Born to Run

So glad I found this little gem! Susan was extremely helpful in helping me find the right shoe. I insisted on one brand but another shoe was a much better fit. Susan kindly explained why and allowed me to feel the difference for myself.
I will be exclusively buying my shoes from this shop.

Great experience! Hilary was very accommodating and helpful. This was my first visit to either of her stores and I never even knew they existed prior to today. I found «Born To Run» via a Unilocal search and decided to ignore Jennifer’s very negative review because something just didn’t seem kosher about it, given that Jennifer stated that she and her husband had been customers for five years (!!!) and given that she spoke of the owner in a very personal way («Hilary»). Those two factors, along with the other positive reviews for the two stores made me think that this alleged sudden departure from good customer service had to be more involved than Jennifer was presenting it. Quite frankly, if not for Jennifer’s post, I would not have even thought to ask the very nice person waiting on me (at the Spring House location) what her name was. (It was Hilary!)
During the time that Hilary waited on me, I did mention that I found the store via Unilocal and from there we discussed Jennifer’s posted gripe about the Groupon coupon. She explained that the coupon DID specifically state that the coupon was only good for «in-​stock items» and Jennifer’s shoes of choice were temporarily out-​of-​stock. Having been in retail management and marketing for over 30 years, I can attest to the fact that this is a VERY common coupon disclaimer («in-​stock items only»).
Jennifer in her complaint openly states that she was demanding a «special order» and had no concern for Hilary’s excuses. Hilary explained to me that she tried to accommodate and compromise. She informed me that she wasn’t refusing to let the coupon be used on Jennifer’s shoes of choice, but that she explained to Jennifer that it was not logistically nor financially feasible for her to special order one pair independent from the store’s regular monthly shipment and still accept the coupon. In other words, she was offering to accept the coupon a full month later, when the shoes would actually meet the coupon’s criteria of the purchase item being «in stock», if those shoes were the only ones that Jennifer had her heart set on. That is a more than reasonable and compromising response from a retailer (in my opinion)! Many other retailers would have said «use or lose the coupon now. We can’t be held responsible for sold out items. «
Supermarkets, on the other hand, commonly offer «rain checks», but just like Hilary, they don’t promise to «special order» the sold out item ahead of their normal shipments! Hilary was responding no differently than Acme, Pathmark, Giant, and all the rest do when items are out of stock and a customer has a store coupon! Perhaps there was just a break down in communication between those two, but since Jennifer writes «I’m not sure which is the correct reason» (««lose money by doing a special order» or «out of stock»), it does seem that the misunderstanding (or unreasonableness) was Jennifer’s. If she was «not sure», as she states, she should have asked for clarification of what those two statements meant and how they were not contradictory.
Any who, putting Jennifer and her posted experience aside, I was given old fashioned service that one never gets at the big chain stores. Hilary had me do a short in-​store jog so that she could determine what kind of gait I had (Was there «overpronation»? Did my feet stay balanced or did they turn outward or inward?, etc.). I would have been clueless about why she had me do a jog, had I not asked for an explanation. No one any where else had ever asked me to do that, but then again, prior to today, I was going to the impersonal chain stores. I was quite impressed today.
Throughout my visit, Hilary was very patient with me and there was zero pressure. If I said something didn’t feel right or comfortable, I didn’t hear the old sales pitch of «you need to break them in first.» I’ve heard quite a few shoe salesmen use that line in years past. Our conversation was productive and friendly and together we found the pair of shoes that seem perfect for me. I was very satisfied with the experience and felt like I made a new friend.
After I left the store, I did Google the brand and model to see how her price compared elsewhere. I found that the pair was about $ 20 more than some online stores, but $ 20 less than the manufacturer’s suggested price. Since online shoe buying can be an unreliable experience (Will the shoes really fit? Will the shoes be comfortable? Will sizing vary by brand? Will they arrive as advertised? Will they be free of defects? Will returning them, if necessary, be a hassle? Will these really be the best choice for my feet?, Will they really look just like the image on my computer screen? Will I be home when the delivery is attempted?, etc.), I thought that her pricing was very fair and reasonable. As for the big box stores and chain stores, they just don’t give you the kind of friendly, thorough and educational service that I found here. Nice job, Hilary!