The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1881-12-08
Prompt Collections Necessary tt
Business Success.

MAKING prompt COlleCIlOuS ~ tHe
secret to many \ merchants success,
and a neglect to do this the cause of
many commercial failure, There is
Il class of customers who seldom pur-
chase anything of the retail grocer
without wishing to have it ''charged.
Many of these persons are abundantly
able to pay cash for what they buy,
but from long habit and an innate de.
sire to get the use of their money as
long AS possible, they avoid the pay"
ment of their obligation until the
last moment. 1t is difficult to refuse
credit to such parties, yet as a gener-
al thing, their patronage is not profit
able to the grocer. Making prompt
collections il one nf the most difficult
problems the retailer is called upon
to solve in his business experience,
and at the same time one of the most
important matters that he should at
tend to in connection with his COM
mercial affairs. He must be firm in
his refusal to trust slow-paying or
irresponsible parties. He must be
careful about offending people who
are disposed to trade with him. He
must constantly exercise tact, csu-
ton, and good judgment in all of his
dealings with customers. He must
adopt a system of rules in regard to
giving credit, and must strictly *d.
here to them. He must avoid all
partiality if possible, treating all
customers as near alike as he can.
He must insist that he needs the
money due him in order to success
fully carry OH his business and to
replenish the depleted stock upon his
shelves. 1t is not pleasant or agreea-
ble to dun people for money, but it
should he done energetically, and
prompt payment must be insisted up
on. No retailer can long be success
ful in business who gives unlimited
credit. If in a spirit of accommoda-
tion he trusts everybody who asks
for credit, his stock will soon disap-
pear from the shelves and counters,
and he will find himself without the
requisite means to replenish it..
When Il grocer starts in business he
is always disposed to be obliging, and
customers who cannot get trusted
anywhere else come to him and tell
him how generous they are going to
be in giving him their patronage.
He unwittingly trnsts them and be-
fore he is aware he finds himself
with a large quantity of bad bills on
his hands and uncollectable accounts
little better than worthless. This
is one great reason why-so many re-
ally energetic men who start in bust
ness finally fail; bad debts and a neg
lect to make prompt collections soon
.tfloor'' them financially. Many we'll
to-do individuals are very negligent
about paying their grocers' bills.
And those who are not well-to.do in
this worlds goods consider the &C.
count for family supplies the last one
to remember and attend to: The re-
tail grocer had better keep his stock
on his shelves than to dispose of it at
long credits. There is really so little
margin or profit on staple commodi-
ties which are principally in demand.
that the dealer must sell for cash or
soon discontinue his business. He
should endeavor to impress this inn
portant fact upon the minds Of those
who patronize him, and unless they
are utterly unreasonable they will
appreciate his situation and do what
they can to help him along. In max
ing collections the merchant must
always endeavor to hold his temper,
for he frequently meets with great
provocation in collecting his accounts.
He must be firm but courteous and
polite to al. Never have q personal
alteration with slow-paying custom
Ter if it can possibly be avoided, for
Iif no faecies he has : grievances il il
fdoubtful it he ever pays without hs
Isl compelled tOfby u court 0f,law. ss
81 Retail sgrocers have had s. q