Responses From Sales Associates

[jetheelsfan]

I recently went to a Payless that had the size I need in the Blue Manic Pump on clearance for $10.  I also had a $4 off from another store along with a 15% coupon.  The price was going to be less than a hamburger sandwich and last longer.

I habded the SA the slip from the other store and was informed that another guy 30 minutes earlier had made the purchase.  She offered to show me some other styles such as the Karmen.  She was really working to make a sale but could not extend the bargain price if they were ordered from the warehouse for later delivery. 

[hh4evr1]

I went to Next today and asked a lady sales assistant for a pair of blue stiletto courts/pumps in my size as they were not on display. When she returned she double checked the size I asked for and then asked if I wanted to try them on. I was shocked/surprised as I have never been asked before. Usually they ask if I would like a gift receipt or mention the returns policy.

I thanked her for the offer but declined as it was crowded with customers. I did say that I have bought lots of shoes and boots from Next before and this pair should fit well too.

[Thighbootguy]

I thanked her for the offer but declined as it was crowded with customers.

 

To quote Homer Simpson, "Doof". 

 

We should take advantage of golden opportunities when life occasionally presents them to us.

 

TBG

[hh4evr1]

I wished I had tried them on, just for the experience.

[Rockpup]

I wished I had tried them on, just for the experience.

100% yes! After a few times you will refuse to buy shoes you don't try on. Saves time when you figure out you don't like the fit 30 seconds after you put them on at home. You also will find out so few sales people care at all that you are a guy

[Steve63130]

And the customers don't care either. They may smile in amusement but you won't get any grief from them. On the contrary, you might even get a few compliments!

 

Steve

[Guest]

That's the ticket. Don't try to hide it. They know when you buy a size 12 who they are for.

If she works on commission let her know she is your new sales lady and try to buy from her.

I have tried shoes on when it was kind of busy. And that is just it. People are focused on themselves. Just try to look like you are a bored husband waiting on the wife.

[robbiehhw]

I was trying on wedges in a Nine West store yesterday. The SA had the same pair and was very helpful. Customers were un-phased. Normal day shoe shopping.

[Ynotme]

Well I guess I have hit that point now I ordered some wedges online from Payless and had the delivered to a local store . I got there today I was walking up to the shop and went in the SA was walking to the back and said I saw you coming in and was going to get my order even before I said anything . As she brought them out she asked if I wanted to try them on ( which I did in the store ) No problems

also I tried on a few other pairs on . Fun

I ended up with a pair of OMally wedges brown after reading Jeff Bs story's

Got them for $13.50 after a 10% off coupon

Nice to have a SA that likes to see you its all good your $ £ are just as good as a woman's

[Guest]

Perhaps it's sometimes better if I just don't say anything.

[hh4evr1]

That's the ticket. Don't try to hide it. They know when you buy a size 12 who they are for.

If she works on commission let her know she is your new sales lady and try to buy from her.

I have tried shoes on when it was kind of busy. And that is just it. People are focused on themselves. Just try to look like you are a bored husband waiting on the wife.

I'm only a size 7UK. I plan on going back and trying on a few pairs while she is there. I left feedback online praising her customer handling skills.

[maninpumps]

I have had some good and some bad experiences trying on women's heels at the time of purchase.

 

  First the bad experience , Pic-way shoes in Lexington, KY . This happened back in the late 80s . The sales clerk was a middle aged male and grumpy at best. There was a pair of black patent  "T" strap sandals with a floral chop out design on the vamp in a size 11 . I hunted the guy down and asked him if they might have another pair in a size 12 in the back. His response was , "Sorry honey we don't carry women's shoes in men's sizes". The statement he made was extremely rude with his facial expressions and tone . Clearly he made his point of not wanting to sell me anything .

 

  Time for the good . I have had all the sales ladies at Torrid , Lane Bryant and Payless ask me if I wanted to try on my heels before purchase . I always take them up on the offer and most of the time if the store is not busy they will watch and offer "tips" on how to walk in heels and I always try both shoes on . When I stand and walk in them and see how they are to walk in , Its the same how long have you been wearing heels ? The sales lady from Torrid informed me if I wanted they would stay open a little longer If I wanted to try on a dress or an outfit if I was not comfortable with other customers in the store. Here is a little thing I have learned over the years , call the store in advance to see if the store carries the size you desire and make a note in the phone book or notepad. Its been my experience the mall Payless stores don't have the larger sizes whereas the Payless store in the "downtown" areas do . Hope you all have a great time shopping !   

 

 

 

   

[RonC]

maninpumps, I agree with you on the call first thing.  If you're not comfortable with trying stuff on in the store, call first and ask.  They can;t see you through the phone and have no idea who you are, so no need to be anxious on the call.  Ask if they would mind if you tried stuff on in store.  You'll get an honest answer, and when you go in, they'll know why you are there and will accommodate you usually without question.  Always worked well for me.  Unfortunately, not many of the old time local shoes stores around any more, though stores like Torrid, Payless, etc. are always happy to have you there.

 

While I never had anyone with as bad of an answer as you got in Lexington, I have received the same answer from a salesman - just not so rudely put.  But the tone of the answer asking about the availability of a large size spoke volumes about what he thought.  Jerks.

[Guest]

I don't deal with men in shoe stores unless they are gay.

Just go to the store and feel the place out.

You won't know until you get there. If someone comes up and asks to help you either say no thanks or ask for a pair of shoes depending on what they are like.

Chances are if they come ask to help you they are ok.

[Majo]

I never had a bad experience -to this date- trying heeled shoes in a store down here in Argentina.

Most of the clerks I met were women, though. I don't know how males would put up with it.

[LuvsStiletto]

I have had only one experience that was not so positive. It happened about twenty plus years ago, at a Baker's store, while trying on a pair of black stiletto QC (Quality Craft) brand pumps. Sometimes I still see those style pumps pop up on an eBay listing. Basically, I had just asked a female SA if I could try on the pumps. Back then, I would tell them that I was buying them for my girlfriend, who had the exact same size foot as I did, so I wanted to test it, to see if they fit true-to-size. She was cool with me trying them on in the store, and even though there were no other customers in the store when I asked to try them on, just as I got both of them on my foot, her male coworker was coming back into the store from break, with his lunch in a bag, and passed me to go out back with his food. I'll never forget the look of total disgust he had on his face as he glanced at the pumps, while walking by! It really did not bother me, or deter me from trying on heels in the future, because since that day, I have done it countless times. I no longer make up stories when I try them on. I just tell the SA that yes, they are for me. I also no longer ask to try them on, I just do it. The only exception, is when it is an old time shoe store, or a department store, that keeps their inventory out back. In those cases, I simply ask if they would mind finding my size out back. I find that most shoe stores just want to sell, and really don't care who is doing the purchasing, or who that person is purchasing for. As others have said, a sale is a sale, and if they are on commission, they just want to rack up their numbers, no matter what. Virtually every experience since that day has been positive, with most SA's going out of their way to make recommendations or help with alternatives, if the style I like is not available in my size.

[Rockpup]

On 5/16/2015 at 0:55 PM, MackyHeels said:

Once I went to the store browsing the woman section two male sales guys had a commentary about me. What was said in concise manner was if I shopped for woman shoes it's slippery slope to becoming a serial killer. I had to be watched closely because someone who wears woman shoes doesn't care what society thinks of him.

 

"Good thing for me I got the serial killing done early on" Might have been my reply. 

 

I've not had a bad experience, one Nine West salesperson remembered I'd tried a style on that I was not 100% sure about on a previous trip. Ended up buying them at a different store anyways  

 

Nice shops tend to be professional about sales, have had sales guys even mention that a style is quite comfortable.. etc. Some can be hit or miss. I can agree gay sales guys can make it more fun, but you never really know which guy is gay if he is not flamboyant. Most of my close friends are gay, and most would be assumed straight in many social situations. Two sales guys, one at a Saks and one at a Louboutin store were overjoyed to let me try anything I was in the mood to *yay*

I'm looking at a pair from Cole Haan recently, supposed to be 100mm heels, and I suspect quite comfortable as I've had good experiences with them but have yet to shop in one of their specific stores. Will let you know how things go Sat. 

[subtle]

I've got one little story about my first ever shopping experience.

i was really nervous but I managed to make my way down to a Payless just down from my hotel. I wandered in and walked an aisle or 2 before I found the right sized section, lucky for me this was right beside the men's shoes of similar size which made me less nervous, I pretended to look at them when others were around. After a while I found some black round toe wedge slings that would fit and finally gave in and picked up the box and headed for the counter. The assistant wasn't there but she approached and some other assistant had left previous items on the counter. She opens one with intent to organise it off to the side, but jokingly she lifts out some small pump and says "guess these aren't yours" with a smile on her face. I smiled and said stuttered "no", meanwhile thinking they're much too small and handed her my box of wedges. I don't think she even hesitated when she opened the box and rang them up. There was a feeling of thrill, heart pounding, to which I can't explain.

i got home and all I could think of was her comment then handing over a the shoes I was buying, and had a little chuckle.

s

[Histiletto]

2 hours ago, subtle said:

I've got one little story about my first ever shopping experience.

i was really nervous but I managed to make my way down to a Payless just down from my hotel. I wandered in and walked an aisle or 2 before I found the right sized section, lucky for me this was right beside the men's shoes of similar size which made me less nervous, I pretended to look at them when others were around. After a while I found some black round toe wedge slings that would fit and finally gave in and picked up the box and headed for the counter. The assistant wasn't there but she approached and some other assistant had left previous items on the counter. She opens one with intent to organise it off to the side, but jokingly she lifts out some small pump and says "guess these aren't yours" with a smile on her face. I smiled and said stuttered "no", meanwhile thinking they're much too small and handed her my box of wedges. I don't think she even hesitated when she opened the box and rang them up. There was a feeling of thrill, heart pounding, to which I can't explain.

i got home and all I could think of was her comment then handing over a the shoes I was buying, and had a little chuckle.

s

Had the pumps been a choice for you, I wonder what her reaction would have been, had you said no, but followed with "would you have them in a size (#)?"

[SF]

I remember Bakers Shoes and their Quali Craft line.  I still have one pair of Quali Craft flat sandals, one of the first pairs of gals shoes I purchased - way back when.  I don't think I tried on the shoes in the store, but I do remember that buying them was a non-event.  

I still wear the sandals on occasion, when I don't feel like wearing heeled sandals!!!  ha ha....   Take care all, sf

[Steve63130]

On 12/17/2015 at 11:00 PM, subtle said:

I've got one little story about my first ever shopping experience.

i was really nervous but I managed to make my way down to a Payless just down from my hotel. I wandered in and walked an aisle or 2 before I found the right sized section, lucky for me this was right beside the men's shoes of similar size which made me less nervous, I pretended to look at them when others were around. After a while I found some black round toe wedge slings that would fit and finally gave in and picked up the box and headed for the counter. The assistant wasn't there but she approached and some other assistant had left previous items on the counter. She opens one with intent to organise it off to the side, but jokingly she lifts out some small pump and says "guess these aren't yours" with a smile on her face. I smiled and said stuttered "no", meanwhile thinking they're much too small and handed her my box of wedges. I don't think she even hesitated when she opened the box and rang them up. There was a feeling of thrill, heart pounding, to which I can't explain.

i got home and all I could think of was her comment then handing over a the shoes I was buying, and had a little chuckle.

s

Hey, Subtle, great post! Thanks for sharing. I'm glad you did it. The first time is the hardest. It gets easier every time, and pretty soon you'll wonder what all the fuss was about and why you were ever nervous. After a few posts here you'll be allowed to post pics. I'd love to see what you bought. Congrats on getting the job done with confidence!

Steve

[jetheelsfan]

Bakers was my first favorite place to purchase - never tried on in the store.  Toward the end of summer, they would have a clearance rack where the price would drop weekly.  I made sever good buys of size 10 but really preferred size 11.  The was one pair of white Mary-Janes with a 1/4" platform and a 2 1./2" block heel.  So sad when I could no longer squeeze my feet into those shoes.  Now it has to be Payless since my feet grew from a tight 10 to a 12W or 13M.  Bakers has some of the most beautiful heels for sale back in the 70's and 80's

 

 

[at9]

Was up in central London the other day with a female friend. We looked in a few shoe shops but neither of us bought anything. In Aldo, Covent Garden, a male assistant was bringing these for a woman to try: http://www.aldoshoes.com/uk/en_UK/women/boots/over-the-knee-boots/c/139/ADEASIEN/p/44052697-91

As he walked passed me he asked, jokingly I think, if I'd like to try a pair. I said I didn't think he'd have them in my size. Unfortunately I was right. In my experience Aldo footwear runs small. They equate UK9 to EU42 (EU43 is the normal conversion for UK9) and their UK9 things I've tried in the past feel more like UK7 to UK7.5

[Thighbootguy]

57 minutes ago, at9 said:

Was up in central London the other day with a female friend. We looked in a few shoe shops but neither of us bought anything. In Aldo, Covent Garden, a male assistant was bringing these for a woman to try: http://www.aldoshoes.com/uk/en_UK/women/boots/over-the-knee-boots/c/139/ADEASIEN/p/44052697-91

As he walked passed me he asked, jokingly I think, if I'd like to try a pair. I said I didn't think he'd have them in my size. Unfortunately I was right. In my experience Aldo footwear runs small. They equate UK9 to EU42 (EU43 is the normal conversion for UK9) and their UK9 things I've tried in the past feel more like UK7 to UK7.5

Too bad, those are great looking boots.  Did you have a problem not staring while the lady tried on her pair?

[at9]

No, I didn't stare at the woman trying them on. That would be rude. The assistant had obviously seen me looking at the boots he was carrying.

Saw the woman starting to put them on but left the shop well before she had finished.