A TOBACCONIST UNIVERSITY® Certified Retail Tobacconist (CRT)
commits to the teaching, study, and implementation of
TOBACCO COLLEGE
ACCOUTREMENTS COLLEGE
TASTE COLLEGE
SERVICE COLLEGE
as well as the TOBACCONIST UNIVERSITY®
CRT Code of Ethics & Standards
Apprenticeship Program
Certified Retailer Contract
STEPS TO CERTIFICATION:
1. Download the CRT Registration .pdf file. Follow the instructions, submit your information, and accept the CRT Code of Ethics & Standards. After you accept the Code, you will be listed as an apprentice on the Certified Tobacconist webpage.
2. Register on the TU Forums to download the CRT Apprentice Seminars from the Certified Tobacconist & Apprentice section. The CRT Apprentice Seminars will help build professional perspective and act as a study guide. After you have completed 500 hours as a retail tobacconist, you will be eligible to take the final exam, and earn your TU Certification.
3. The final exam is usually brought to retailers by CST who are authorized to administer it. You can find a CST in your area on the Certified Tobacconist webpage. They will bring you the exam at a mutually agreed upon time, observe you while you take the test, be available to answer questions and/or call TU if necessary. Then the CST will mail the test answer sheet back to TU for grading.
If there is no CST available in your region, please encourage the salespeople that service you to become Certified. Otherwise, you can take the test via skype.com for a $75 fee.
The CRT candidate will be notified within one month, whether or not they passed. Upon successful completion, TU will officially certify you by issuing a Certification #, adding your logo to your certified tobacconist listing, and putting your listing on our homepage rotation. You can puchase your personal graduation set ( Certified Lapel Pin, Laminated or Framed Diploma, Mousepad, and Stickers) through our Campus Store ( http://www.tobacconistuniversity.org/campusStore.asp#crtset ).
CRT BRIEF - DOWNLOAD
CRT Registration - CCT/CRT Retail Signage & Leaflet - CMT Application
_____________________________________________________________
The cost of Certification for IPCPR retail members is $0.00 - FREE. Non-IPCPR member Certification cost is $250 per person. There are no annual renewal fees for CRT Certification. If a CRT ceases to be employed by a retail tobacconist, their certification will be changed to a CCT. If a CRT violates the Code of Ethics & Standards, their certification can be completely revoked.
A CRT candidate must study TOBACCO, ACCOUTREMENTS, TASTE, and SERVICE COLLEGE as well as the FAQ & GLOSSARY to attain the requisite knowledge for TU Certification. All of the independent study is conducted through the internet-based academic curriculum and Apprentice Seminars. Candidates can call or email TU for help or guidance at any stage in the process. In order to pass the Final Exam and earn TU Certification, a candidate must score 90% or better.
____________________________________________________________________
TOBACCONIST UNIVERSITY® Professional Designations
are specific Titles that attest to a person or organization’s credentials
in the luxury Tobacco industry.
Tobacconists are the final point of contact for luxury Tobacco products, before they fall into the hands of loving consumers. All of the traditions, values, and heartfelt contributions of cigar makers, artists, and craftsmen are curated by Retail Tobacconists. It is the duty of every retail Tobacconist to consummate the relationship with the consumer with professionalism and integrity.
While retailer demographics, size, and visions may vary greatly, the fundamentals of the luxury tobacco business do not. Unlike department store employees, stock brokers, or dentists, professional Tobacconists have a duty to represent hundreds or thousands of products, with subjective qualities, to people with individual tastes. This challenge is virtually unparalleled in modern society.
Obviously, not all retailers are created equal. TOBACCONIST UNIVERSITY® Certified Retailers are committed to excellence in products, knowledge, and customer service long before they become certified. They already understand that an exceptional organization must be composed of remarkable people and values. Great retailers are passionate about their work everyday; focusing on facilities, inventory, leases, insurance, equipment, accounting, slippage, staffing, trends, and customers is an endless job. Retailers understand that being “the best” and striving for excellence, is a journey, wrought with challenges, that men and women of honor pursue.
Certified retailers understand that luxury tobacco consumers can choose to purchase their products from a multitude of internet suppliers, discounters, and/or mail order specialists. Traditional retail Tobacconists must find ways to add value to their customers or be obliterated by convenient or “lowest price” competitors.
Fortunately, there is no substitute for the aroma, experience, and character of a fine retail Tobacconist. No internet site or mail order catalog can duplicate the experience of choosing cigars from a walk-in humidor or having pipe tobacco hand blended in front of you, to your specifications. There is no substitute for the sensual and tactile experience of shopping for a fine cigar or pipe. Still, traditional retail Tobacconists must strive to exceed expectations and create a welcoming and compelling environment that will keep their customers coming back. While the rest of society demonizes smokers, and even as taxes and prohibitions are increasing, TOBACCONIST UNIVERSITY® exists to support, empower, and dignify a venerable and culturally significant profession.
