Worst place to buy quality shoes..Foot Solutions Palo Alto (Topic Closed)

Try Becks Shoes in Sunnyvale off El Camino. They know alot about feet and shoes. I think they have been around for quite a while, and they are privately owned vs chain. The service is great and they have a great selection.

Oh, my God! You have just described the service @ Foot Solutions in Campbell, CA. The OWNER (I think his name is Chris) just told me that if I'm not happy with the way they do business, he will not sell to me again. This was the OWNER's solution for a more than legitimate and reasonable complaint!

My name is Chris and I am the manager for all 4 stores. I would love to know who these people are so that I can find out what when wrong and why they were not taken care of. We have nothing in our store that sells for more than $300.00 (except fully custom shoes). The actual average price is $179 to $259. Also, we do call customers to let them know if products are on back order. We deal with over 400 shoe sizes between men and women (and children too). And we have catalogues from 30 different companies. There is no way we can stock but a small percentage of items. Most things come from Europe or China. They can take 6 or more weeks. Especially if the product has to be made before it is shipped. We are not a normal shoe store like Beck's (good people) and we do lots of referrals from them (and other stores)because we deal with serious foot problems. If any one ever has a problem with me or my staff they should let me know and I will glady refund or substitute for something else. We are in the business of helping people walk. People with half a foot, MS, diabetes, bothched foot surgeries and other significant problems that cannot be addressed any where else as well as the client who just needs and extra wide or a size 17. If you need something fast the best thing to do is except what we have in the store. However, most of our clients prefer to pick and get what they want. And they are (if necessary) willing to wait the necessary time to get the product. Unfortunately once in a while we come accross a client who is not willing to wait. And that is ok. We just refund their money (unless it is a custom order). Between the 4 stores we average over 200 transactions a week (not including another 100 or so who may not purchase that week). If I or my staff made a mistake with either of these two clients then we somehow dropped to ball. Sadly, we are not perfect. But we sure try to be.

Chris

Foot Solutions Campbell is NOT customer friendly. They are rude and act as if they are doing you a favor by letting you purchase their shoes. The owners (Marge & Chris) DO NOT listen to complaints and they DO NOT respond in a way that makes you want to go back. I found wonderful shoes at half the price from Nordstrom. The shoes are of superb quality and the customer service is worth its weight in gold. I will never shop at Foot Solutions Campbell ever again.

We try to make every customer happy with the services that we offer. However no one is perfect sometimes we make mistakes. We will always listen to complaints if they are well founded. However sometimes people complain about things that are out of our control or the person themselves is out of control. The big department stores sales people have to sit and listen to people are unprofessional. We will do what we can to solve a problem if the problem is solvable. Somtimes no matter what you try you cannot make a person happy.

Chris

I agree with you that Foot Solutions has good shoes but if the customer care is not there I would rather go to Timbuktoo (sp) to make my purchase. There is no reason on earth why a sales person is nice to you when you purchase the shoes and treat you otherwise once you have paid (and not even received) the shoes. Being nice is always good for business and it is especially important in these economic times. Why should someone pay hard-earned money to a business that doesn't give the customer a thought once the sale is made? My Podiatrist recommends Dansko shoes for my feet; he does not think highly of Foot Solutions. I had bunion surgery and the Dansko shoes are wonderful. I also have a pair of Josef Seibel sandals and they also are very comfortable. You can get both of them at Nordstrom's, Valley Fair. Good Luck

We at Foot Solutions try to make every experience an enjoyable one. Unfotunately we cannot. Yes we do make mistakes. Yes sometimes the customer makes the mistake, but the retailer has to suffer for it. Not everyone is going to like who we are or what we do. However, we have 4 successful stores and have been in business for over 30 years. We try to be nice to every customer that we see. Sometimes a customer is so nasty that we have not choice but to ask them to leave. Everyone has been in a store where a patron has been out of line. We will go to the end of the earth for a customer.

We provide services that no other store offers and no podiatrist offers. If you want nice shoes there are many stores to shop at. If you want a shoe adjsuted to your foot, specialty sizes, advice on what works for various foot problems then you come to foot solutions. If that is not the service that you are looking for, we understand that.

We research brands for the therapuetic value. Not their profitailtiy. Today I worked with a lady that is so crippled she had to walk with two cains, another lady with a very large bunion and a man with Parkinson's. No other store or podiatrist could fit these people with shoes. And the lady with the bunion was sent over by a sales person from Nordtrom's at Stanford Shopping center.

In our four stores today we worked with a total of 36 clients. The vast majority of whom couldn't get help anywhere else.

Chris Bonsall

P.S. I put my name on these so that everyone knows who I am and what I stand for. I do not comment annymously.

Again, we try to make every person happy. But no matter how hard we try sooner or later we are going to fail. But we will not go out of our way to make sure a customers livelhood is jeopordized.

This is a note for Chris @ Foot Solutions. It sounds like you have plenty of business and you spend a great deal of time being RIGHT. Since you have four "successful" stores I'm sure that the few people you seem to have offended will not be missed.

I have to dissagreen with whoever wrote the orginal post. I love this shop. They helped my whole family. Kaiser doesn't pay for orthotics and my podiatrist at Kaiser sent me here. I got orothotics and I was so happy with them that my wife and son are getting them as well.

They were just in today. I am writing this post because I was talking with the sales people and they told me that there were a few negative posts about them. SO I want to give my perspective.

J T

I have no idea who "Foot Solutions are not alway..." But this person is so upset that they feel it is okay to try and wreck this business. It seem that no matter how many times I apologize and/or offer extra help I cannot seem to make this person happy.

I take that as a personal failure. But I do realize that I cannot make everyone happy. Sometimes there are circumstances that are beyond my control. Sometimes there are people who do not appreciate what this company does and can do. However, unlike the person in question I wish THEM good luck in solving whatever problem we couldn't at another company.

Chris Bonsall

Hi Chris

SOme people are just jerks and there is nothing you can do about it. I just want to reafirm to you and to other people that we do appreciate what you do. My plantar fasciitis was so painful and I feel so much better.

Jerry

Dear Jerry: It appears that you were treated better than some of us but that doesn't make us jerks! I am so thankful to live in a democratic country; there are places around the world where individual opinions are stiffled and/or forbidden altogether. Here, our brave young men and women are fighting for your right to call us "jerks" as well as our right, as consumers who have had a bad experience, to express ourselves. Since you were not present at these occurrences it is unfair for you to pass judgement but, under the US constitution, you still have the freedom to do so. Some of us believe that once you bring a problem to the surface, good will come out of it. Some of us raised some issues with Foot Solutions and perhaps they are trying to do better. God Bless America and God Bless you too!

Come on!!! Give it a rest. IT isn't cancer and it isn't a nuclear bomb. It's a pair of shoes. If you spent this much energy trying to SOLVE a problem instead of creating problems for others, maybe you wouldn't be so miserable and alone and so determined to make others miserable too. Think about it. AND THEN MOVE ON!!! PLEASE!

I'll share my 2 cents: The sad reality is that I expect PERFECT customer service from every seller that takes my money. Therefore, I find the negative feedback in this post very useful. Thank you all for sharing your experiences.

I'd think that only a few people would ever go out of their way to express their dissatisfaction with a business unless something was done to really irk the consumer. I feel that seeing such negative feedback helps me to be a better consumer.

Unfortunately, based on what I've read, it sounds like Foot Solutions handles customers with pretty much no where else to go. Perhaps that's why certain businesses feel like they do not have to excel in the customer service arena.

In any event, hopefully this thread will remind businesses that each customer isn't merely a number. You can't simply schmooze other customers to make up for the ones you've burned.

In case anyone missed it, here's an interesting reply from bonsallchris/Rachel:


bonsallchris - 7/12/2009
Location: San Jose, CA


expecting perfect service everywhere you go is not only childish it is rude. People are people and they can never be perfect.

I wear a brace on my leg and Foot Solutions is the only place that can help me. You would think other stores would want my business. At least they do and at least they take the time to help me.

And I agree with San Mateo....it is just a pair of shoes.

Rachel


Well there you have it, folks: It's just a pair of shoes.

The e-mail was written by my lovely niece. (yes she does wear a brace. I showed mer the e-mails and she was just trying to defend me. I deleted it when I saw what she did.

Bogeyhair is just trying to flame the fire by re-priting this.

I do not need my niece to defend myself or my company.

On the advice of Yahoo site management this will be my last post. No one (much to the chagrin I am sure of bogeyhair) is perfect. And I appreciate what the other people have said. Whomever first posted. I did not do any harm to you. Why on earth would you feel that it is okay to try and do harm to me and the people who work for me? Or you you boegeyhair? If you do not liek me or my company then do not shop with us. But to go on line and intentionally try to wreck my or my employees abilty to make a living is just evil. You can try and justify it anyway you want.

Chris

Man,,,,bogeyhhair is an absolute jackass. You would think that people have better things to do on life. I agree with San Mateo. And to Foot Sol not always... YOu are right...I was not there. But I can surely believe that the soldiers are not fighting for your right to cry like a baby. As San Mateo said...GET OVER IT....go volunteer for a charity or something.

Jerry

The only reason this has gone on and on is because the store has elected to recruit people on his side. It was and is never about hurting someone's business; it is about expressing a concern as consumers. Do you think every food critic is a jerk? Are they all out to ruin a business.....NO, they are there to do a legitimate service to YOUR community. I don't know about you but I like eating in clean restaurants. I like knowing other opinions about the food, prices, and yes, customer service. The owner of Foot Solutions is the one crying about the not-so-nice opinions of his store. I honestly believe that had he not responded to the original posts, people would have read them and gone on their way. They would have made their own decision as to whether to shop there. I never heard him say: "yes, sometimes we make mistakes but will try to do better" and stop right there....NO, he had to make his point about his successful stores, how good Foot Solutions is and how bad people that don't think their service is good are. If I recall, the original posts said (first and foremost) that Foot Solutions has great shoes. I don't believe they meant to do harm; they were just passing on their experiences. If Foot Solutions take that comment and work to improve customer relations, they would be a GREAT store. That would be good for the community that needs their services and great for the store.

Just have the same experience with this store recently. Still have not receive the shoes I paid for.I wish made my research on this store first could save me a money. The manager named Chris made a comment below that he let customer know when your shoes is in back order, it is not true, been calling foot solution in palo alto for 3 weeks now.

I had so much trouble with the Palo Alto store when it was at Town and Country - and I never followed the store to its present site. I waited forever for a pair of shoes - prepaid.I thought it was to come from the East Coast. It was really to come from some place in Asia.
I finally contacted Master Card and got a refund and hold on my account., Finally contacted the Consumer Affairs Div. of the District Attorney's Office to see what I could do. What a hassle. The shoes finally came in but they did not fit. I got my money back finally. The attitude was not good. "My way or the highway". The shoes are very expensive. I was very nice when I went in to inquire, but I had the sense that no one wanted to wait on me. It was 'chilly'. I go to another store now and am very satisfied at Footwear, Etc. in both Los Altos and downtown Palo Alto. Of course, I do not have diabetes or very special needs so that might change the equation if I did. Are there other places for that?

I know the problem well; they just don't get it; being nice to Customers just is not what they do. They try to make you think that your feet will be ruined if you don't buy their shoes but that is not so. I now buy from Nordstroms or on line; I have special needs and my feet are doing great! Another option is to get a prescription from your Podiatrist and take it to Ricks Shoe Repair (he is also a pedorthist) and he will fix you up. Most importantly, he is super helpful and super nice.

Ricks Shoe Repair
2310 Homestead Rd
Los Altos Hills, CA 94024
district: Los Altos Hills

Tel: 408.617.0066