RIGHT after my guided media tour of Nike Singapore, I decided to conduct an impromptu service test on the sports-apparel company's flagship store.
I slipped out, then re-entered the store - on my own.
Immediately, a Nike Singapore staff member greeted me with a big smile, as I feasted my eyes on displayed products.
Being a basketball geek, I made my way to the shoes section, and found my target immediately: The Air Jordan, designed for legendary basketball player Michael Jordan.
While I picked up and marvelled at the iconic model, I noticed shoes of other NBA superstars - LeBron James and Kobe Bryant - lined up along the walls of the store.
Just then, the same staff member appeared beside me, flashed that winning smile again, and said: 'If you want lightweight shoes, you should go for Kobe's. If you want good support and stability, then I would recommend LeBron's shoes.'
He proceeded to explain at length the pros and cons of both shoes, as well as other possible choices.
I was impressed. This guy knows his sports.
Later, I found out that staff working at this store - which, at 743 sq m, is Nike's biggest in South-east Asia - had to pass a sports-knowledge test even before they start training.
My media guide explained: 'We want sports fans to run the store. They must have an enthusiasm for sports similar to (that of) the shoppers who come to the store.'
Indeed, it is the little details that make Nike Singapore a delight for shoppers.
Those who share my geekiness can find nuggets of information about Nike's history located throughout the store - from homage to its first 'waffle' sole design, to re-releases of its more famous shoe models.
Those who know design will appreciate the store's industrial, spartan layout that evokes the atmosphere of massive concrete stadiums.
And those fashionable ones can try on the metallic Nike Windrunner jackets, available only in this store. Shoppers can even personalise Nike T-shirts at the store's NikeiD. Studio.
In this section - Nike's first outside of the United States and China - shoppers get to choose the text or jersey number on their T-shirts from a variety of design templates.
Oh, by the way, don't call their staff shop assistants. Nike prefers to call them 'retail athletes' - a testament to their passion for sports.
