The Society of Shoe Fitters continually update their courses to make them relevant to today's market, but strongly retain their ethical stance on the importance of 'fit'. The new 5 month course starting on March 1st encompasses all you need to know about professional shoe fitting with topic's covering anatomy, problem feet, shoe construction, materials, gauges, types of fit and even customer care. All this is enhanced by two hands-on Workshop days and culminates in membership of this long-standing, prestigeous organisation. There is also a fast-track Entrance Examination for those who don't need the course that have been shoe fitting for years.
In these difficult times it is vital to retain the loyalty of good staff and encourage those that are new to the trade, and what better way than to teach them everything they will need to know to serve customers professionally so that 'they will sell shoes that wont come back, to people who will! Contact: Laura West F.S.S.F.,Secretary, The Society of Shoe Fitters, 01953-851171 www.shoefitters.org.uk
With a great start to the new season’s courses this September, the Society of Shoe Fitters are going to go on booking the 10 month course through to the end of February until the start of their new 5 month course – 1st March 2012. The new course format is allowing them to be far more flexible and in tune with people’s needs as they have reduced the number of Workshops from three to two, but are repeating them within the same year, so if students miss one they don’t have to wait too long to attend the one they’ve missed. Another change taking place is the presentation of their qualification. Whereas students who completed their coursework early had to wait until Workshop 3 to receive their certificates, goodie bags etc., now they will be sent immediately upon approval of their Tutor.
The next Society of Shoe Fitters course starts on October 1st and they are taking bookings now. 'We have an exciting year ahead' says Laura West, the Secretary, as the Student of the Year will be Awarded in February at the new Awards Dinner which is shaping up to be an amazing event, and we have two new 5 month courses starting March 2st and September 1st straight after MODA'.
Greetings from the President – JAN PARRY Of Parry’s, Pembroke Dock, S. Wales. How quickly time flies when you are having fun... We are just into the buying season and that should be the fun bit, but of course it is all too easy to get carried away and go over budget when each brand of shoes shows you another lot of cases full of wonderful designs and colour-ways. This is when it is good to have someone else holding the purse strings and ensuring that they are doing the maths as you go along!
Greetings from the new 2011 President – JAN PARRY It is a very great honour for me to have been elected President of the Society of Shoe Fitters. I hold the Society in very high esteem for all the hard work it has done over many years educating the footwear industryand public. The wealth of knowledge and expertise held by the members of the Society is truly impressive.
Greetings from the President Two years ago I was “persuaded” to allow my name to be put forward as President of the SSF. I cannot believe how quickly the two years have flown by. It is an honour and privilege to be your President, but soon my term in office will be at an end, and all being well I will be handing on the prestigious chain of office to our Vice President Mrs. Jan Parry. I hope she has a great time; she will be a wonderful President for our and YOUR society.
President of the Society of Shoe Fitters, Bernard O'Brien of Luke O'Brien Shoes To Be Shoer of Tuam, S. Ireland, was delighted to award the Fisher George Memorial Trophy for Student of the Year to Nicole Robinson of Papillon, London. John Nasillo, Area Manager delighted Nicole by presenting her with a personally inscribed Valet Box courtesy of Dasco Dunkelman.
For WOMEN in ENGLAND there is funding available for the Society of Shoe Fitters course. The next course starts October lst, but if you wish to receive a large percentage of the course fee refunded, you need to apply for the course and the funding NOW. The funds are extremely limited in comparison to other years, so an application has to be made immediately. If you would like a course place, are a woman and living/working in England you need to complete the SSF course application form (available for download online: www.shoefitters-uk.org), and email it to Laura West, Secretary (SSF) requesting funding contact details. The secretary cannot guarantee funding as this is a government initiative and it is entirely based on a 'first come first served' basis.
Our next course starts on October 1st and don't forget your colleagues get a £50 discount -AND training and membership costs are tax deductable. Now is the time to let staff know how valuable they are - or could be, to your business. So, if you want your first contact with prospective customers to be bright, knowledgeable and helpful and above all qualified to perform the task set to them, then please contact Laura immediately for an application form.
Forms can be emailed. Also, the government grant offering up to 75% off of the course fee (for women working in England only) called Women in the Workplace, is available from Skillfast and open again to students. Sadly it was not confirmed to us until a short while ago and the budget has being going quickly. There will be a waiting list though, so for more information please contact Sue Green, Skills Manager Tel. 0113-2399600 or Mobile: 07736-083528.
As the Autumn/Winter buying time is now upon us, maybe we should ponder and think a little: Are these goods going to be made by people getting a ‘living’ wage? Are they being created by better environmental methods? Perhaps a little difficult to get one’s head around, but it’s no harm giving it a thought!
This season and this year are going to be tough for all businesses, already word is coming through of some closures in our part of the world (Ireland). Not before time it is imperative that suppliers and retailers work together, but in many cases this sadly is not happening (to my knowledge – but pleased to hear from members who think differently). Business is a two-way street and should be beneficial to both parties.
Chiropodists stocking and selling shoes has added a new dimension to footwear retailing. But, is the footwear retail trade missing a trick here? Think about it… The shoe buying experience is not always what it’s cracked up to be, but now there is the opportunity for shoe retailers to offer value added services that could increase the customer footfall (literally), revitalise retail shoes stores and put the sale of shoes on the Internet on the back foot.
Picture it. Instead of the conventional shoes store with shoes lined up on racks or perched on display stands, the new “Shoe Heaven™” is a shoe and foot health emporium as inviting as an upmarket coffee house, a five-star health spa or a first class airport lounge.
As I write it seems that the world has become "expert" shoe fitters. With over 31 years in the shoe trade, I feel that there is always something new to learn. Design and manufacturing methods are being revised and upgraded constantly and we rely on our agents and suppliers to keep us informed of this. Catalogues no longer have precious specifications informing us which ‘last' a shoe was made on and what materials are used - unfortunate, as they were a great help to buyers and fitters alike.
We as shoe fitters must be on our guard as advice being given by "amateurs" and occasionally those who should know better, is often ill informed, illconceived and sometimes wrong. We must endeavour to right these inaccuracies in the same way as before, with honest, courteous service and advice to our customers.
Reward...for anyone who can tell me what happened to the summer? One minute we are anticipating great weather (for a change), had our fingers crossed the ‘credit crunch' will last as long as a box of Cornflakes and are being told that UK tourism is facing a boom year, then our media is frightening us with ‘killer' swine flu, unemployment statistics and a plague of biting ladybirds of biblical proportions....lovely! One can only imagine that shares in Paracetamol related products and distillers of Lambrini are worth investing in at the moment, but ‘playing safe/being sensible' putting any spare cash in the bank (did I hear someone laugh?) is a definite no-no. Take heart those of you who lost money in Iceland (and I don't mean the weekly shop), the Icelandic government have just decided to pay you back over time, so there is good news on the horizon for some.
Our next course starts on October 1st and don't forget your colleagues get a £50 discount - AND training and membership costs are tax deductable. Now is the time to let staff know how valuable they are - or could be, to your business. So, if you want your first contact with prospective customers to be bright, knowledgeable and helpful and above all qualified to perform the task set to them, then please contact Laura immediately for an application form.
