I sent this letter to the customer service department hoping that I might
get some sort of coupon for a free pair of shoes. We'll see what they
do when they get it.
Monday, November 04, 2002
Customer Service,
I bought a pair of Rockport dress shoes with Vibram soles a few years
ago because they were lightweight and comfortable. I used them for about
a year, wearing them on Sundays and on weekdays for about three months.
I moved to Spain to serve as a missionary and missions are notorious for
wearing out shoes. Even the heavy duty Doc Martins wear out, because
we walked almost everywhere we went. In order to preserve the shoes, I
wore my pair of Dexters one day and my Rockports the next. For the next
two years I walked about 5-10 miles a day. By the end, the Dexters were
very worn and I threw them out. The trusty Rockports however were still
in good condition. This is even more surprising given that I wore them
for a complete year before my mission and bought the Dexters a month
or two before my departure.
I continued to wear my Rockports every Sunday for three years and
the insides finally got to the point that they had to be replaced.
The exterior was still in great condition, considering what they'd been
through. I replaced them with a nearly identical pair that I continue
to wear every Sunday. I often shared my experience with anyone who will
listen about the amazing pair of Rockport shoes that lasted longer than
any other shoe I knew of. I even played basketball and soccer a few
times while wearing them. My younger brother just left on his mission
and at my recommendation he purchase Rockport shoes.
When I decided to wear casual loafers instead of sneakers on a daily basis
I naturally chose Rockports and bought two pairs of brown casual shoes.
They cost about the same as my dress shoes and I've owned them for less
than two years. I haven't done nearly as much walking as I did on my
mission but the outside of one pair is severely scuffed and worn while the
other pair has a large crack in the sole that allows my socks to get wet.
The reason I'm writing to you is because I can no longer praise the
quality of your shoes, at least those in the casual line. I would have
gladly done a commercial about the quality of the shoes because they
had lasted so far beyond my expectations but the last two pairs have
been a disappointment.
I wanted to make you aware that as a previously loyal and devoted
customer, I will be replacing my shoes with another brand. I don't
believe that my most recent experience with your product was a fluke,
because both pairs have been low quality. My request is that you take
actions to improve the quality of the casual line of shoes. Until a
change is made, I will unfortunately have to search for a better brand.
Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Dan Hersam