Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-05-26
BUSINESS METHODS

The active head OF one of the large retail
establishments in London recently spent
considerable time in this country and gave
a portion to an examination of American
enterprises of similar kind. and especially
as to the methods employed in running
them.
In talking about what he had seen and
heard on this side of the Atlantic before his
return home. he is reported to have said:
LET me. first of all. dispose of the phan.
tom about the much-lauded American 'hus-
ting. methods. So far as my observation
went there is not nearly so much hustle
In New York and Chicago as there Is in
London. In my opinion, any up-to-date
London firm hustles In a more telling man.
ner than the great American houses. The
American stores have their good points and
their bad ones. but, taken generally. GER
tainly do not think the London houses sui
fer by comparison with them
A Waste Of Time.
"I was struck with the amount Of time
wasted in the retail stores on the same lines
as my own. The fundamental cause Is that
the assistant. instead of being trusted, as he
Is here. is treated. as 1t were, with sus-
picion. and the restrictions with which he
Is fenced about cause loss of time and loss
of interest. Employers are not so particular
In the matter of references when engaging
an assistant as we are here. but they are
far more particular in safeguarding his
honesty when engaged. For instance. the
assistant who takes an order gets out the
goods and makes out the bill.
Goods and bill are then dispatched to
another assistant. who Is established on q
special raised platform. in some instances
four or five feet above the floor level. This
assistant checks the goods with the bill.
takes the cash and passes 1t by the ordinary
1tner fhn6 tn oookf
who returns bill and change to him. He
then packs the goods. and passes them
back to the original assistant, who hands
them to the customer. Each sale thus
passes through three pairs OF hands, and
considerable delay results.
1.-The American assistant also treats the
customer in q particularly offhand manner.
which would never do in this country. and
he displays a notable lack Of interest in his
business and in the customers wants. He
never presses q sale. I mean that II the
article required is not available, he troubles
no further. and does not, as we do, en-
anxious to secure his custom in other direc-
lions. The assistant also addresses his Gus
toners with a familiarity which would not
be tolerated here.
"In the retail business premises noticed
great lack of economy in space. Owing to
their more elastic building laws, the stores
cover a considerably greater area, but
they are. as a rule. only fitted about six
feet from the moor. A smaller EnSlSn store
would accommodate q very much larger
stock.
Wave Of Prosperity.
"a similar lack Of desire for ones custom
Is noticeable in the great wholesale houses.
When a buyer enters London wholesale
house he is Immediately seized upon. but in
the New York and Chicago houses 1 usually
waited from ten to fifteen minutes before
any one took any notice of me. This may
be due to the fact that there is a tremen-
dous wave of prosperity In America just
now Such fiourishing times have never
been known before. In some parts of the
country goods have been lying for three and
four months In the depots before it was pos
sibIe to move them. Several fsms informed
me that they could not take orders for six
or seven months. I found no novelties. be-
cause business is SO brisk that they are not
required.
Il certainly think we could teach America
something about business but nevertheless
/ picked up a few points which will be use
full / noticed that there Is more generosity
between shopkeepers and customers than
there is in most firms here. They are al
ways prepared to incur present loss IN
anticipation of a future gain
81 like their advertising. 1t is direct and
forcible They call Ia spade spade, you
know. But do that myself.