{"id":28876,"date":"2019-04-30T00:20:59","date_gmt":"2019-04-29T22:20:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cigarjournal.com\/?p=28876"},"modified":"2019-05-01T15:06:40","modified_gmt":"2019-05-01T13:06:40","slug":"the-cigar-authority-interviews-rep-x","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cigarjournal.com\/de\/the-cigar-authority-interviews-rep-x\/","title":{"rendered":"The Cigar Authority Interviews Rep X"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n

Working in the cigar business sounds like a dream job to some consumers. David Garofalo interviewed a representative in his podcast The Cigar Authority on April 6, 2019, who ruthlessly points out the downside.<\/span><\/p>\n

This interview first appeared on www.cigarauthority.com<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Cigar Authority (CA): I\u2019m talking with a cigar rep who asked that he remain anonymous for a few reasons.\u00a0 For one, to protect his job and livelihood.\u00a0 He\u2019s a cigar rep and some of the information he is going to reveal might not be to the liking of the companies that he works for.\u00a0 These companies, his name, his territory, and what he covers now and those that he covered previously will remain anonymous, and his identity will be protected and never revealed.<\/p>\n

Today from parts unknown is a cigar broker or a cigar company repetitive\u2026 we\u2019re going to call him REP X.<\/p>\n

CA: Welcome to The Cigar Authority.<\/p>\n

REP X: It\u2019s my pleasure.<\/p>\n

CA: As you can see, we have no audience as promised, and we have changed your voice so it cannot be detected for your protection.<\/p>\n

REP X: Thank you for that, as my future in the cigar industry is at risk, i wish to tell you and you\u2019re listeners what is usually said behind closed doors or not said at all.<\/p>\n

CA: Well, thank you representative x, I appreciate you coming to The Cigar Authority and giving us the opportunity to talk with you today.<\/p>\n

REP X: I\u2019ve listened to other shows and I\u2019ll tell you this, there wasn\u2019t a lot of options, most of the others sucked and would probably fuck it up and blow my cover.\u00a0 I trust that you are doing your best to protect my identification.<\/p>\n

CA: Well, We have done everything we can, and hopefully for your sake, I hope it stays that way because I\u2019m going to be asking you some tough stuff.<\/p>\n

REP X: Alright, let\u2019s get to it.<\/p>\n

CA: First off, what is the difference between a Cigar Broker and a Cigar Representative, and which one are you?<\/p>\n

REP X: I\u2019ve been both, and i would rather not say which one i am currently for obvious reasons.<\/p>\n

REP X: A cigar rep is an underpaid representative of a single company, and within that single company are probably various brands.\u00a0 A rep would represent all those brands in that company. A rep typically works for one company only, and gets a base salary and some bonuses. They also get most of their expenses paid for, by the company they represent. A car or car allowance, a gas card, insurance,\u00a0 a phone with typically with GPS so they can crack the whip and follow your steps, and an expense account. With few exceptions I\u2019ve run across over the many years in this industry that is the basic info to a rep.<\/p>\n

As for the cigar broker, they own their own company and have to pay everything themselves. The cigar broker makes a percentage of the sale to the retailer. If the retailer buys 10 boxes of a $100 box of cigars at their wholesale price and after they pay that $1,000 bill, then the broker will get their cut of that sale, which is typically 10%, which would be $100 in this case.<\/p>\n

CA: Which is better, a Rep or Broker?<\/p>\n

REP X: Interesting Question! Owning your own company and making as much as you can is the best way for me because I work hard and I build brands. I\u2019m no lazy fuck broker just sitting around cigar bars drinking and complaining.\u00a0 I get out and work.\u00a0 I work hard and build the brands but the sleazy cigar brand owners can fuck you over and have done it to me too many times.<\/p>\n

CA: So what are you saying, they don\u2019t pay you?<\/p>\n

REP X: There has to be some trust, and I know some have short payed me because I keep good records but that is not the worst of it.<\/p>\n

REP X: I have taken a small brand and built it over a territory and when they start paying me too much, they cut my balls and go with a company rep.<\/p>\n

CA: What do you mean by that?<\/p>\n

REP X: I took a small brand and built it in my territory to almost a million dollar brand. It was doing nothing before me.\u00a0 A few years later it was doing a million dollars. When it was doing under 200,000 dollars I got less than $20,000 a year. But after working my ass off, doing in-store events, every weekend, kissing the retailers ass, and using every favor I had to get the brand in their store, and after working it with their customers\u2026sales went up to almost a Million. A million dollars means the company pays me 100,000 and that\u2019s when they cut the balls from underneath you.<\/p>\n

REP X: They can get a company rep for a lot less than that\u2026 including all their expenses.<\/p>\n

REP X: And their Rep will sell nothing but their brand, and work for just them.<\/p>\n

REP X: The Broker does all the work for the smallest amount of money and builds it.\u00a0 But if it gets too big, I put myself out of business! I know because it happened to me too many times, too many to count.<\/p>\n

CA: I\u2019ve heard this from other people too, so it looks like a Rep working for a company is a safer way?<\/p>\n

REP X: Sure\u2026 but then you are capped to what you can earn! They own you, and you go up or down depending on their actions.<\/p>\n

CA: What actions could hurt you?\u00a0 You get paid no matter what – right?<\/p>\n

REP X: Yes, but the cigar companies are never satisfied, and they keep raising the bar and it effects bonuses.\u00a0 They change the rules of the game all the time.\u00a0 And at the same time, they make deals with the online discounters and crush the retailer. Then, i have the deal with the cigar shop owners bitch and complain while my numbers suffer too. The cigar company works against me and against the shop owners.\u00a0 It\u2019s the same shit over and over!<\/p>\n

CA: Cigar Shop owners bitch at you about what?<\/p>\n

REP X: Everything!\u00a0 Their business is slow, it\u2019s my fault, because I\u2019m the rep.\u00a0\u00a0 They suck too!<\/p>\n

CA: Well\u2026 I\u2019m a retailer, and I know a lot of other retailers, why does the retailer suck?<\/p>\n

REP X: Most retailers are lazy, and they can\u2019t get out of their own fucking way.\u00a0 They don\u2019t know shit! Not all of them, but the majority of them are terrible. I sell them a line of cigars and they sell them and when i ask them for a re-order to restock them, they tell me they are all set.\u00a0 How stupid can i be? Then i get the call for them a week later, asking how fast can you ship them? This kind of shit happens all the time.<\/p>\n

CA: So what i am hearing from you is\u2026 the cigar company\u2019s suck and so does the retailers?<\/p>\n

REP X: Pretty much!<\/p>\n

CA: How about the cigar smokers, the end users, the customers of the product?<\/p>\n

REP X: You have a few different ones and I don\u2019t care what store I go to and what territory, it\u2019s all the same.\u00a0\u00a0 You got the \u201cknow it all\u2019s\u201d people who know more than I do. They tell me what they think about the cigar\u2026 giving me their professional opinion. Hey jerk off \u2013 you\u2019re not a professional and I didn\u2019t ask you.<\/p>\n

REP X: Sometime they hurt the sale just being there.\u00a0 Get out of the way while I\u2019m doing business.<\/p>\n

REP X: And the stupid retailer is asking them what they think.\u00a0 If you\u2019re asking your customer what you think, maybe you should be the customer!<\/p>\n

REP X: This is the same jackass who complains that some cigars are being deeply discounted online and half their store is full of them\u2026 and it doesn\u2019t have room for mine.<\/p>\n

CA: Let\u2019s get back to the customer.\u00a0 What is your problem with them, the consumer?<\/p>\n

REP X: Well i told you \u2018the know it all\u201d who needs to get out of the way, I\u2019m trying to do business and they are there.<\/p>\n

REP X: Then you have the ones that are always looking for a free cigar.\u00a0 \u201cLet me try one and I\u2019ll put in a good word to the boss\u201d\u2026 fuck you!\u00a0 First off i can\u2019t give you a free cigar anymore, and you ask me every time iIcome in here.\u00a0 Why don\u2019t you get a life!<\/p>\n

CA: You seem bitter.\u00a0 You got a problem with the Cigar Companies, the Retailers AND the Consumers, why don\u2019t you find another line of business?<\/p>\n

REP X: wish you said that to me 20 years ago\u2026. But I\u2019ve gone too far, and I\u2019m in too deep. Maybe my boss will hear this and fire my ass and put me out of my fucking misery. But seriously, some of my relationships are good, and some are happy, and some companies do treat me with some respect\u2026 but the majority don\u2019t and I\u2019ve been doing this for a long time. This industry has changed, and not for the better.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

****REDACTED QUESTION AND ANSWER****at the request of Rep X<\/p>\n

CA: Is there a cigar brand that our listeners should trying?<\/p>\n

REP X: I really can\u2019t say because that might unmask me. People know what I like so let\u2019s not touch that this time.<\/p>\n

CA: I\u2019d like to bring you on again sometime, and get into the brands and the players within the industry\u2026 do you think you could do that?<\/p>\n

REP X: Let\u2019s see how this goes over, and if I don\u2019t get in any trouble, I\u2019ll come back and tell you some horror stories that will make your fucking heads spin.<\/p>\n

CA: OK, I\u2019ll hold you to that.\u00a0 Remember, you identity is safe here on The Cigar Authority, I thank you for sharing your thoughts with me. And we\u2019ll keep you identity safe and maybe we can get some emails from our listeners and get some burning questions answered by you next time.<\/p>\n

REP X: That will be fine.<\/p>\n

CA: OK, Thank you, that\u2019s representative x, he is a cigar representative out there somewhere amongst us.\u00a0 We\u2019re going to bring him on every once in a while and try to get some information from him so stand by for him, now back to the show.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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