Jump to content
Shoe Repairer Forum

Shoes not picked up.


Recommended Posts

I'm still wearing a good pair that got left on the shelf 18 years ago, Russell & Bromley,the bloke must have died cos these were very expencive. Still in good condition though not worn a lot.

 

Many times after going through the old repairs after a clear out, I have thought to myself "Jesus did I realy do those, you rough b.st.rd" :D Surprising how 2 years of dust and discolouration turns a decent shoe into a bin job.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

my repair still looks good, but they are sometimes a bit squashed and dusty, wish i had taken payment up front for everything from day one , :evil:.. when i worked in germany, payment was always made up front, wish i would have started doing this 16 years ago when i first opened my own shop,, does anyone on here always take payment for shoe repairs up front? we do now with certain dodgy looking individuals, or at least a deposit, especially on leather soles etc.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Anything paid for we keep at least a couple of years. The ones which aren't are 6 months at the shop then maybe a further 6 months in my shed. After that, donated to Help the Aged.

 

We charge up front on Saturdays only. This is to help us prioritise the work. It has proven to be very effective as those who pay up front nearly always return the same day. It's not a strict requirement, if they prefer to pay later that's still ok. Our Saturday takings have increased massively since we started asking for payment up front.

 

We also ask for payment up front for any single shoe repairs as that's what seems to be left over at the end of the year when I do my accounts.

 

A deposit is required on any signs or engraving involving our own materials - usually enough to cover the cost of the material.

 

We have sign which informs our customers that shoes will be kept for 4 months before being disposed of. We do keep them longer but it's there for a bit of legal protection.

 

We also keep a record of when we change ticket colour and the number range so that we can quickly identify when a repair was left. All to often a customer swears they only left them a couple of weeks ago, only for them to learn they've been at the shop for over a year.

 

Iain

Link to comment
Share on other sites

my repair still looks good, but they are sometimes a bit squashed and dusty, wish i had taken payment up front for everything from day one , :evil:.. when i worked in germany, payment was always made up front, wish i would have started doing this 16 years ago when i first opened my own shop,, does anyone on here always take payment for shoe repairs up front? we do now with certain dodgy looking individuals, or at least a deposit, especially on leather soles etc.

 

Its always a difficult one that Paul. We take payment up front if the repair is expensive and the customer seems a bit doubtful.

But taking payment up front for all is a bit of a no no for me, because I think folks are moer likely to bring in repairs in the knowledge they can pay when they collect on...maybe payday. If you take payment up front it also gives your competitor a slight edge,. because in the main, customers frown at payment in advance.

And and the end of the day we don't have a large amount left.....

 

Anyway, I'm going to try me new clothes on....I've gone for the country look :shock: lol

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 8 months later...

im sure the law says you have to keep a pair of shoes for 2 years regardless of you putting a sign up or not,

 

making people pay up front is the only way your customer is insured, if they refuse and then your shop burns down you do not have to pay them out .

 

like other people have mentioned its difficult to tell if you lose customers doing this, but if you use this angle 99% of people will understand plus they will always come back to collect and you dont have to look thru loads of bags 6 months later if the tickets been knocked off or something,

as long as you explain it properly surely the customer will appreciate you being more knowledgable than your competitor.(then again we are talking about customers here :wink: )

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

I offer a modest discount for payment in advance, but only on expensive repairs; the discount is allowed for in my pricing. If the customer doesn't turn up to collect, at least the repair's paid for!

 

I also take a name and phone number or address on every repair. Not only does this give me the chance to contact customers whose shoes are gathering dust, it is also useful to identify bagged-up shoes when the customer has lost their ticket.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't store the phone numbers or addresses on a computer, so the issue of data protection doesn't arise. Besides which, telephone numbers are available from directories, and addresses are available on the electoral roll, both of which are public documents. I have never had a customer refuse to tell me their name!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...