New-York tribune., 1903-07-23
AN IDEAL OF SERVICE.

President Dickson of the Cuyahoga Telephone
Company of Cleveland has just proposed 10 MS
employees Il profit sharing scheme in circular
which sets forth in a most striking way the ser
vices which real interest on the part OF workers
can be to an employer. He offers to distribute
one-ffth of the surplus earnings OF the SIX
months from July to January next IN propoFuon
TO the annual salaries paid. and he predlcts lhat
if the employes do their best they can secure
from one-half of a months to months extra
salary each. He frankly says that he hopes
they will increase the company's surplus by
more than the sum paid in profit sharing, and
that if the experiment fails to secure this result
If will not he repeated. In the circular Mr.
Dickson outlines some of the things he wants
done and shows how dependent the greatest
business is on the alertness and faithfulnesS OF
its most humble employe He says
Money can be made out Of this business If
good service is rendered to customers but
the character of our service VIII depend upon tne
the service will be good. If you are patient
polite prompt and skilful you can give very good
service with second rate equipment. DuI II you
are petuant, rude, dilatory and careless the ser
vice viii be poor, even if we have the best equip
ment in the world. good woodsman can pulld
a safe and comfortable house IN rev hours
with no tool but his
Now. want all of you to feel that each of
Won has q real interest in the success of this
company. I want every of you to smile
when you hear the company praised for the
character Of its service, and TO take TO your
selves a part of the credit for making the SER
vice good Remember, if have careless en-
ployes it will reduce profits. If we have any
employees who shirk their full duty 1t will re-
duce our profits. If calls are not answered
promptly our subscribers will leave US and there
will be profits. If solicitors are not active
we cannot increase our business. II our col
1ectors are negligent or show want of tact
will not get paid even for the service we have
rendered We are bound close together, whether
Il f1iI1 of q n n
full duty renders worthless the honest labor of
others. Whether we make good profits or none
at all will depend upon the way your work is
done
Remember, the easiest way to make money is
not to spend it. Do you realize that all of you
are spending money for US? II you 1njure any
part of our apparatus you have spent the money
it costs to repair it, If you cut wire to waste
you have spent the difference in value between
good copper wire and junk. If you use good
sheet of paper to figure on, where the back or
old envelope would serve as we'll you have
added to the cost Of operating this plant
We shall watch with interest to see in what
spirit this offer is taken and how this ideal of
faithful service is lived up to. 1t is so in con-
trast with the habit of vast numbers of the
workers in every business that its enthusiastic
adoption may be doubted. The great majority
not merely Of the daily wage earners but of
those who fill higher salaried places do their
work in a routine way The wasted material,
the broken apparatus, the disgruntled customer
mean nothing to them. There is not a large
business concern in the country where the care
and interest and pride for which Mr.. Dickson
pleads on the part of the humblest employe
would not be appreciated and in time rewarded;
for there is not a large concern which is not al
ways In need Of more efficient service in various
departments and ready to pay we'll those who
show that they can give it. Yet many worker
prefers to go along wasting his employers
substance and a spirit has sometimes mani
tested itself which forbade him to do anything
else lest he be considered an enemy to his fell
lows by showing the possibility of more efficient
service than they were giving. 1t remains to be
seen if the direct offer Of profits will operate
more effectively than the indirect stimulus to
ambition which every man has, or ought to
have in his chance to rise in this country by
superior efficiency and zeal.