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Gino
Gentile Wins 2006 Grand Silver Cup |
Gino
Gentile (center) won SSIA's 2006 Grand Silver Cup. Here,
he celebrates with previous Silver Cup winners Chuck
Bolinger, Robert DiRinaldo, Larry Schupbach and Jim
McFarland.
"I feel great! I feel
accomplished. This is a major achievement for me,"
exclaimed Gino Gentile after winning SSIA's 2006 Grand
Silver Cup. The cup was the pinnacle of five years of
contest work and a lifetime of shoe repair experience
for the second-generation craftsman.
Gentile operates Anthony's
Shoe Service in San Francisco, Calif. His father
purchased the business in 1966 and Gino has worked in
the business since he was young.
"My father just put me
right into it," he said. "I started doing heels when I
was 12."
Anthony's employs five
people working on shoes and three in the front of the
store. Located in San Francisco's Union Square, the
shop's hard-earned reputation for quality work keeps
them very busy.
"We're in a busy area
surrounded by high quality retailers, so we don't have
any problems getting business," Gino says. "Our
challenge is keeping up with people's demands and doing
the work in a timely fashion with the detail our
customers expect. That always takes more time. In a high
volume shop, that can be a challenge."
Gentile is active both in
repairing shoes and working the counter every day.
"I can never get enough of
fixing shoes," he said enthusiastically. "But sales at
the front is the key. You have to make sure the
customers know what they want."
A key to maximizing those
sales is the new
point-of-sale computer system Gentile recently
installed at Anthony's.
"My sales have increased
between 10 and 20 percent just from putting in a POS
system," he said. "It's all about the details. When you
go over the shoe, you put it in the computer and there's
a price for the details -- fix a scuff, a little extra
color -- everything has a little charge."
Gentile added the POS
system makes Anthony's look more professional than the
hand written tickets they used for the previous 40
years. It also helps him better serve his customers.
"You have a point of
reference. When your item is put away, you give it a
location and, when customers call to see if it is ready,
you can answer them immediately, without scurrying
around the whole place," he said.
It took six months to get
the system installed and running properly. Though it may
not take as long for a smaller shop, Gentile counseled
patience.
"It takes some time to get
used to. You need to work closely with the company and
it can be frustrating," he said. "In the end, though,
it's worth it."
When he's working in the
repair end, Gentile says his customers' shoes get the
same attention as his Silver Cup entries. He recommends
quality materials and well built shoes for future
entrants.
"Use shoes that are well
built but in need of repair," he says. "Look at
Goodwill, the Salvation Army or second-hand stores.
Oftentimes, you'll find good contest shoes there.
Starting with good shoes is the most important thing."
When asked what the judges
look for, Gentile once again stressed the details. The
judges have a very detailed scoresheet which is
available to contestants. Check the details the judges
will be evaluating and pay attention to them when you're
doing the work.
Gentile's Silver Cup is
proudly displayed in his front window where it makes his
customers that much more comfortable they'll be getting
a quality job at Anthony's. He also has interviews
scheduled with the media to discuss his success. He's
quick to point out that the resulting coverage will help
not just Anthony's, but shoe repair as a whole.
In summing up his Silver
Cup success, Gentile says, "Anything is possible. It
just takes time, effort and patience." |
