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Tales from behind the counter.
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It's funny counter, when I put "he" I did think do I know the poster is a "he" from what's been posted, but I was too lazy to check back and posted it anyway! Sorry if I offended you
Don't forget, I can spot you a mile off and I will tell you a shoe is suitable for you when I know fine well that it isn't.
I can understand local shops being fed up with people going in for advice and then going on the web. I think it is pretty unforgiveable as if everyone did that we would lose all our local shops and have to rely on the web and JJB! But would you really advise someone to buy the wrong shoe for them that might end up in them getting an injury? Surely you wouldn't...?
I usually buy a pair that has been fitted but if I am skint I will try and buy the identical one online if I found I liked the one I had tried in teh shop but I would still buy it in tehshop to try first
I tend to tell the people working in the shop what size I am in my current running shoes as they usually know whether other brands are smaller or larger in their fitting
Sorry, I'm still giggling at Sunluvva's fart/gynae stories!
I'm a 4 in 'normal' shoes, 4 and a half in most running shoes and a 5 in spikes. The only time I've tried to kid myself about my shoe size is when I fell in love with a size 5 pair and spent a week stuffing them with anything I could get my hands on to make them stay on my feet. It didn't work.
I buy my shoes online because I know what I'm looking for and need all the financial help I can get... but if I have to change shoe for whatever reason I tend to go back to a proper running shop for advice, and in that case I always buy my new shoes from there. I think it's worth paying the extra for a service the internet can't give you - it's like the difference between porn and a prostitute (no offence meant
).
I also work in a running shop and 'counter' is spot on.LWJ i'am afraid some woman do lie about their shoe size to themselves that is and then come back to the shop with the shoes we told them were too small, minus a toe nail! Then try to say it was a member of staff that recommended that size shoe. Sorry LWJ bare face lie, see at least 2-3 times a week. Will admit it does seem to be people new to running or gym members or people coming back to running after a lay off.
Here are a few points from the other side of the counter:
In my experience the running shops I have been to in this country have an absolutely farcical stock of shoes in my size (12).
So, if I come into your shop and try all your size 12's on and you have only 3 pairs of the type (e.g. racing flats) that I want and I walk out - don't immediately assume I haven't bought any because I'm going shopping on the internet. I can do without the suspicious glances and guilt trip when you have a shitty stock range.
It would also be appreciated if I could run in them outside as I don't want to test them out on a contraption I never use.
It's great that you'd like to help with the fitting and testing of the shoes but sometimes we would like to get on with it ourselves. If we do, don't immediately assume that we do so out of ignorance as you always do. Genuinely we sometimes would prefer to do it without the interference, even allowing for the fact that you feel your input is absolutely necessary to our purchase (it isn't). If we buy you can have the credit, if we don't then you don't have to complain about abuse of the gait analysis.
It would be helpful if you published the weights of all of your shoes as part of your display.
If you own a website please allow shoes to be searchable on size. I don't want to click through every bloody shoe to then find out you don't have my size in any of them.
If you advertise a shoe as in stock on the internet in my size and accept my payment please don't email me the next day and say you don't have it in my size. Have a system that only allows me to choose a shoe you have in stock. If you make such a mistake go out of your way to find said shoe and send it for the price you advertised - don't try and sell me another pair I never wanted "because it's very similar".
If you have no racing flats in my size don't tell me you could order 3 pairs in but that if you were to do that I'd have to commit to buying one of the pairs.
Don't charge over £8 for bodyglide. I understand you have more costs to cover than internet shops but bare-faced rape isn't going to help you in the long term.
Good post Moraghan
If i went into a shop with staff who have an attitude like runner.. i'd try every shoe on then tell him i'm off to buy on the net. Why don't you name the shop where you work, i'm sure that will attract lots of business for you...
A few points in response to Moraghan:-
I stock all sizes up to 13. If I haven't got them then it means I've sold them. Ask me and I will order them for you.
See above.
Come in on a dry day and I will gladly let you run outside.
Not true in my shop. Explain and I listen.
Good point, but weight of which size? I stock 11 sizes per shoe. If you know what you want then surely you would have done your homework before coming out to play.
Good point.
Very good point and a disgrace that it occurred.
Very bad.
Which size bodyglide?
Don't forget, this can benefit customers and stores. Tell me what you don't like and I can do my best to put it right.
Parents, please do not allow your child to wipe the floor with that white running top that you have dropped on the floor and not bothered to pick up.
I run in the the shoe size 2 sizes bigger than my own.eg ladies size 9.......but I tried on a mans size 9 once as they were so cheap but they felt a lot bigger
when i'm walking in my running shoes they do fel a bit strange.but when i put on my nice thick thorlos socks and start runnning they feel just right as my feet seem to swell...........
And just to say i have tried a few running shops and i just love the staff at Run and become at cardiff....no fancy treamill gait test just old fashioned knowledge and enthusiasm for running.......i enjoy going in there......
A bit of aftersales service (even if not strictly necessary) for a £200+ piece of kit doesn't seem excessive to me.
Are you sure this thread isn't aimed at making sure people don't even bother to come into your shop and order straight from the 'net?
Imski - this is a very tongue in cheek thread, but all based on truth. The last one is a slight exaggeration. What I should have said was "Please at least open the box and look at the bloody thing before bringing it back and saying it doesn't work".
You see, when the bag that the manual comes in is still sealed, it obvious no attempt has been made.
that would be a man of course because we women always read the manuals........same as we are capable of asking directions when lost and can ask in a shop if we can't find an item
Actually Seren, no. In my experience it's the ladies who can't fathom out how to operate a Garmin.
Whilst we are on the subject, if you do bring a Garmin back for me to demonstrate how it works:-
Don't be suprised if I say no if you come on a Saturday afternoon and the store is packed and especially when I know that you didn't buy it from me.
I will quite happily demo it when I have time, but for me to demo it, you need to have at least worked out HOW TO CHARGE THE BLOODY THING UP. If I can't switch it on due to the battery being discharged then I can't demo it. At this point please do not tut at me. Your stupidity is something which I have no control of.
I'll continue to buy my shoes off the net until:
(a) running shops stock the shoes I wear - vibram fivefingers.
(b) it spares the embarrassment of the member of staff in the running shop pretending they know about foot mechanics, when clearly all they know are terms: 'over-pronation' 'neutral' and 'supination',
and as such this does not make you any more familiar with the actions of the subtalar joint than my dog.
Fair enough about the no attempt, but the whole attraction of a real life shop is that you can talk to someone in person and they'll help you.
If you can spend 1.5 hours on selling a pair of shoes (£70-£80?), you surely must have some time for someone who spend 2-3 times that amount already.
But, yes, I'm sure you encounter frustrating situations and I understand you're using this thread to let off steam.
Fair do's on the saturday afternoon priorities...
Thanks for your non-reactionary answer! Which county is your shop in?
Obviously it would be foolish to list the weight of every size - all you have to do is list the weight of all the men's shoes in the same size as it's the relative weight of the shoe that's important. Most places that do so would use a 9 or 10 for mens sizes. I would do my research anyway but it may not always be possible on a spur of the moment visit and we are talking about ways the experience could be improved.
I made a mistake on the bodyglide - it was actually the 36.9 size, but it was £12! Wonder what the wholesale price for those is?
As you seem quite knowledgeable I would be very interested to hear of any studies that links pronation or overpronation with injury and how, using the facilities in your shop, you are able to tell when ordinary pronation moves into the territory of over-pronation (my question may not make sense, if so just tell me). I'm not trolling, I just have the impression of people clinging on to inherited dogma in this area. (My knowledge isn't good in this area, hence the question).
You missed out Qualysis... you just can't get the staff these days!
Ladies. Please remember this formula when trying on my range of clothing:-
Light coloured clothing + make up = stains.
It costs me around £100 a week in goods that are marked to such an extent that they cannot be sold.
Do you have tissues in your changing room? I don't wear a lot of make up but it's always easier to try on clothing and not get make up on with a tissue on your face.
I loved shop work when I did it!
Excellent idea Double O. Thanks for that.
Moraghan - again thanks for your input.
Regarding studies linking over-pronation to injury. I'm afraid this is beyond my field of knowledge. Im sure that there are some but bear this in mind:-
I see many runners complaining of knee problems who over-pronate. The running shop answer is to put them in a shoe that will help prevent the overpronation. I'm sure that an expert in the field will probably tell me that this is wrong but when these same runners then contact me a few weeks later and say all the pain has gone, well that's fine by me. As to when pronation become over pronation, we'll leave that answer to the experts as well.
I also see many people every week who overpronate in their current shoes and it cause them no problems. So why change them.