Marcus

Review of New Balance DFW

The store managed to turn my initial positive impr...

The store managed to turn my initial positive impression and almost-certain purchase into a demeaning experience and lost sale. When I visited the store, the salesperson was very friendly and knowledgeable. He found several products that I would have purchased had they been in stock in my size. The salesperson then recommended that I visit the New Balance web site and find 2-3 items that might like because the web site has a larger selection and the items would need to be ordered anyway. He then gave me his card and told me to call him once I had a chance to look online. (My impression as this point: "They don't have my size in stock, but since it's a New Balance store, they are able to get what I need. That's really convenient and helpful, and I appreciate the way the store goes out of its way to please a potential customer.")

The next day, I went to the New Balance web site and found a few shoes that appealed to me. I then called the store, but the salesperson I dealt with previously had left for the day. I explained the situation, including the fact that the previous employee had told me to provide a few shoe models that I might be interested in. The new employee informed me that the store did not stock any of the shoe models I mentioned. (My impression at this point: "The second employee isn't nearly as pleasant as the first one, and there seems to be some miscommunication, either between the employees or between the employee I talked to originally and me.")

I asked the second employee what he would recommend, and I was treated to a lecture about dishonest customers and grumblings about how expensive it is for the New Balance Store to order shoes from New Balance. Given the attitude of the employee and the whole situation, I decided not to proceed further. (My impression at this point: "The store does not seem particularly interested in earning my business, and some of the employees seem to find customers a nuisance.")