I met a friend for dinner the other night that I hadn't seen in almost a year. He had never stepped foot into a vape shop and had never tried vaping before. He has been smoking on and off for many years and the more we talked about how my new vape shop was going and talking about how we go about introducing people to vaping as a cigarette alternative, he asked me a very interesting question.
"What are the barriers?", he said.
He could tell I was somewhat puzzled, so he continued:
"You know, what are some of the barriers that people face when it comes to giving it a try? For me, I would have never considered vaping until I sat here and talked to you and actually tried it myself. Vaping has always been something I considered to be for the hipsters - something about the people I see that do it, well, they dont really seem like my kind of people. They seem, I dunno, like douchebags."
Even though, he pretty much insulted most all of the vaping community, that made me really think for a minute because honestly, I too had those same initial thoughts about vaping when I started using it to help quit smoking. The first person I ever saw vaping was a complete douche. And not just because he vaped, but sucking on a little blue glow pen and exhaling a tiny puff of "water vapor" didnt help his cause any. Back then, there was NO WAY that vaping looked nearly as cool as I thought I was taking a long, contemplative drag of my Marlboro between my fingers and flicking an ash to the ground. If I would have let that one guy be a barrier to me trying vaping, my life may have taken a completely different turn.
But as naive as my friend's statement was, he brought up an interesting point that night and I'd like to share with you some of the things I feel are barriers that people face when considering vaping as a smoking alternative.
Barrier #1: First Impressions
First impressions are often the most influential in any situation. As is with vaping. If you are new to the scene, some of the sub-culture of vapers may be an immediate barrier to wanting to try it for yourself. Lets take my friends example, those of us in the vaping community either acknowledge, participate and/or support the act of "cloud-chasing" but to the novice, this may seem unusual. People getting together to see who can chuck the biggest clouds may be seen to some as a turn off. Similarly, if your first impression of vaping is by walking into a shop that is run by some punk kids who either dont know the 1st thing about vaping, or cant speak intelligently to help someone from all walks of life get into a device and setup for their best personal experience, this could potentially be a barrier that would prevent someone from taking the next step. It is important as responsible business owners of a vape shop to not only hire but also continually train our staff the art of customer service, putting the needs of the customers ahead of selling the latest and greatest products. I can't tell you how many times I've walked into a poorly run vape shop, where I find the "employees" either playing a game of grab-ass or completely ignoring their customers. Blowing huge plumes of vapor in the face of a first time customer is a sure fire way to not only lose the sale, but also send those people right back to smoking. Vape shops need to be a safe haven for anyone, so this barrier can be avoided. Likewise, if youre out in public and you see people vaping irresponsibly where they shouldnt, this could also steer your opinion on the entire vaping opportunity. Vapers, as a whole, we need to be respectful of those around us and be an ambassador for the community, not a detriment.
Barrier #2: Mind Games
People are 100% mental. No, not crazy (although many of us have those tendencies at times), but everything you do is controlled by your mind. A person needs to be willing to acknowledge that smoking WILL kill them, and there are better, safer alternatives to not only quit smoking, but also to get completely off the addictive nicotine. The person has to be committed to give it a chance to work, and nobody can force anyone to do something they are not ready to do. This will always be the most difficult barrier to overcome.
Barrier #3: The Exit Strategy
Most people quit the habit of smoking and pick up the habit of vaping. Ask any of us that are hobbyists and collectors and we'll tell you that vaping can be a very expensive habit. Many people need to know that vaping doesnt have to be a lifelong thing. It is a great way to quit smoking by using vape to supplement the addiction of nicotine and satisfy the oral fixation, but as you advance in your vaping, you should be able to tailor back on the nicotine levels. Once the addition of that chemical is gone, there can also be an exit strategy for also quitting vaping. Many of us enjoy it too much, but knowing that there can be a way to end it completely and not be handcuffed by simply replacing one addiction for another should help someone overcome this barrier.
Barrier #4: Expense
As I mentioned in the previous barrier, expense can be a barrier for people when they start to look at vaping. Sure, you can get into vaping relatively inexpensively, but anyone who has been vaping longer than a month or two will tell you, you need some serious vape budget if you plan on doing this any length of time. Not only can advanced devices be expensive (especially if you are always chasing the latest and greatest), but just the normal expense of vaping from juice to consumables like coils, etc can add up quickly. Most recreational vapers will go through at least 15ml of e-liquid a day (or more), so if you compare the cost of that to the cost of cigarettes, unless you are a two-pack-a-day smoker, vaping will be much more expensive over the long run.
Barrier #5: Quality of Goods Sold & Consumer Education
How many times have you purchased a juice or a piece of hardware and been completely dissatisfied for one reason or another. For vaping to work, your devices have to work reliably, all the time. This is often the biggest excuse for people who are trying to quit smoking to go back to the stinkys. I know for me, I make sure everything I sell, from the juice to the hardware and everything in between, is the best quality I can get. This doesnt mean I only sell high-end authentics, but everything I provide as a responsible shop owner, either has a manufacturer defect warranty or I personally guarantee repair or replace if it's something I can control. In the very least, I try to offer as much assistance to people, as much as I can. Another thing is making sure the customer is steered into something appropriate for their level and experience and they leave with an understanding of how everything works. If more manufacturers and vendors did the same, this barrier would be much easier to overcome. Educating the consumer is hugely important not only to their success but to the growth of the industry as a whole.
Those are the 5 barriers that I could come up with in the short amount of time in writing this blog post. Feel free to use the comment section below to offer feedback or provide some barriers of your own. As always, please come visit me at Zootie's Vapors at 40602 Charles Town Pike in Paeonian Springs VA 20129 and we'll be happy to help you overcome the barriers you face to quit smoking and start vaping. We want you to be successful and give vape a chance.
-Zootie
