PRC

I had some initial concerns about shopping at a dedicated running store. After all, my daughter is not a dedicated long distance runner- she plays soccer and runs around the backyard and up and down the street with her friends. Would this be a store that was only interested in the hard-core athlete? Would the employees even be interested in helping a 10 year old girl? Since I am not familiar with the ins and outs of running shoes and equipment, would I be taken advantage of and sold items that were unnecessary and overly expensive?

As soon as I walked into the shop, I was immediately put at ease. Dan was behind the register, and greeted us with an upbeat attitude and good sense of humor. As I explained why I had come to the store, he immediately took my concerns seriously, and expressed that he had noticed when we came in that her sneakers were not supporting her feet well.

We moved over to the sneaker display. Dan started with process of fitting my daughter with the easiest and least expensive choices – inserts that could be moved from shoe to shoe. I was relieved that he started with that option. Dan really seemed to understand that whatever we wound up purchasing would most likely be outgrown in half a year or so. From that point on, we proceeded through a variety of options and trials, moving from a three quarter insert to a full insert to several different sneakers with and without inserts. Each time we tried a different item, I was impressed with the attention he gave my daughter’s feet as she walked repeated to and from the front of the store. When he finally found the combination that would best work for my daughter, I felt confident that she was going to leave with sneakers that would help support her feet correctly and help resolve some of the aches and pains she has been experiencing.

I must also state that the entire atmosphere at your store was welcoming and friendly. The banter between the staff was comical (She: You remember that order- you entered it incorrectly in the computer and had to redo it. He:  Doesn’t that happen on a weekly basis?), and there was an underlying feeling of good will towards everyone- employees and customers alike. I must also add that Dan had a wonderful way of interacting with both my daughter and my five year old son who came along with us. He spent over an hour with my daughter, (firing himself once for not noticing that the other shoe he was looking for was still in the box – again, comical, especially to the ten year old) and maintained the air of someone who loves doing his small part to make the world a better place.

To sum it all up, I’d have to say my experience at your store was exceptional. As someone who’s not particularly athletic, I had some initial apprehension about shopping at your store. The warm and friendly attitude of the staff immediately put me at ease, and the attention to detail has made me a loyal fan of the store. I heartily encourage you to continue to cultivate a store with such attention to customer service and such upbeat and friendly employees.

I look forward to seeing you again when my daughter outgrows her current shoes.