August — Local services in Madison

I was walking State St late one night and this store grabbed my attention. It was closed, but I seen some of the shoes displayed and thought "finally.. Madison has something like this! " so I had to check it out.

I saw the raving reviews so I had high expectations, unfortunately my experience wasn't that great. I was greeted when entering the store (about 6 p.m. today) , but absolutely nothing after that..no one helped me nor did anyone say" if you have any questions, let us know" etc. It seems the employees were far more interested in conversing amongst themselves and being on their phones than helping me out. I had my eyes on a pair of new balance sneakers, but didn't want to spend my money due to the service 🤷🏽‍♂️ I didn't feel valued as a potential customer.

The inventory at the time was ok. I'm sure they get limited sneakers and apparel that sell fast from time to time (judging from their Instagram), so I wasn't too disappointed with only having interest in 1-2 items.

Bottom line: the customer service needs to be improved. Greeting at the door is a start, but an engaging staff can really make the shopping experience so much better. I left the store thinking "I'm ok with never coming back" and shopping online elsewhere. I will probably check the store out again if I'm on State St and happen to pass it, but I'm no longer going out of my way to come here. This is more deserving of 2 stars, but I will be fair and hope my experience is much different the next time I visit.

Update: Went back a couple weeks ago and wow, complete 180. I was greeted, the staff were friendly and even did a little small talk (not an expectation, but it was a pleasant experience). I didn't buy anything that day but I felt I was appreciated by simply browsing. I will def be back, top notch...

As noted in my earlier review, I am updating my review based on August's response to my email complaining about the lack of a refund for a pair of Salomon shoes that didn't fit despite being same size as multiple other similar Salomons I own. No refund since were on sale. They have offered store credit - still not a great solution, but better than nothing - MAYBE. I do a fair amount of online shopping for outdoor shoes and clothing, regularly checking 5-7 well known websites (not Amazon), plus others occasionally - and with one exception everyone else I deal with offers refunds, some with a charge for return shipping, some free. The only other place offering only store credit in recent years was a major regional outdoor gear retailer, and they did give a refund after I protested. I shop there a lot less now! I’ve searched August's website looking for a way to spend my pending store credit, and haven’t found anything for me or my wife yet - limited choices and lots out of stock. The credit may turn out to have value, but not yet, and maybe never? Maybe more workable if I lived in WI, not CT, and could shop the store. Website not the easiest to search. My advice to any shoppers at a distance, make sure August has other items you want if you need to return the one you're buying and only get...

I’m so happy I found August. I was looking for a pair of shoes that were sold out in my size everywhere. I’d found a few specialty stores online that had my size in stock, but they had bad reviews of orders not being fulfilled and no customer service (due to the pandemic). When I first came upon August, I thought they had a well-curated collection, which included the shoes I wanted in my size. After seeing rave reviews online and how active they are on social media, I decided to take a chance — and I’m so glad I did! Not only did they ship my order within 24 hours of purchase, their customer service is excellent. When the tracking number didn’t update, I sent them an email and I received a phone call from the store manager reassuring me that the item has been shipped. I’ve received my item and am a very satisfied customer. If you’re an online shopper like me, don’t hesitate! I will definitely be buying...