Richmond Times-Dispatch, Va., Retail Column.

Byline: Gregory J. Gilligan

Dec. 22--DAY OF HIGH-END SHOE SALES AT SAKS FIFTH AVENUE STORE KEPT REPORTER ON HIS TOES: Selling shoes takes customer service to a whole different level.

I learned that during my 6-hour shift in the women's shoe department at Saks Fifth Avenue one day last week.

You really hustle at times.

You're running back and forth to the back room to find the right size or color for the customer. There are the phone calls to other stores trying to find a particular size.

You might be slipping a customer's foot into a new shoe and telling her your opinion of the style once it is on. Or, you might be tending to her child while she looks for shoes.

Sometimes you just stand there waiting. Often, the shoe salesperson might, as I did last week, spend a lot of time with a customer and never clinch a sale.

I spent an exhausting hour with one woman from Tappahannock who had very narrow feet.

She wanted a 7 AA shoe and had her heart set on a Ferragamo boot. She was wearing one pair and wanted another.

The store had a limited supply of shoes in her size and not much in the boot style she wanted.

I lugged out at least 10 …