I’m a big believer in customer service. Tips at restaurants are won or lost based on how good the service is and I'll visit a place again and again if we have a good experience. I must tell you that the gold standard in customer service has been set for me, but not by a restaurant, but by the new member of the MK family, Kiddie Kobbler St. Laurent.
I’d heard good things about the store and people had told me about Rob “The Shoeman” Krantzberg, but a recent visit exceeded my expectations.
I should say up front that I love shoes (for myself) and hate shoe shopping with my kids. This typically starts out of necessity and ends up in frustration.
Kiddie Kobbler St. Laurent has been an Ottawa institution since 1967. First located in the St. Laurent Shopping Centre and now located on St. Laurent Blvd, Rob “The Shoeman” has run the store since 1983. He takes his job seriously with a mission statement and a goal. He is a one-of-a kind salesman with serious attention paid to customer service and quality.
The store is filled with beautiful and colourful shoes. My attention is immediately drawn to the pretty girls shoes and boots (I’m the mom of two boys, but I can dream). Fashionable and functional footwear from all the major brands (Stride Rite, Geox, Ecco, Tsukihoski, Adidas, Nike) plus some European names I’m not familiar with catch my attention. Rob is particularly proud of carrying a brand called Baby Chou, a Canadian company.
My son heads towards the Crocs while I look at the selection of boys shoes, which is quite large. Rob measures my son’s foot and then comes back with six boxes of sneakers as well as the Crocs. He has chosen the shoes my son likes as well as a variety of others, including some priced below what we are looking for.
After two relay races, a Star Wars trivia question and numerous high fives, my four year old has a new best friend and I am impressed how patient Rob is and how much time he has spent on my son.
During a follow up phone call Rob explains he is “old-school” and that to him means personal connections, excellent customer service and happy customers. He wants his customers to have a positive shopping experience and he prides himself on finding the footwear that is best for a child’s feet. He won’t sell something because it’s trendy; often waiting a year or two to ensure the company has staying power and is reputable. He also has high expectations for his staff, creating a six-month probation before he allows them to fit a child’s foot. High standards but with good results.
Perhaps the best testament to his philosophy is the fact that the children he fitted early on are now coming to the store with their children, because they like Rob and how he conducts his business. Repeat customers are a store’s bread and butter but customers spanning decades and generations? Sounds like a good fit to me.
Kiddie Kobbler St. Laurent
1177 St. Laurent Blvd.
613 746-6411
