The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-12-13
he TAKES THE BLAME.
The Scapegoat, Who Is New Institution Il
Large Retail establishments

The Scapegoat, Who Is a New Institution In
Large Retail Establishments
Philadelphia Record
professional scapegoat" does not appear
among the thousands of occupations which
| designate the manner of emplovment of the in.
habitants of this city as classified in the Phila
| delphla directory More than one man whose
| name appears there graced by the simple but
comprehensive word clerk is if the truth were
known, fully entitled to classification as a pro-
| fessiona! scapegoat There is more than one
man who Is paid a substantial salary by
large houses for no other occupation than taking
| upon his shoulders the blame for all the mis-
deeds OF the establishment and suffering the sup
posed loss OF his situation at the rate of ten or
dozen times day, or as much oftener as occa-
sion may require. Being discharged half a
dozen times day without once losing his posi-
ton, and at the same time being we'll paid for
the peculiar performance is indeed a novel idea.
This is how it is done
lady makes purchase of several articles
all OF which are to be sent to her address, as
given, before certain hour, without fail The
following day the customer returns and in her
own sweet way proceeds to tear out" the floor
manager or proprietor, as it may be, because the
goods Jailed TO arrive at the promised hour. The
story is patiently heard, and the word is passed
along for Smith. Smith makes his appearance
with countenance professionally penitent and
submissive
'Smith." the manager begins ''you were in
given you before o'clockf'
Yes, SIR is Smiths plaintive reply "but--"
Never mind an explanation. I understand.
Your neglect caused the delay and has rsked the
loss OF one OF our best customers. We cannot
put up with your carelessness any longer. You
may go to the office and get your pay" Smith
steals away with ready made, crestfallen look
upon his face
Madame, regret the occurrence of such an
unnecessary blunder but assure you it will not
happen again; surely not from that man." and
madame takes her departure, fully satisfied that
she has had her revenge.
Another irate customer appears on the scene.
This time the trouble is with suite of furniture
which had been purchased week before as in
perfect order, but has already begun to show
signs OF approaching dissolution. The aggrieved
purchaser opens on the manager who at once
sends for the man who takes the blame" and
opens the usual programme.
'How is this, sirl What do you mean by
sending out goods in such condition? You have
been repeatedly told not to permit any goods to
leave your department unless in perfect order.
This is not the first time this has happened;
but it will be the last. Go to the Office and get
your pay; we have no further use for your serv-
ices.
Madame, I am very sorry that you should
have been so deceived by one of our statesmen.
We cannot very we'll take back the furniture
after it has been used, but we will send a man to
your house to put it in proper shape" and the
lady goes her way satisfied that she has received
justice.
''The man who takes the blame" is next dis
charged for overcharging in making sale of silk
dress goods. He then suffers TRADE of abuse,
and is also told to 60 because he has sold set
OF fine china without calling the attention of the
purchaser to several little defects. And so it goes
from morning to night. day after day, week in
and week out The poor fellow is made TO suf
fer for all the sins of the entire establishment,
from the manager down to the errand boy.
'Does II payP echoed a prominent business
man the other day in response to an inquiry on
the subject. well, should say it did, Why,
We have man who takes the blame for our
establishment who is worth thousands of dollars
to US every year. We can sell great many
slightly damaged or imperfect goods which we
could not otherwise dispose of except at great
sacrifice, Then we save a great many good
customers who become displeased about small
matters which are not done just they like
1t is strange but true fact that many people
are satisfied to put up with considerable incon-
venience il they can only be revenged by
seeing some one discharged. Sometimes
when we bring out our man who takes the
blame the customer ventures to suggest that he
is not the one who waited on her. but we insist
that he is, and the man adds his own assertion
and in nine cases out of ten the customer is con-
WINGED. Very few people take enough notice of
salesman to identify him, unless they meet
him frequently I have known some establish
ments that have employed two or more men to
take blame, in order to facilitate matters. The
funniest part of the thing is that our scapegoat
man grows fat on being 'cussed' He has in
creased from 100 to 22O pounds in fifteen months,
and smiles so much that we will have to change
him and get some eptic-looking individual in
his place."