The Washington times., 1894-11-18
OBLIGING MERCHANTS.

The retail merchant Of the present day Is
surely accommodating. There is no reason
able request you might make of him that is
not answered with an agreeable assent You
take your merchandise home; it does not
seem to please; you take it back and you can
have what you want in its stead-even your
money-and all this, in spite of the fact that
it costs a great deal more money nevada Us
to do business than formerly. All this would
be we'll enough if it were not for the unrea-
sonable requests, even demands, often
made-such as the desire 10 have the mer-
chant take back the cloak bought last winter
or the corset after it has been worn or the
gloves which have been rudely tried on at
home. 1t often occurs that a reasonably in
clined shopper buys dress material, is dis
pleased with il, takes it TO her modiste, who
does not like for some reason Of her own,
generally ineXplainable, the firm from
whom this material was bought and tells her
patron that the dress is not 'all wool, or
mot becoming shade, or this or that"
simply TO poison her mind against her pur-
chase. merely to get her to return the goods.
One has no idea how often this occurs and
how often the best intending woman is i'm
posed upon by her dressmaker. she being in
ignorance of the real motive. Sometimes Gus
toners will buy fan, shawl, or a cloak,
wear it over night, or pair OF portiers, and
use them for reception, only to bring them
back the next day, claiming they are insult
able, and ask the return of the purchase
money. Although the articles show wear and
use plainly they still insist that they were not
taken out OF the original package, they do not
suit. and that they are entitled to the refund
of their money. Frequently shop-keepers
know they are being hoodwinked, but dare
not let their patrons even imagine that they
suspect this. but in gracious manner oblige
some good customer of the house. or course,
this is an unfair transaction-worse than tha;
but the merchant often belieVns that it is
better to say nothing this once
Then, again, there are very few women
who have the patience to try on their gloves
properly. They will purchase the gloves.
take them home instead of having them tried
on; in putting them on hurriedly they tear
them, bring them back the next day. and in
much injured way, demand another pair, and
condemn your gloves. You sometimes give
them another pair, thinking it is wiser to
lose the price OF a pair OF gloves than the pa
tronage of your customer How often are
dress materials taken back and yet every
falr-minded person knows that goods have
lost their value Immediately after being cut
of the piece. 1t is the same with ribbons,
laces, etc. The merchant. though he allows
what was paid for them must Immediately
ccnsign them to the remnant pile There are
many people who will buy an article, keep it
for several weekS-in the meantime this ar
ticle Is reduced-then bring it back and want
you to allow them what they had paid for it.
When YOU tell them politely this cannot be
done, as the article has since been reduced,
but you will willingly exchange for what it
now sells for. your customer becomes in
censed, feels she is dreadfully wronged vows
she will deal at tha alairpE
she has been cheated, and believes she has
been. How can a merchant allow for an ar
ticle. either in merchandise or cash, more
than he is selling it for? 1t is worth less TO
him. He sells it cheaper. 1t has lost its value.
Is it not fair enough that he humors YOU
and allows you to return it after keeping it
so long? Then again, for the accommodation
of shoppers merchants permit a privilege of
allowing patron to pay certain sum on a
''lay aside" bundle, expecting them TO call
for it when convenient and pay the balance.
The customer leaves it for month or more
then comes back only TO say she has changed
her mind and does not need the article, or
does not want it, and expects the return of
the small amount paid to reserve their pur-
chase. This is altogether out OF the question,
for whatever has been bought and the store
has in good faith allowed the privilege of re-
serving must be considered an obligation and
an accommodation, or else the merchant
WOulQ De many more dollarS the loser. Make
any reasonable request and you will be
treated courteously and obligingy. The de-
sire to accommodate patrons is instilled in
the minds of the employees from the moment
they are engaged. They are told do all you
can, consistently, to oblige the customer;
gain trade don't lose it. 1t permeates the
air of all retail establishments, makes itself
felt at once. and the sales-person would not
long retain his position who would disregard
this admoniton.
Imagine. if you can. what it costs a mer-
chant to supply samples. The cost entailed
to large retail establishment of the present
DAY amounts to thousands of dollars, yet did
you ever hear OF a case of a customer being re-
fused sample, be the material ever so costly?
Packages. no matter how small, are sent
home When in hurry for a package, a
merchant makes arrangements to have it
specially sent, no matter to what part of the
city, Sometimes it costs more to deliver
package than the profit on it. "Out of town.
people can also send for samples or informa-
tion. and their requests are carefully looked
after and attended to, and when goods are
ordered by 'out of town" patrons they are
conscientiously and properly looked after by
special person designated for such orders.
Everything possible is done to facilitate shop
ping and everything 20 make shopping bear
able-electrc fans in stores, large ia nks
filed with ice waite, a maid to wait on you
VAL BLATZ BEER.