"We have made a commitment to live by our core values every day. This means that EVERYONE on our team shares these values. One of our core values is a commitment to celebrating excellence. As a result, we have developed a 10-step selling program that ensures exceptional service. We measure results weekly, post these results in each location, celebrate great performance, and coach teammates who need improvement in specific areas. Additionally, we have every location secret-shopped regularly to ensure we maintain our high standards. We use data to identify what works, and we rely on our exceptional team to add their own flair and personality so they can have fun delivering outstanding solutions for our community.”- Garrett Breton, Comfort One Shoes

“Our mantra is this: ‘Creating unique, authentic, memorable experiences every day, focused on FIT & LIFESTYLE.’ As a result, the sales come pretty naturally which, since the sales team is paid commission, reinforces the great behavior. Then the word-of-mouth advertising drives new customers in, and the cycle continues. The biggest challenge is getting a new person to stick with it until all clicks. We focus on the behaviors or lead indicators and the lag indicators always work out.” - Josh Habre, Shoe Mill

“Our customer service philosophy boils down to a simple fact — people can buy shoes anywhere... So, we have to offer something that you can’t find on the internet or in big box stores, which is a personalized and hands on experience. That includes measuring and fitting, extensive product knowledge, and experience with common foot ailments. We train our staff to listen more than they talk, to ensure that every customer is heard and walks out happy!” - Tammy Wellington, Earth Walk Shoes

“Our customer service philosophy is to treat every customer as the most important thing going on at that moment. We have a 3-step fit process when the customer arrives. After we greet them, we will scan their feet, measure their feet, and ask them questions about what brought them in. Only then can we bring them the best shoe for their needs. We want to offer them the best experience possible with a great selection and quality footwear.

I believe one of our biggest challenges is making sure that our customers understand that it is about the relationships we build with them, not just the transaction. All we want to do is be better than everyone else in our area when it comes to serving our customers.” - Steve Purdum, Brown’s Shoe Fit Co. Hutchinson

“We have a set of selling standards designed to ‘Lead and Suggest’ our way to a ‘Better’ outcome than the customer was seeking. Our biggest challenges to maintain this course are 1. A customer base that is used to subpar service, or no service. It can seem a little weird that we actually care what size they buy when they haven’t had their feet measured in years. 2. It is difficult to find salespeople that are interested in a full-service selling environment.” - John Luck, Lucky Shoes

“Great customer service today starts with empathy and ends with helpful, direct, and truthful direction to solutions. People are starving for expert opinions on leading better, more mobile lives. This is where we shine brightly.” - Jeffrey Seidman, Ahh Comfort Shoes

“When we first opened our business in 2011, we were determined to make the experience in our store like no other. Our vision for our store is to make all customers feel welcome and let them know that we are ready and happy to assist them in any way. We listen attentively to their concerns to determine what their needs are. Many customers come in with a specific need such as needing a particular type of shoe for a specific event but they are having difficulty finding one that will accommodate their needs due to some sort of foot issue. Our employees are well trained in the types of shoes that accommodate certain foot problems, and we have had great success in matching that customer with the perfect style and fit. Some of the biggest challenges are in this area. However, with our highly attentive, well-trained staff, these challenges are not only met, but they also often exceed expectations giving us great satisfaction and creates a lifetime customer.

We love to pamper our customers providing them with various beverages, beautiful music, comfortable seating and a clean restroom for convenience. But the most important part of customer service is a cheerful attitude. Our staff is simply the best and without them and our faithful customer base, we would not be as successful as we are today. It is important to never forget that our customers could go anywhere to shop, big box stores or online and we must never take for granted the fact that they allow us to serve them. Remaining humble and grateful is vital, in my opinion to a thriving business.” - Shari D. Kowasic & Dana Kowasic, Solely Comfort Footwear

“We strive to make very customer feel like a friend we have known forever! Living in such a small town you really get to know your customers and greatly value their business which makes conversations come easy. Truly valuing what is new in their lives shows how much we care about and appreciate them. This year we celebrated our 10th year in business and have continued with the very same customer service mindset as we did on day one! I don’t think there is a magic recipe so to speak when it comes to great customers service, it really is just showing how much you care and value every individual who shops and supports your business!” - Kellee Bussard, The Shoe Box

“Soleful Endeavors (formerly Foot Solutions Scottsdale) is a ‘Sit and Fit’ retail store with no online sales or service. We are dedicated to ascertaining the client’s problem whether it be foot, ankle, knee, hip or back pain, difficult to fit feet (we get a ton of narrow feet) or ‘fashion orthopedic’ shoes for special occasions. My associates and myself have to first understand the Problem before we can offer Solutions. It is a very intimate situation where we actually inspect naked feet for pressure calluses, bunions, hammertoes, edema and on and on. We do a gait analysis and check for leg length differences. We measure both feet both non-weight bearing and weight bearing. Staffing is always the biggest challenge. Finding people willing to learn how to offer our unique experience rather than just clerking is tough! Going the extra mile and offering fit and fashion sets us apart from online and other shoe stores.” - Sue Orischak, Soleful Endeavors

“We take customer service very seriously and we always strive to give our customers the best experience possible… We design, manufacture and fit custom-molded shoes, sandals and orthotics in our store. We are one of the few stores left in the country that does it all. We are also a diabetic shoe supplier for some of the largest Insurance and Medicare providers in the area. Best-Made Shoes is a nationally accredited Pedorthic facility and has two board-certified pedorthists, the first father and son pedorthists in the history of Pittsburgh. Our store also makes house calls to private homes, hospitals and nursing homes for people that can’t get to us because of Illness or lack of transportation. Best-Made Shoes also does shoe repair which is a lost art in the United States… These are some of the reasons we have survived with the Internet, DTC, throwaway shoes and other causes that contribute to the decline of independent stores.” - Marc Rosen, Best-Made Shoes

“When our first store opened in 1914, a sign was hung over the door telling shoppers ‘You are always a guest before you are a customer.’ We try to honor that today. I don’t think there is a secret formula for great guest service, but there are things we try to do. Listen to your guests (we send out guest service surveys to help us there), to measure service efforts (we have a mystery shopping company provide us guest experience reports), and to continually work to coach associates. We don’t hit home runs all the time, but we just keep trying to stay focused on the guest.

We are a small company, but we have worked over the years to add services that our guests value. We offer different ways to shop — guests can pay in one location and pick up in another, they can buy online, and have it shipped to them or to a store, and they can shop in store and have the item shipped to them from another store. We offer store-to-store specials and can notify the guest that via text when the order has arrived. We have the Aetrex foot scanners in our store, which help to add value to the in-store experience. We also run many community-centric initiatives, like our shoe donation program, our college scholarships, and broad support to local fundraisers.” - Chris Stanley, Lamey-Wellehan Shoes

“Our customer service philosophy is rooted in the belief that every customer deserves a personalized experience. As part of our ‘Sit and Fit’ process, our sales team greets every customer, seats them, and takes the time to assess their footwear requirements thoroughly.

One of our biggest challenges is balancing the increasing demand for speed and efficiency with our commitment to quality service. We are upfront with customers about our process, emphasizing that finding the perfect fit is worth it. Our customers ultimately appreciate the level of service we provide once they’ve experienced it for themselves.

We’re confident we’ll continue delivering exceptional service by staying true to our core values and investing in our employees.” - Paul Weitzel, Tradehome Shoes

“At Shoe Fly, our customer service philosophy is centered around improving people’s walk through life by ensuring every customer experiences a perfect fit. Whether it’s through personalized fitting services, listening to their needs, or educating them about their footwear options, our goal is to make every customer feel valued and supported. One of our biggest challenges is keeping pace with the evolving expectations of modern consumers who seek convenience in their shopping, while also maintaining our exceptionally high standards of service. To address this, we’ve focused on blending technology with personal touchpoints, such as integrating appointment scheduling tools on our website. We also use our database to identify customers who might be interested in upcoming events (based on purchase history) and then personally call and invite them to events that we think they’d have a high interest in. We feel it’s a good mix of old-school, personal techniques and new-age technology.” - Lauren Klapper, Shoe Fly

“Our philosophy has always been to staff our store with a variety of personalities that love people and can be kind to customers and each other… We have a collection of full-time and part-time employees. Age ranges from 15 to 81. My part timers on the sales floor are mostly semi-retired staff who enjoy coming to work for 4-hour shifts where they come in fresh and leave before they tire out. I always say, ‘You are in the door and out the door and the rest of the time you are on the floor.’    We do not work on commission at our store. Many of the staff have told me that they don’t like the commission environment and prefer to help each other. We have other incentives for the staff on a daily and weekly basis and if we hit those goals, everyone gets rewarded. We have a group of high school students who come in after school to help put shoes away and keep the stock room organized. It’s a great first job experience. They get to learn from the seasoned employees.

You have to love retail in order to be successful. Weekends are your bread-and-butter days. Managing the schedule can be a challenge sometimes with part-time employees because their availability can change but the gain is worth the hassle. Product can be a challenge in getting product in a timely manner…

I believe people love supporting small businesses and I have seen even more interest in people wanting to shop locally over the last 10 years. They like the interaction with the staff… Customers want and need to touch, feel and try on shoes and it is the retailer that takes the time to establish brand loyalty. Our time with our customers is what we thrive on.” - Amy Becker, Becker’s Best Shoes

“Chiappetta Shoes has been in business for 103 years and generally speaking, we have been doing the same thing the whole time. Excellent customer service can be boiled down into a few primary components, including a genuine greeting, engaged listening, and offering an efficient solution (four on the floor!). Easy to take for granted, difficult to be consistent, so there’s that. But where our business differentiates from almost everyone reading this is our breadth of solutions. In-house Pedorthics and shoe repair is old school but truly the game changer when it comes to the customer experience. Show it off, make it special. Stick to the fundamentals. The Chiappetta Shoes mission is ‘to be your first step when solving foot pain’ and (almost) all decisions revolve around that.” - Anthony Chiappetta, Chiappetta Shoes

“Treat others the way we would want to be treated. Try to see it from their point of view. The biggest challenges are working with challenging customers and keeping our composure and professionalism. The best way to deliver great service today is to add extra value to them shopping with you versus going online or elsewhere.” - Ryan Richard, The Foot Spot

“Our customer service philosophy is simple. Customers are people first. It’s our mission to build one-to-one long-term relationships with our customers, and we do it by actively listening, offering an educated, world class staff of people who are enthusiastically empathetic to our customers’ needs, and by offering high quality products. We also believe a return policy which is clear and fair is a big part of building customer loyalty. The biggest challenge we face in delivering great service is knowing our audience. Some people don’t want or require a 15-minute needs assessment. While they could likely benefit from a full sit and fit experience, there’s a small percentage of customers who know what they want, and don’t want to spend a lot of time in the store. High levels of customer service are viewed so differently depending on the customer. This is a challenge for new staff who want to help, but need to understand the path of least resistance can sometimes be a better solution.” - Ted McGreer, Ted’s Shoe & Sport

“We are shopping with our friends all day long. Our jobs aren’t stressful, we are working with beautiful shoes that make people feel good. We laugh, we share, we have fun, we sell shoes, and we make friends.” - Julie Pierce, Valley Sole

“At ELM Shoes we do our best to hire great people. We treat our staff the way we expect them to treat our customers! While happy staff does not always equal great customer service, unhappy staff rarely give great service. Our biggest challenge is probably everyone’s, finding great people. Getting our staff excited about the products they are selling is the best way to get engagement with customers.” - Loren Martin, ELM Shoes

“Harry Jubelirer taught my brother and me ‘Take care of the customer, and everything else takes care of itself.’ So basically, that’s it. We put ourselves in the customers’ shoes, so to speak, and imagine what we’d want and expect. From the moment the customer crosses our threshold, we want to welcome them within 30 seconds. Be friendly and accommodating. Signs in our windows proclaim our ability to scan their feet for free, enticing them to come into our store. Everything else that they come into contact with is customer friendly; we constantly revisualize our product layout, so that the most desirable product is up front and easy to find.

The biggest challenge that all retailers face these days is assuring their customers that they are being attended to by qualified professionals… Reyers is fortunate in that ALL of our employees have been here for years; and many of them on the selling floor have been with us for many decades. Our sales staff can anticipate the questions and the needs of our clientele, and can answer them in full. This is exceedingly rare in the world of retail today… Delivering consistently high-quality service isn’t cheap or quick or easy. But it’s necessary in order to excel. You must pay your people a fair and competitive wage. And you have to keep the stockroom stocked. Which means that your buying team needs to be up to snuff… All of this is complicated stuff, requiring discipline and oversight… we must be patient and attentive and reasonable in our expectations.” - Mark Jubelirer, Reyers

“Since 1938, The Snyder’s Way has been the cornerstone of our business, shaping our philosophy and guiding us through generations. Our dedication and passion lie in providing an exceptional experience for our customers by fostering a welcoming atmosphere, curating a distinctive product selection, and ensuring every interaction is personal and meaningful.

One of the challenges we face in maintaining outstanding customer service  is the customers knowledge about the products we offer. To continue to deliver exceptional service, we must evolve and expand our expertise to meet their needs with confidence and skill.” - Jill R. Snyder, Snyder Shoe Corp.

“The customer comes first. Everything else is secondary. We treat every customer that comes in our store to the Karavel experience whether it’s their first time ever shopping here or they have been here several times.

The main challenges we see are the changing dynamics of the customer and managing the customers’ expectations. Customers expect quick, personalized solutions or are used to that, which can be difficult to consistently deliver. Most customers are used to getting service immediately and having all product immediately available to them at their fingertips. Giving them the personalized experience in our store is different for them than most places they go.

Ways we continue to deliver great service: Actively listen to customers; personalize their experience; provide prompt assistance; make sure to be knowledgeable about our products; utilize technology to streamline interactions, and actively seek customer feedback to improve the delivery of our service.” - Michael Wittenstein, Karavel Shoes

“We want our customer to have a pleasant experience from the time of parking the car until they leave our cute little town. We continue to care for every customer as you would like to experience in your shopping venture. Measuring feet, evaluating a footprint and listening to where customer is having discomfort and then try to solve it together. We just continue to try shoes on until we get it to feel possibly great.” - Ralph Moyer, Moyer’s Shoes

“Our customer service philosophy has remained consistent throughout our history. Greet, seat, and measure while establishing a unique rapport with each customer. Measuring and fitting is working in our favor, no one else is really providing this level of service, and customers love the personal touch.” - Stephanie Stout, Stout’s Footwear

“Our service philosophy is ‘the quickest path to yes’ while adhering to our core values: Humbly be of service; Be dedicated to our customers and our high standards; Empower ourselves and our customers with knowledge; Choose kindness; Be brave; Be grateful for every customer that comes through our door.

People (staff) are our biggest challenge — undoing prior employment behaviors and habits, moving away from a ‘clerk’ mentality, and trusting and believing in our core values as the path towards the service level that we strive for. We are always coaching and developing our team, from our management down, and use a coach/team analogy when training — everything from how we communicate, how our team operates when it’s slammed and when there is downtime, how to support one another on the sales floor and off.” - Ryan Stauffer, Market Street Shoes

“My philosophy is to treat customers as I would want to be treated; that covers every aspect of what we do. We should treat customers just like family! And we should treat every customer as if it is their first time shopping experience with us. At one of the Atlanta Shoe Market shows, someone asked me if we were ready for the Secret Shopping to take place. Without hesitation, my response was, and continues to be, that ‘we should ALWAYS be ready!’

Right now, my biggest challenge is finding staff that present this philosophy on the front lines. The latest generation is very tech savvy, but I find that face to face communication skills are suffering. We have to teach new team members how to speak with a smile and how to ask questions of the consumer to ensure that we are addressing their every need. It just doesn’t come naturally to this present generation.

Today’s retail environment is somewhat volatile; we have to be on our best behavior ALL THE TIME. The consumer has a plethora of options, so that means we have to be better than best. Sometimes we just want to drop our guard, but the plain truth is, that would be a mistake.” - Brenda Felger, Felger’s Footwear