Two seperate companies belonging to the same conglomerate and operating from a common facility. The real difference is Ccom's customer service is miles ahead of all others
A web site basically and conceivably a different sales division. They, along with about 3 other sites are under the same big tobacco umbrella conglomerate. With all the consolidation that has been happening over the years there isn't but a couple big players left in the game.
Price and Quality aside, Sometimes its the personal attention given by the customer service personnel. To me Customer service goes a long way in earning my following. I have been always treated kindly and respectfully by each and every Cigar.com member. No issue has ever not been attended to, nor have I ever felt unvalued. These companies sell thousands of cigars daily and when the Chief Merchant takes the time to respond personally to an issue on a holiday weekend, well cant really put a price on that..
Price and Quality aside, Sometimes its the personal attention given by the customer service personnel. To me Customer service goes a long way in earning my following. I have been always treated kindly and respectfully by each and every Cigar.com member. No issue has ever not been attended to, nor have I ever felt unvalued. These companies sell thousands of cigars daily and when the Chief Merchant takes the time to respond personally to an issue on a holiday weekend, well cant really put a price on that..
Not only is it something that sets ccom apart from their sister site, but their customer service is what distinguishes them from nearly every other company I've ever dealt with.
Not that punk is bad but it doesn't appeal to me. I almost think of the beard and Swenson as friends of mine. I'd rather buy from friends.
I have purchased many cigars from both and never had a cigar that needed to be sent back or came in any condition less than acceptable. My cigars are always in great shape from both sites, the only difference being they come with humi-pillows here.
I doubt most people here have called or emailed SteveR or any of the other reps on CI to try and personally work with them, because if they did they would get nearly the same results as they do here. CI seems to be looked at as "the cheaper and crappier alternative" whereas Ccom is "higher priced but negotiable with friendlier reps". I use SteveR on CI and Tim on Ccom and both have been more than generous when helping me fulfill my orders; Tim is my go-to rep as of late(the man responds 24hours a day!!). Dealing directly with a rep doesn't happen too often on CI, they fly a little more under the radar, and they do not put out their own deals, whereas here they are doing a deal every other month and sending out promos on email lists.
I have never had a customer service complaint with Ccom or CI...USPS lost a package from CI, I called and I had the package 3 days later. That was more than enough to impress me. Both are great in their own right, hands down the top 2 online cigar retailers to deal with!
Both great sites, I agree sometimes CI isn't noted as having as great a customer service reputation as Ccom, but I haven't had a problem with either & I've shopped at these 2 online sites exclusively (mostly) since I started. Both will take care of any merchandise issues. I always looked at it as CI was more internet only, where you order & its taken care of with no human interaction on your part. Thats what some people prefer & a lot of times its all i have time to do, log on & order quickly. Thats just my opinion but like I said I have never had a complaint with either company. Whatever suits your ordering style you won't be disappointed.
I'll pass on talking about the business connections between the two, and instead talk about the difference from a consumer POV... Customer service. In my experience, CI is great... I've never had a problem with them, always gotten product fast and in perfect shape (afterall, it ships from the same place as CCom orders...), but the difference is the personal interaction and treatment. When I email Tim, I get prompt responses, personal offers and recommendations, and insight from a guy who isn't just there to sell me his wares, but is also a fanatical enthusiast himself. To me, buying from my CCOM rep is as close to walking into my local B&M and shooting the *** for a half hour with the guy behind the counter who I've known for years as you can get from an online vendor. To me, that's the difference.
The difference to me is the fact that Alex responds personally to any questions, even from noobs like me. He pointed me towards some very rare cigars and told me how to get my hands on them, THAT is the difference!
"When walking in open territory bother no one. If someone bothers you, ask them to stop. If they do not stop, destroy them."
I've ordered from both. Both are great! Stay away from the devil though it will get you! I just recently started posting over here as I typically post on CI. Friendly people and an easy to follow banter. I've also shared some great trades on there as well. If you want pm me I'm always down for a trade.
Comments
Ccom has quality of service and product over anyone else.
if you call up and chat with ccom on the phone they will almost always have the same price as CI.
even when they arent, the price is worth the service.
Not that punk is bad but it doesn't appeal to me. I almost think of the beard and Swenson as friends of mine. I'd rather buy from friends.
I have purchased many cigars from both and never had a cigar that needed to be sent back or came in any condition less than acceptable. My cigars are always in great shape from both sites, the only difference being they come with humi-pillows here.
I doubt most people here have called or emailed SteveR or any of the other reps on CI to try and personally work with them, because if they did they would get nearly the same results as they do here. CI seems to be looked at as "the cheaper and crappier alternative" whereas Ccom is "higher priced but negotiable with friendlier reps". I use SteveR on CI and Tim on Ccom and both have been more than generous when helping me fulfill my orders; Tim is my go-to rep as of late(the man responds 24hours a day!!). Dealing directly with a rep doesn't happen too often on CI, they fly a little more under the radar, and they do not put out their own deals, whereas here they are doing a deal every other month and sending out promos on email lists.
I have never had a customer service complaint with Ccom or CI...USPS lost a package from CI, I called and I had the package 3 days later. That was more than enough to impress me.
Both are great in their own right, hands down the top 2 online cigar retailers to deal with!
I always looked at it as CI was more internet only, where you order & its taken care of with no human interaction on your part. Thats what some people prefer & a lot of times its all i have time to do, log on & order quickly. Thats just my opinion but like I said I have never had a complaint with either company. Whatever suits your ordering style you won't be disappointed.