The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-10-11
THE FLOOR-WALKER.
Qualifications for the Position-A Wide
knowledge of Human Nature Required.

OF all the creatures of metropolitan CONNER
cial life the most interesting and fascinating IS
the foor-walker A walking directory, ii street
guide, and dictionary OF names he enjoys the
distinction of being considered the leading man
of the house, if not one of the principal part
ners. Polite to rich and poor alike, he is a con
tinual ray of sunshine He is found most active
and most at home in the great business houses
of Chicago. He knows the store from cellar to
garnet, and where thousand and one questions
are asked daily he is ready with a thousand and
one prompt answers. The women, who are apt
to be the principal customers are the recipients
of his most solicitous attentions. The pink of
politeness, he is regarded by most of them
authority all questions of dress and ETH
quette He has a faculty for remembering
names which would astonish hotel clerk Then,
he has the advantage of the hotelman IL under
standing the peculiarities of his customers He
is something more than dictionary of Names
and something less than afaShion plate. Though
scrupuously neat, he is never extravagantly
dressed. Diamonds possess no especial attrac-
ton for him. except when they are seen upon
the person of a customer and yethe understands
well anybody that they not a recon
mendation in all cases He has better means of
settling questions of financial standing, for he
may go to the manager, his superior, who Is sup
posed to know all things movable.
To explain the exact position of a foor-walker
to the outside world, according to one authority,
1T may be given as that of an assistant manager.
the term floor walker having been gradually APP
In most large retail stores the space is divided up
into departments each one of which is under
the care of floor walker, as, for instance, the
lace department, the silk department, and the
hosiery department Then there are several
who are expected to keep close watch about
the front door, whose especial duty is to welcome
visitors and direct them to the department where
the goods they desire be found. They
are responsible for the behavior OF
certain number of clerks and cash boys
to whom they are equally terror and an object
of envy. 1t is generally admitted that there is
as much in the appearance and behavior OF
floor walker as there is in his business tact and
powers of observation. To insure success he
must be thorough optimist whose sunny views
of life must not be shaken by cross word from
the proprietor insult series of insults
from the customers He would make a poor
Hamlet but the best paid member of the craft
in Chicago is said to be a fine comedian. He is
considered an example unto his fellow-sinners
because his conduct is always the-same, and he
can tell the most outrageous lie and the most
solemn truth in the same melancholy and earn
est tones He works in an establishment owned
by two partners, and half the customers know
him as one partner and the other half as the
other. 1t makes no difference to him, and he
never thinks of correcting the mistake. Nor does
he fear the wrath of the proprietors for they re
gard him as their representative in most of the
duties he performs; and, as people value most
highly little acts of politeness coming
direct from the head of a large bazaar the
courtesies extended by the subaltern if re-
ceived under the illusion are Just as valuable.
you must not get the impression, said
floor walker in one of the large State street
stores, 'that floor walker can be picked up just
anywhere. Plenty of good, honest, earnest fell
lows try it and fail. There is, you might say,
constant procession of such men coming to and
going from this store. The positions are sought
on account of the liberal pay attached, and what
seems to be easy work. There are few who do
succeed in making themselves useful, but out
side of these the others come and go. They fail
to catch the idea of the work, and, instead of
tightening the burdens of those under them by
keeping things systematiZed, and giving an i'm
petus to trade by their attention to customers,
they only succeed in getting in the way as often
as possible. There, now you can catch my mean-
ing Dib you see that fellow collide with the
cash boy? And see that too; he turns to scold
the boy and steps on a woman's dress; under
takes to apologize and runs jam against another
customer. Well, he's a new man, and he is awk
ward and out of place. He may do better in
time and Will be given chance, but | rather
think he belongs behind the counter. He was
recently a salesman at the silk counter, ard
l am afraid he staid there too long. He seems
to have got settled in his ways, and to feel
the need of the protection afforded by the
counter
''Are clerks often promoted to such posi-
tions?'
1.-THE mos of us have been clerks at some
time or other IN our lives, but changes are not
often made in these large stores. If man is a
good clerk they need him where he is, and if they
need foor-walker they hire one who has had
experience somewhere else. They get their start,
as a rule, in the smaller Stores and often they
bring a certain amount of trade with them You
know there are plenty of floor walkers who have
cUstomerswho would follow them from one store
to another. This is one of the differences be-
tween them and the clerks, who have no such in
fiuence."
what is the matter with the clerk 81"
Its hard to say, but they are not what they
used to be- The most of them are careless and
dsspirited, and need to be watched They can
sell whatever the customer calls for but it takes
a good salesman to make happy suggestions of
things forgotten by the customer and lead him
or her on until everything needed has been pur
chased"
''Ill tell you" said another experienced floor
walker, the one thing deem the most valuable
in a floor walker is his knowledge of character
and his ability to read countenances. The idea
is to treat different people in different way.
There are women who come into store with the
airs of duchess-pushing right by everybody
and going straight ahead as if they knew just
where to find everything. Well, the way to
serve them is to stand back and let them pass,
as they do in Richard III, you know when they
come on with the coffin. Stand back and let
them pass" repeated the floor walker bowling
and holding out his open palms as he ran his
back against party of women.
"Do you know how long foor-walkers have
been employed in ChicagoW
mot exactly. L think about twenty five years
I can remember a time when the clerks and
foor-walkers in one of the principal stores were
all one and the same. AT one time we made our
own change from the money drawer, taking the
pay for the goods just as the
cashier does now. In my case 1 re-
member 1 was permitted to exercise my
own Judgment very largely, and when lady
made purchase amounting to $40 or $50 | would
throw in pair of gloves, an umbrella, or some
thing of the kind to encourage good feeling
toward the store. Now, everything is syste-
matized, and the authority to give away goods is
vested with the proprletors only"
I'm the new arrangement the aoor-walker rep
resents the politeness of the concern doesn't
he}"
well yes, to certain extent; but let me re-
mind you that politeness can be overdone 1t
never pays to become obsequious. We must
ALWAYS maintaining in our dignity and self-resnect