Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-12-17
TRIALS OF A SALESMAN.
subterfuges to Secure Customers-People
Who Come Rack.


New York Post.
The old adage about competition
being the life of trade works out
strangely on occasion, as the following
incident, which occurred in one OF the
large stores, shows: Dress goods,
madam? Samples to be sent out OF
town? Certainly. The gentleman to
the right in the last room over will
take your order" and the salesman
waved his hand obligingly in the direc-
ton of the last room over.
Separated from the other gentlemen
to the right in that particular apart
ment, the sample-sender found an alert,
elderly little person, predisposed to
care and especially solicitious to please.
Excuse me, madam" he said, paus-
ing midway in the matter of taking
down the address; but, when this lady
chooses her sample, will you buy the
dress, or will she order it direct from
Ing, he ADDED, beeaGsaes II 5 y3Uu aaakFee
going to buy it, l should like to make
the sale. I'm the sample-cutter, but,
after my two hours work each morn
ing cutting up goods, serve regularly
at the counter. 1t will be a favor if
you bought the dress from me, instead
of just from any salesman in the de-
partment that you happened to see.
My fingers are blistered now; all corns,
from cutting samples. Thirty-four
yards of stuff I've cut up this day into
little snips like this, and tackled on the
labels. All these other fellows are
quick enough TO send people to me for
samples, just as they directed you, but
they seldom give me chance at selling
the goods afterwards. Just at this time
of year we send out more samples
than any other time, and l often have
to stay at night and make up the or
ders. In our department the man who
is lowest in his sales for two weeks,
hand running, gets bounced. So, of
course, that makes them all keep a
sharp lookout. Several times it's hap
pened so that the ladies I've asked to
come back to me when they bought the
goods came in when I wasn't Just in
sight, and I've been done out of the
sales. even though they asked for me.
So, if, when you come to gettrhts dress
(being so obliging as to ask for mel,
some clerk should tell you that | was
out, or laid up. or dead, don't believe
him and let him serve you: don't pay
the least attention, but give me
chance. Say you won't buy it from
else, whether I'm dead or not.
They're keen after trade-the clerks in
this department-and I'm an old man
time. That is why I make bold to |
speak to you
One day a lady came in and in |
luired for me, as l had asked her par
1cularly to do. She wanted to buy |
three dresses of the samples I had |
recommended-two for her |
daughters and one to send TO her niece |
n the country. She's Harlem lady, |
md doesn't come down town shopping /
1ften. What do you think they told |
Ter when she asked for me to wait on !
Ter? They said l was dead. Very sad. |
Very sad said the man she spoke to, |
md who wanted to wait on her himself, |
when he heard about the |
hree dress-lengths; but Mr.. Anxious
lied two days ago. He's to be buried |
afternoon OH said the
ady, I'm so shocked to hear it. He
eemed 10 be such nice man, and was
cooking the picture of health that even
ng l got the samples from him. T
Then she bought those dresses on
ny say-so. Yes, that's the game here;
o put of my customers with any kind
II racket while I'm out of the way, /
aeking up samples and sticking on the
abels. getting ready for the mail. II
7as understood when got the job that
could leave of cutting the samples
ny time to wait on a customer, Just so Fl
got the packets on some time during
he day; but don't often get the
hance. No matter how good 4 train