The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-06-11

How BE WAITS Upon CUSTOMER AND WHAT
RI StfOfl Know

Ihe above phrase. when analvzsl /.
very suggestive. Why should the word
- wait " be- Used in this connection instead
OF any word implying service, Milton
says. speaking Of Christian duty:
They ai-o serve who only stand sud watt
II may seem almost irrpvprpuf 10 aDl,Iy
the words In this connection. bui those
who stand behind counters doubtless find
IL SOMETIMES the hardest kind ~ service 70
- stand and wait" and can appreciate fhe
significance Of making the word .waif."
with the proposition following. the techni-
cal term for attending 10 the want. Of cll.-
tomers. II there l. anv cla-s ~ peoule
VINO learn practically how % c0njuga;e thu
verb "tO wait " in all IL moods and lenses
Il l. our saieSmen and saiFDWom fho..
who wait. wait, wait from morn TN
night. day utter day. week after
week, while the fasiidious compa r.
tints and shades and fabrics. the can
ti0u- find fault. the impatient fret and
sc0ld. the close chatter and chearan. whil
the gO--ips relate their family afiair. or di~
cuss the latest scandal with their friends.
and the idlers. who only come % Kill time
and exhibit their toiiettes. dawde over tri-
de- or pile The counters with goods they
have no intention 81 buying. We have
watched such proceedings until we thought
lie must be- burden 20 such long-sliifer-
ing individuals. and that by SATURDAY. night
they would 10 ready 70 take up the Wal Of
Tennys0n'- Marians -
y am swea-y. sveary.
] would tbat wert dead"
But there j. another side % the picture
II clerks have Grievances. so. most H.
sUrediy. have customers. There are clerks
and clerks. For example. there i the con-
ceted specimen. usually masculine. VINO
knows everything. lie knows all about
the fashions and Az about rhe goods. He
know what YOU want great deal better
than YOU do yourself. He knows entirely
TOO much. and j. simply eXasperating. even
more 30 than the wooden clerk. who
knows nothing al al. and moves
.ike au automaiou. Then There il
th. very ELUSIVE clerk-so smiling and
bland-sO anxious 10 please. wash
Ing hi- hand. with invisible SOAP. o. he
ask with iusinuafng tone. " hat shall
show YOU to-day" he Irases hi- wnrls.
and arfiuliy seeks o. fatfer when his cu>-
toner j. green and wheedle her into pur-
chasing. whether she will or no. " inc
color: NO. we are Just OUT Of that. huf
peacock blue T. al the stfl now; would
b. 80 becoming 10 Won " There 3. the
ianguid. li-tie~-. Indifferent clerk-ths cox
comb. who Is 50 busy twirling hi. mou--
tache and watching some pretty giri across
the way that YOU ran hardly get hi- aitsii-
ton the sulercilipus cierh. VINO favns
Cd ladies richly dressed. buf barely
conde,ceuds % notice humber midi
vidual-. and j, quite cDntemptuou-
when YOU purchase three eighths
% yard. which YOU happen O.
want. instead Of : quantity YOU have no
use for. There j. the haf-tilsy clerk We
recently encountered in q leading dry
goods house, win u very red face. and
breath disrustingiy reGOlent Of whiskey
and onions. Then there arr clerks who
deliberately tel lies. We have wondered.
a. they gliDiy rehearsed their stock supply
% ial-ehOods about auction sales and great
reductions. and how no more goods - ttai
particular style could be had for love or
money. whether they supposed their cus-
toner. were green enough o. believe them.
Another doubt /, whether the salesman r
personally responsible. or whether Il j. the
teaching and policy Of the firm % mi-rep-
resent and deceive. II either east We
would remind them 81 the old maxim
HONESTY = THE BEsT POLICY.
When YOU have been once deceived and
cheated. YOU steer clear ~ that place for
ever after. and one sale viii no; cDmpen-
safe for the loss OF regular customer.
such instances are frequent. and Am honest
dealer often io~es much nl q tricky sales
man who thinks himself remarkably sharp.
I Clerks are sometime absolutely rude.
/ These an, rare. buf we have seen them even
I IN Sc. Louis. who whistied while waiting,
INDUCED m iippant aside with their corp
rades. and illy concealed their impotence
[ Ia il grew near lunch--ime. W are glsd
I % ,ay these are all exceptional case. For
one " bo i. di.agreeabe ~ Inefficient. there
/ l. large proportion who are civil and
Obleing.
/ But how % wait on q customer and how
| 20 secure employees who understand the
al. ar Important Question: to DEALER, for
1 the sly le ~ ,aiesmen employed IN any 80
tablishment J. quite ~ important 2 factor
I IN IL success H. the stvie ~ goods display
ed shopper who have teen Disguised or
ANNOYED. or ily-trealed IN any way, VIII
take care % prevent 8 repetition ~ such
experience. and viii avoid thai counter or
| thai Store H. carefully a. II Z smallpox H.
were uuiurled there; while. on the other
hand, ) courteous. reliable. accommodating
salesman VIII 80 attract and retain custom
a. 20 make IL -ervicer invaluable o. BIZ
l employers
/ II ha. been said thai every MN thinks he
could edit NEWSPAPER or run hote..
/ This. - cOurse. = All cXsraf acunce bui
certainly every one thinks that every man,
woman. and child can sci good where's,
10 do II satisfactorily. l.. like everything
elsp. an an 20 be learred. and tbe moGel
salesman Or saiesV oman B. a. rare a.
skiliful artisan among prentice hands.
~ WAIT Oy crsToMEE EEQUiEEs.
fir-t 81 all, Patience and good temper .ert-
nify. cheerfuines~-in "a word, good mai
ners. Emerson has laid " Manner are
IA. happy wsv- oi doing thlnes, each one q
stroke ~ genius. ~ Oi love. ne" Repealed
and hardened into usage. They iOrm a
| asf a rich yarni-h wiki which the routine
Of hi, /. washed and IL, details adorned.
- Bur through The lustrous Harilsh
tbs reality l. ever shining. No surfAre
pollteuess can successfully conceal inbred
/ irriiabiiity and IN temper.
Nexi % good MANNERS. tact i perhaps
the most desirable quality little word
hard u drine. bun full u meaning. IL
tnk women AZ, supposed % excel, add 10
II dnuhrles- our be,f saieswOml Il owe rhcir
popularity and success. Tact Implies
quick perception Of qualities and circtiin-
stances. and the power u adaptation 10
them. Tact putt shy people a. east
coaxes crc-s p~Opi. into good Alli4oi,
heir.- the irre-Oiufe g. a decision and
comes 70 the rescue o. The f--W hderea,
VINO don't know Whit they waut, aud
gr.cleusiy finds on, the very thing 10 please
them most. The greal secrei u success
IN business OF IL society y ihe power OF
reading human nature and play M upon
Il n Z sEilhui Musician upon IA inStru-