Don't blame the economy, could be just poor service

WHEN business is bad, no one talks about the service. But poor service is a serious shortcoming when it leads to customers voting with their feet, which then hits the bottom line. I had a memorable shopping trip in December at shoe shop Cole Haan. Footwear from the 91-year-old US company, founded in Chicago in 1928, is sold in only a few places in Singapore such as upmarket malls Paragon and Takashimaya.

It was not my first visit, and as Cole Haan shoes are pretty comfortable, I usually end up buying more than one pair during an excursion. But my experience last month was strange - not least because I had to prompt the salesman for different sizes to try.

Shopfloor reticence is perhaps understandable when there is limited stock for items that are on sale. But that day, it was clear that some models did have more than just the displayed shoe size in stock. Yet, it took patience and perseverance to elicit that fact. And while, on a previous trip the saleswoman had been very enthusiastic and mentioned a discount for buying a second pair, this time around I had to ask if being a member meant a benefit (and was then told purchase of …