The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-07-26
The Rich Merchant and the salesman

One of the proprietors of a big depart
ment store decided the other day to find
oct how customers were treated in his es-
Enlistment says the Chicago Times-Her-
aid. He is so seldom seen around the
place that few of the clerks know him by
sight, hence it was not necessary for him
70 assume a disguise or formulate an elab-
crate plan for the success of his undertake
ing.
Going into the shoe department he sat
down to be waited on. A clerk who had
been in the store only a few weeks hur-
ried forward and asked:
May show you pair of shoes?"
Yes" the merchant said, II would like
to look at some, but don't know as I'm
ready 70 buy pair to-day
Very we'll" said the clek, "We'll see
what va can find"
Then he made some inquiries as to tho
style his employer preferred and the size
he Wore, and began taking down boxes
One shoe after another was tried on, but
the customer could not De suited. The
toes were not right, or the shape was
wrong. or it didn't fit, or there was some
thing else about every shoe the clerk pro-
duced that was not as il should be-
Three or four times the proprietor said
and try again at some future time but the
clerk always persuaded him to wait mo-
ment. Then he would get another pair and
make a new effort to suit the gentleman.
setting forth as eloquently as he could the
merits of the shoes and expressing conf
dence in his ability 10 find what was
wanted sooner or later.
At last the merchant looked I'D at his
empoye and said:
''Y0u don't eae,V7, 10 ba vrorrIo6 swan
the fact that you have wasted an hour
here with me"
"Oh, don't think I've wasted the time"
the clerk replied People are invited to
come here and do business if they see
what they want. If they can't be suited
they ought TO have as much right to CON-
plain We"
Still you have left it all to me- Don't
you think you ought to know more about
it than l do? You sell shoes every day
you know"
Il sell shoes every day" the clerk said
but can't wear yours for you and shall
not try TO persuade you to buy something
YOU don't want"
The proprietor went out saying he might
return at some future time and try again
After he was gone the head of the shoe
department went over to the new clerk
and whispered something to him. The lat
~ tNiiACb u NUT PdIS dlOtS liiS SUES Vi
his nose and said:
Then l suppose 1 may as we'll begin
hunting around for another job"
On the following morning the manager
of the store called the saddened clerk into
the office and said:
The president of this company went to
the shoe department yesterday to get
pair Of shoes"
Yes, 1 know it, the clerk replied.
He couldn't get what he wanted"
The clerk gave a long sigh and looked
at the floor.
You told him you were not anxious to
sell goods if people didn't show proper ca
gerness to buy" the manager went on.
The clerk nodded that il was 80.
We'll, do you think it would pay us to
keep a. man like you in our shoe depart
ment?'
Feeling that it would profit him nothing
to be abject, since he was to be discharged
anyway, the miserable clerk replied:
Il suppose not But if l had it to do
again I would do 5 I did yesterday"
Very we'll. We need a man to take
charge of our clothing department, and
Mr.. wishes you TO have the place
because you were kind enough to give him
credit for knowing what he wanted bet
ter than you did"