I wear Allen Edmonds shoes. They are quite expensive (most run around the $300/pair) — but they are really well made. Also, they are the most comfortable shoes I've ever worn. Why? They're handmade in Wisconsin and they don't use nails — they hand-sew every shoe (check this video out). I've had my pair of wing-tips for the past 15 years.

I had the opportunity to send them back to the factory for their re-crafting service (I wore a hole in each shoe — too many workshops!).

Unfortunately — I ran into a problem when I received my shoes back in the mail. They were a little small (but they did look beautiful - almost brand new). So small that I could barely fit my foot into the shoe. I contacted Beth at customer service and she had me resend the shoes back to her to inspect (for free). Guess what happened?

When she received them, we spoke, and she instantly saw that the re-crafting process did indeed make the shoe smaller.

Surprise #1: She then looked in the shoe for my size to send me a Brand New Pair. No argument. No "well, these are 15 years old."

Surprise #2: She then saw the style I had (Chester) is no longer made. So Beth said, "Pick out any pair from the catalog up to $325 (which covers 98% of the shoes they produce)".

You're probably wondering:

What shoes will I forever purchase for business? Allen Edmonds.
What company will I forever speak about with unbridled enthusiasm? Allen Edmonds.
What company am I now writing about to all of my readers? Allen Edmonds. With videos and links to their sites.

My question to you — what can you do when bad things happen to your customers? How can you give them an Allen Edmonds experience? Where are you falling short? Really . . . how much will it really cost you? And what dividends will ultimately pay off?