The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1900-10-13
IT READS LIKE A ROMANCE.
HE Rich Merchant and the Salesman
Who Displayed Common Sense.

Aho h'ch Merchant and the Salesman
Who Displayed Common Sense.
One of the propr!etors of n big dc
partment store decided the other day
10 hhd out how customers We're treat
ed III his establishment. He is so sci
oom seen around the place that few
OF the clerks know him by sight, hence
IL was not necessary for him to as.
sum" disguise or formulate an elabo.
rate plan for the success of his under
taking
Golng into the shoe department he
sat down to be waited on. 4 clerk
VINO had been in the store only a few
weeks hurried forward and asked:
May l show you a pair of sho So
YES" the merchant said, Il would
Ike to look at some, but don't know
as I'm ready to buy pair today"
very well,' said the clerk, "weIl
see what we can find"
Then he made some inquiries as to
the style his employer preferred ana
the size he wore, and began taking
down boxes
One shoe after another was tried on,
out the customer could not be suited
Inc toes were not right, or the SHAPE
was wrong. or it didn't tit, or there
was something else about every shoe
the clerk produced that was not as it
should be-
Three or four times the proprietor
said he guessed he would have to give
1t up and try again at some future
time, but the clerk always persuaded
INN to wait moment. Then he
would get another pair and make Il
new effort to suit the gentleman. set
ting forth as eloQucntly as he could
the merits Of the shoes and express
ing confidence in his ability to tind
what was wanted sooner or later.
At last the merchant looked up at
his employe and said:
You don't seem to be worried over
the fact that you Lave wasted an hour
here with me-"
"Oh. l don't think I've wasted the
time" the clerk replied. people are
invited to come here and do business |
If they see what h,y want. If they |
can't be suited they ought TO have as
much right to complain as We"
''Still you have left it all to me. Don't
you think you ought to know more
about it than I 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 latter turned a little pal,
along tlIc s. 'es of his nose and said
Then suppose / Iiay as we'll begin
hunting around for another job
On the following morning the mana
ger 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 4 pair of Shoes"
1cS, KNOW II, 1no clerk TcpllCu.
Gle couldn't get what he wanted
The clerk gave long sigh and looked
1t the floor.
You told him you were not anx Gus
o sell goods If people didn't show prop
n eagerness to buy" the manager went
N.
The clerk nodded that it was so.
"Well. do you think it would pay us
O keep a man like you in our shoe de-
Feeling thai it would profit him no.
hing to be aDject, since he was to be
discharged anyway the miserable c,erh
eplied:
II suppose not But if had it to do
gain would do as did yesterday"
Very well. We need man to take
barge of our clothing department, ana {
Ir.-wishes you to have the place be- I
ause you were kind enough to give !
i'm credit for knowing what lie want !
d better than you did."-Chicaso e
ines Herald.