Time for New Shoes
Hang Them Up
After several thousand miles I decided it was time to hang up the Nike shoes and get a new pair. I endured 5 stores and two poor salespeople in the process.
-1st Attempt:
I went to the Foot Locker store at Ala Moana where I was instantly greeted (attacked) by an overly enthusiastic salesperson asking me how I am doing today. I said, “Fine, I need a new pair of Nike walking shoes, just like these,” pointing to the ones on my feet. He began showing me all sorts of different shoes while talking with co-workers and taking phone calls on that little mouthpiece they all wear. I interrupted him and asked, “Do you have these shoes or not?” He said, “No we don’t carry those anymore.” I asked him who does and he suggested I look at Champs Sports on the lower level.
-2nd Attempt:
I hiked on down to Champs and found the Nike shoe section where a salesperson approached me with the ol’ “May I help you” line. I told him what I wanted, he pointed to the wall of shoes saying, “These are all we have” and then got into a discussion with his friend who was visiting him in the store. I interrupted him and asked, “Do you have these shoes or not?” He said, “No we don’t carry those.” I asked him who does and he suggested I look at Wal Mart across from the mall.
-3rd Attempt:
By now I am determined to get those shoes so I walk on over to Wal Mart. I have never been in the Wal Mart store, so I thought it would be an adventure. It was; I discovered why I haven’t been there and know why I won’t go back. I hunted down em employee (cannot say “salesperson”) and asked about the Nike shoes. She told me to go across the street to ROSS Dress for Less.
-4th Attempt:
That’s another store I won’t return to. I hunted down the shoe department and had to hold back my laughter on the way back out five minutes later. I’m still not sure if they had 3 or 5 Nike shoes (No I don’t mean pairs) but surely not what I wanted.
-5th Attempt:
I went home and decided to let my fingers do the walking. I called Sports Authority. I was promptly connected with the shoe department where a very helpful salesman checked his inventory and said that he has one pair of the shoes I want, in my size. I asked him to set them aside and that I would be there in the morning to pick them up. He agreed to do that. I went there in the morning and was amazed by the size of the store. I asked the clerk at the front counter where I would find the men’s sport shoes. He replied, and I quote, “They are in the shoe department.” I was interested in the store, so I thanked him and set out to find the shoe department. When I did there was a woman doing stock work. I told her that I have a pair of Nike shoes on hold. She went into the back room, brought out a shoe box and handed it to me. I said, “Okay, let’s try them on.” She said, “Go ahead” and walked off. I paid and walked out without shopping further.
SUCCESS!
I just took my chances and brought them home. They fit, and my morning walk around Ala Moana Beach Park was 1 minute faster today.
The moral of this story is, “You can succeed as a customer if you are willing to place enough effort.” It shouldn’t be this way. How many lost opportunities do we see here?
November 19th, 2009 at 2:26 am
Hi Everybody,
Gosh Ron. Do you need anymore clients? Do you still have space in your diary for start out company clients who are willing to listen and read and and see just how much business they are losing? You are just one customer. What if that is happening day after day for a week with 3 customers per outlet? That’s 15 missed sales x 5 days = 75 x their families and friends and associates they tell and the blogs they write and the exposure they get by the ripple effect of chatter and other and all of the social media (facebook etc.) AND that’s just one week and one customer and one product.
Talking about recession - seems like salesmanship is in recession. Can you imagine if you invited those sales people to attend one of your public rallies? I wonder if they would come? Would they buy a book if you put it under their noses? Could they answer a simple retail question like “… well what stock do you hold?”
I am going to stop asking rhetorical questions because it’s silly now.
Ah. But you found your Nikes Ron, great stuff and it just goes to show the power of knowing your favourite favourite as a customer, lucky Nike!
Cheers
Lestie
Jo’burg
South Africa
November 19th, 2009 at 8:47 pm
I went thru the exact same experience, i was flabergasted to say the least! I soon realized that shoe models change very rapidly, and because of that fact, the salespeople dont care to help you track a certain model down. They just focus on what they have and if there is nothing that fits, youre plumb out of luck. It seems routine for many young people to shift their focus all over the map from you to a friend to a text message. So many are so unfocused. it is perhaps the most irritating trait of a so called salesperson. Multi tasking is the new protocol. it doesnt work when it comes to a customer who needs some help. major opportunities lost. How much do people really care about their customers these days?
November 20th, 2009 at 10:06 am
Hi Ron, Your story is UNREAL….but I know very well that you are not joking about any of these visits…. I immediately printed out your Blog Post and shared the story with my Sales Team. They all agreed this kind of “behaivior” from sales “clerks”….not sales people…. are unacceptable!! I am totally looking forward to see “our” own presentation over the next 2 days…hehehe… Thank you for sharing the true (and sad) stories with us all. Cheers, Peter
November 20th, 2009 at 10:23 am
“How much do people really care about their customers these days?”
I have been wondering about this these days. I am wondering if it doesn’t have something to do with the employee having little to no motivation to do better. In the kinds of stores mentioned in this post, if an employee does pretty much nothing, that employee gets an hourly wage. If that same employee busts his/her hump and does a great job the employee might get, let’s face it, a few more cents per hour. I’m thinking, “Why bother?” Just not much is in it for the working schmo. Plus, it does not take long dealing with John and Jane Q. Public to make a person regret ever being born (or at least not winning the lottery)
(with most of the behavior of people who I see out in public and in the stores I think I can appreciate the nearly irresistible urge to avoid customers - it may not be a voluntary reaction). Yes, I think so many opportunities were missed, but none of those opportunities would have benefited the floor staff who were encountered - other, that is, than supporting/increasing the revenue of the business and being able to keep a rock-bottom wage, soul extinguishing job. Now that I think about it, maybe these employees are trying (subconsciously or consciously) to get the store to go out of business so that they will be forced to move onto something better :).
November 21st, 2009 at 11:42 pm
Great points! It comes down to either you care about people no matter what circumstances you are in or you dont. there is no value to being a schmuck. do your best and keep your sights on better situations. its a bummer being on one.