The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-03-13
ENGLISH eHOpWALkERS.
mites Of These Persons and How
Thcv Garry Themselves.

aha fNNNNfN ~ " -
Thcy Garry Themselves.
II uo1ld appear that the draper has al
locn "A convenient individual to
t.a Joke. and the shopwalkcr especi.
..,. l,.c come i'm for a huge share of the
r..tau OF many writers. Whether IL
....l-e the duties Of this individual
.,l. % necessary for him 10 be a model
.fa.anlucs and politencSs, or whether
t,.I.-ause he occupies such a conspicu-
.u,itou that he receives 50 much at
f..n.. o. is hard TO say; but certainly in
...-trrs Of any magnitude the shop
..Lfr rlaNs @ very important part, and
nIm is iutrustcd the carrying out Of
,.. rule. Of the establishment. In some
..-. where the business is not large
enough to keep shopwalkcrs and buyers,
-t-r-..l for tho latter to undertake the
l1..- oi slopwalkcr and buyer; but in
fl, largest houses the buyers have sufi-
..n. lgving and marking TO do TO en-
t..sthair whole time, and then the shop
walkers duties arc strictly confined TO
oae routine.
Asaulo hc IL the one to open the shop
and -ee that the '~'squadders'' are all in
tI...r various departments AZ the proper
time aud that the busting Of the various
Ic.rtmcnts Is properly attended to.
t.r.r an interval for breakfast the shop
SAL. kcr is found con the boards. - where
d. vil remain all day, with the cxcep-
zion 0f the interval for meals. In q large
concern 10 requires all the tact and sa-
...ltr of the shopwalkcr 10 see that each
customer IS properly served, and there is
r,rv little time for him TO stand at the
door and bow % all the carriages as his
olmpoer did i'm Queen Anne's time. 4
clever shopwalkcr X always on the alert
f1 tll,e up scraps. D. and in very many
instances he Is successful i'm making a
.le whore an assistant has failed to do
.l. Aud this Is often not because Of the
ability If the assistant, but for the reason
If an additional argument in favor Of The
purchase. During the busy part Of the
iav it requires no little amount Of energy
.n The part Of the shopTalker TO see that
the counters are kept clear, as he knows
that il IS utterly impossible for customers
% be- satisfactorily served when the
counters are in a muddle.
An important part of his duties, too, IS
% see that the right assistants serve the
most important customers. BY long CS-
p%erionce the shopwalker o finds out
which are the tabs among his Gus
TONERS, and these are handed over 10 the
c%levorost Of bis assistants, some Of whom
are capable OF e%ncountering the Vlest
tabs that come into a shop. As a rule
customers know pretty well what they
want. but in exceptional cases there are
people who enter drapery shops whose
minds have 10 be- made up for them. and
IL REQUIRES no little amount OF tact 20 deal
with such individuals without getting
the swap But 10 Their credit be 1t
said. there are ealesw0men and statesmen
boo tho drapery trade who are capable Of
masking "a sale % the most C~antankcrOus
individual. and that not 10y any set
method bat by treating his customers
according 10 their several weaknesses. IN
.Umcthing the same manner rs Sam
Slick treated his horses-by soothing
tine fractions ones, encouraging the timid
ones and lathering the sulky ones like
blazcs.
The last method will hardly commend
itself 10 most people, but 1T often happens
that il is necessary TO speak very sharply
% some customers before they can be got
TO make up their minds. And when the
assistant has used every effort without
avail. the word is passed sign, and this
brings the shCpwalker TO the fore, and
then both try their best, and 1t is almost
certain that the sale will be effected.
Tales Of lodges of shopwalkers with
tabs are numerous. One very com
mon practice in selling dress fabrics IS to
nut % piece each ON four or five chairs IN
"a casual manner, as If 10 show them to
The best advantage. and TO barricade The
customer so that she can't very well bolt
u.thou; making a purchase. Another
very common practice, and which Is fire.
.~lentlv successful, is TO put aside the
articles there is a difficulty in selling.
a.l how something else, returning 10
tue first article at "a convenient time
Warehousemen and Diapers journal.
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