New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-06-30

Tim TIA, the manner ~ tho .slcsperron IL most
inn ,rtart element IN 'ho matter NJ orc VII fenY
An agreeable or interested or simply civil salesman
or woman induces n purchase. where disagrseabl".
or urrtercs'cl. uncivn one and there are our
prlslngiy many such-Wlil often drive intending
purchaser away. shorkecpcrs we'll aware Of
this fact. and consequently IN small shops where
tho proprietor himself does the selling or Is able
Immediately to super,is" those whom he employs
for that purpose. customers almost Invariably re
the civil trcaiment that IS the real secret OF
many a iradesmaus success.
TIE THEORETICAL AND THE ACTUAL.
In larger embellishments however. where both tho
selling and the supervision OF those who sell are
del.gatcd to suhorllnatcs the treatment ~ Gus
toners Is often different. The PROJECTORS Intention
remains the same. In every shop. however large
every saiespcrson is expected 10 serve every Gus
toner with politeness. promptness and attention.
This IL the theoretical the IDEAL state Of the case but
the actual is such that while there are many large
shops IN this city whore the best intentions OF tho
proprie,ors toward their customers carried out
I'm the courteous conduct OF their employees. there
are Others where these subordina;es arc VIGOROUSLY
uncivil where every shade OF rudcness from down
right nsocnce 10 duh inertia Is encountered by the
buyers who nevertheless flock TO their sales.
For strange "a II may seem. those shops where
the behavior Of tho salespeopc s the least plea SAINT
and often the most offensive precisely those
where the crowd Of custom is greatest. To a GER
tain extent this Is a case OF cause ana erect
continuous crowd of custom fatigues the salcspeo-
pie tries their patience and dulls their interest by
a too constant demand. That buyers h. eyer. will
continue to submit 10 the treatment that rs the out
ward ans visible sign Of these effects. when they
coull get what they want sold TO them ciytlly
and chccrfully elsewhere. remains one OF the most
curious OF the phenomena that meet one In the In
vesiigaton OF this subject. within block OF each
other I'm the fashionable shopping quarter. are two
large establishments dealing In dress and fancy
goods To all Appearances they arc In every way
eoual except that In the the salespeople as a
mass are perhaps the worst hammered in the city.
whereas I'm the other they extremely civil. Yet
the former has by far the greater run OF custom.
Nor is this 10 be accounted for by difference In
rrices to the advantage OF the more largely patron
izci house. since these range alike In both. OF
course there are many persons who. having once
experienced uncivil treatment In shop. never re-
turn 10 IL again who. II they do. avoid the par
ticular department where the particular sales
person from whom the uncivil treatment was re-
ceiycd; but the great majority Of shoppers go on
submitting as II unwilling or Indifferent or insolcnt
service were a necessary part OF their purchase.
WOMEN'S MANNERS TO WOMEN
The display Of bad manners by salespeope IL es-
necally marked In those departments OF large shops
where women sell TO women. Here the primitive
feeling OF sex antagonism. which would seem to be
stronger or at least less controlled In women than
in men together with the smaller animosties such
as envy color and prejudice and the ike, IN
tcnsify the ncivy often shown. salesman
IL frequently surly or impatient; he Ii sometimes
fairly brutal in his attempts to bully a shopper
particularly where that shopper Is woman-into