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
TOBACCONIST UNIVERSITY® (TU) provides a platform and framework for Tobacconists committed to excellence. Our programs and resources are tailored to help retailers train, develop, and incentivize their most valuable human assets. In addition, TU works with individuals, salesforces, industry members, other industries, and the media to increase professionalism, credibility, and achieve the highest standards for the luxury Tobacco industry.
Certified Retail Tobacconist, or CRT, is a Professional Designation available to Tobacconists who work in retail, "brick and mortar" (B&M) shops. For our discussion purposes, stores will be referred to as Certified Retailers (where at least one CRT works) and individuals will be called Certified Retail Tobacconists (CRT). Ultimately, the Professional Designation for both entities is still the same - CRT.
STEPS TO CERTIFICATION:
1. Send TU an email stating that you would like to become a CRT; and tell us whether or not you are an IPCPR member.
2. TU will respond with an Introduction email asking you to accept the CRT Code of Ethics & Standards.
3. After you accept the Code, you will be listed as an Apprentice on the Certified Tobacconist webpage.
4. CRT E-Seminars begin the first Monday of every month. The E-Seminars are emails which are sent out every Monday and Wednesday for six weeks to help you study and enhance the curriculum. After you have completed 500 hours as a retail Tobacconist, you will be eligible to take the final exam, and earn your Certification.
5. 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 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 with TU in Princeton, NJ or at the annual IPCPR convention.
The CRT candidate will be notified within one month, whether or not they passed. Upon successful completion, TU will issue and mail the Diploma, Lapel Pin, as well as list the new CRTs' logo and website on the Certified Tobacconist webpage.
____________________________________________________________________
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 E-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.
