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Tuesday, October 17, 2006

Nine West is my kind of shoe store.

Why you may ask?

Well, yesterday I was leaving work (and really this whole incident probably would never have happened if I hadn't gotten promoted at work because now my office is on the east wing of the building so I park in the east parking lot. However I ALWAYS forget that I parked there and leave out the front door to go to the front parking lot as usual and so end up walking around the building)

Anyway, the sidewalk surrounding my office building is a bit treacherous and fairly often I find my heel stuck in a crack in the cement or caught between two bricks. So yesterday when my heel got caught for the umpteenth time I pulled my foot up and continues merrily on my tilted way.

Wait, tilted? Why am I tilted?

That's what I felt at first, for the first few seconds, until I turned around and saw that my heel had decided to make that crack in the cement it's final resting place and was STILL THERE.

And yes, these are the gorgeous Nine West black crocodile pumps that I bought less than 3 weeks ago.

It ain't right. It SO ain't right.

And as I hobbled forlornly to my car, broken heel in one hand, sadly heel-less shoe on my foot, I encountered my boss and told her the SADDEST thing just happened.

"Oh my god, what!?" she said, looking alarmed.
"This!" I shouted, waving my heel in the air and pointing to my broken shoe.

She burst out laughing while I tried to explain just how NOT funny it was. "When you said "the saddest thing happened" I thought you were going to say something about a car accident".

"Uh, this is as sad as a car accident to me! I bought these GD shoes 3 weeks ago!!!".

When I got in my car, I was filled with rage. The rage of a woman who pays full price for a shoe only to have it fall apart soon thereafter. Have you known that rage? If not allow me to tell you, it is motivating. So I called up my local Nine West store and told them about my situation. My show was new, my shoe was broken. As such I would be needing a brand new pair of the exact same shoe in my size, free of charge. The woman on the other end of the phone said she would have to talk to her manager. I told her to hold the shoes and I would come in myself and speak to the manager.

So 30 minutes later there I was. After traipsing/limping through half the mall with my no-heeled shoe, I arrived at Nine West and introduced myself, laying the broken heel on the counter.

The sales lady immediately started dying laughing. I modeled the heel less shoe for her and she called her manager out who ALSO started laughing.

"Hey! It's not funny", I said, laughing myself (because really it is kind of funny in a pathetic way). "It is SAD! These shoes are NEW!".

When the manager caught her breath, she told me that anyone who would walk through the parking lot and across the mall with only one heel on her pump deserves a new pair. I heartily agreed. So I handed her the derelict pumps and she handed me a brand spanking new pair.

When she examined my broken shoe, she informed me that it was actually a defective pair, since normally there are three screws holding the heel to the pump and mine only had two.

She also told me that Nine West offers free cobbling on all the shoes you buy in their store. So when the nail starts showing at the bottom of the heel (and I KNOW you know what I mean), you can bring it in to the store and they will re-cap the botom, free of charge.'

So between the new shoes, and free cobbling? I am happy with my Nine West experience.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Glad your story has a happy ending! Seriously, nothing makes my day like some good customer service. I am crazy loyal to any company that treats me well, even if their product has the occasional glitch. (I have a whole Cingular story for that one.)

Sarah said...

exactly!! now that i know well they will take care of me, i am more inclined to shop there!

e$ said...

free cobbling? I have like, 5 pairs of shoes with the nail showing, and it's the saddest thing ever.

Sarah said...

free if you buy the shoe at NW. and i know, it makes me sad, too. especially when it first happens. you are walking along click click click click and then suddenly it's click chink! click chink! and then my mom is all "take those GD shoes off!" when i come to visit so i don't dent the hardwood floors.

Anonymous said...

First:
You are a Mentos commercial.

Second:
Go Nine West! My wedding flats are Nine West. Looks like I made yet another wise shopping decision.

Sarah said...

haha!!! i totally am a mentos commercial! good call.

Lys said...

SARAH! You are kidding right????

I bought some shoes at 9W and JUST dropped them off at my shoe guy *sad*

Well, at least I know and it does give me more incentive to shop there :) Not that I need much prodding.

Check your email. You might want to revisit the place ASAP.

jayniek said...

do you need a receipt for free recapping? my favorite, most comfortablest pair of black pumps ever is 9W, but they are wicked nubby and make that annoying click-clack sound when i walk. i have been too lazy to bring them to a cobbler, but this freeness could be motivating.

Sarah said...

jayniek: i am not sure if it is ALL nine wests or just the one I go to but they told me you didn't need a reciept.

ka-rista: totally!it took a few steps before i eventually looked down and was like "GD IT!"

san said...

ha, this is what I call GREAT customer service... like kim said, we could use some of it here germany.

Sarah said...

or, you girls should come shoe shopping in America..


...maybe Boston?

ha!

san said...

WHAT?WHEN?WHERE?WHY?HOW?

I am coming... :)

AmyB said...

Ahahaha! Well, you clearly got your funny back!

And I had NO idea about the free cobbling! I'm SO happy! Yay!

I'm wearing a pair that needs just that right now as a matter of fact - a brown slingback version of the exact shoe you were hobbling about in. Tee hee!

Good stuff. :o)

Me said...

God this is funny! Good for you for getting new shoes!

Last year i bought these leather boots at (ok, please hold your breath) EASY STRIDE...ok ok, they were leather, with warm lining and FLAT, exactly what I needed for my walk to the T...anyway, the water started coming in at the seam in the back after one wear. I was so pissed.
Went to the store and the lady told me that "these are leather shoes. They are not supposed to be water proof". WOW....that got me started....got store credit in the end...like I would ever buy anything there again.