Those who have worked in a running store...

All very useful info on what not to say in a running shoe store! Fortunately, I think I've avoided the various gaffes mentioned here.

Of course, I'll keep this thread for reference anyway.

Oh by the way, do you guys have any pink motion control racing flats in size 5? ;)

You don't seem to have a grasp on the business at all. We're working with very tight margins and nothing like "a profit of around $50 a pair." Generally speaking it's more like 45%-46%. Those few extra percentage points make a huge difference in the success of a store. You gloss over things like wages, utilities "and other overhead costs," but how do you think those expenses are covered?

Throwing in a 4% commission on every sale basically eats away at whatever extra margin you may have gained on futures terms. It also tends to contribute to the kind of high-pressure sales environment most people come into specialty shops to avoid.

Approach customer (while wearing store's t-shirt with blatant logo).

Me: "Hi, can I help you with anything?"

He/She: "Hi. Do you work here?"

?????????? wrote:

I find it hard to believe you were selling 20 pairs of shoes every 6 hours every day, maybe once in a while during busy seasons. And that $700 pure profit gets smaller when you start taking cost of running a business out. And why would you need an incentive to do the job that you where getting paid to do? On slow days when boss didn't make a profit did you give back $20 of pay?

our employees get between 1-2% on shoe/clothes, plus extra incentives to sell certain shoes that are highlighted that month. So that usually adds up to about 300-500 dollars extra each month plus hourly wage of around 10 or so an hour depending on the years at the company.

CoachJ wrote:

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.

"Best running shoe." To me this would be what is my favorite? At which point, I would tell them my favorite running shoe and why! Then Id make the sell and get paid!

I want thee gold!!!

Now try being the customer and going to Boulder Running Company. In the span of 5 minutes I was asked maybe 10 times by 6 different and probably bored employees if I needed any help. Way too aggressive.

Worked at Fleet Feet Chicago for 2.5 years:

One lady thought I had some perverted fetish when I told her I had to watch her run. She complained to the owner, who assured her it was the norm.

Another lady wanted good shoes for skipping?????

And finally one girl took off her sock and whe had a 6th toe on top of her foot.

That is what happens when a running store has a crappy attitude and vibe. Competition eventually crops up, and people take their business elsewhere. BRC was the hot spot 5 years ago, but that place has taken a dive in the recent years. They easily provide the worst service in the Boulder/Broomfield/Westminster area.

With the sale of SolePepper to Runner's Roost, I see things getting worse for BRC unless they drop the "holier than thou" attitude. I doubt they'd go out of business, but they will continue to watch sales plummet.

Hopefully the people at RoadRunner in Westminster are taking notes because they are the other store that stands out to me as bad attitude and vibe, and pushy salespeople.

latently homosexual teenager wrote:

Worked at Fleet Feet Chicago for 2.5 years:

One lady thought I had some perverted fetish when I told her I had to watch her run. She complained to the owner, who assured her it was the norm.

Another lady wanted good shoes for skipping?????

And finally one girl took off her sock and whe had a 6th toe on top of her foot.

Great thread... this is the post that made me laugh audibly. POD nomination.

Try fitting a transvestite who refused to wear men's shoes. He was pushing about 225 and had wide feet.

Anyone who has worked in a running store has stories. Stuff you never imagine until you work there....

20 pairs in 6 hours was on the busy days, but I would see this at least 1-3 times a week, and certainly more during our busy seasons. I live in a pretty big city (2 million) with only 2 real running stores. As for the incentive, I would sometimes get 3 or 4 customers 10 minutes before I was supposed to close the store. I had the choice to either try and sell another 4 pairs of shoes and be late to class/dinner/plans with friends, or make an extra $5 on my paycheck. What would you do?

my brother always has great stories from his store.

they recently started selling the five fingers and being the only store in the area that does, have grown known for the five fingers.

one day a woman walks in and asks "do you guys sell those shoes you put your toes in?"

his reply: "...you put your toes in every pair of running shoes..."

Top 5 when I worked at a running store:

Is the NYC Marathon as far as Boston?

I ran three times this week. How come I'm not skinny like you?

My son ran 11 minutes for 2 miles at the local h.s. meet. Do you think these shoes will help him get a scholarship?

Why is a 5k longer than 3 miles?

I ran 26 miles last week. My brother says that if I run 26 miles in one week, then I should be able to run a marathon. Is that true?

A:

Yes it is much farther.

Because God loves me. Not you.

Your kid is an idiot. College is not an option.

No it is not. No matter what anyone says. 3 miles is exactly the same as a 5k. Don't listen to them. They are lying.

Your brother is right. Here is an application for the local marathon. Sign up. You are ready.

Bump for not letting the best thread I've ever read disappear.

Off the top of my head, some of my favorite customers include:

"I have plantar fasciitis so I need a lot of cushioning."

"I supinate really heavily, as you can see from the wear on the outside of my heel."

"I supinate in really badly."

Granted, these people just haven't spent years working in a running store like the rest of us have, but it's still funny to observe and mock their ignorance.

I had developed some IT band pain and I went to my local running store to buy a stick. I started talking to the owner about the IT stuff and he asked what shoes I had been wearing. They happened to be one of the few pairs of shoes that I hadn't bought there so he says "oh those have way too much cushioning for you, I never would have fit you in those shoes" and then proceeds to show me the cho-pat strap. I said "well, do you think maybe I should just get a different pair of shoes instead?" He was like "Oh. Yea, I guess that would be good too"

I don't shop there anymore.

Here is one:

Customer: I'm looking for a wife beater, do you guys have those?

Store guy: Nope, but we have some singlets.

Oh man, me and my North Central College buddies have so many stories....too many to share.

You see, we all have an NCC degree so we all work in and/or own running stores. Oh man.

"Do you have any men's shorts that aren't so long?"

i'm local coach working in a running shop on the side, making some gas money...lady came in, "i need a shoe that will help me with my hamstring problem" told her no shoe would do that, just stretching and some PT..she got pissed and called the owner!!

We also sell the 5/finger,,first words out of my mouth.." it is not for everyone" we cannot keep them in stock!!