St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-12-13
OF stockings red and auburn hair
| tell thee, PhOcriS, be aware.
Etiquette in Dry goods stores.

| n lduy WIN nelSntenei colOf ana angry
eyes swept into the private Office OF the
| proprietor of a big retail store on Four
! teenth street the other day. with the COM
plant that one OF the saIeswomen had
treated her rudely. The merchant smiled
YEARLY, and promising to inquire into the
matter. bowed the lady out
NOW, there's case in point" SAID the
merchant to all inqulrlng visitor.
cit may throw some light upon the sub
ject of your errand-the insoence of clerks.
Here John, TO a porter ask Miss Black
to come up"
Presently well-appearing but tired
looking saleSgirl came into the private
office. The merchants face was like a
stone.
''Well, Miss Blacll''-and his voice was
like the cold gray day out of doors-''what
is this complaint hear about you?"
Mrs Brown? A lady in seal skin: all
burn hair?" asked the girl in slow, even
voice.
The merchant nodded.
''She was insolent to me-" continued the
girl. Insulting. l should say. She has
an idea that shop girls are slaves. She
and l are old friends. We worked at the
same counter two years before she married
Brown, the builder"
'.That will do, Miss Black. I am salts
fed. Thus you see,'' he continued when
the girl had gone, 1.-The fault is on both
sides. The SalesWoman cannot bring her.
self to believe that she is a machine incapa-
BILE of feeling affrOnt; nor can the customer
leave her thoughts of social distinction in
her carriage outside. America is a free
country and labor is honorable says the
clerk, and 1 expect obedience and subserv-
| no Snth VI, III
and both are wrong. We never shall come
to that point wherein customers are kind
and reasonable and clerks invariably polite
and attentive. Human nature must change
before it can be done. | have tried all
sorts of ways for improving my counter
service, with very little effect. Discipline
wouldn't do; fines were a failure, and dis
missals defeated the very object in view''
Ibid you ever try increasing salaries?"
was asked.
''Once. Of course. 1 got better grade
| of clerks and better service, but it cut into
my profits so materially that had TO give
it up. l had to increase the price Of my
goods to keep even, and my customers left
me and went to cheaper places. COMPETE
ton in prices keeps prices low. l do the
best can. I'm not here to harmonic the
discordant elements of mankind, but to
make money"
The young woman whose attendance had
been complained of by the lady in seal skin
took very sensible view of the matter
when questioned about rude manners in
clerks. IF lady customers would treat
clerks as human beings" said she, there
would be no trouble at all. Why Il lady
should act in an overbearing and domineer-
, ing manner toward employees in stores is
| | al
her own servants in that manner. Mrs.
Lotus has a social position. l have none
Is that any reason why she should look
upon me with contempt across the counter
There is a great gulf between us, | know
but [ don't care for that. | have other
things to think Of Mrs. Lotus and her
carriage are nothing to me. She
is simply customer to whom
[ will sell certain goods. It's a
plain business transaction, with no social
sentiment about it. Why can't we conduct
the transaction from purely business
standpoint, as men do? Mrs. Lotus is not
satisfied to bring her carriage up to the door;
she must bring it inside and set it up, foot
man, pug dog and all. on my counter.
More than that, she gives this social chasm
material form, and spreads it out between
US. She brings society into the store with
her and treats me as though | were an I'M
worthy applicant for an invitation to her 5
o'clock tea. [ treat her from business
standpoint, neither cringng nor bending,
and she. short-sighted creature, thinks that
mean to be impertinent. That's all there
is to it. Women are SO unreasonable. A
mau will go into store, make his purchase
from male clerk and go out without once
thinking of the social difference between
him and the clerk. Such a thing never
enters his head. He treats the clerk po-
litely and the clerk does his best to get
what is wanted in the shortest possible
, time. The clerk tries to keep the mans
, custom, so that his value to the store may
be enhanced. Ii women were more like
men in their business dealings there would
be small cause for complaint on the part of
either clerks or customers.-New York
Mail and Express. i.
Women Who foil.
, The number of women in this city who