently shipped cigars!  Mold can result from less than ideal factory conditions or be exacerbated by very oily wrappers on freshly made cigars.  

This past March a Certified Retail Tobacconist reported to TU that they had to destroy more than $13,000 (wholesale value) of cigars due to mold.  The cigars were stored perfectly but a flow valve on a humidifier failed to stop the flow of water, creating an unseen puddle and soaking through a massive amount of cigars.  To add insult to injury, the water leaked through walls and into the neighbors basement and cost the retailer another $400+ in repairs.  Mold is evil and it will irreparably contaminate and destroy cigars; and this happens every day to retail tobacconists and distributors! 

The insipid tobacco beetle is yet another enemy of tobacco purveyors.  They will eat through and destroy your inventory without you even knowing it.  Adding insult to injury, you may not even notice the damage until months later when you open a box and find holes in your cigars and dead beetles at the bottom of a box.  At this point, you can't know if the beetles were triggered by temperature at factory, distributor or during shipment.  The loss exists and there is no one to blame or compensate you for the loss.  Things get even worse if you operate cigar lockers for customers and they bring in "outside" cigars which can contaminate other customers' cigars!  We have heard countless stories where tobacconists compensate customers for beetle ridden cigar losses even when they have no fault in the matter.  There are many veteran retailers who will not house customers' cigars in lockers because of this potential problem.  We recommend you review our content on Tobacco Beetles, but know that they will inevitably cost you money.  Adding insult to injury, beetle damaged cigars, like moldy cigars, have no salvage value, so they must be removed from the premises and destroyed.  

Damaged cigars are yet another way tobacconists loose money every day.  If your'e a retail tobacconist you see customers drop cigars on a daily basis, and this is just one of the ways they get damaged.  People mishandle cigars on a daily basis in a retail humidor; foot, body and head damage occurs daily in every walk-in humidor.  Furthermore, many cigars get damaged during import or shipping to stores.  Tapered heads and all cigar feet are susceptible to damage during shipment, long before they arrive at your favorite local retail tobacconist.  In addition, if you are in this business long enough, you will regularly see entire batches of piramides/torpedos arrive with cracked heads; and often times it is not worth the effort to get your money back from the importer.  Even worse, there are brands whose wrappers are extremely delicate and will crack with minor deviations in humidity or even gently handling.  Damaged cigars are so common it seems unreal, as if an evil fairy pounces on them overnight, just to see your angst the next day!

These losses are real and devastating to retail tobacconists.  We estimate at least 5% of all cigar inventories are lost due to mold, damage and tobacco beetles, with no recourse for vendors.  And we haven't even mentioned shoplifting/slippage!  This is a difficult business with many challenges!   As always, we encourage you to shop with your local retail tobacconist and help us preserve luxury tobacco for generations to come!        

Online CRT Final Exam

After more than twenty years of educating and certifying tobacconists and administering paper exams with a proctor, we are announcing our most historic and revolutionary service ever:

ONLINE FINAL EXAMS

for CRT Apprentices!

Now, all CRT Apprentices can take the final exam on the TU website.  

Gone are the days of waiting for a CST to visit your store (if you were lucky enough to have one in your area), or paying $100 for a skype exam (and coordinating your schedule around a convenient time), or traveling to our offices in Princeton, NJ, or waiting for the annual tradeshow and wasting valuable time that could be spent with your vendors: now you can take the final exam at your convenience online!

Our new online exams feature 100 varying and improved multiple choice questions, instantaneous grading, immediate conversion of your listing to "certified" and rotation on our homepage, and a diploma you can print yourself if you pass!   In addition, you can purchase the exam and take it whenever you are ready - there is no time limit or expiration date as long as you remain an apprentice with your company.  However, once you have paid for the exam and log in to take it, you must finish it.

Take note, the final exam price is $50 and it is a one time only, non-refundable fee.  We strongly recommend you study the Final Exam Review links featured on the right side of this blog so you don't fail.  Lastly, for security purposes, the apprentice who will be taking the exam must be the person to purchase it because login credentials will be required.  If you are interested in making a bulk purchase for multiple apprentices/employees, please contact TU via info@tobacconistuniversity.org. 

Visit our Campus Store to purchase your Online CRT Final Exam

Cigar Geek vs. Tobacconist

As we live in the 'golden age of cigar making' there are more educated consumers than ever before.  While both cigar geeks and tobacconists should be extremely knowledgeable, that does not mean they are one in the same.  Some tobacconists are cigar geeks, but not all.  In fact, there are probably exponentially more cigar geeks than there are tobacconists.  

Cigar geeks are characterized by their epic knowledge of cigar components, varietals, processing, brand info, and history.  Cigar geeks can devour all the information available on the internet, advertising, in forums, magazines, books, social media, and from fan-clubs for their favorite cigar brands and/or cigar makers.  Cigar geeks also travel to cigar farms and factories (e.g. Drew Estate Cigar Safari) and educational events like ProCigar in The Dominican Republic.  Many of these cigar geeks also communicate directly with cigar makers they have met over the years, and they will not hesitate to drop a name or two when it suits them.  If you would like to interact or observe this rare breed, you can find a high concentration of cigar geeks on social media (e.g. facebook, twitter, instagram) and at in-store cigar maker events.  Social media sites and in-store events provide the perfect outlet for cigar geeks to commiserate, share knowledge, pontificate, name drop, and chat directly with cigar makers and each other.    

A tobacconist is an expert in tobacco and all of the related accoutrements.  Tobacconists must have working knowledge of pipes, pipe tobaccos, lighters, humidors, humidifiers, air cleaners, cigar cutters, and of course, cigars.  As professionals, tobacconists must have a strong familiarity of our products and the ability to communicate their traits, features, and tailor that to a wide array of customers.  While many of the products we sell have subjective characteristics, we must be able to explain them to customers with varying degrees of experience and comprehension.  Tobacconists are in the business of hospitality and product knowledge, so they must balance facts and opinions.  In addition, tobacconists are 'experts' in dusting, cleaning, facing cigars, humidifier maintenance, taking inventory, more dusting, managing boisterous regulars, listening, asking questions, sweeping, mopping, problem solving, retail multi-tasking, and customer service.  A good tobacconist will have substantive knowledge about all of the products they sell, but it is impossible to be an expert on all of the brands in the marketplace.  

As tobacconists, we see cigar geeks almost every day but they represent a small, single digit percentage of our customers: they are a vocal minority.  Most of our customers don't read the magazines or industry websites.  They don't know all of the components of their favorite cigar or care who made them.  Most of our customers are in and out in a few minutes with a handful of cigars they will enjoy without over thinking or in-depth analysis.  Retail tobacconist customers, for the most part, enjoy a few cigars a month and the only thing they care about is whether or not they liked the cigar: true story.  

On the other hand, cigar geeks love to talk about the products with tobacconists and share their knowledge with other customers as well.  Cigar geeks often know more about new products and upcoming products than retail tobacconists.  In this regard, they can be helpful to tobacconists by providing insight and feedback about products and brands.  Every store can benefit from having a few cigar geek customers or tobacconists.  Their knowledge and passion brings a lot of value to stores and the cigar smoking community.  On the other hand, cigar geeks can have a very subjective and narrow perspective of the industry and marketplace; they tend to buy the hype, believe all the marketing, and have strong brand biases.  They have their own personal reasons for being cigar geeks and that influences what they are interested in, where they get their information, and what they believe.  

Tobacconists do not have the luxury of running their businesses from a highly subjective or opinionated perspective because that won't pay the bills.  Tobacconists must cast a broader net, understand the spectrum of clients they service, and provide compelling value to them.  In the end,  tobacconist success will be determined by the marketplace while cigar geeks only need to satisfy themselves.

Ultimately, this topic is important to TU because we certify tobacconists, not geeks.  We teach fundamentals and professionalism.  TU can help make you a professional tobacconist, but the path to becoming a cigar geek is a different personal journey.  Fortunately, tobacconists and cigar geeks have a lot to learn and benefit from each other.

Humidor Shopping Trays

If you are a retail tobacconist, do yourself and your customers a favor and provide shopping trays in your humidor.  Here are a few good reasons why:

1. Shopping trays encourage UPSELLING!  Because an empty tray yearns to be filled!

2.  Customers are limited by the amount of cigars they can carry in their hands: shopping trays increase the potential sale!

3.  Make it your custom to grab a tray when you go in the humidor to help a customer.  This practice shows panache, professionalism, and increases sales (see reasons 1 & 2).

While there are not many astute manufacturers providing branded shopping trays, you can create your own from large cigar box lids (see picture).  

Drive Your Business

Drive your business, don't ride it.  It's too easy to let your business coast.  It's too easy to react, play defense, and follow trends.  But great business people know they must be proactive, play offense, stay ahead of the curve, lead rather than follow, and drive your business forward rather than ride it out...  Being a great tobacconist means you need to think ahead, forecast trends, and educate your customers.

If you are selling what's hot on the interwebs or social media, then you are just reacting and following.  This strategy means you will be selling the same stuff all of your competitors are selling and you will fade into the sunset of mediocrity.  Constant improvement, bucking the trends, and innovation are the only way to stay ahead of your competition.  If the brands you carry are showing up on discount mail order sites, then you are behind the curve.  If you are buying what seems hot in social media, then you are reacting defensively.  If you are chasing ratings to fill your humidor, then you are becoming a generic retailer and the discount mail order industry will bury you.

Edit your inventory, vet your products, educate and enlighten your customers and you may succeed.  But don't play defense today.  It's 2015 and consumers are more educated than ever, so any great tobacconist must stay ahead of the curve... But a proactive business creates their own curve.  Don't react to the market.  Make your market.  Be about something (#beaboutsomething): educate!  Let your customers know you edit your products and don't carry the flavor of the month just to be trendy.

But all of this is not enough.  A business is only as good as their employees.  Employees who maintain standards are fine and sometimes we are lucky to have a few of those.  But great employees innovate, improve, and bring vitality to the business.  Ask your tobacconists to elevate merchandising, improve cleanliness/organization, find new products, and teach you something.  Retail tobacconists need to be innovative, proactive, and forward thinking.  If you are spending time trying to maintain standards then you are riding your business and reacting.  Challenge your tobacconists to DRIVE THE BUSINESS: take ownership and pride by improving your professionalism, service, and products!  Again, a business is only as good as its employees, so teach them to drive!

Thanks To R&D, We Certify For Free

Tobacconist University (TU) is the official educational curriculum of the IPCPR.  As their exclusive educational partner, TU certifies all IPCPR retail members as Certified Retail Tobacconists (CRT) for free: a $1,000 per person value for non IPCPR members.  This means, if you have a store with 3 tobacconists, TU will certify (and promote) them all for free!  At TU we consider this a strategic partnership with the industry's oldest and most prestigious trade organization.  In the process, TU does not receive any money from the IPCPR, but we are allowed access to the tradeshow.  In addition, our ability to work with the IPCPR creates promotional and political synergies which we can use to support and defend retail tobacconists. 


So, all of this begs the question, where does the money come from?  After all, we do not sell advertising and most of our certifications are free.  Fortunately, we have R&D!  R&D Cigars are Certified Cigars: the only cigar in the history of the world that you have to pass a test to sell!  R&D Cigars, standing for Research and Development, are exceptional premium products designed with an educational purpose:  educating your mind and palate.  R&D Cigars are also a competitive advantage since they are truly limited and Certified Retail Tobacconists must earn the right to sell them.  Introduced in 2014, R&D Cigars are already available at some of the world's greatest tobacconists, with many more to come!  You can learn more about R&D Cigars in the R&D Lab and from your local Certified Retail Tobacconist. 

Finally, we would like to say thank you to the thousands of consumers and Certified Retail Tobacconists who have supported R&D Cigars.  Without that support there would be no future for TU.   Specifically, we would like to thank our R&D CRT for having the passion and vision to support TU, educating themselves and their customers.  The future of TU holds more promise than ever and that is because of our R&D CRT!



 

  

TU: Past, Present, & Future

After nearly 19 years in existence, Tobacconist University President & Founder Jorge Armenteros sits down to discuss the beginnings of TU, the importance of educating, supporting, promoting, and providing competitive advantages for retail tobacconists.  Jorge also discusses the exclusive relationship between TU and the IPCPR as well as the current and future focus of TU.

"Above and beyond ... we need to create real competitive advantages, leveraging points for these Certified Retail Tobacconists.  We need to empower them and give them more opportunities to be more profitable and more successful than they've ever had before.  That's our ambition.  That's what's next." 

- Jorge Armenteros, CMT

The R&D Manifesto

 

Welcome to the future.  You can read all the "standard" info about R&D Cigars on the TU website in the R&D Lab.   Essentially, R&D Cigars are small batch, TU Certified cigars created with an educational purpose: educating your mind and palate.  At TU, we want to be about something (#beaboutsomething); we believe in substantive professionals and products.  We see more hyperbole and cult-of-personality marketing in the premium cigar industry than in perhaps any other.  Yet, there is enough substance, history, and tradition in the luxury tobacco industry that exaggerations are unnecessary.

While contemporary cigar marketers are busy creating outlandish and tantalizing brand names, using "sex" to sell, or trying to convince you that the picture of them inspecting leaves in the fields are authentic, retail tobacconists are working with consumers, face-to-face, on a daily basis.  While a cigar vendor can type up a bunch of alluring words on a website or for an advertisement, retail tobacconists are being accountable, honest, and educating their customers so they will return and become satisfied regulars.  Trust is the cornerstone of credibility and every successful retail tobacconist knows that.  It is easy to sit around in an office all day and concoct fancy words, but the real premium cigar industry exists in the retail tobacconists store because that's were the consumers are.  Retail tobacconists do not have the luxury of BS-ing customers: they must #beaboutsomething.  

With that said, we do recognize that marketing in the cigar industry is exciting and interesting.  There is so much innovation and communication happening that it is hard to keep up.  And at the very least, its never boring.  But, TU is not about exaggeration and empty words.  We want to #beaboutsomething.  Ultimately, if you call everyone a "master" or "legend" or if everyone is like "family" or your "brother",  then those words will lose their value.  The words we use at TU mean something; that's why we have the largest glossary in the industry, and we take those words seriously (ie. Flavor = Taste + Aroma,  Maduro is both a color description and fermentation process, and our certified retailers have a "real" store, not just a virtual one). 

At TU, we want to #beaboutsomething, and R&D is.  As you will see in the R&D Lab, extraordinary efforts have been made to educate your mind and palate.  While taste is, and will always be, subjective, we can teach and illustrate facts, history, and enhance your appreciation of luxury tobacco in the process.  While we look forward to many years of researching and creating educational products, we also hope that TU R&D will help and inspire others in the industry to take it to the next level and #beaboutsomething. 

In the future, when you come across R&D Cigars at a TU Certified Retail Tobacconist (CRT), you will know that everything about those cigars is authentic and the tobacconist who is curating them is credible because he/she is the first professionally certified tobacconist that had to pass a test to sell you a certified cigar.   Furthermore, all of the personal and product certification standards are transparent and freely available on the TU website: including but not limited to our Code of Ethics & Standards, the TU Academic Curriculum, our Glossary, Tobacconist Tips, FAQs, and all of the standards of TU Certification.

 

#beaboutsomething

Response to the FDA

Submit Your Comments to the FDA

 

Background & Info @ Halfwheel

Dear FDA,

I am writing with regard to premium cigars being regulated by the FDA and treated the same as cigarettes and other nicotine delivery systems.  Premium cigars are different.  They are handcrafted as organoleptic delicacies: no different than fine wines or gourmet foods.  As a consumer, retail tobacconist, and president of the organization that certifies professional and luxury tobacconists (Tobacconist University) I can attest that premium cigar consumers are adults who enjoy the relaxing, social and meditative value that the products are meant to convey.  In addition, fine premium cigars are delicious and not used out of habit.  The majority of our customers smoke approx. one cigar per week, to unwind and savor their time. 

Furthermore, premium cigars cannot be defined by their retail price (ie. $10) because there are many inexpensive varieties, and while I prefer the flavor profiles of more expensive cigars, taste is subjective.  Some consumers even prefer premium cigars that have infused or hints of other flavors: the same applies to fine wines and gourmet foods.

Ultimately, premium cigars are made from whole leaf dark tobaccos (not homogenized or processed).  They are bunched by hand (often with the assistance of a Lieberman machine - which is a simple strip of canvas which helps compress the tobaccos evenly), and wrapped with a leaf of wrapper tobacco.  Wrapper tobacco in particular is an exquisite leaf which is cultivated like rare orchids and applied by extraordinary crafts-men and women.  The transformation of rustic leaves into a beautiful premium cigar takes years to unfold and it must be seen to be appreciated.  I would welcome the opportunity to share these processes with the FDA.  Hand crafted premium cigars are a special artisanal product and their cultivation and manufacture is an amazing and beautiful process.

I hope that you will take these facts into consideration and keep the regulation of premium cigars (and pipe tobaccos) separate from cigarettes and smokeless tobaccos.  We currently have many creative boutique products in the marketplace and it would be a shame to find the premium cigar industry consolidated into a few massive multi-national corporations.  Similarly, it would be a travesty to see retail tobacconists decimated by over regulation.  Currently, retail tobacconists represent the best of America and the premium cigar industry.  As the president of Tobacconist University, I represent hundreds of small retailers who work hard to service their customers and help them savor their time.  We take great pride in our walk-in humidors and giving customers an immersive aromatic experience while they shop.  We're an old-fashioned business selling hand crafted products which take years to create.  And we love our products, customers, and our old-fashioned shops. 


I would welcome the opportunity to help share with you any of my information, educational tools, connections, or access to this special industry.  At the very least, please visit a certified tobacconist and experience the passion and professionalism that we provide.  In our modern world where information travels at the speed of light, and change is increasingly unsettling, retail tobacconists and our consumers appreciate simple values like relaxation and hand crafted luxury products which help us savor our time.

Sincerely,

Jorge L. Armenteros, CMT
President & Founder
Tobacconist University

Humidor Etiquette

   

Retail walk-in humidors must be rigorously maintained. Their temperature, humidity, air quality, and sanitary standards must be perfectly kept to preserve the cigars and protect the customers that smoke them. People walking in and out of retail walk-in humidors bring germs, dirt, and debris into the environment, so many steps must be followed to protect the cigars. Firstly, Tobacconists must regularly dust, sweep, mop, and vacuum their humidors. But it takes both customers’ and Tobacconists’ efforts to maintain the integrity of the cigars in a walk-in. Ultimately, Humidor Etiquette is about following the ‘golden rule’ and doing unto others as you would have done unto you. The following etiquette rules apply to both consumers and Tobacconists who use a retail walk-in humidor.

   

NO SMOKE
The natural aromas of a walk-in humidor are a subtle co-mingling of different tobaccos from all over the world. Part of the reason Tobacconists make their walk-ins accessible to customers is so that they can enjoy the smell of aging tobaccos. Lit tobaccos will overwhelm the natural aroma of a walk-in and excessive smoke can taint the flavor of the cigars. Not smoking in a walk-in is part courtesy to the next customer and a way to protect the cigars themselves.

TOUCHING CIGARS
Ultimately, the head of a cigar will enter your mouth, so cigars must be treated with the same care and respect as food. Maintaining clean hands when touching cigars is imperative. It is important for Tobacconists to have sanitary soap and hand sanitizer on hand for personal and customer use. In addition, when inspecting cigars you should only touch the foot and shaft area. Never touch the cigar above the band (head and shoulders) since someone will eventually put that cigar in their mouth.

SMELLING CIGARS
As consumers, we all have the right to smell the wrapper and foot of a cigar. In fact, that is part of the enjoyment of picking a great cigar. While smelling cigars can be part of the pre-selection process in a walk-in, it must be done in a sanitary and respectful way; as the nose contains germs and mucous that must be kept off cigars. If the cigar is wrapped in cellophane, push the cigar half-way out of the cellophane. Cellophane smells like cellophane so there is no point in sniffing it: when finished, you can push the cigar back in. Whether smelling just the wrapper or the foot of the cigar, always keep the cigar at least one inch from your nose and/or facial hair. One inch is close enough to sample the aroma of the tobacco yet far enough to minimize contamination.

    

SELECTING CIGARS
Now that we have covered the proper techniques to touch and smell cigars, we can address the more general process of picking one out. Some customers take the first cigar out from on top of a box, while others like to scrutinize every single cigar. To each his own method; there is no right or wrong. But, when pulling cigars out of a box, one must be very careful not to tear the wrapper or damage the head: in particular, the cigar foot is highly susceptible to damage. If you take cigars out of a box, lay them in a safe place and return them carefully when you have found your perfect cigar.

DAMAGED CIGARS
One of the biggest economic challenges for retail Tobacconists with walk-in humidors is minimizing the amount damaged cigars: it is a massive expense unique to our business. While some cigars come damaged from the manufacturers/distributors, most damage occurs because of consumer mishandling. Retail Tobacconists absorb the cost of damaged cigars since they cannot be sold at standard retail margins. If you see damaged cigars in your retail Tobacconist’s walk-in, let them know: they will thank you for it.

RETURNING CIGARS
Sometimes you take a cigar all the way to the cash register and then decide that you don’t want it – that’s ok. As long as you’re handling the cigar properly, you can return it to the walk-in. When returning a cigar to the humidor, it is always best to place it in the proper box with the head up and cigar band facing forward. This is called “facing” and retail Tobacconists do it every day to honor the brand, cigar maker, and our customers.

Most retail Tobacconists will not allow customers to buy a cigar, take it out of the shop and return it at a later date. Due to cigars’ precise humidification and temperature requirements, plus the fact that they will end up in your mouth, cigars must be treated like perishable food.

OFF THE FLOOR Keeping cigars off the floor is obvious, but it is also important not to place boxes on the floor, either. Placing cigar boxes on the floor contaminates them with the same dirt, debris, and germs that people’s shoes have been tracking in. This piece of humidor etiquette is particularly important for Tobacconists to heed since it is easy to forget when stocking and organizing the walk-in.

Retail Exposure Test

 

 

In thirty years of combined Retail Tobacconist operations I have seen a lot of unexpected, amusing, and occasionally frightening things.  I have:

  

- had several Tobacconists attacked by drunk and/or belligerent customers
 
- seen women and men expose themselves; usually to show off a new piercing or tattoo
 
- experienced countless bathroom ‘problems’, electrical outages, and floods
 
- seen customers, employees, and products break (both physically and/or mentally)
  
- thrown out and arrested enough customers to fill a large bus
 
- chased both wild and domesticated animals out of the stores
  
- and generally, seen much more of the world and human nature than I could ever have imagined.
 

There is nothing like Retail: you open your doors every day of the year (except Thanksgiving and Christmas) and cross your fingers… It’s like playing roulette; you have a 1 in 35 chance of dramatic consequences. I respect any retailer who is committed to their customers. Customer Commitment requires devotion that goes beyond words. For me, I can’t ever relax until the last shop has closed for the day, and then there is a tremendous sense of relief.  If the day ends without catastrophe, We Won!

The Great Humidor Catastrophe of 2009

  
No matter how much you dote on your cigars and humidor, there are always events and malfunctions out of our control. Last month the hygrostat (humidity control) in one of my walk-ins failed to work properly. Over the course of one night the humidity shot up into the nineties and devastated several hundred dollars worth of cigars. Fortunately, most of the cigars that were hyper-saturated survived without permanent damage. As you can see in the picture above, the cigars were laid out on paper towels to dry the wrappers and help them return to normal humidity levels. Fortunately, the few hours they spent in 90+% humidity did not ruin all of the cigars. Had this happened for an extended period of time, all would have been lost. However, a few dozen cigars did not make it through the night. Mostly, they suffered from wrapper damage which resulted from expansion. Most bulged and tore at the foot while others burst in the center. Some of the cigars were permanently disfigured as they contorted while expanding and contracting.
 
On The Bright Side
I have been smoking the aesthetically damaged cigars for over a month now and I can honestly say that their flavor qualities have not been significantly effected. While they may be ugly, they are delicious. As a professional Tobacconist, I am used to smoking damaged cigars. Some months I smoke nothing but damaged cigars. Its not so bad really…. life could be worse.
 
While extreme humidity can ruin cigars by fostering mold growth or drowning the leaves, it is not always a total loss. Remember, cigar tobacco is rolled at much higher humidity levels than 70% – usually in the 80-90% range. So, they can be resilient enough to recover.

Clean & Organize

“Clean and Organize”, while it sounds like simple common sense, there is nothing common about common sense and the simplest things can be the most profound.

  

Cleaning and Organizing can be the most powerful business practice you employ. If business is slow, clean and organize; if the weather is bad, clean and organize; if the country is in a recession, clean and organize; if you are bored, clean and organize. On the surface, the benefits may seem obvious: the store is cleaner, customers see you cleaning (positive perception), and things look better. But the real benefits of cleaning and organizing can be far greater. I have found thousands of dollars worth of ‘missing’ inventory while cleaning. More importantly, cleaning and organizing allows you to discover hidden assets, liabilities, and opportunities in your retail store (or any other business). Every basement, storeroom, shelving, closet, cabinet, drawer, and shelf in your store can reveal a hidden opportunity. Sometimes you will find old displays which can freshen up the shop, or products which have long been forgotten. But, the greatest benefit from cleaning and organizing is not the things you will find, but the potential ideas you will have. Nothing clears the mind like a fresh environment or good organization!

  

Whether you are a shop owner or manager who does this yourself or delegates, the rewards are always positive. Try to Clean & Organize and let us know if you discover anything special! Leave some comments on the blog or send us an email…. we would love to hear from you.

Certified Testimonial

You have been hearing me talk about the importance and value of TU and Certification for years now. And we get many kind and inspiring letters from Certified Tobacconists every month, but this testimonial has special meaning to me and it really captures much of the intangible, yet priceless, value TU provides:

“I cannot sing your praises enough, these certifications my employees have achieved with TU has meant so much to them, their pride is measurable in so many positive ways. As a store owner, TU brings a rare gift to me because no amount of money in bonus or spiff I could give could ever match the value of being a graduate of TU, my guys are so damn proud of their accomplishment and having their diplomas and PINS. Thanks for all the years of hard work you have put into TU because it is going to pay off for years to come for all of us involved in this unique and precious pursuit; loving the lore.
   
Kindest regards,
    
David Berkebile,
Georgetown Tobacco
Washington, D.C..
  
P.S.: You can quote me on this anytime.”

The Tobacconist Alamo

The most frightening thought in the world to any Tobacconist is that smoking bans will be instituted inside retail Tobacconist shops. It has already happened in Delaware and other parts of the country. In addition, many Tobacconists are going to court to preserve their right to smoke and sometimes just to prove they are Tobacconists – because the laws are so poorly and/or maliciously written. No other profession in the world suffers under such draconian laws. Sadly, the hostility of legislators and our society are making it more difficult to survive. Yet we persevere, not because the financial rewards are great, not for the prestige, but because we love our products and customers.

Obviously, Tobacconists must taste their products daily just to be able to communicate their value to customers; and customers need to sample products in order to make informed decisions. Not to neglect the fact that smoking in a smokeshop is akin to eating in a restaurant.
  
Yet logic alone is not enough to preserve our professional rights. Ultimately, the health zealots and nanny state will try to ban smoking everywhere; and retail Tobacconists will be the final frontier – the Tobacconist Alamo. Here at TU, we are preparing for that last stand. It is our commitment to prove our professional credibility and legitimacy through our curriculum and standards. Through Certifications we are building an army of Certified Tobacconists who are substantive and credentialed enough to fight for our rights. We are not just individuals who feel we have the right to smoke ‘just because’ or ‘just because we like it’; clearly that tactic has not worked. We are professionals who have invested time and money, our lives, into an honorable existence and we will be here to fight when the rest of the industry needs us.

My Little Inventory

Inventory is everything to a retail Tobacconist. As we wrap up the fiscal year and analyze our inventory, it is hard to imagine that something so important, precious, and vital can be articulated on a few sheets of paper. The final printout for the year is 61 pages of SKUs, descriptions, costs, and more numbers. There are some oddball figures like 23,000 matches, 740 logo guillotine cutters, 111 pipe filters, 201 pipe screens, -927 waters, and probably $20,000 (retail value) worth of stolen products – this is something the public rarely realizes, but shoplifting is a brutal reality inside walk-in humidors; plus damaged cigars! I smoke so many damaged cigars I think I could play the flute professionally since my finger muscles are so well developed…. but I digress…..

   

What strikes me every time I do inventory is just how amazing the breadth and depth of our inventory is. In my little 680 sq/ft store the (Certified) Tobacconists have to be familiar with 100+ pipe tobaccos, 300+ cigars, 22 brands of rolling papers, dozens of pipes, humidifiers, humidors…. its even too daunting to summarize; but somehow we do it. Of course, we try to have specialists for every department, but it is still an overwhelming amount of knowledge to retain.

  

Currently, TU is working with companies who realize the unique challenges Tobacconists face, and together we are researching and developing new ways to help Tobacconists stay educated about their products. While TU teaches consumers and Tobacconists directly through the University, we are also trying to influence the way the industry teaches Tobacconists and customers. Getting manufacturers and distributors proactively involved will dramatically improve the amount of knowledge Tobacconists impart on our customers and society, thereby improving customer service and satisfaction. Just imagine, if it’s hard for Tobacconists….. what are our customers thinking? Well, …. don’t worry, we are on it…. but if you have any suggestions, please let us know!

100 Year Vision

TU does have a 100 year strategy in that we are “preserving luxury tobacco for generations to come”, and we definitely intend to be a vibrant institution in the year 2108. I also like to think in terms of a 100 year vision when focusing on my retail Tobacconist businesses. First, all companies should have a Vision & Mission statement, but it also helps to think very long term. After all, nothing good or significant gets accomplished overnight and fussing over quarterly stock prices and short term goals adds little value – as our current economy indicates. I am often inspired by retail Tobacconists that have been around 25, 50, or 100+ years (some of which are now Certified!). These Tobacconists (and businesses) always seem to have deep expertise in every facet of the industry; they are always proactive; they have cultivated knowledge, inventory, and traditions that translate into superior businesses. Since 1995 my retail company’s Vision & Mission statement has been:

   
Our Vision is to be the best luxury retail Tobacconist in the world, while providing an oasis for aficionados and connoisseurs.
  
 
Our Mission is to facilitate our customer’s pleasure through the dynamic interaction of our Ambience, Exclusive Inventory, Product Knowledge, Professional Service, and Commitment to Excellence.
  
My father used to say ‘ who do you want to be when you grow up?’; actually he said this when I was an adult and he was referring to my business. And it has been helpful advice to imagine what the endgame is and base current decisions on that goal. This mentality can put the petty issues of running a business into perspective and make you focus on the important facts.
 
If you are struggling or dealing with difficult business conditions in the present, it is important to look far into the future. Are you cultivating long term customers? Tobacconists? Business relationships? Saving to buy your own real estate? Investing in the future or squandering it away? The future starts now….. so, who do you want to be when you grow up? Plant those seeds today and you will reap their benefits in the long term.

- Jorge Armenteros, CMT