One heeled lady hobbling down Lordship Lane

[OliviaDee]

I've stopped going there becuase i found him so tricky to deal with.

[Alan Medic]

What does 'tricky' mean OD?

[OliviaDee]

well, tricky.

I always left there feeling like i had been scolded - i had bought the wrong shoes, they had the wrong stitching or something, or didn't look after them, or what i wanted was unreasonable (basic soling and heeling) because i had, of course, bought the wrong shoes. i just consistently found him too odd and surly (and expensive) and so stopped going there. (And started going up the lane and getting heels and soles stuck on for less than a tenner and no grief which is kind of what you expect. it is of interest to me now that i was not alone in this!

[Mick Mac]

I find him changeable but his work excellent.

I think he feels he is slightly "above" minor repairs as he is a shoemaker (maker of bespoke shoes) as well as a shoe repair person.

He resoles my shoes much more cheaply than where I bought them from, so his prices are fair.

Not likely to be impressed by making his living from ?7 jobs, but at the end of the day you need to be nice to customers or it will bite you in the long run.

As for asking for things for free, it's a pretty selfish thing to do to a "sole" trader trying to make a living. Maybe you should go to a "heel" bar.

[jack'n'danny]

I thought Merryfields made Cider???

[Mick Mac]

I just left shoes in to him a few minutes ago and he could not have been more friendly.

[OliviaDee]

maybe he's been reading this Mick?

You're quite right what you said earlier and for those reasons i kept going back - but in the end it just becase easier to go somewhere else.

[carolynroyal]

how very annoying! that would have driver me mad too .. idiot!

[Zak]

I have to say that I've always found Mr Merryfield to be really helpful.

He's carried out one or two out small repairs for free in the past and I've just picked up a pair of shoes that he's re-heeled very nicely.

I think having him on Grove Vale is a real asset to the community.

[Robert Poste's Child]

I noticed that Timpsons has a sign outside saying if you're unemployed and have a job interview they'll dry clean your outfit for free. That's such a thoughtful and generous thing to do.

[Huggers]

I went into Merryfield's today to get a shoe repaired - the cobbler told me Timpson's has cut his trade by half, even minor repairs have had a major impact on business.

I was taking in my boots which were leaking- I had gone to Timpson's three weeks ago to get them re-heeled at a cost that ended up being three pounds more than Merryfield, as they cut down my heel to accommodate where I had worn them too far, whereas Merryfield would have built them back up to the original height.

Except he wouldn't- because as he pointed out, my Irreparable soles had gone past the point of no return and any repair at all was a waste of money.

I'm back to Merryfield's after this, supporting a local business and craftsman.

[robbin]

So, it seems based on those reports it's about 50/50 as to whether you will be received with rudeness and a complete lack of any empathy or ordinary standards of customer service, or whether you will get a good job done with a smile (or at least a grimace).

Not great odds really!

[Huggers]

it's more important for me to have good shoe repairs, personally as anyone, honest or dishonest, can smile.

[stevie23b]

wOULD YOU LIKE HIM TO FOLLOW YOU AROUND AND WARN OF 'HEEL DANGERS' AGGGGH.

[Jennys]

Recently I needed strap on a shoe to be restiched. Timpsons don't do stitching. The guy in Merryfields pointed out that he would have to charge ?20 as it would need hand stitching rather than machine stitching but I could do it in 15 minutes since the stitch holes were there already. He colour matched the colour thread I needed and gave me plenty, double what I needed actually, refusing any money.

[Jennys]

Recently I needed strap on a shoe to be restiched. Timpsons don't do stitching. The guy in Merryfields pointed out that he would have to charge ?20 as it would need hand stitching rather than machine stitching but suggested I could do it in 15 minutes whilst watching television, since the stitch holes were there already. He colour matched the thread I needed and gave me plenty, double what I needed actually, refusing any money.

[Sue]

Jennys Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Recently I needed strap on a shoe to be restiched.

> Timpsons don't do stitching. The guy in

> Merryfields pointed out that he would have to

> charge ?20 as it would need hand stitching rather

> than machine stitching but suggested I could do it

> in 15 minutes whilst watching television, since

> the stitch holes were there already. He colour

> matched the thread I needed and gave me plenty,

> double what I needed actually, refusing any money.

He's done something similar for me in the past.

I really like Merrifield's, and I'm sorry to hear that he's losing trade to Timpsons :(

[Alex K]

Robert Poste's Child Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Not only is the customer service usually excellent, they employ ex-convicts to help them get back into normal society, which adds a pleasant frisson while I wait.

I must confess that I too enjoy eyeing up a bit of rough now and again.

[bermygirl]

I have to stick up for Merrifields as well. I have used his services often, and when I first moved here I locked myself out of my flat and he lent me a ladder to try and get into my garden and door at the back. At the price he offers I think the OP is being unreasonable. I do not think you can have any way to be sure it didn't get caught on something after the initial repair. When you think about it you were essentially questioning the quality of his initial re-heel. Seriously if are going to bicker over ?3.50 then you must lead a charmed life with nothing else to worry about. He has been there for ages and so I doubt he will mind if you don't bring your custom anymore.

[M_Cara]

Just had my own experience of rude customer service: last winter Merryfields reheeled a pair of boots and completely resoled my husband's brogues - and neither repair was cheap. This year, after taking in one of the same boots that needed a new zip, he quoted ?40 due to it being a tan colour and said it would take a long time to complete the job. he suggested it might not be worth the cost, which I could use to buy a new pair of boots. I decided to leave the boot with him to repair as they are my favourite, but having a chance to think about it overnight, I realised that it wasn't a good use of my ?40. The next day I came past to say I'd taken his advice and changed my mind. He said the boot was now with his supplier who was colour matching the zip and it would be over a week till it would be back in the shop. 10 days later I go to collect the boot and was obviously taking too long for his liking find the job ticket. He told me I had 'wasted enough of his time already'. I won't be wasting any more of his time in future either! Timpsons it will be.

[Jules-and-Boo]

heelarious!

[twister]

I always go to the lovely people in the dry cleaners next to the post office, I've only tried the man on Grove Vale once. He was overpriced and rude! I doubt he has changed in the last 15 years.

[Alan Medic]

Mind you having to wait while a woman looks for something somewhere in her everything but the kitchen sink is in there handbag is enough to make most men grumpy. Not me of course.

[Sue]

M_Cara Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Just had my own experience of rude customer

> service: last winter Merryfields reheeled a pair

> of boots and completely resoled my husband's

> brogues - and neither repair was cheap. This year,

> after taking in one of the same boots that needed

> a new zip, he quoted ?40 due to it being a tan

> colour and said it would take a long time to

> complete the job. he suggested it might not be

> worth the cost, which I could use to buy a new

> pair of boots. I decided to leave the boot with

> him to repair as they are my favourite, but having

> a chance to think about it overnight, I realised

> that it wasn't a good use of my ?40. The next day

> I came past to say I'd taken his advice and

> changed my mind. He said the boot was now with his

> supplier who was colour matching the zip and it

> would be over a week till it would be back in the

> shop. 10 days later I go to collect the boot and

> was obviously taking too long for his liking find

> the job ticket. He told me I had 'wasted enough of

> his time already'. I won't be wasting any more of

> his time in future either! Timpsons it will be.

It sounds like he had gone to quite a lot of trouble over your boots.

It was hardly his fault you changed your mind after asking him to repair them, nor that you went to collect them without having the job ticket to hand, surely.

I'm pretty sure Timpsons wouldn't have been able either to colour match the zip nor to replace it.