Customer Service – 8
Location Appearance – 7
Selection of Products – 7
Knowledge of Staff – 8
Price Range for Area – Median to Low
Overall Rating – 7.5
Gahanna is one of the nicer suburbs of Columbus, with smaller shopping center scattered between restaurants, schools and housing sub-divisions. Just off of the main drag through the area (N. Hamilton Rd. / 317), sits one of those shopping centers being occupied by a sign shop, a driving school, and a vape shop name that I’ve kept seeing more of around Columbus and it’s suburbs. I’ve been in to a few, and found that it’s a somewhat odd mixture of independent, licensed stores and several owned by one of the two guys who founded them (which is the case for the Gahanna shop).
I expected about the same general equipment and juices as most of the other locations I had been in to, and to a degree I was right. I saw the normal counter space, shelving full of juices, a small “tasting bar”, and a little area for customers to be able to sit and chat or play with new purchases. The number of juice lines was a little more varied than some of the other shops, and the equipment selections a bit larger. Overall though, it seemed like any of the other locations of The Vapor Station I had been in – not over busy, not dead, and generally welcoming.
As I walked up to the bar, one of the staff (I found out his name was O’Ryan when we finally got around to introducing ourselves about an hour later) greeted me right away, and asked if there was anything in particular I was looking for. We talked for a few minutes about some new juice flavors that had been suggested to me, and the poor luck I was having finding them anywhere in Columbus. We discussed what I was wanting for PG / VG mix and that I was dripping, before he opened up a couple of drawers and put two bottles on the counter for me to try. We went through about half a dozen flavors, and he filled me in on their house mix masters and the two lines they do. He filled me in on the specials they run each week, and some new flavors they are working on.
I brought up looking for a new RDA, and that I was still looking in to sub-ohm tanks. We then spent another half hour discussing a couple of the RDA’s I had been thinking about, and what would work best for me in tank based on the juices I preferred, and the wattage I usually run. It was time to get heading towards home, so I decided to just get a 10ml bottle of one of the house juices I had enjoyed. As with the rest of my time in the shop, he was quick to get it put in to a bottle, labeled and marked.
From start to finish, this was one of the best shop experiences I’ve had to date. This was the middle of the day, so there were only a few customers. But all of them seemed to be enjoying their time, and working on some new builds. The selection of equipment and juices, combined with the knowledge of the staff, creates an atmosphere that welcomes the patrons and makes them want to return whether they actually need to buy anything or not. The pricing was in line with most of the Columbus area – a little higher on some small things, a little lower on others. Most of their larger products like mechanical and box mods, were generally a touch cheaper than some shops I had seen them at. All and all though, it was very well-rounded in stock and price.
The biggest draw for customers to return though, is the enthusiasm and passion for making sure that the products vapers coming in to the shop leave with, are the best fit and quality for each customer. When you see a staff vaping in a shop, you figure they’re going to have an interest in the equipment and supplies they sell. This isn’t always the case, but for the folks at the Gahanna Vapor Station – it’s above and beyond that. And that folks, is what makes LOYAL customers.
So if you’re in the Columbus area, make a point of stopping in to this little shop. They’re open Monday through Friday from 10:00 A.M. to 8:00 P.M., and weekends from 10:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M.
Vaping For Everybody 