Anybody work at a vape shop?

[rj9923]

I've been considering visiting all the vape shops in my area and asking if they're hiring. I want to know if any of you who work at one can tell me if it's a good experience. I know enough about vaping, but I only ask how vape shops are because I've only been to one twice since I buy everything online.

I think I would do good at the job because the one I was at was very disorganized, and I could fix that immediately. I've also converted about a dozen smokers to vaping in my year of vaping, so I think I would do well at explaining things to new customers.

Please share any information you think is necessary to making my decision. Thanks.

Also, I live about 45 minutes west of Chicago if any of you want to hire me

 

[Lost]

HIRING TEST

1. Name three battery manufacturers that make batteries versus rewrapping them.

2. I have 26 gauge Kanthal. What coils would you build to get me .3 ohm in a dual RDA?

3. Name 3 factors that give you bigger clouds.

4. Some guy brings a half-used 30ml bottle of juice back to the store. It's 12mg/ml. He says it's too strong and doesn't want to throw it away. What do you tell him?

5. A girl brings her Crown back to the store and says she likes it, but the continual cost of the 5-pack of replacement attys is killing her. What do you do?

6. In once sentence, describe the DNA 200.

7. Two high school kids walk in and start shopping for mods. How does the rest of your interaction play out?

8. What's the average credit card processing fee?

9. With Ohm's Law in mind, solve for V, I or R. You pick.

10. You're working by yourself and a local reporter comes in with a camera dude. What do you do?

11. The store's busy and you're by yourself. You're helping a customer. You hear this: "Excuse me, we've been waiting 20 minutes over here." What do you say?

12. A guy brings in his POS eGo. Says he wants something bigger. You get to ask him 5 questions. What are they?

13. Name one chemical found in some juices that freaks people out. Explain why they're freaked out.

14. A girl says she wants to try a new juice. She's been vaping caramel apple and says it's a little too sweet. What do you suggest?

15. .25 ohm. 25W. Pick a degree.

16. A guy wants a mod with reverse battery protection but hates TC and hates messing with screens. Pick one.

17. Name two mods that use three batteries.

18. Explain the difference between series and parallel.

19. Name two wires you wouldn't want to dry burn.

20. A guy paid his $5 tab with a $20, but after you give him back his change, he says he gave you a $100. What do you do?

EXTRA CREDIT: Explain heat flux and twist pitch.

 

[BigNasty]

7. Get the fuck out till your nuts drop or you are 18 which ever and in some locals 21 comes first.

10. come back when my owner/manager is here camera is not welcome nor allowed.

20. depending on cash handling rules, "get the fuck out and never return" followed by throwing him the fuck through the door.

 

[robot zombie]

HIRING TEST

1. Name three battery manufacturers that make batteries versus rewrapping them.

2. I have 26 gauge Kanthal. What coils would you build to get me .3 ohm in a dual RDA?

3. Name 3 factors that give you bigger clouds.

4. Some guy brings a half-used 30ml bottle of juice back to the store. It's 12mg/ml. He says it's too strong and doesn't want to throw it away. What do you tell him?

5. A girl brings her Crown back to the store and says she likes it, but the continual cost of the 5-pack of replacement attys is killing her. What do you do?

6. In once sentence, describe the DNA 200.

7. Two high school kids walk in and start shopping for mods. How does the rest of your interaction play out?

8. What's the average credit card processing fee?

9. With Ohm's Law in mind, solve for V, I or R. You pick.

10. You're working by yourself and a local reporter comes in with a camera dude. What do you do?

11. The store's busy and you're by yourself. You're helping a customer. You hear this: "Excuse me, we've been waiting 20 minutes over here." What do you say?

12. A guy brings in his POS eGo. Says he wants something bigger. You get to ask him 5 questions. What are they?

13. Name one chemical found in some juices that freaks people out. Explain why they're freaked out.

14. A girl says she wants to try a new juice. She's been vaping caramel apple and says it's a little too sweet. What do you suggest?

15. .25 ohm. 25W. Pick a degree.

16. A guy wants a mod with reverse battery protection but hates TC and hates messing with screens. Pick one.

17. Name two mods that use three batteries.

18. Explain the difference between series and parallel.

19. Name two wires you wouldn't want to dry burn.

20. A guy paid his $5 tab with a $20, but after you give him back his change, he says he gave you a $100. What do you do?

EXTRA CREDIT: Explain heat flux and twist pitch.

BOOM!

 

[BigNasty]

BOOM!

I have had number 20 happen several times to me over the years in retail. Never came up a penny short in any fashion.
Rule of thumb is all bills face the same way.
Higher than 20 gets put under the drawer period the end,
When change dispute happens and they have their change in hand it is returned before I verify if there is a large bill, register checked and change recounted.
If making change, transaction 1 is finished before change is made further down the line or a no change breaking policy.
Too further insulate a lot of mom and pop places will put up a no larger than 20 policy. too many fucky questionable bills floating out there, if in doubt reject it the only person it hurts is the owner.

keep the float at 50-100 bucks and drop the rest when it hits a certain amount.

 

[robot zombie]

I have had number 20 happen several times to me over the years in retail. Never came up a penny short in any fashion.
Rule of thumb is all bills face the same way.
Higher than 20 gets put under the drawer period the end,
When change dispute happens and they have their change in hand it is returned before I verify if there is a large bill, register checked and change recounted.
If making change, transaction 1 is finished before change is made further down the line or a no change breaking policy.
Too further insulate a lot of mom and pop places will put up a no larger than 20 policy. too many fucky questionable bills floating out there, if in doubt reject it the only person it hurts is the owner.

keep the float at 50-100 bucks and drop the rest when it hits a certain amount.

Too true.... ...I know all too well. I work in upper-level management.

I've always announced what they've given me and calculated change based on that - in my head. I make sure they confirm what they're giving me. If they disagree after the fact, we can audit my drawer and the then they can try their hand with corporate if they think that's bullshit. Fuck em for trying to act like they don't know what they've got on-hand. There are all kinds of cheap assholes out there. I'm happy to tell em to get the fuck out.

Very few of my people practice what you preach. Only two understand why this shit is done. For the rest, it's just income for the next few months. They know shit-all about money-handing and make my job harder every day. I'd hire you. You're a major rarity these days. People don't know what yer talkin about anymore. And then they wonder why I have to let em go. I actually do explain this shit - in the simplest terms, no less.

 

[BigNasty]

Too true.... ...I know all too well. I work in upper-level management.

I've always announced what they've given me and calculated change based on that - in my head. I make sure they confirm what they're giving me. If they disagree after the fact, we can audit my drawer and the then they can try their hand with corporate if they think that's bullshit. Fuck em for trying to act like they don't know what they've got on-hand. There are all kinds of cheap assholes out there. I'm happy to tell em to get the fuck out.

Very few of my people practice what you preach. Only two understand why this shit is done. For the rest, it's just income for the next few months. They know shit-all about money-handing and make my job harder every day. I'd hire you. You're a major rarity these days. People don't know what yer talkin about anymore. And then they wonder why I have to let em go. I actually do explain this shit - in the simplest terms, no less.

God it was a nightmare at the corporate gig I had.
And shared drawers to boot.
I was not paid to handle cash at a certain point and should not have but I made this caveat... you either kept the drawer as I kept it all faced and ready to rock or you stayed the fuck out of it or I did not have my numbers on it.
I had no qualms shutting the god damned thing down mid shift and putting that terminal out of service. So I could focus on my actual job.

 

[Vapor Depot]

I agree with the 20 questions. I work at a vape shop in jersey, I love it I helped build this one and it's been a great experience and on top of it I get to help the public become more informed and/or healthier! good luck with everything!

 

[raymo2u]

I would like to but all three shops in the area only have employees that JUST STARTED VAPING...I mean less then 2-3 months, I havent found a employee in one of the shops thats vaped longer the that...They dont build coils, they dont sell RDA's and they overcharge by crazy amounts...$95 for a damn Cuboid...
I feel I would be out of place in a shop here...some of my friends think I would make the other people look like idiots if I did get hired, so I tend not to send in a application...

 

[Vapor Depot]

I would like to but all three shops in the area only have employees that JUST STARTED VAPING...I mean less then 2-3 months, I havent found a employee in one of the shops thats vaped longer the that...They dont build coils, they dont sell RDA's and they overcharge by crazy amounts...$95 for a damn Cuboid...
I feel I would be out of place in a shop here...some of my friends think I would make the other people look like idiots if I did get hired, so I tend not to send in a application...

Yea that is the tough part, but to not do builds is embarrassing imo. I can do builds and so can everybody in my shop, we also try not to over price to stay competitive, we sell the cuboid for $70 and still give discounts on top of that. You seem to be intelligent just keep using your head and try looking into opening your own shop, it is possible, and I'm here to give advice as much as possible for ya!

 

[Vapor Depot]

HIRING TEST

1. Name three battery manufacturers that make batteries versus rewrapping them.

2. I have 26 gauge Kanthal. What coils would you build to get me .3 ohm in a dual RDA?

3. Name 3 factors that give you bigger clouds.

4. Some guy brings a half-used 30ml bottle of juice back to the store. It's 12mg/ml. He says it's too strong and doesn't want to throw it away. What do you tell him?

5. A girl brings her Crown back to the store and says she likes it, but the continual cost of the 5-pack of replacement attys is killing her. What do you do?

6. In once sentence, describe the DNA 200.

7. Two high school kids walk in and start shopping for mods. How does the rest of your interaction play out?

8. What's the average credit card processing fee?

9. With Ohm's Law in mind, solve for V, I or R. You pick.

10. You're working by yourself and a local reporter comes in with a camera dude. What do you do?

11. The store's busy and you're by yourself. You're helping a customer. You hear this: "Excuse me, we've been waiting 20 minutes over here." What do you say?

12. A guy brings in his POS eGo. Says he wants something bigger. You get to ask him 5 questions. What are they?

13. Name one chemical found in some juices that freaks people out. Explain why they're freaked out.

14. A girl says she wants to try a new juice. She's been vaping caramel apple and says it's a little too sweet. What do you suggest?

15. .25 ohm. 25W. Pick a degree.

16. A guy wants a mod with reverse battery protection but hates TC and hates messing with screens. Pick one.

17. Name two mods that use three batteries.

18. Explain the difference between series and parallel.

19. Name two wires you wouldn't want to dry burn.

20. A guy paid his $5 tab with a $20, but after you give him back his change, he says he gave you a $100. What do you do?

EXTRA CREDIT: Explain heat flux and twist pitch.

Nice work!

 

[Vapor Depot]

7. Get the fuck out till your nuts drop or you are 18 which ever and in some locals 21 comes first.

10. come back when my owner/manager is here camera is not welcome nor allowed.

20. depending on cash handling rules, "get the fuck out and never return" followed by throwing him the fuck through the door.

You should count your drawer and when it comes up right then tell him to get the fuck out lol

 

[robot zombie]

I would like to but all three shops in the area only have employees that JUST STARTED VAPING...I mean less then 2-3 months, I havent found a employee in one of the shops thats vaped longer the that...They dont build coils, they dont sell RDA's and they overcharge by crazy amounts...$95 for a damn Cuboid...
I feel I would be out of place in a shop here...some of my friends think I would make the other people look like idiots if I did get hired, so I tend not to send in a application...

Bah, job security. With your level of knowledge and skill, you would probably be a huge asset to the owner. You can train his people in what really are basic job skills in any vape shop, as well as fill what I can only imagine to be a huge gap in customer service. You have, in your head, the information they need to actually run a hip, successful vape shop. Can't imagine them wanting to adequately compensate you for what you'd bring to the table, though.

Or maybe the owners of those places really are just that disconnected from the community that they don't see the value in having people who know what to do with the latest and greatest that vaping has to offer, let alone care to seek it out and stock it.

I've definitely gotten that vibe from a few places in town. Just no idea what's happening in the scene, at all... ...and they were fine with it. Literally felt like it was 2011 in one of them (it was 2015.) There were a few people in there tootle puffing on their ego setups with oldschool clearos and carto-tanks while I'm standing there, gazing in sheer wonder at the time capsules they called displays and taking monster hits from a troll on a sig 150. In a way, it was nostalgic, but I got the feeling that I wasn't supposed to be there.

Anyway, I catch them glancing over at what I have in my hand like they're thinking "WTF is THAT?!" but none of them approach me in the 10 minutes that I wait to find out if the girl at the counter can find me some 0mg juice to dilute their 6mg (the lowest they have.) They stayed over in the lounge area, conversing with themselves and happily taking toots from their 1st-gen clearos.

It was fuckin bizarre and awkward as all hell - some real twilight zone shit. They had NOTHING BUT stuff that I didn't think was being made anymore - all at about the same prices they went for when they were new. I was just like, "Where the hell do you people come from?!" Another question burning in my mind was what they talk about... ...they looked like local spooks of the place. Do they really stand around and discuss their newest pieces of old tech? Maybe its just me being weird for thinking there can't be that much to talk about when it comes to that stuff.

But really, now! There are people keeping these places in business! And they like going there! I have met people who have gone to that shop for years. One that I remember in particular was an older gentleman with a spinner-style battery and a fucking Aspire BDC. Said he picked it up in 2012 and just never saw a need to seek anything more current out. To each his own I suppose, but I still refuse to accept that as not being really strange.

Not trying to trash anyone's vape styles here, I just find these little pockets of people who spend their money on this primordial stuff fascinating. What's baffling to me is just how committed some of them are to their dated vapes. It's some next-level shit to me. I just don't know what to think about that.

What I'm getting at here is that depending on the vape shop, maybe you don't really need to know all that much beyond how to talk to people and handle cash.

 

[raymo2u]

Bah, job security. With your level of knowledge and skill, you would probably be a huge asset to the owner. You can train his people in what really are basic job skills in any vape shop, as well as fill what I can only imagine to be a huge gap in customer service. You have, in your head, the information they need to actually run a hip, successful vape shop. Can't imagine them wanting to adequately compensate you for what you'd bring to the table, though.

Or maybe the owners of those places really are just that disconnected from the community that they don't see the value in having people who know what to do with the latest and greatest that vaping has to offer, let alone care to seek it out and stock it.

I've definitely gotten that vibe from a few places in town. Just no idea what's happening in the scene, at all... ...and they were fine with it. Literally felt like it was 2011 in one of them (it was 2015.) There were a few people in there tootle puffing on their ego setups with oldschool clearos and carto-tanks while I'm standing there, gazing in sheer wonder at the time capsules they called displays and taking monster hits from a troll on a sig 150. In a way, it was nostalgic, but I got the feeling that I wasn't supposed to be there.

Anyway, I catch them glancing over at what I have in my hand like they're thinking "WTF is THAT?!" but none of them approach me in the 10 minutes that I wait to find out if the girl at the counter can find me some 0mg juice to dilute their 6mg (the lowest they have.) They stayed over in the lounge area, conversing with themselves and happily taking toots from their 1st-gen clearos.

It was fuckin bizarre and awkward as all hell - some real twilight zone shit. They had NOTHING BUT stuff that I didn't think was being made anymore - all at about the same prices they went for when they were new. I was just like, "Where the hell do you people come from?!" Another question burning in my mind was what they talk about... ...they looked like local spooks of the place. Do they really stand around and discuss their newest pieces of old tech? Maybe its just me being weird for thinking there can't be that much to talk about when it comes to that stuff.

But really, now! There are people keeping these places in business! And they like going there! I have met people who have gone to that shop for years. One that I remember in particular was an older gentleman with a spinner-style battery and a fucking Aspire BDC. Said he picked it up in 2012 and just never saw a need to seek anything more current out. To each his own I suppose, but I still refuse to accept that as not being really strange.

Not trying to trash anyone's vape styles here, I just find these little pockets of people who spend their money on this primordial stuff fascinating. What's baffling to me is just how committed some of them are to their dated vapes. It's some next-level shit to me. I just don't know what to think about that.

What I'm getting at here is that depending on the vape shop, maybe you don't really need to know all that much beyond how to talk to people and handle cash.

That experience you had is how all the shops in my area are...I wouldnt call them vape shops, more like lounges with one or 2 counters of vaping equipment and a few shelves of shit juice...Same kind of attitudes though, thats the shit Im talking about.

 

[sychosis]

I would like to but all three shops in the area only have employees that JUST STARTED VAPING...I mean less then 2-3 months, I havent found a employee in one of the shops thats vaped longer the that...They dont build coils, they dont sell RDA's and they overcharge by crazy amounts...$95 for a damn Cuboid...
I feel I would be out of place in a shop here...some of my friends think I would make the other people look like idiots if I did get hired, so I tend not to send in a application...

95 ! Went into a local her the other day and they were asking 129 for a cuboid , 89 for tfv4 and 79 for a v8 ......butght a few tank bands and left quietly !

 

[Barbara E.]

<snip> One that I remember in particular was an older gentleman with a spinner-style battery and a fucking Aspire BDC. Said he picked it up in 2012 and just never saw a need to seek anything more current out. To each his own I suppose, but I still refuse to accept that as not being really strange.<snip>

I see a lot of these people - they're not at all 'strange'. Heck, I still use a subtank on a kbox at 25 watts - I'm perfectly happy with it - it works - why change? The majority of vapers are not 'into it' - they just want something that's simple and works for them. I'm not going to argue with them.

 

[robot zombie]

I see a lot of these people - they're not at all 'strange'. Heck, I still use a subtank on a kbox at 25 watts - I'm perfectly happy with it - it works - why change? The majority of vapers are not 'into it' - they just want something that's simple and works for them. I'm not going to argue with them.

Oh me neither. I don't think it's my place to tell people how to vape just because I like sub-ohming on series boxes, tinkering with trinkets, and taking cloudalicious flavor bombs. If anything, we're the weird ones. When teaching newbies about vaping, I never spoon feed them and instead encourage them to find their happy vape. I think that's how it should be. Doesn't mean I won't have my own opinions about what they go with.

I just don't understand the deeper level of satisfaction, I guess. Those clearos were very good to me for geez, more than a year. My first vape that really clicked with me was a kanger t3! That thing was the bomb to me. I was hooked on that thing for my whole honeymoon year.

But I did eventually start wondering, "With this being as good as it is, what else is out there?"

And the thing is, now the technology has come so far that you can have a much higher-quality experience without having to play around with fancy shit and learn all of this new stuff. Absolute newbies pick these things up knowing nothing and get along with a genuinely high-quality vape just fine. And if the wide-open, sub-ohm tanks aren't your style, even the MTL crowd has not been forgotten. I'm not talking about pitting LH against MTL here. I'm just saying you don't have to compromise either way.

I don't think preferring the really, really old clearos makes much sense given the wide range of superior, inexpensive, easy-to-use gear. There are different styles of vapes and then there are simply upgrades. If you can have a better version of the type of vape that you like and get more bang for your buck at the same time, then why not?

I suppose people like what they like. I don't really care enough to push people into trying shit that I think they might like better if they're not interested. I understand the concept of having an "ole reliable." I have many tools and some musical instruments like that and let me tell you... ...they are objectively inferior to what I could be using/playing, but I nonetheless prefer them.

So I get the inclination... ...I just can't see the logic in it and when it comes to vaping, I just can't relate. If there's something out there that's better for me than what I already have, then I want THAT! Who wouldn't, yanno? Imagine if you could buy a Lambo for the same price as your 10-year-old, 500000-mile beater. I'd say fuck the beater, I'm getting a Lamborghini!

 

[Barbara E.]

And I'd probably take the beater - cheap to run, easy to repair, easy to find parts for, reliable, etc. etc. (And the beater would be cheaper.)

But I'm not arguing with you - everyone is different and that's fine.

 

[OBDave]

BCan't imagine them wanting to adequately compensate you for what you'd bring to the table, though.

That's the nutshell - if you're good enough to excel in retail, you're too good for the compensation available in retail. Two career paths - quickly elevate yourself to middle/upper management/another job, or stumble along until you're fired for showing up late/stoned/hung over/not showing up at all.

 

[lordmage]

That's the nutshell - if you're good enough to excel in retail, you're too good for the compensation available in retail. Two career paths - quickly elevate yourself to middle/upper management/another job, or stumble along until you're fired for showing up late/stoned/hung over/not showing up at all.

missed one sort of. if you that good and the vape scene is big enough you could always start your own company with competitive prices, better, juice, better equipment and best of all you could also sell online to

 

[OBDave]

missed one sort of. if you that good and the vape scene is big enough you could always start your own company with competitive prices, better, juice, better equipment and best of all you could also sell online to

That's the "another job" route...