The thing is...: Keen on Keen

It's not often that I have a customer service experience that I am thrilled about, so when it happens I will blog it from the rooftops. So here we go.

I'm 6'6" and have narrow feet, with one foot narrower than the other, and one having a higher arch than the other. Thus, finding shoes is pretty much a pain; but, when I find a brand of shoes that that I like (read: they fit, are comfortable) I stick with them for life. For instance, I have a pair of Kenneth Cole shoes--black oxfords--that I've re-soled at least six times over the last ten years. No other shoe feels as good. I also have a couple pairs of Timberlands and Nike Equalon is my running shoe of choice.

I also LOVE Keen footwear. The tension cord on their leather sandals snug those puppies right to my dogs, compensating for their odd shapes (my feet, not the sandals). Keens are comfortable, durable and you can throw them in the washing machine without damaging them. I bought a pair about a year and a half ago, and it was love at first wear.

The things is...well, the honeymoon is over: My Keen's are falling apart. The toe is coming off the shoe and the tension cord is broken. No more snug fit.

So I brought my foot plight to the attention of Keen's customer service, and THEY ARE SENDING ME A NEW PAIR! Below I have included the correspondence with Keen (two emails from me, two from them). Note how Keen, or "Ash" in particular, was prompt, clear and courteous. The entire process took me about twenty minutes, including taking pictures of the shoes, uploading them and sending both messages. It looks like it took Ash mere seconds to respond to me.

So, once again, I LOVE KEEN.

Email from me:

From: David Levy [mailto:david.levy@storyworldwide.com]
Sent: Wed 6/25/2008 8:37 AM
To: info
Subject: Keen's falling apart

Hi:

I bought a pair of Lagunas (Men’s, size 13 at the Outdoor Sports Center in Wilton, CT) about a year and a half ago. They are great shows. My usage has been pretty typical—no where near everyday wear and tear—only during the warm weather, for beach, some hiking and general walking around.

I love my Keen’s but they are falling apart. The toe is separating from the sandals and the tension strings broke. I need to buy a new pair of sandals for an upcoming trip. However, I probably will not buy another pair of Keen’s if they are going to disintegrate this quickly. Is there anything you can do for me?

Thanks.

David Levy

Their first response:

David:

Thank you for contacting KEEN, Inc.

We do offer a one year warranty on all our footwear from date of original purchase. If you've owned your shoes for a year or less, we do first ask that you speak directly to the KEEN dealer for warranty service or refund/credit. If this is not possible and you would like the shoes replaced with the same or another style, get back to us with the following information:

Digital pictures of the following views of the shoe. Please note! we only need these THREE images, preferably in a small file format. Too many images or too large a format will bounce your email back undelivered:

area of concern on the shoe
profile of shoe
sole of shoe

Plus this additional information:

approximate date of shoe purchase
Shoe SIZE and shoe GENDER ( VERY IMPORTANT )
alternate styles and colors for substitute - visit our website to check out shoes www.keenfootwear.com
Full US only physical shipping address ( no POB - we do not ship to CANADA or EUROPE)
day time phone

We can then determine what we have in our current inventory for warranty replacement. Please note KEEN is unable to extend a credit or refund to you directly for your shoe purchase. The original KEEN dealer can assist if this is the option you prefer. Please also note that we are at times unable to replace the footwear with the exact style due to seasonal availability. We are more than happy to replace with ANY other style KEEN, regardless of relative cost. We appreciate your understanding.

Best Regards,

ash

KEEN, Inc.
www.keenfootwear.com

My response back (including pictures...I had to send two separate emails to make sure the pictures got through their firewall)

From: David Levy [mailto:david.levy@storyworldwide.com]
Sent: Wed 6/25/2008 5:27 PM
To: info
Subject: 1 of 2 message with 3 images

Thank you for your response. I am sending back the images and information as requested. There are issues with both shoes so I have a left and a right series.

The shoe was purchased in approximately winter 2006
Size 13, Men
Alternate styles: Newport (bison or charcoal), Laguna (bison/yellow), Venice (walnut),
address
Daytime phone xxx-xxx-xxxx

Frayed tension