Tobacco Business

[ 74 ] TOBACCO BUSINESS [ MARCH / APRIL | 21 ] “We pack up each order carefully and include a humidification device to make sure the cigars arrive on the other side of the country in the same condition they would be in if the customer was selecting them out of our humidor. On the very rare occasion that we have a hiccup in inventory or some other issue with an order, our customers don’t get shuff led off to the side. They get a personal contact from one of our expert staff members quickly—and with a substitution or other solution already prepared. Much like we might toss a nice accessory or a freebie cigar or two in with the purchase of an in-store regular, unannounced freebies find their way into our outgoing shipments frequently.” Building Relationships Product selection is key to the success of Scotty’s Cigars and any e-commerce business. Bendett’s approach to choosing which products to feature on his website is simple: He makes sure to stock what his customers want. “My business wouldn’t exist without my customers, and so what they want is always king,” he says. “We all monitor overall consumer demand as well as take feedback from our customers very seriously. We even have a specific ‘request a cigar’ feature on our website for customers to let us know about brands they would like to see on our site that we don’t currently offer.” There are plenty of other decisions that have to be made once a product is stocked. Bendett strives to offer a wide range of cigar brands, but that doesn’t mean each brand and product will receive the same promotion and marketing. Bendett relies on the relationships he has established with different manufacturers over his time in the tobacco industry to optimize sales. “Relationships that I’ve established over my 25 years in the industry play a significant role in terms of being treated well, and, in turn, my position allows me to provide great benefits for the vendors who provide us with outstanding service. By the same token, if I feel like a certain vendor is not working with me to foster a mutually beneficial partnership, I am less inclined to do business with them or take on products of theirs that may be on the margins in terms of consumer demand.” Building lasting relationships with vendors can be a challenge for many retailers, but Bendett says this can be overcome with a change in mentality. A business should be run like a business, not like a hobby. This important distinction and understanding will make all relationships, especially those with vendors, extremely important. “No one can succeed alone,” he says. “From relationships with folks like the UPS drivers or low-level employees to top-level brand owners, no business can succeed without strong relationships.” Creating and maintaining a good relationship with customers is also an important part of Bendett’s business plan. Bendett and his staff treat online customers just as they do those that come into his brick- and-mortar stores. This means they make sure customers receive the correct item, that what they order is shipped quickly and that all orders are packed correctly so items arrive to customers in perfect shape. All orders that come in before 2 p.m. are shipped that same day, and those that come in after that are shipped the next business day. Ensuring customers experience as short of a wait in between making their purchase and being able to smoke it is a major initiative for Bendett and the Scotty’s Cigars team. Problems do occasionally arise, but Bendett sees these challenges are opportunities to let his business’s customer service truly shine. “Our staff is extremely experienced, so in the rare event of an issue, they are making the phone call with a great solution or substitution already in place,” he says. “We find that honesty, transparency and forthrightness work best. If we’re honest about what went wrong, why it went wrong and what we can do to fix it, most folks are appreciative, and the interaction ends in a positive way that leaves the customer feeling appreciated.” Bendett also tries to anticipate potential problems and plans for how he and his staff will respond to them well in advance. Some small e-commerce sites only offer customer service through email, while the larger sites have call centers filled with people who lack knowledge of the products being sold. Bendett’s solution to this issue for his business has been to make sure that during regular business hours, someone will be on hand to answer any calls received and that customers will be able to get a response without being kept on hold for long. Customers will also be able to speak to someone with knowledge of the cigars who will not only provide them with excellent customer service but who loves cigars and tobacco as a personal hobby. For those customers who prefer to communicate through email, an online support ticket system is also available. Customers have access to a personalized account dashboard as well that includes their full order history and the ability to open a support ticket associated with any individual order that’s been placed with the store. Bendett has also developed an extremely customer-friendly return policy to ensure customers are satisfied with their purchases and have the ability to easily return something they may have an issue with. Relationships that I’ve established over my 25 years in the industry play a significant role in terms of being treated well, and, in turn, my position allows me to provide great benefits for the vendors who provide us with outstanding service. — Scott Bendett