Footwear Insight

customers and give them the best customer ser- vice possible. And since our employees are key to customer satisfaction and ultimately to the store's success, we also work hard to focus on employee needs too, so that they can be fully present when working with customers." — PJ Calhoun, e Shoe Market "e basic tenet of Reyers' umbrella of customer service is from our father, Harry. He taught his sons early on 'Take care of the customer and everything else takes care of itself.' As simple as the precept sounds, taking care of customers is not so easy. Overachieving is what sets one store apart from others. Sure, you have your team greet and smile and welcome those customers. And you measure their feet. And you solve problems because your staff has so much experience in doing so. But you also have to do some big things your- self. As an owner, you must make sure that your troops have the ammunition to fight the battles. For many years Harry maintained an inventory of 175,000 pairs of shoes for men, women, and children. From soup to nuts, Reyers staff could please customers no matter what they wanted. ose days are gone of course; no shoe stores aim to do that anymore. We don't have to insist on a smile and happy greeting from our staff; they do that automatically, because they're all such good people. As owners, my brother Steven and I endeavor to make their lives as comfortable and productive as we can. In our new storeroom of only 14,000 square feet, we feel a bit crowded and no longer stock everything soup to nuts. But we still serve meat and potatoes." — Mark Jubelirer, Reyers Shoe Store "Preach and teach sit-and-fit. Be constantly on the lookout for people who love the shoe business when it comes to hiring — such as people who are running experts. And look at resumes on Indeed almost daily. Offer a great rewards program and find the ways that customers want to hear about new product by offering text messaging, email, direct mail and social media." — Greg Augustine, Brown's Shoe Fit Co. Ft. Collins "We are a sit-and-fit shoe store, measuring or scanning customers to find the best fit and product. We try our best to give that individual attention to each customer, paying attention to find out exactly what they might need or want." — Karly Trease, Hudson's Shoes "Hire people who love people and encourage them to have authentic conversations with customers. We always do our best to avoid the phrase 'Can I help you?' or 'Let me know if I can help you.' We try to really engage customers so that their guard doesn't come up and we can find out what they really need and suggest products to them." — Adam Griggs, So Shoe n GOLD MEDAL SERVICE AWARDS FOR OUTSTANDING CUSTOMER SERVICE 2022 MYSTERY SHOPPER CRITERIA 2022 40 • Footwear Insight ~ November/December 2022 footwearinsight.com CRITERIA RATING SYSTEM 1 How promptly were you greeted? Thirty seconds or less = 4. One minute = 3. Ninety seconds = 2. Two minutes = 1. Longer than two minutes = 0. 2 Were you greeted with a smile when you entered the store? Yes = 5 points No = zero No partial points on this for friendly nods or smirks. 3 Did the sales associate ask to measure (or scan) your foot? Yes = 5 points No = 0 points 4 Did the sales associate ask you what type of shoe or the purpose of your footwear purchase was? Yes = 5 points No = 0 points 5 Were you provided a comfortable place to sit while trying on shoes? Yes = 3 points No = 0 points 6 Do you feel you were offered a fair selection of shoes? Rated on a 1-to-5 point scale. (5 = Very Good) 7 Did the sales associate check for proper fit? Yes = 5 points No = 0 points 8 Were clean try on socks available? Yes = 2 points No = 0 points 9 Did the sales asscociate recommend a specific type of shoe? Yes = 5 points No = 0 points 10 Rate the professionalism of the sales asscociate who helped you. Enthusiastic = 5 points Rude = 0 points 11 Did the sales associate discuss or bring out either insoles, socks or other products related to your footwear request? Yes = 5 points No = 0 points 12 How knowledgeable and helpful was the staff overall? Very helpful & knowledgeable = 5 points Not Helpful = 0 points 13 How would you rate the sales associates on their attire? Was the staff easily identifiable? Rated on a 1-to-3 point scale. CRITERIA RATING SYSTEM 14 Were you thanked and asked to return? Not thanked at all = 0 Thank you = 1 Thank you and invitation to return = 5 15 Was the store well-lit and easy to maneuver? Yes = 4 points No = 0 points 16 Was the merchandise presented in a way that was easy to understand and shop? Rated on a 1-to-5 point scale. 17 Rate the assortment of insoles, socks or footwear accessory items. Rated on a 1-to-5 point scale. 18 How inviting and comfortable was the store? Rated on a 1-to-4 point scale. 19 At checkout, did the sales associate ask for your email address as an incentive, or store loyalty awards, or "see it first" notifications? Yes = 5 points No = 0 points. 20 Was the checkout process easy and intuitive? Yes = 3 points No = 0 points 21 Were there any extra special additions to improve your checkout experience? Yes = 2 points No = 0 points 22 How would you rate the overall experience? Rated on a 1-to-5 point scale. (5 = Very Good) 23 Would you refer a friend to this store? Rated on a 1-to-5 point scale. Bonus Questions: If an item was out-of-stock, did the sales associate offer a favorable response? Did the sales associate offer water or other beverage? Through signage, displays, or interaction with sales associates, were you made aware of any upcoming in-store events? Two points One point One point Soft Shoe, Richmond, KY.

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