The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-12-20
CHRISTMAS TIDE IS
HARD ON CLERKS
Those in the Big Department
Stores Are Nearly
Worn Out. ~
HOURS ARE LONG AND
THE CUSTOMERS IMPATIENT
People Are Hard to Satisfy
and Their Wants Are
Many.

Christmastide is NOT altogether an
upmixed blessing. There is one phase
of the season of peace and goodwill
that one is apt to overlook. that ia the
work involved; the long, toilsome hours
endured by the employees in the stores
and the workers in the various depart
ments, millinery, dress. and other sec
tions. To them 1t is a season of con-
tinuaf ana increasing work, and when
Christmas morning breaks many shop
girl awakes nervous and physical
wreck, The strain of the weeks of
concentrated work overtaxes physical
endurance and the result is too often
collapse.
This burden could be considerably
lightened by the purchaser were he or
she but TO practice little charity in
doing their shopping, by doing it, not
only early in the day, but early in the
season. Storekeepers report that this
is being done this year to an apprecia
BILE extent but there still remains room
for improvement in this direction. Not
only would the shopper ease the work
of the store employee but trading would
become easier to the purchaser. By
going in tho earlier hours of the day
the shopper would find the clerk keen,
active and alert, more ready to divine
the wants of customer, and thus as
sist her in her purchasing, than she is
after she has worked ten or twelve
hours behind the counter, Then she
is listless, languid and comparatively
indifferent, the strain Of the long, CON
tinued effort to please and serve has
worn her out and the task of the Gus
toner in selecting goods is increased
and made more difficult
There is an art In selecting just the
right thing for hubby or sweetheart,
sister or brother. and the store clerk
can give valuable aid in making the
selection; but when dozen people
lombard a clerk at once for lace and
ties, scarfs, handkerchiefs, gloves, fans,
manicuring sets or toilet sets and the
hundred and one articles that make
up the season s stock the task becomes
an almost impossible one. And it can
all be remedied by shopping early.
Mistakes Will Happen.
And attending to the actual wants
of a customer is not all. With large
department store throngcd TO overflow
ing mistakes will happen. A lady
makes purchases at a dozen different
departments. Her packages are trans
Terred from the various counters TO the
packing room and an immense amount
packages of the many customers segre-
gated, and in keeping an accurate reck
onlng of the amount, so that when her
shopping is completed she can know in
an instant the total of her bill. The
cashgirl is sometimes overwhelmed. A
score Of bills with the cash will come
to her at once She checks them for
wards them TO the cashier, the change
is returned TO her and she must return
to the proper clerk the correct change,
who in turn hands it over to the Gus
toner, Is 1T any wonder that in the
rush and hurry an error is made
They are few, indeed, and they are not
all made by the clerks by any means,
but they arc speedily and satisfactorily
ceeds unlnterruptedly.
To the unintiated the position of the
floor manager appears TO be 4 sinecure.
But is ism t.. and more especially at
this season of the year. He answers
more questions than telephone oper-
ator; he issues more directions than
the admiral of fleet, he is continually
besleged by throng who want to know
where they can get anything from a
needle to an anchor. and he is always
courteous and obliging and everyone
goes away satisfied. Besides, he keeps
watchful eye on the full force, he
sees that every member performs his
duty and that every grievance is ad-
Justed no small task with thousands
to deal with daily.
Late purchases mean late delivery,
The delivery boy is a genial fellow but
when he works until the midnight hour
peals forth from the church tower he
cannot be blamed if his temper gets
ruflled. Doubtless you have seen the
delivery boy on one Of his midnight
rounds, with lamp hanging from his
wagon and carefully picking his way
horses jaded and tired, and he vainly
endeavoring to locate the residence of
some purchaser and deliver the goods
In this instance both man and beast
suffers, again endurance has been over
taxed and the delivery boy is not
chuckful of kindly thoughts of Christ
mas.
The storekeeper has fulfilled his part.
He has an ample stock and has hired
dozens of extra clerks-one firm has
employed 100 extra-hc meets the de-
mand with as full provision as possible,
but no amount of clerks will meet an
emergency when everyone wants to buy
at once. In one Of the Main street
stores yesterday two of the lady clerks
gave up-they were all in-they gave
way under the strain This is but an
incident, but it illustrates the condi
tioD which exists.
Beginning Thursday the stores will
remain open late at nights, Just so long
as the business warrants it. The duty
now devolyes upon the public The
housewife is busy; she has her many
household duties to perform. But after
all the Christmas season to her is short
and for day she can devote an hour
or two In the earlier hours and buy her
Christmas gifts. BY doing so she car.
ries into this work the spirit of the sea-
son, OF helping her fellows, easing the
burden and tightening a task which
under the best conditions, is heavy
one.
Shop early. Shop often Of you wish
to, but do your trading early. 1t will
help you. Don't delay but begin to-