Always Put Your Best Foot Forward

(It is a few days after Christmas. I am a student but work in a shoe shop which is well known for measuring and fitting kids’ shoes. However, although we have measuring gauges in adult sizes, we rarely use them because adults tend to know what size they are.)

Customer: “Hi, can you measure my feet?”

Me: “Yep, no problem; one moment.”

(I go to get the gauge and sit the customer down.)

Me: “Okay, you’re coming up as a size six but very wide.”

Customer: “That can’t be right! I haven’t ever been a size six! These trainers are a man’s size ten! I haven’t worn nice shoes since before my son was born; I’m too big for these!”

Me: “Well, that’s what you’re coming up as. Obviously as you are so wide, it’s likely that you’ve gone up for the width rather than the length, so why don’t we look in the wide fitting range over here and see what we have?”

Customer: “Okay…”

(She is clearly skeptical, but I manage to find a size 7 extra wide which fits.)

Me: “Okay, that’s a start! Normally, I would have to radio up to find a specific style, but I am going to go and ask my manager if I can go up to the stockroom myself and just pull anything I think you might like and could fit. Is that okay?”

Customer: “That’d be brilliant.”

(I bring down three styles in extra wide; the customer is astounded when I tell her that there could be more. I show her the second pair.)

Customer: “Now these I like! They’re pretty, but they’ll work for my job interview too. I just can’t believe they fit!”

Me: “Okay. Well, I’ll go and box them up and take them to the till for you. I hope you enjoy them and good luck for your interview!”

Customer: “Thank you so much! What’s your name?”

Me: “I’m [name]. And it was no problem!”

(After she has paid, the customer finds me whilst I am tidying a sale rack.)

Customer: “I was looking for your manager, but I couldn’t find one. Here, you helped me find the first pair of nice shoes I have had in years! I don’t know what your official policy on tips is but, this is for you.”

(She hands me five pounds.)

Me: *stunned* “Thank you very much!”

(Later, I ask a manager and he says that tipping so rarely happens that there is no official policy and I can keep the five. I’d been having a pretty awful day, but knowing that I had helped that woman find something that meant so much to her made it, and the last few hours were so much easier!)