To think this is dam cheeky of Clark’s shoes

[Lilylay]

We there yesterday to get Ds measures for school shoes and buy some. We have not got a lot of money but I have e put some aside to get DS these shoes as we have found Clark’s last longer so are better value in the long run.
When we got there the women came over the measure Ds feet and also asked him to tap his favourite colour on the screen. He got measure and we picked out some shoes
When the women came back with the right size she had three other boxes with her and took out the school shoes and put them on Ds. We were happy and said we were having them.
She then turned to Ds and says look at these wonderful green trainers and if your mummy and daddy get you these as well as your new school shoes they will get 20% off the trainers.

Now lucky for us we had just been in sports direct and get DS some trainers from there so Ds just say “I have got some new ones thank”
I am not at all happy with the selling technique and say to the women that I know she will a been asked to do this by her boss but could she feed back Clark’s have now lost a sale due to this tactic. We walked out and I have ordered some shoes online that have good reviews and are guaranteed for a year.
Incidentally there was a child having meltdown but his mum was saying she could not afford the trainers. The mum looked so upset.
AIBU to think this is not one at all

Also gave up on Clark's years ago. Their shoes just never seem to last. I go elsewhere to buy leather school shoes.

I've had sales assistants directing their sales patter towards my kids and not me in order to get my own children to pressure me to buy. Never gonna happen I'm afraid. My kids know better than to bother trying. Maybe they'll ask once but a no is a no so there's no pressuring me and all the sales assistant would achieve is making my children feel sad.

One gave the kids the hard sell that much that I laughed and said, "I dunno why you're asking them, they don't have jobs so won't be buying 'owt!" and walked away.

Definitely complain to Clark's. It may be the store franchise owner who is forcing this but as a franchise they can't just do what they like. A franchise not following the rules damages their brand.

I haven't been in Clarks for well over a year now to actually buy shoes. DD has now switched to cheaper fashion from Primark, and DS's shoes have lasted almost two years as he just hadn't grown. He's only just finally grown out of them these holidays, they've lasted 5 terms with a touch up of polish every now and then.

As far as the upsell at the till is concerned, I'm one of those who has always been happy to be reminded of polish as we do use it and I would buy if we were running out, but otherwise upselling really doesn't work on me.

For those who go in to Clarks to get feet measured and buy elsewhere, yes it is wrong, but there just isn't anywhere else in our town you can do that. Other shops used to have the gauge on the side of the stools, but I haven't seen that for years. The only time I've gone and got feet measured with no intention of buying I was totally upfront about it - but that was because DD's school shoes still fitted but we needed an accurate size to be able to buy dance shoes online - our local dance supply shop has closed down so no more just telling them current school shoe size and they work it out.

Oh, and OP, YADNBU, at all. Pitching upsell at children is awful.

I used to work in Clark's 10 years ago and it has been a sales tactic when. What I would do is ask the parent if they needed any new trainers too. If they said yes then I would say they can get 20% off if they buy the trainers with the school shoes (and also a little sports bag) but I would never bring them out and show the child before hand. You just dont know the circumstances of the people buying the shoes.

Interesting. It also means the whole appointment takes longer as they are searching for two styles of shoes. And given it's already Dante's seventh circle of hell you'd think they would want to get people through faster.

I'd love to know what all your DCs do to their shoes. I have always bought Clarke's for my two and have never had a pair wear out. They always last the year, and with regular polishing still look pretty good at the end of that year.

@Seeline the last time I bought a pair of expensive Clark’s for DD, she wore them for about three weeks and they started going all sort of flaky, with bits of the leather peeling off. No massive walks through boggy woods or anything, just a ten minute walk to and from school and playing with friends on a concrete playground at school. Id sprayed them with the protection stuff etc too.

This was a while back, so the quality might have improved I dunno, but I’m happy with my cheap and cheerful Shoe Zone alternatives tbh.

Exactly. A SHOE shop, not a shoe accessory shop

Oh don't be ridiculous. You are bleating about the hardships of the high street whilst demonstrating what makes many retail units an unpleasant experience.

Which shops do you use for shoes? I can't think that Russell & Bromley, John Lewis, Office, Jimmy Choo sell these things

Well Jimmy Choos are not my vice but John Lewis and other shoe shops (or should I type "SHOE SHOPS") certainly have done within the last six months.

I used to work in a Clarks shop when I was a student in the 1970s

Ah yes, the days when customer service was largely non existant in retail.

The sundries you mention have a huge mark up which is why they are upsold. In fact we were trained to always ask the customer if they needed polish etc.

Yes that is the point - you make money on them.

Laces are not worth the bother owing to the low mark up

Which ascribes zero value to customer service and experience.

If you talked about fair taxation across online/retail units I'd be right with you. But blaming customers for what is basically shit customer service is exactly why so many of us are voting with our keyboards. I still use local shops which provide an actual service, I would not visit a shop twice which tried to sell to my children at such an age or considered it insufficiently profitable to provide something as basic as laces to go with their shoes.

Its hardly asking for comfy chairs and glasses of champagne.

Omg shame on Clarke's the C.F actually ask the DC their favourite colour.
Manipulative tactic.
OP sketchers school shoes are very durable and more affordable I'd take my business there instead.

This hasn't happened to us but on numerous times they massively miss measured my DD for shoes. I don't use them anymore.

This has happened to me last time. They “helpfully” brought out two other (more expensive with toys in sole) types of shoe plus a pair of trainers and a pair of vastly overpriced plimsolls and opened all the boxes to show the children.

It annoys me. I’ve worked in retail and am aware that you can be helpful ( by suggesting possible useful items ) and gain extra sales in a way that provides good service but find that in Clarks it is definitely a hard up-sell that targets the kids directly.

I just say no but it’s annoying and I think not appropriate.

I’ve emailed them and also now shop elsewhere.

I think most Clarks shoes are ugly and overpriced to be honest.

My ds is 16 now and I last bought from there when he was a toddler as they were ugly then too.
Many people think Clarks are superior but I've had much better experience with the likes of Kickers that really do last.

Dd is 8. She wouldn't wear a pair of Clarks trainers. Her school shoes this year are the chunky patent Kickers with a bow on, will last until she needs a new size and she has a habit of scuffing shoes but never these.

Sports Direct is the place to go for trainers. Ours just have to be "all black" and she likes Adidas and Nike so lots to choose from and much cheaper than Clarks.

I'm surprised at its popularity to be honest.

I agree that it is out of order to ask the child. They do not know people's circumstances.
When my daughter's feet are measured they always ask tge favourite colour but i thought that was just to help build a relationship so the child will say how the shoe feels when on.
I haven't heard the staff trying to push a second sale.
Due to get my daughter's feet checked next week before starting dchool (go back on the 9th).
They eould be hard pushed to try and sell us trainers as they dont do any her size. She has a high arch, so even when she measures as a g, some h don't fit. They don't make h fitting girls trainers in her size.

It's besides the point but... Tesco £4 shoes last for bloody ages and ages..

It is awful. They try this at my branch too. I always tell them I prefer trainers from sports direct not Clarks. But they should be doing this. They are targeting kids directly by having the conversation with them, and this is illegal. By all means have a poster up and mention at the till discretely. But this selling to kids directly is not on.

So similar to what just happened to us. Went in and said I wanted a pair of (full price) high tops to get son and daughter through autumn. Said nothing pink or glittery for my daughter and no trainers for son.
She brought out pink, sparkly high tops for my girl which annoyingly I quite liked so that wasn't so bad when she picked them to buy. My son however she went through 3 okay pairs of high tops then last box was garish bright red trainers. Instantly he wanted those ones because they were like football boots. I said no he needs waterproof high tops to try and dissuade him and she pipes up that they are leather too. I was furious. He's only 4. Doesn't know any better. I won't be returning any of the time soon

I stopped buying in Clarke’s over 10 years ago when they measured DDs feet wrong and then tried to make out it was my fault.
We use a local independent shop, they are excellent and have never tried to up sell me anything.
My 3 have all ended up with Geox shoes this year.

Tesco shoes are complete rubbish, imo.

I had to replace my son's school shoes for the last school term; they lasted 2 months. Not fit for purpose.

Bought hiking boots last winter for a trip; lasted 1 week. I took them back for a full refund, as not fit for purpose.

Ditto for a pair of trainers; lasted 10 days; returned for full refund.

My daughter's new sandals, bought in the sale and now worn for about 3 weeks, are now falling apart . They're going back this weekend for a full refund. Not fit for purpose.

Great if you just want shoes to last a week or two for trips I suppose, as they have to take them back if they fall apart like this...

It also means the whole appointment takes longer as they are searching for two styles of shoes. And given it's already Dante's seventh circle of hell you'd think they would want to get people through faster

Upselling is often self-defeating. I don't like in the UK, but the pharmacy by us goes through such a palaver of upselling that each customer takes about five minutes at the till. I often have to go to another pharmacy because they are so slow.

INeedAFlerken

I'd suggest you stop buying them then.. weird they're so bad yet you keep going back..

My daughter had a pair of cheap £4 school pumps in September last year, they lasted til they didn't fit her anymore with not a single sign of damage, wear or stitching failure. She'd have carried on wearing them if she could have as she loves them.

Had clarks, had startrite, Kelly.kelly, sainsburys.. from £80 down.. her favourites,£4 Tesco.. I'm.not complaining. 😂😂

When your child needs a replacement pair of shoes immediately for whatever reason, our Tesco is on our doorstep and the only available last minute option sometimes. We work long hours and have a lot of activities I run the kids around to ... you use what you have.

Works out ... I tend to get my money back and the shoes tide them over until I can get into a town to get them a better shoe.

My poor old mum had the same hard sell. Lucikily, I had told her we only had room for one pair as we were hand luggage only so she had a rock solid reason not to buy, but I reckon if she had not, she would have felt forced to buy the trainers. I never buy Clarks trainers as for two wears a week of shoe that sits in the PE bag all term, F&F is plenty good enough once we have the correct sizing done.

Definitely feedback to Clark's, this is clearly a national upsell tactic, although maybe delivered in a diff way and she probably has to say it to you in case you are the mystery shopper. Her boss will not want to fail this and have the stores performance questioned so feedback directly would be best in this situation.

@Alpacamabags To be fair, I don't see what she said wrong there? I'm annoyed for OP at the issue she described but in your example I don't see what she said wrong at all? She was just letting you know that they were in fact waterproof? Or am I missing something?

That is very poor. I went to Clarks recently and after picking out school shoes she said "we have some trainers in his size in the sale if you'd like a look?" Which is a far better attitude.