Karavel Women's & Men's Shoes

12/01/11

Good at bygone business practices

by jdvoracek at Citysearch

We can relate to all the prior reviews, both the good and the bad: they are all correct. These guys are all very competent at fitting shoes, and they have enough business that they can make you sign in, sit and wait, and go as slow as they want with customers being serviced while you watch. We recently drove 60 miles to shop but got caught in an interstate accident traffic jam and were going to arrive right at closing time. Thus we called ahead to see if they would let us in if we were a few minutes late. No sir, not indeed, they close at 6:00 PM SHARP, could we drive back down tomorrow? Well, who can blame them if they can do it and still make all the money they want? So here's what we learned. We went online and spent $230 including all costs for the two pair of shoes we would have paid $345 including all costs at Karavel. We will likely shop there again, but only when we can't find what we want online.

04/28/11

Escorted Out of the Store - Seriously

by RLD7074 at Citysearch

I am experiencing some issues with my foot, probably plantar fasciitis, and my doctor recommended Karavel. After going through a misdiagnosis of my dog and several hundred dollars, I thought it best to get ONE pair of shoes at that time. Although dress shoes for work sounded nice, I thought I should get some sneakers so I could benefit by wearing them to work as well as walking my dog. My plans were to go back in a few weeks and also get some dress shoes.

My primary goal was to get my foot back to where it should be.

I walked in went to the “sign-in” and was immediately greeted by a large (in stature) man with a cocky smirk on his face. It was a Friday; I get sassy on Fridays too so I understood. Nothing offensive at first.

I told him what was going on and that I had just left my doctor who sent me to Karavel. I told him I needed shoes, but at this time thought sneakers would be more important. I then said, “Maybe some trainers, I don’t know, I’m open for any suggestions.” Then the strangest thing happened. He halfway put his arm around me – hard to explain, he didn’t touch me but I guess "corralled" me by motioning with his arm. I followed. He, without saying a word, walked me right to the front door, OPENED it, put a hand to my back and ushered me just outside the door. THEN he spoke. He said, “See that store right over there?” Pointing to the New Balance store that I obviously saw, it was in the same small parking lot. I just looked at him. He said, “They’re going to be a lot better at helping you find what you need.” He told me to ask for someone, I don’t remember who. Then he shut the door behind me. This was probably 3 weeks ago.

Today I received a Karavel “Groupon” and saw the multitude of trainers on their site. It really brought that feeling right back. It was such a condescending and rude experience there is no way I would return. I still have no idea why I was escorted out the door in such a way. I thought he was taking me see a shoe. I’m not sure if this translates but from a super laid back person – this was a terrible experience. I felt like some dumb little girl and I’m 36! I’ll stick with my podiatrist and In-Step in the future.

08/23/10

"Golden Shoehorn" Award goes to a top salesperson!

by David Phillips at Citysearch

You should give your "Golden Shoe Horn of the Month" award to Heather Johnson. She has waited on me twice: once, April 2009 and then this past weekend. She remembered the particulars of my bad foot problems. Together we discovered that older hikng shoes I had bought years ago elsewhere were now too small, causing great pain. She has outfitted me in a wonderful hiking shoe with new inserts, as well as GREAT Thorlo socks. Heather's attention to every detail of the customer's needs makes this store a place where I WANT to shop.

She also took care of my wife on this shopping trip, helping her with some Merrells, which are a favorite.

Yes, this is what all salespeople are trained to do, but Heather obviously enjoys what she does, and she makes the shopping experience hugely satisfying.

05/11/10

Service

by BruceG1 at Citysearch

I visited the store this past weekend (Mothers Day) to buy a pair of shoes for my mom. I was told to sign in and to feel free to look around. The store was very busy, so I had to wait for about 10 minutes, but once I was waited on, I was very pleased with my sales person (KJ) and the service she offered. She knows her stuff and I will go there again & again.

Next time, I'll buy something for myself.

• Pros: super knowledgeable staff
• Cons: Very busy

04/28/10

Dissapointed with customer service

by Null at Citysearch

I was excited to visit the store and intended on purchasing a pair of shoes until I became dissapointed with the customer service. I was not greeted/acknowledged when I entered the store or as I walked around with a particular shoe in hand needing assistance. It was only after walking up to the counter to ask for help (after 10 minutes) I was told that I needed to "sign in" and wait my turn. I signed in and someone told me they would be right with me. I thought great, no problem. I waited and watched as several sales people chatted amongst themselves for quite some time while I was still ignored. After being frustrated about not being acknowledged, not being informed about the sign in sheet and ignored after signing in, I decided to walk out. Still , no one spoke to me. I was there about 30 minutes. What a waste of my time. I will not go there again. To better serve their customers they need to make the "sign in" procedure more obvious.

• Cons: bad service