Today (during lunch of course) I dropped into RackRoom Shoes to see if I could find some replacement black pumps. My expectations were pretty low to begin with. I mean they’re not Saxon Shoes — but their price is more in my comfort zone. They had some nice options at great prices, but nothing that made me want to pull out my credit card. But before I left the store, I decided to take a cursory look at the sale rack to see if there was anything there.

I was in luck! A pair of shoes I had coveted months ago was on sale – $17.50 worth of on sale! And these are nice leather shoes. They had my size, they looked good and were comfortable. Of course I couldn’t say no. One of the employees went to the back to find the matching shoe (only the right foot was on display) and in a nice way commented on how good looking the shoes were. I agreed, and pointed out the great price. When he came back with the other shoe he also complimented me on my ensemble (it’s nothing special and it felt a little contrived – and I felt a little uncomfortable, but I figured he was just being a good sales guy). I tried on both shoes, walked around a bit and felt pleased about the fit and the price.

I took my shoes to the front counter and as he was ringing them up he said “thank you for coming in today, it’s blustery cold out there. And you’ve been so nice, I’m going to give you an extra discount.” And truly he did, I walked out of the store with a smile on my face having paid only $10.50 for the shoes. Seriously, $10.50 for a pair of sharp-looking leather women’s shoes! My expectations were exceeded — and I’m telling this story over and over again. And I think we both know what that means – word of mouth advertising which cost RackRoom about $7.00 and should pay off handsomely if only one of you decides to check them out next time you need a pair of shoes. Which you should.

Exceed Expectations – Unexpectedly!

Maggi