Here's some protips. I've worked full time for a local grow shop. This will be my 7th year here. Here's some basics.
-I don't need to know you're growing cannabis. You need lighting? I just wanna know the basics. "how big is your space" etc. "are you looking at soil or hydro?", if you're relatively new let me know. By the same coin if you do let a worker know you're new, don't let them talk you into a shelf full of products. Some workers are money fiends, others just assume you're following everything they're telling you.
-Someone mentioned never go with shop advice. He later said that not all shops hand out shit advice. What you should do is really take some time talking to the workers. You don't have to get into specifics, just need a good grasp on the person's character. That usually says a lot about them and if they're generally full of shit, you'll know then and there.
-If the worker does suggest an alternative and you're skeptical or don't have much knowledge on the product, ask them to write it down so that you can research it. I've had to do this tons of times and I don't mind it one bit. If you come back here and search or ask about the product and like it, you'll come back and get it.
-Be clear and concise. I'm not here to make you panic, my job security depends on you leaving pleased, and coming back for future visits. If I make 10 bucks off you once a week for the rest of the stores life, that's better to me than getting a 300 buck sale on you and then never seeing you in the store again. Savvy workers know that long term patrons are what pay the bills. If you think you'll be nervous or whatever else, write your stuff down before you even leave. Even working here I still bring in a list of items I want before I leave the house. I won't forget shit and I'm less likely to blow my money on shiny things I don't really need.
-Don't bring an example piece of your plant into the store. If you want me to panic and immediately shoot my gaze to the parking lot, this will do it. Anytime anyone brings something like that in, the first and only words I'll say is "OUT!" with my finger pointing to the door.
-DO NOT BRING IN A ZIP LOCK BAGGY OF A BRANCH OF ANYTHING WITH MITES ON IT. Years ago I was in a shop where someone did this, we all took off out of the store. Don't bring your contaminated stuff in the "sanctuary" lol.
-A good worker is like a good member on a grow forum, they work with diagnostic methods. A good worker will operate in the same fashion.
-While some workers may deal in beans and cuts under the counter. I'd rather none of us did. Don't take offense if a worker has nothing to offer in this area. Undercover does come in from time to time, sometimes its obvious, sometimes it's not. And we like not only our jobs, but our freedom too. (medical state or not this holds true)
-Some stores have fixed pricing, some don't. Either way, you're best bet on getting a good deal, is to be a good customer to us. We know what Store X sells their ___ for. Try to find out why we price things the way we do before you try to put the works on us. (For Example: One place near my store sells gallons of Crystal Burst under cost, but you pay for it elsewhere.)
-Everyone wants a deal, when I go grocery shopping I'm getting what I want from the places that sell it for the best price. I understand that and have no issue with it. If you end up getting all your stuff here despite some of it being more costly, this is the quickest way to earn my respect, and in turn the quickest way for you to end up with extras,discounts,whathaveyou. If you're short a little bit, a good shop might cut you a break, but be respectful in return, you got a break from us, show some patronage and perhaps spend a bit more buying a future item there to show your appreciation.
(I had a guy who was 2 bucks short on a 3.8cu ft Promix HP. I let him slide on it, "I got ya, just bring me the change next time." That next time the guy spent 89 bucks, handed me a 100. Then told me to keep the change. That guy soon after started getting bigger discounts from us.)
-Samples are great, I love em you love em. Everyone loves em. Problem is, everyone loves em. We don't get infinite supplies of them. Some samples come from the distributor via a normal stock order. If we get in 2 cases of Botanicare Sweet Gallons, we might have a smaller box of sample sized versions with it. Sometimes not! Other times sales reps for various companies stop in to talk to the shop and to any customers that come in. One of the best ways to get samples is from sales reps. Their pay can largely be based on how often the stores they setup with are restocking their products. So it's in their benefit to hook you up with stuff to try to get you to purchase those items afterwards. Otherwise we have to request them from the manufacturers themselves. Sometimes we have to pay shipping, sometimes not. I've talked to customer service or sales reps about having some samples sent out, and sometimes it just doesn't happen and I have to get back with them. I wish I had a sample bottle for someone every week when they come in. The reality is that it's not possible. Some workers do snag up samples like its crack, I like to think I'm part of the majority that doesn't.
-It is true that workers can be hooked up. When Botanicare's KIND line was 4 months or so away from launch, my Botanicare rep stopped in with tons of info and a 1 gallon set of Base-Grow-Bloom for me to personally take home and run. Their thought is that if I run it and like it a whole lot, I'm more liable to direct people towards it, which goes along with what I said earlier about sales rep pay. Other times its because these people become good friends with you. I talk to this rep and another from X Nutrients daily about life in general, not just shop talk. I've also given legit growers I trust some of these sets. I might be in the middle of a test run of something, I don't wanna switch, but I do want some solid information on it, so I'll give it to a grower who I believe has their shit together, and won't do me wrong.
-If you roll into a shop and ask "what's the best nutrients?", a good worker should stumble a bit. Technically there isn't a best nutrient. A vast majority of us believe that a vast majority of what happens to your plants is on the grower, not the nutrient formulations. Each line has its quirks, each supplement has its perks over others. Knowing how and why things work the way they do is a great skill to develop.
-The hydroshop worker is not the "man", just like you aren't the "man." Both yours and my ego need to be left outside that door.
Truly people make a bigger deal out of going into a shop than they need to. I was surprised at how many people who grow have never bought from a physical store. This place might as well be Autozone or whatever. Come in get your stuff, or if you can't find it tell me what you're looking for and I'll take you to it or point it out for you. If the store doesn't carry it or have it in stock, they might be able to put it on their order list for whenever they put an order in. They'll tell you if they can, and when you can probably expect it. In some cases they may want a contact number. Otherwise bring the stuff to the counter, have some friendly banter over a sports team, politician, or local event or whatever while you pay for your stuff. This is just like a trip to any other store you shop at every dya. Hey have a nice day, enjoy this nice weather! And away you go. It's that easy lol.
lol.
