Those who have worked in a running store...

Here's my favorite:

"Do you have anything not made in China?"

You sound like a bunch of dicks. You should welcome people into running. Not make fun of their lack of running knowledge.

"Are you/Did you run the Marathon"

I live in a city which host a marathon, not even a fast one, but all the four hour joggers, are only interested in your advice if you have run the marathon.

Oasics I get every day.

The best has to be "Well Asics seem to suit my foot shape, so I'll try the Kanayo and the Nimbus" , this is the same for all brands, Mizuno Ultima and Alchemy, doesn't seem to matter the category of shoe, just the brand.

Another one: When an elephant-of-a-human-being complains about plantar fasciitis or some other ailment and they think the shoes are going to solve their problems. Losing weight through another activity other than running will pay huge dividends when you decide to run!

Smelly wrote:

You sound like a bunch of dicks. You should welcome people into running. Not make fun of their lack of running knowledge.

No. By talking about it here it's a like minded bunch of people commenting about their job.

"So do you run?"

"I like BASICS, so I only want those"

"do they come in black?"

"I'm not a runner, I just want a good walker"

WTF IS A WALKER LOL

Now the annoying people are new running store employees. Its hard to get runners to work at a store now, so you get footlocker rejects who know little of running and don't care to ever take up the activity.

Sound like a bunch of dicks? I was a really nice guy until I worked at a "running store".

Smelly wrote:

You sound like a bunch of dicks. You should welcome people into running. Not make fun of their lack of running knowledge.

People in all jobs complain about the negative parts of their job. I would wager than the people posting here do help 90% of the people who walk through the door with sincere intentions of helping them, and working to help them.

One of my favorites was: (insert shoe name) had good reviews in (insert publication), do you have that shoe in a size 12 2A?

I love wasting your time by trying on most of the shoes in the store and asking the underpaid loser working there all kinds of dumb questions. When I finally find something that fits I immediately buy it online using my iPhone.

Sorry running store employee.

My favorite: ...The customer stares at the large selection of colorful women's running shoes and asks, "What are your best running shoes in pink?"

Is it just me, or is it frustrating that nobody understands that you can't just have a "best" shoe. Every shoe has a classification for the type of runner it suits.

stoned irony wrote:

Sound like a bunch of dicks? I was a really nice guy until I worked at a "running store".

Smelly wrote:

You sound like a bunch of dicks. You should welcome people into running. Not make fun of their lack of running knowledge.

Okay, that was actually a pretty funny response.

I still call them Tigers - I'm only 49.

The one the always makes me take a deep breath is "so what's the best shoe?"

This goes along with "which brand is the best?"

What you are all mocking, funny though they may be, are the very reason you have a job. If your customers were more educated on running shoes, they'd buy online or at (insert big block store here) where the shoes are significantly cheaper. I ran 30:04 and 14:36 in college, and am now a competitive Masters runner, and I don't know shit about shoes other than how they felt after I've run in them a couple times. But my guy at the running store knows my favorites and what new shoes might work for me; he even knows my size better than I do. That's why running stores are still in business. You don't just offer shoes, you offer an education which, obviously, is much needed. Don't piss off the customers because if they stop coming, I'll be shit out of luck trying to buy shoes from the pimply faced idiot at the big box store that replaces you. I really loved my Tigers back in the day.

Asics were called Tigers for years. I don't see a problem with that. In this instance, the problem is yours.

Scratch wrote:

Don't piss off the customers because if they stop coming, I'll be shit out of luck trying to buy shoes from the pimply faced idiot at the big box store that replaces you.

You say that like we refuse to help people who ask irritating questions. When I get them, I do my best to explain why there isn't really a "best shoe" out there, or why their $120 shoes wore out after only two years. I don't belittle customers or try to make them feel dumb, same way that you don't bitch out your clients when they do something stupid.

I like how some of you are getting all uppity over something they you probably do yourself. Have you honestly never been irritated by people you work with/for?

My favorite: Bewildered non-runner customer comes in the store and asks, "I heard that you all do this thing, like some kind of process, to help determine which shoe is best, like with the treadmill and some type of examination...?"

"Yes ma'am, we fit customers for shoes."

I wasn't really meaning to sound uppity. I laugh at my clients deeds often too (and in fact am laughing at several of these posts too). I was just trying to point out that you have a skill set and it is not that the people who ask these questions are stupid, they just don't have that skill set. I love my running store helpers and they feel free to mock my shoe illiteracy to my face.