The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1891-02-06
THE DRY-G00DS CLERK
His Qualifications Outlined bv
Chicago Manager.
He Must BE "A Gentleman aud U.,
Complete knowledge of the CIa.. :,
Goods He Sells - pay ReguIated
According to Departments

"Dry-Fooas clerks, although thcv,..
continually being sneered al. moss.
considerable brains" said tho maUa,..
OF one OF ChicagO's great retail hons.
to an Evening News reporter
People in general are fond % mi
ing unllind illusions 10 dry-goods clerE,
and considering them as a lot ~ -.
chinc-lille men, good enough 70 wait !.
you and try TO make you buy good, h..
that l. all. The fact is, many. if ~.
all, clerks possess much business can,
bility. In their own way they cou5g..
almost a business Of their own Al m.
department over which they prrsi5,
and take as much pains to promote tla
growth of that business as il IL va.
their own. The customer thinks ts..
they are instructed TO act Just So ,rs
work just such schemes, but that is an
wrong. The clerk receives no inst,T,'
tions, but goes ahead and carries on tTo
work ne is assigned 70 the best of bis
ability.
Il don't think there is big retail
house in the city where the salcsr,e-
receive regular instructions about rbcf-
work. / know they don't in our Rouss
An applicant for the position O! sales.
man comes in and asks me for a position
What are your qualifications. and
how much experience have you had?'
ask.
He tells me, and then I ask him
what pay he wants. He viii name tho
amount be thinks be Is worth. Per
Laps IL is the limit OF the amount pas
n the department that he wants work
in. II l think i want him land ] assure
you, long years OF experience have
taught managers 20 guess pretty accur.
atcly OF Elan's worth in one inter
view / tell him ! will give him
place, but would not like to pay him a.
first quite as much as he asks. Halls
satisfactory between US, and he is en-.
gagged. that ends it,
He is introduced to the fioor-walker
in his department, who in turn in.
trod uccs MIN 70 the other clerks in that
department. He is given check-book
placed behind the counter and left 70
hustle for himself That's all there is
10 il. We don't tell him to act Just So
and 20 be polite to this party or not
idle, etc. None Of that AZ all. When I
hired the man ! did il sUpposing he was
a competent man and a gentleman. No
men must have learned their business in
some smaller house before they viii get
q job in d large one, and during their
apprentice days should have learned all
those points which go TO make up Z
good salesman. He must know his
duties thoroughly and understand the
art Of selling the articles in his depart
mcnt. once he becomes familiar with
them and the prices.
LAS TO his manners, would not have
hired him IL did not believe him 70 be
4 gentleman. l never say any thing 10
n new man on that head at all. He
should be well posted on ala points Of
etiquette and good-brecding necessary
10 make him agreeable TO the people he
waits on. The man is expected to 90
right IL and sell goods in a way that
Will be profitable TO the house and pleas.
ing 10 its patrons.
"A clerks pay is not gagged by his
experience, but according TO the depart
ment he is in and his ability TO sell
goods There is a certain limit for the
pay Of clerks in each department and
we rarely 90 over that. A clerk is hired
for a certain department, given 50. much
pay, and generally that ends it,"
In what department does q clerk get
the best pay?"
In the dress-goods, silk or linen de-
partment. You see, in the dress-goods
End silk departments a great deal Of the
sales depends on the ability OF the
clerk 10 make the customer buy what
she doesn't want. To 50 arrange fabrics
as 10 catch her eye and make her want
them. He must be a good talker-in
short, have the gift Of gab,' 50 as 10
make his patrons covet and bry more
than they really intended 70. Often a
comparatively new and inexperienced
man viii be given a position in those
departments for the very reason that be
i a good talller. The manager thinks
he has the right qualifications, and al
though he may not know thing about
the business, the new olerk will 60 in
and sell right over the heads OF the old
clerks. Such man is valuable, and Is
generally, in the course OF time, trans
ferred 20 the Wholesale house and seni
out on the road.
a man who understands linens Is ~
most always in great demand. Ou'
linens are made IN the old countries
and when ! man comes along who has
been right in that business all his Li'
lac is valuable. Foreigner though he is
and doesn't know . thing about. Amer
iran ways, he is valuable man, Tor b
understands the merits Of linens an,
can sell them. Such men are Away
sure Of 4 position, and get good pay"