The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-11-07
/ GIRLS IN STORES,
.Quietness in Dress
and Demeanor
Help Them.
ONE WOMAN'S STEADY RISE.
Started as Cash Girl and
is Now Manager of
a Department.
ONE WOMAN'S STEADY RISE

Worcester salesgirls form one of the |
most obscure parts of the machinery of |
the big department stores. This does |
not detract from the general interest
of the public in the girls. To the shop
per there is a deal oe satisfaction in
being able to speak confidentially to
/ the salesgirl, and to the woman bar
gain hunter, there is nothing so pro-
ductive of happiness as in consummat-
ing the purchase of So worth Of goods
for $29S, and having a sober-faced
salesgirl say, Madam, you have bar
gain there"
| The Spy reporter was recently in
vited into the Boston Store by the man.
ager of one of the large departments,
the purpose Of the visit being to select
the most competent salesgirl by a sim
gle glance. This was a task, indeed.
More than a hundred young women
were sharply watched for a minute or
two each, and in the passing of judg
ment by the reporter, there was COM
plication.
The attractive looking salesgirl often
proves the most supercilious. The So
| Der girl with the simple dress Of gray,
may be the most attractive in CONVEX
sation, and may be the biggest sale
maker In man fashion, the reporter
always selected the most attractive
| looking girl in the store, from his point
of view, as the most valuable part of
the store machinery. He was often
mistaken.
THE SALESGIRL
is always before the public, and she is
a factor in making the store successful
or unpopular with its patrons. There
! is no more difficult task than to fill
| the place of a popular salesgirl. The
customer invariably asks: Where is
| the tall blonde who used to serve on
this counter?" and looks inquirngly at
the new salesgirl who finally says, She
isn't here any more" Il always thought
her just lovely" says the customer;
| did she get married?' The new girl
does not know, and she is not made to
| feel pleasant by the customers repeat
ed references to "the other girl
"A large number of girls apply for
work here every day." said the man
ager of another department store. I'VE
always have a waiting list of about so,
and probation list of substitutes of
| the same number The reserve force
we keep for filing vacancies caused by
| sickness or discharge. Every 1ntellt-
gent girl who makes application is
considered, and it is seldom that we
Erefuse point-blank to consider an appli-
cant.
when a girl begins her work in this
store, we expect her to behave in a
lIadylike manner and that is about all.
If she proves that she is not able to
4 sell goods. or has habits which make
her unpopular with customers, she is
either dismissed or given work in an
other department of the store where
| these deficiencies will not be noticed.
Contrary to general belief, attractive
saIesgirls are not often popular with
customers. By that mean, that girls
who wear better clothes than the Gus
toners do not become generally liked.
THE PLAINLY DRESSED GIRL
who treats a customer with respect, is
| the one who becomes most valuable to
us.
to sell goods for eight or ten years.
IIf they are careful of their health, they
retain their looks, and of course unless
| it is too attractive, their value is en-
lhanced. They gain experience ana be-
come much more attractive to the Gus
toner when they have worn OH the
newness.
| II am called on to give different
sorts of advice and sometimes l hear
touching stories. A salesgirl working
Satisfactorily in our suit department
recently had aspirations to become an
Iactress. She spent all the money she
Icould honestly obtain In becoming fit
tied for the profession, and then found
herself unsuited for the stage. She has
returned here, and is an excellent sales
woman, and probably earns more
money per week than the average
chorus girl.
1--WE had an applicant several weeks
ago whose case attracted considerable
attention. She was the widow of a
Iwealthy resident of the county, and
twas very anxious to get employment in
| a store in order to have something on
her mind. I tried to induce her to give
lup the idea, and after she had watched
some of the salesgirls, she concluded
| that she would have too much on her
mind if in the same position, and |
guess she is satisfied not to attempt
store work..
From the ranks of the salesgirls are
developed many women of enterpriSing
| ability. One Of the women in a local
jstore who commands a big salary, is
manager of a womAs department
She begun as cash girl, and later was
| ter. BY successive promotions she was
placed in the wool stuff department, a
! place generally given men. From this
department she has risen to the high
est place occupied by woman in the
store. that of
MANAGER OF A DEPARTMENT"
] The enterprise of Worcester sales
/ girls is something above the ordinary.
! The best dressed girls who grace Main
street in the noon hour, and between
Is and o'clock in the evening, are store
girls. There has always been specula-
| ton as to the manner in which many
| of the young women live outside the
store.
! The customer knows absolutely moth
| ing Of her favorite salesgirl's life, ex-
| cept behind the counter. In addition to
being clever in talking to a customer
| and using gentle methods of influencing
| the purchase of expensive goods, the
salesgirl must be an actress. She must
| be able to appear pleasant when she
| does not feel that way.
| Customers make the life of the sales
girl what it is. When day in which
sales have been made without vigor-
Gus kicks is ended, the salesgirl goes
| to her home with light heart. A day
of dealing with hard. shrewd buyers
makes her lot a hard one, and small
wonder it Is that the salesgirl seeks
enjoyment in the evening and enters
the store the following morning with
her head swimming and thoughts miles
away.
Until the ring is presented and the
salesgirl leaves what she believes to be
drudgery life is constant whirl of
seeming care with occasional tinges of
joy. Then her troubles really begin.
|
! Seat sale for James o,Neill in $50 900