Notebook: Shoe makes 'nice' list

Santa Claus has a naughty and a nice list, so why shouldn’t Consumer Reports?

The monthly magazine that reviews and compares products and services has released its third annual Naughty & Nice List, and one local business has found its way onto the better of the two sides.

Red Wing Shoe Co. is one of 10 names on the nice list. It’s an honor the widely known company has never received in the past.

“We’re flattered. It’s nice to be recognized for doing things which we think are fundamentally right to do and we’ve always run Red Wing Shoes as a company where the customer is at the forefront,” Shoe President Dave Murphy said. “Being recognized for that and knowing people appreciate how we run our business is very heartening.”

Consumer Reports listed the Shoe among other ‘nice’ businesses such as Kohl’s, Home Depot, Honda and Nordstrom, saying:

“Here’s a promise you won’t encounter every day. The Red Wing, Minn., company, which still manufactures some of its work boots in the U.S., has an unconditional 30-day comfort guarantee. If you find your shoes uncomfortable for any reason, you can obtain a refund or exchange them for another pair, no questions asked.”

Murphy said the Shoe simply wants its customers to have a great experience with the company’s footwear.

“And if there is a comfort problem or they get a shoe that doesn’t fit, we think we’re better off to make it right than to leave the customer unhappy,” he said. “It’s not inexpensive, but we think it’s well worth it. We believe keeping our customers happy is the very best business model.”

That attitude is exactly what will keep the Shoe from getting coal in its stocking this Christmas.

Among those that might, however, are Delta Airlines, BMW, Ticketmaster, Time Warner Cable and Vonage. Each was named to the Consumer Reports naughty list.

• Pierce County Fair coordinator Ann Webb was elected to the Wisconsin Association of Fairs Board of Directors. She will represent District II for a three-year term commencing at the annual convention Jan. 6-9, 2013, in the Wisconsin Dells.

Webb has been with the Pierce County Fair for 14 years and took over as the coordinator in 2005.

• Pierce Pepin Cooperative Services and the Pierce County Herald were recipients of the 2012 Wisconsin Association of School Boards Business Honor Roll distinction, after being nominated by the Ellsworth School Board.

• Kari Berit, Red Wing resident and host of “The Unexpected Caregiving” radio show on KYMN in Northfield, is one of many Minnesotans featured in an educational piece about long-term health care.

The Life and Health Insurance Foundation for Education is a non-profit organization that created the educational resource to help consumers evaluate their coverage needs when it comes to insurance.

Berit shares her insights alongside people from St. Paul, Minneapolis, Plymouth and Bloomington, Minn.

Tags: red wing, business, wisconsin