mano
Senior Member
- Joined
- Jun 21, 2004
- Messages
- 443
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Lance was kind enough to send a pair of new Certo suede monk straps for only the cost of shipping with the understanding one of the small loops the strap goes through was broken. It was torn right where two staples held it together. I took the shoe to the shop nearby my office and the cobbler said, "no problem."
Now, this guy has a reputation for being difficult with a hot temper. I've never had a problem with him, but have seen him get angry at another customer and heard him yelling in Italian at the counter-lady in the back of the shop. He's a skinny little guy who's probably in his 60's but looks much older. The poor fellow appears to have suffered significant burns on his face and most all of the fingers on his left hand are partially missing. Guess I can't blame the guy for being unhappy.
When I pick up the shoe, he charges $7.00. I'm delighted, but I see the loop appears tight. I try it, and in order to take the strap out, I had to pinch the strap. I show the guy, who pinches it, puts it back in the loop and hands it to me. "There!" he smiles. He says he had to cut off the torn piece and that shortened the loop when he stapled it back together. I tell him I really don't want to pinch it every time I buckle or unbuckle.
Cobbler: "What you want me to do?"
Mano: "Fix it."
Cobbler: "How?"
Mano: "I don't know, that's why I brought it to you."
Cobbler: "If I used another piece (of suede) the color wouldn't match. That's all I can do."
Mano: "I understand, but if you couldn't fix it, all you needed to do was call." (He's getting agitated and I'm calm and matter-of-fact.)
Cobbler: He shakes his head, " What you want me to do?"
Mano: "Fix it."
Cobbler: "How?"
Mano: "I don't know, that's why I brought it to you." (He's really angry and I'm still calm. I figured he could've used another piece of leather in the back to lengthen it, but I wasn't about to tell him how to do his job.)
Cobbler: "If I used another piece (of suede) the color wouldn't match. That's it."
Mano: "Really, I understand, but if you couldn't fix it, all you needed to do was call."
Cobbler: "For $7.00, whattamaIgonna call?"
Furious, he takes the $7.00 from the till and slams it on the counter. I take the money and the shoe and leave.
I then go to my former cobbler, who is farther away. Alex is a soft-spoken Russian gentleman who made bespoke; albeit relatively utilitarian, shoes in Russia. Here in the USA he only does repairs as there's no call for his shoes. He has about six pair in the window and over the years they've dulled and cracked from exposure to the sun.
I show him the shoe, explain the situation and he says, "no problem."
When I pick up the shoe, it's fine. He put another piece of leather in the back of the loop and if you look closely you can see the loop was repaired, but it works as it should.
Price $4.00
Lance, thanks again for such a deal and an adventure to go with it.
Now, this guy has a reputation for being difficult with a hot temper. I've never had a problem with him, but have seen him get angry at another customer and heard him yelling in Italian at the counter-lady in the back of the shop. He's a skinny little guy who's probably in his 60's but looks much older. The poor fellow appears to have suffered significant burns on his face and most all of the fingers on his left hand are partially missing. Guess I can't blame the guy for being unhappy.
When I pick up the shoe, he charges $7.00. I'm delighted, but I see the loop appears tight. I try it, and in order to take the strap out, I had to pinch the strap. I show the guy, who pinches it, puts it back in the loop and hands it to me. "There!" he smiles. He says he had to cut off the torn piece and that shortened the loop when he stapled it back together. I tell him I really don't want to pinch it every time I buckle or unbuckle.
Cobbler: "What you want me to do?"
Mano: "Fix it."
Cobbler: "How?"
Mano: "I don't know, that's why I brought it to you."
Cobbler: "If I used another piece (of suede) the color wouldn't match. That's all I can do."
Mano: "I understand, but if you couldn't fix it, all you needed to do was call." (He's getting agitated and I'm calm and matter-of-fact.)
Cobbler: He shakes his head, " What you want me to do?"
Mano: "Fix it."
Cobbler: "How?"
Mano: "I don't know, that's why I brought it to you." (He's really angry and I'm still calm. I figured he could've used another piece of leather in the back to lengthen it, but I wasn't about to tell him how to do his job.)
Cobbler: "If I used another piece (of suede) the color wouldn't match. That's it."
Mano: "Really, I understand, but if you couldn't fix it, all you needed to do was call."
Cobbler: "For $7.00, whattamaIgonna call?"
Furious, he takes the $7.00 from the till and slams it on the counter. I take the money and the shoe and leave.
I then go to my former cobbler, who is farther away. Alex is a soft-spoken Russian gentleman who made bespoke; albeit relatively utilitarian, shoes in Russia. Here in the USA he only does repairs as there's no call for his shoes. He has about six pair in the window and over the years they've dulled and cracked from exposure to the sun.
I show him the shoe, explain the situation and he says, "no problem."
When I pick up the shoe, it's fine. He put another piece of leather in the back of the loop and if you look closely you can see the loop was repaired, but it works as it should.
Price $4.00
Lance, thanks again for such a deal and an adventure to go with it.
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