Odd question, what does it mean if the sales associate lets you have the shoe horn?

[iroh]

I was at a shoe store yesterday and was trying on shoes and at the end I decided not to buy and the salesman said I could keep the shoehorn (btw, which had the name of the store on it), so I did.

Now here are some questions I am wondering about:

Do shoe stores usually give out a lot of shoe horns?
Is this like free advertising for the store? But who else would look at the shoe horn except me?
What if I already had a shoe horn at home and the sales associate didn't know?
What can I do with these extra shoe horns?
Why would shoe horns be given away for free?
Do they only give you the shoe horn if you don't buy a pair of shoes?

 

[Omega Man]

He probably wanted to build a good rapport with his customers.

 

[patrickBOOTH]

Originally Posted by iroh

I was at a shoe store yesterday and was trying on shoes and at the end I decided not to buy and the salesman said I could keep the shoehorn (btw, which had the name of the store on it), so I did.

Now here are some questions I am wondering about:

Do shoe stores usually give out a lot of shoe horns?
Is this like free advertising for the store? But who else would look at the shoe horn except me?
What if I already had a shoe horn at home and the sales associate didn't know?
What can I do with these extra shoe horns?
Why would shoe horns be given away for free?
Do they only give you the shoe horn if you don't buy a pair of shoes?

It is a novelty gift. I have never encountered it personally, but it reminds you where you got it and maybe it will make you return in the future when in the market for shoes.

I don't think the sales person cared if you had a shoe horn already, if you have another that you like better throw his in the garbage. Or, if you are so distraught over it don't accept it and say you have a shoe horn already.

They are probably given away for free because they are cheap if they are simply made of plastic. If they are giving away abbeyhorns I will be sure to stop in and not buy any shoes.

 

[DerekS]

maybe you had smely feet and he didnt want to use it with other customers...tainted shoe horn.

 

[The Contrarian]

Its secret gay code. It means he wants you.

 

[upnorth]

^This.

He is horn(y)

 

[patrickBOOTH]

Originally Posted by upnorth

^This.

He is horn(y)

I lol'ed

 

[Harold falcon]

Originally Posted by iroh

Do shoe stores usually give out a lot of shoe horns?

Depends on the shoe store.

Is this like free advertising for the store? But who else would look at the shoe horn except me?

It's exactly like advertising for the store, but it's not free. The horn probably cost the store twenty five cents. Giving it away is a method of advertising, even if you're the only one who uses it.

What if I already had a shoe horn at home and the sales associate didn't know?

Now you have two shoe horns.

What can I do with these extra shoe horns?

Shoe horns have a multitude of uses, not the least of which is assisting you in putting on your shoes properly. Consider keeping the spare in your gym or overnight bag.

Why would shoe horns be given away for free?

Some business give away items that are relevant to their customer's use with the name of the business on the item as an advertising method known as "swag" and it was fairly common back when the economy wasn't in the ******* and companies had expendable income to throw around.

Do they only give you the shoe horn if you don't buy a pair of shoes?

You would have to check with the specific store on their free shoe horn policy.

 

[Jsoftz]

Originally Posted by upnorth

^This.

He is horn(y)

Wow, it took us a whole 3 posts to making accusations of teh ****. I'm impressed- I was sure it would be the first response.

 

[joegrec]

I walked in to a shoe store a while back to ask if the sold shoe horns and the the SA laughed at me, reached under the counter, grabbed a shoe horn and just gave it to me. I was not even planning on buy shoes there.

 

[The Contrarian]

Originally Posted by Jsoftz

Wow, it took us a whole 3 posts to making accusations of teh ****. I'm impressed- I was sure it would be the first response.

I am not usually a **** poster but the very nature of this thread and why it warrants a thread is ridiculous.

If I walked into a store and they gave me something for free I wouldnt think that there is a deep mystical meaning to it and I wouldnt waste mine and others time posting about it.

Had I posted It would have gone like this:

I got a free shoehorn from a store. Great Customer Service. The End.

Is there really a question as to the significance of the "Free Shoehorn"?

 

[in stitches]

its a classic sales tatic called reciprication, by giving you even something as token as a shoe horn it creates a feeling that you need to return the favor and the most logical way to do so is to buy from him now or in the future. its why a car salesman offers you a deal on a car so you feel the need to respond in kind by buying, its a very innocuous and effective way of making sales

 

[michael_legeek]

in stitches is bang on. It is exactly that. If you want to read up on this sort of thing, a good book is Influence, by Robert Cialdini. Worthwhile and interesting reading. ...or, if you belong to a secret society, the shoehorn may instead be an outwardly innocent-looking token of your next assignment.

 

[Bounder]

Originally Posted by iroh

What can I do with these extra shoe horns?
E-bay. In fact, you should probably start your own e-bay store.

 

[Master Squirrel]

It is like getting a toothbrush at the dentist or a paint can opener from the hardware store. Am I the only one who gets one almost every time I buy a pair of shoes? Or is there a reason they keep having me go into the dressing room and disrobe?