Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-12-17
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New York Mail and Expresa. J


New YORK Mail and Express.
A lady with heightened color and
angry eyes swept INTO the private ofi'ee
of the proprieter Of . eig retail stors
on Fourteenth street ths other dsy
with the complaint that one OF the sales
women had treated her radely. the
merchant smiled wearlly. and. pfouls.
mr. to inquire into the matter, bowed
the lady ont.
Now. there's case IN point, ' said
the merchant 10 an inQniring visitor
" Ii may throw some light upon the
subject Of your errsnd--the iasolence
Of clerks. Here, John ''--to porter
s'aSk Mss Black 10 come 1p.
Presently well-sppeariug bat tired
looking saiesgiri came into the private
Office. The merchants face wa ike .
stone.
Well, Miss Black and his voice
was like the cold gray day oat Of doors
what is this complaint hear about
youg"
Mrs. Brown A lady IN sealskin;
auburn hsirg = asked the gIrl In slow,
even voice.
The merchant nodded
"She was insolent 20 me, !" continued
the girl. Insulting, J should say. She
has al idea that shopgirls are slaves.
She and are old friends. We worked
at the sarne counter for two years be-
fore she married Brown"
Z" That will do, Miss Black ] am
satisfied. Thus YOU see. - he continued
when the glrl had gone, = the fault is on
both sides. The saleswoman cannot
bring herself to believe that she Is
machine incapable Of feeling atfront,
nor can the customer leave her thoughts
of social distinction NJ her carriage
outside. America is 8 free coun-
try. and labor Is honorable, says
the clerk. and expect obedi-
ence and subservicnce, says the
customer. Both are right. and both
are wrong. We never shall come 70
that point wherein customers are kind
snd reasonable and clerks invariably
polite and attentive. Human nature
must change before il car be done.
have tried all sorts Of ways for I'M
proving my counter service, with very
little effect Discipline won I do fines
were a failure and dlsmIssals defeated
the very object IN view
" Did you ever try increasing sals-
rles " was asked.
'' Once. OF course ] got better
grade Of clerks and better service. but
II cut into my profits 81 materially that
! had TO give It up. had 10 increase
the price Of my goods % Keep even, and
my customers left me and went 70
cheaper places Competition IN prices
Keeps prices low. ] do the best can.
n not here 20 harmonic the discord.
ant clements OF mankind. bat TO make
money.
he young woman whose attendance
had been complained OF by the lady in
sealskin took very sensible view of
the matter when questioned about rude
manners II CLERKS. If lady custom
ers would treat clerks a. human be-
mgs, SAID she, - there would be no
trouble Al all. Why lady should act
n 81 0yerbearing anu Gomineering man.
ner toward employees N stores Is more
than ! can explain. She doesn't treat
her own servants M that manner. Mrs.
Lotus has q sOclal position. have
none. Is that any reason why she should
look upon me with contempt across the
counter. There ~ a great gulf between
as. ! know, but ! don't carr for that. |
have other things 20 think Of Mrs.
Lotus and her carriage are nothing 10
me. She Is simply customer TO whom
/ will sell certain goods. It's a plain
business transaction, with no social
sentiment abalt il. Why can't we
conduct the transaction from a purely
business standpoint, A. men do. Mrs.
Lotus is not satisfied to bring her
up 20 the door; she
must needs bring il inside and
set It up, footman, pug-dog and
all, OF my counter. More than that,
she gives this social chasm material
form and spreads it out between IA.
Sine brings society INTO the store with
her. and treats me a. though ! we're an
unworthy applicant for al invitation to
her O clock tea. ] treat her from a
business standpoint, neither cringing
nor bending, and she. short-sighted
creature. thinks thai ] mean 10 be I'M
pertinent. That's ali there Is 10 IT.
" omen are so unreasonable. A
man will go into q store, make his
purchases from a male elerA, and 60
Dut without once thinking OF the social
difference between INN and the clerk.
such thing never enter ms head. He
treats the clerk politely and the clerk
ioes his best to get what IL wanted in
.ho shortest possible time. The clerk
.rIes to keep the mans custom, so that
lis value to the store may be enhanced.
e women were more like men in their
business dealings there would be small
;ause for complaint on the part of
.ither clerks OF customers"