Me and Paul

You may remember that I was having trouble getting my new running shoes from Runtex. Now that the saga is over, I want to share how I ended up with plenty of shoes for a while.
Paul Carrozza, the owner of Runtex, has an accessible e-mail address on the store's website. So I sent him an e-mail, to let him know what had happened to that point.
The following exchange pretty well covers the rest:


From: Jay
Sent: Friday, July 25, 2008 10:05 PM
To: Paul
Subject: shoes and service

Paul,
I've been a regular customer at Runtex for several years, and wanted to alert you to problem I'm having in getting a pair of shoes from the Riverside store. You did not have the Mizuno Inspire (size 8) in inventory, so your helpful staff put in an order for them. That was 23 days ago. The salesperson told me that the shoes would be in, in no more than two weeks. After two weeks, I had heard nothing from Runtex, so I went back to the store. I was assured that they would be in within a week. Nine more days have passed, and I have gotten no calls about my shoes. I am training for a November marathon, and really needed those shoes in a timely manner. Because of all that you and Runtex do for runners in Austin, my first choice is always to buy from Runtex. On Monday of this week, I gave up and went to the new Rogue store, where they had my shoes. I will still need the shoes I ordered from your store, and probably at least two more pair before the marathon. I want to have confidence that I will be able to get the shoes I need in a reasonable amount of time, if not on the first visit. This frustrating experience makes me doubt if Runtex will be dependable in the future. I hope that you will look into the inventory and special order issues that my experience highlights. I would appreciate a response to this email, so that I know that you are aware of the problem. I do want to remain a loyal customer at Runtex, confident that I can get the quality service that is your reputation.
Thanks for all that you do.
Jay


(27 minutes later, on a Friday night, I got a response.)

From: Paul
To: jay
Subject: RE: shoes and service

Jay,
I am sorry about this, I will get it expedited and fixed.. the shoes will be on me and I appreciate your loyalty. I will be back in touch on Monday.
Paul

(Before I could respond, he sent me this the next morning.)

Jay,
I wanted to confirm that we will get you two pair… as our gift.They will be here this week and we will let you know when they arrive. If you get me your address, I will have them delivered via UPS.


Paul,
Thanks so much for your timely and generous response. I appreciate what you are doing to make this right.
Jay

From: Jay
Sent: Saturday, August 02, 2008 9:39 PM
To: Paul Carrozza
Subject: RE: shoes and service
Paul,
I picked up my shoes yesterday at Runtex. Thank you for the way you handled this situation from the moment it was brought to your attention.I would like to share this experience, and our e-mail exchange, with my friends and family. If you would rather that I not make public your e-mails to me, then I will respect your wishes in that regard. If I don't hear from you letting me know that you do not want me to share them, then I will assume that it is okay with you. Thanks again for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Jay

RE: shoes and service‏
From:Paul Carrozza Sent:Sat 8/02/08 10:53 PM
To: Jay
Jay,
I am thankful that you are taken care of. You are welcome to use our conversation as you please. Thanks for giving us another chance.
Paul



Very cool. I think he was out of state when I sent my last e-mail, but his response came in a matter of hours. I just hope they fix the original problem, so people can get what they need from Runtex, still the best running store around.

Peace,

js4