What would you say, then do??

[HappyinHeels]

Hi All!

This is my first thread attempt but I wanted to share this with others because it has stayed with me. About 2 months ago I was in a Bakers store and the girl there told me about another store that had all sorts of high heels. I went after work since the store was quite close. I was greeted by the owner and I told her it was my first time there but was looking for something different, perhaps a wedge or a platform shoe for myself and I quickly felt comfortable and tried a variety of shoes settling on a pair of Soda 5" wedges (dk brown bottom and black top) and paid only $23! Good experience.

I returned to this same store on 21 July to look around for more bargains and this time was greeted by the male half of ownership. I noticed all the Soda shoes in that style were gone but he showed one similar and I tried them on but they didn't fit quite the same. Since the first ones were a size 10 and fit weel enough I wanted to try on other size 10 shoes since there weren't any 11 or 12's displayed. A youn sales girl attended to me but I could see the owner walking by from time to time. He then approached me quite closely when she wasn't around and said "Are you going to buy something or are you just wasting time?" I said that I had trouble finding something that would fit. He then said, I have a no loitering policy here and I want you outta here." Did not ask that I leave he said "I want you outta here." Having a shield i my wallet and realizing why I was there and that this was his store I didn't want to make a scene (nobody else in store) and call undue attention to myself so I played it cool and left. I had seen a gay couple come in and banter between themselves and several women come and go and nobody boughtanything. Perhaps the day's gross was quite low and here I was more than a half hour later and I haven't yet committed to something. I was taken aback to say the least. This has got to be Business Rule #1--don't screw with the source of your income--your customers yet that's what he did. I thought his wife may have no idea of what he did. Since this is a family-run place ther is no corporat avenue of redress. I have decided that I will return in the fallto check out the fall selections and see if he or his wife greets me. If it is him and he does this again I will adress it in the business community. He did NOT say anything to meabout trying on girls' shoes, it was all about not spending, didn't say anything making a mess either. My question for anyone reading this is: did I take too long?? What would you have done?? I know how I'll approach it but wanted to get some replies from girls and guys alike.

Thanks,

HappyinHeels

[danielp6406]

Greatings HappyinHeels :-)

As you said "Rule #1--don't screw with the source of your income"

I would go back to the store to see if his wife is there and explain her what his husband did to you.

Then I would say I would never go back to this store PERIOD. Even if she was OK with you. Too bad.

His attitude toward you was totally un-acceptable.

[Thighbootguy]

I wouldn't try to put the wife in the middle and I wouldn't go back at all until they are having their "going out of business sale".

[danielp6406]

And speaking directly to husband would be a waste of time. The wife would then talk to husband to make sure this never happen again with another customer.

[partyshoes]

I wouldn't try to put the wife in the middle and I wouldn't go back at all until they are having their "going out of business sale".

I agree - theres an unspoken rule in marketing that says for every good experience a customer has, they may tell 1 other - for every bad experience they have they tell 10 others. Although you havent posted the shop name here (probably a safe bet not to), make sure you do tell your 10 verbally.

[johnieheel]

What comes around, goes around. You need not do anything except BOYCOT and tell others of your unexceptable experience at this store.Time will take care of everything. BTW what and where is this store? Right here is a great place to start telling others about it. When someone comes into my shop, I great them and let them know we are there friend for life no matter if they buy or not.

[HappyinHeels]

johnnieheel,

Was hoping I'd see something from you, as you seem to have contributed greatly to the success of this forum. I'm getting the feel here that I should take the high road and boycott or tell others of my experience. The shop is here in the Midwest, I'd like to return in 6-8 weeks and see the fall inventory. I will browse like any sensible customer would and see what happens. I had an experience when I was very young that hardened my resolve against anyone who bullies. Much of what is wrong in the world has its origins in the bully. Bluntly put I detest bullies and I will not back down. Three years of high school football also told me that even a smaller guy can take a hell of a beating if his mind is solidly focused on the task at hand.Any time I face a confrontation, or one that could become one, I have found it better to listen and observe intently then gather facts and assemble them logically. As I said before, if the need arises I will address this in the business community. This guy was 6'4" and I'm 5'8" which might explain why I like heels . Time will take care of things I'm sure but the last chapter hasn't been written yet. Words, when used efficiently, can slice like a sword or encourage one to strive to reach goals once thought impossible. I'll write more about this later and hope to keep hearing from our members since there has to be others who may have had an experience like this.

Heels over the Heartland,

HappyinHeels

[tal]

I often visit a nearby store where they sell lots off high heels and boots, plenty of big sizes. They also sell a lot of pvc/leather clothing, and the shops has a lot of stuff for sale which you can get at other places to, but also stuff you won't find anywhere else. It not easy to find a store with such a large selection and shoes/boots in large sizes. I often visit the shop, and know the owner. We always have a chat, and he knows i buy anything which i like, money is no subject. So a few months back i was browsing the store and trying on different stuff. Then he walked up to me and pointed at a few items i had in my hands for trying on, when he took it away and said.... thats not gonna fit, your not trying it on. Oke.... fine with me. If you dont wanna sell.... its your business, not mine. Later i bought the exact same items (same brand/size/color) at another store, where they didn't make a problem about it. He just lost a few hundred bucks. So i thought....screw you, i'm not going back in in your shop. Basicly the same idea as mentioned above in other posts. But when i thought about it, i came to a different conclusion. I mean... its MY life, I want to have fun, I want the stuff i like. I was NOT letting his attitude ruin my fun. So, whenever i need something, and i know he has it on display, i will go back in there and try to get it from him. It saves me travelling hundreds of kilometers or ordering over the internet with more cost and trouble. However, i will not forget his past attitude, and i treat him nowedays the same as he treated me. Like last week. I knew they had a sale, and walked in there to get an item, with 25% discount. I would have bought it when they where full price, i wanted it badly, but this saved me some. And like yesterday. I wanted a certain type of clothing, which i knew he sold. I just walked in, said, i need this brand, this color, this size. He said he had not that particulear type anymore, but showed me some simmilair items, which i declined and showed no interest in with an attitude of 'i said what i wanted!', and simply walked out. Will i still mention his shop to other people when they ask? Maybe. Depends who asks, however, i will also tell my experiences. Maybe it looks like you let people walk over you with their attitude, but i try to take it to a different level. If there was another shop just across the street, i would have not come back to him anymore.

[johnieheel]

Reverse psychology is pretty effective sometimes but you need to be patient with it. Never know when somebody is having a bad day or moment and can later turn out to be your best friend. We have all had those days I'm sure but on the flip side, you shouldn't EVER bring your problems to work. Stay home if it's that bad. Talking about size, I am 5'6" and am not the least bit intimidated by 6 footers. If anything, I intimidate them. LOL! Thats just me.

[Guest]

well gee, thats what you get in a family run shoe store I would guess, maybe this moron is "afraid" that a man trying on womens footwear might drive away other customers, & he does not seem to get the idea that bussiness is bussiness & that a sale is a sale no matter WHO is buying! not very logical in his case!

[Puffer]

A disturbing and disappointing experience for HappyinHeels and I wouldn't blame him for seeking some sort of revenge. But, however bad for the business, the owner was quite entitled to refuse to serve him and, in effect, tell him that his custom was not wanted - and he didn't need any obvious or stated reason to do so. I'm sure that all of us have come across this type of 'service' from time to time, whether in shoe shops or otherwise. It works both ways too - I have more than once walked out of a shop because my time or patience was being sorely tried despite my attempts to make a major purchase. Not long ago, I abandoned a large pile of food on a supermarket checkout conveyor because the shop would not honour a clearly-advertised offer price on one of the items. Counter-productive, perhaps, but it made me feel better!

[johnieheel]

I did the very same thing Puffer. I had over 200.00 of groceries on the counter at Sam's Club when my membership was do. They would not take my x girl friend off my account and make it a single membership, Lord knows why, so I canceled, closed my account and never went back. I spent that much if not more every two weeks there.

[pussyinboots]

I have a friend who used to own a shoe store - and she only had one rule for customers - that was 'clean feet when trying on shoes please'.

People who took time over trying on shoes - or who simply had no intention of buying - she viewed as part of the territory of running a high street store.

[Guest]

well, ofcourse since it is owned by him, he can do anything he wants, but to me, it doesnt seem very bright to drive away a possible customer.

[Dawn HH]

I like the Rule #1, but I would like to also add a Rule #1A. You don't mess with the old gunfighter, especially when he is right. To make a long story short---we just bought a new car. I had dealt with this dealership for many years of buying service and parts, but never had bought a car there. So we went there to price and buy a new car. Knowing the straits that auto dealers are in when it comes to the auto business and the economy, you would think that they would try to do the best for their customers as they could hoping for future long-term business. First off---A young salesman who started to push things along a bit too fast. Well, I slowed him down on his approach as I had questions on the car and its equipment. When he couldn't answer my questions, and he said he didn't know, he handed me a brouchure on the car an left his post for a few minutes. When he returned I proceeded to point out the answers to my questions to him in the brouchure. It turned out that I knew more about the car than he did as he said the car didn't come equipted that way. After we had concluded our business with the salesman, we were sent to the "Bean-Counter" to conclude the deal. A few days later we got a statement from our bank that we were quite overdrawn and they were charging our account $37.50 for each of 10 overdrawn checks, which I think is rediculous. It seems that the dealership had put the same loan papers through 2 different banks at the same time. Finally after 2 weeks time and several trips back to the dealership seeing a different person each time, things were straightened out. Buying a car is a major item without all of this. Needless to say, that was the first car bought there and it will be the last car bought there and I let them know it in no uncertain terms. I haven't lived for almost 3/4's of a Century without learning a few things. As a guy said once, "I was born at night, but not last night". I also learned that you don't treat customers this way if you expect to stay in business. My word of mouth campaign is very fruitful right now, but I have discovered many mistakes from this dealership from other peoples stories since the deal. Wish I had known them before as I would have avoided that dealership like the plaque. I have also notified the General Motors Home Office of all of this and am waiting their reply. If they wanted to close down a bunch of dealerships, how come they missed this one. They certainly deserve it. I know this subject isn't about shoes or high heels, but it seemed to fit this thread. You don't mess with the old gunfighter. Cheers--- Dawn HH

[Tech]

After all that you actually still bought the car? I would have been out the door the minute the salesman started laying it on with inaccurate info... Its one thing to not know your customers but to not know your products

[gwl1]

I'm with you, Tech. If it looks like a lemon, smells like a lemon, tastes like a lemon... But I gotta respect Dawn HH if he thought he got a good deal and it was worth it. Dawn, drive it to the Canton Heel Meet for us all to look at. If we don't see ya there, we'll assume it broke down unless we hear otherwise. HA HA HA Ok, back to high heels.... GWL

[Bluegrassptp]

It sounds to me like the bully has already won .......this battle. If you are shy about buying heels that is one thing . This guy has disrespected you and you carry a "shield " . You may want to rethink not telling his wife . There are ways of doing that without trying to . All you have to do is call in advance of your future visit, see if he is working or his wife. Being a respectable buisness both should inquire as to the reason for such a question , TELL THEM WHY ! He has to be called out on the carpet or he will do it to another person or already has. With the economy the way it is he needs to know he can not treat you or anyone like that. There are way to many shoe stores on line for that type of bull crap.They both should offer an apology and some type of discount for your next visit. The wife has interest in this store so she should be notified of this problem . The fact that they are married should not have a thing to do with John Q. Public . Telling 10 other people without the store knowing is pointless . The store has to know from where the ax fell or you are wasting your time . Good luck with this and let us know how your next visit goes.

[Dawn HH]

Tech:-) I see your point, but I didn't use your advise as I had dealt with this dealership in parts and service for years and decided to buy a new car there for the first time. Well---it will be the last time! Now I must go much further from home to get my service and parts. Besides that, I saved $10,000.00 on the deal with all of the incentives plus government help and I had a good trade-in besides. GWl1:-) Both Mickey and I intend to attend the Ohio Heel Meet in Canton and we will be driving our new car for sure. Besides that, we both are well satisfied with the car itself. Cheers--- Dawn HH

[roniheels]

I have been to a shoe store similar to the one first described in this post. And I had a similar car experience as described by Dawn HH. I didn't buy the high heels or the car and I didn't go back to either place again. And in both cases, I really wanted the high heels and the car. But it was a question of principle in both cases.

[r1g0r]

i'm reminded of a shop in chicago (late 80s/early 90s, don't know if it still exists) that catered to larger size women with upscale and sexy-looking streetwear. not like fredericks' but classy and sexy clothing appropriate for work/shopping/events. anyhow, they were struggling and about to give up (close shop) when they were discovered by the crossdressing community. suddenly they were not just back in business, they were BOOMING! i remember hearing about the shop, and decided to try it out. it was a near-northside address, residential neighborhood, simple storefront location. nothing screamed "TRANSVESTITES SHOP HERE", it just looked like any other store. i went in male mode (at the time i was experimenting with actually appearing female, so there WAS a distinction) and there were a couple of other shoppers, one obviously male and the other appearing female. the clerk greeted me, asked if i was looking for anything in specific, and advised me to call if i needed help. i probably spent about 30 minutes there, ended up asking a BUNCH of questions when the clerk wasn't busy with other shoppers. she made me feel very comfortable and even advised me on cosmetics and beard-cover. at no time did i feel as if i was pressured to make a purchase, but did end up getting a couple of books regarding crossdressers and their spouses/partners. i guess the point of all this rambling is that i was made to feel comfortable in a situation where i could EASILY have been spooked enough to bolt out the door. obviously, their success was largely due to this kind of atmosphere and stands in marked contrast to the experience related by HappyinHeels. the payless store near me has a delightful staff that doesn't care one bit that i'm trying on heels. just that i'm in their store. THAT pays the bills!

[Bubba136]

The store in Chicago, was it called Skyscraper Heels on W. Belmont ? (They're still in business if it was......

( http://www.skyscraperheels.com/ )

[r1g0r]

The store in Chicago, was it called Skyscraper Heels on W. Belmont ? (They're still in business if it was......

( http://www.skyscraperheels.com/ )

sadly, i no longer remember. they may have been on elston, near belmont or addison, but i'm not sure.

they weren't named for shoes, i do remember that much. i think it was a woman's name for the shop.

[HappyinHeels]

Bubba136 and r1g0r, Haven't checked replies to this post I started in July but the store Bubba136 is asking about is in fact SkyscraperHeels at 2202 West Belmont Avenue in Chicago just west of Damen Ave. It is NOT the store I had the incredibly rude treatment at, I have not named that store but will at a future date once I have had a second look.

[HappyinHeels]

I had to go just then but I wanted to mention that Skyscraperheels in Chicago has been open in its present Belmont Ave. location since 1998 so Gary is in his eleventh year there. He did run a store somewhere else and it was not doing well until the CD community found him. His assistant Diane has been there since late 2003 and is extremely helpful to all customers. The store is well-known to girls, strippers, exotic dancers, and CD's or just even curious housewives looking for some cool heels. The prices for most shoes is $49-89, boots are about twice as much but the vast majority of his stock is MADE IN THE USA!! Try and think of a store where you can have fun trying on shoes an buying a product made in the USA. One can feel fine about going in dressed en femme or just in guy mode wearing your favorite heels or go in and wear your newly-bought heels as you walk to your car. It seems Chicago is a pretty big place where people are pretty busy with their own routine and probably won't notice your attire or won't have the time to care. I'd recommend it to anyone!! Anyone in this forum who passes through Chicago should stop in and you'll be glad you did. I live about 50 miles north of his store but visit from time to time. Gary also owns land in northern Wis. close to mine so we have a lot in common--beside a love of heels.

[danielp6406]

Anyone in this forum who passes through Chicago should stop in and you'll be glad you did.

I should have known this back in 1999 while I was living in the Chicago area for 3 months.

If I return there one day, I will pay them a visit for sure...