Omaha daily bee., 1907-05-05
The SHOPPING GUIDES TASK
HsW Field fsT Women Opened in the
Department Stores
SOUTHERN WoMAN sEl5 THt OFPORTUNiY
Many Vow EngREkd In the Calling
Peculiar Qualities Are Needed
new Phase of Easy
shopping.

The recent multiplication OF shopping
guides IN several of the large New York
department stores shows that this business
Offers an increasingly profitable field for
women, field, by the way, discovered by
q woman.
Il was q Philadelphia department store
that first gave a woman a chance at the
work. not because the manager was con-
WINGED that there wss money in It for the
concern or for the guide, or that such a
feature would be Of any particular assist
anoe to customers, but simply because he
waa fr.nd Of the woman who asked for
thu work. she was a southerner OF educa-
ton and refinement. with a soft voice and
pleasing ways, and she hec no early bust
ness training to fall back on when first
confronted with the necessity Of earning
her own living.
The manager could not give her q sales
womanis job. could give her no Job in
fact which she could execute, except that
witch she herself proposed. so she was
taken on az shopping guide, and although
the work Of shopping guide was conducted
very differently then from what II is now,
the soft-voiced southerner was SUCCESSFUL
from the start.
PatrSns Looked for Her.
Patrons Of the store began to hunt her
up. to ask for the invariably polite south
ern woman whose taste and good iudg-
msnt they often found OF aid in selecting
goods and who was always willing to give
assistance. One after another department
stores elsewhere heard Of her work and
decided TO adopt the idea.
Shopping made easy is the motto OF these
stores, one of which now employs twelve
shopping guides as against three couple
a.. Il
1t is doubtful II this record can be touched
by any other store anywhere. other de-
partment stores have lately increased their
force OF shopping guides from one to three
In the store where twelve are employed
a suite OF ofices has recently been pro
vided solely for the guides use. The equip
merit includes a private telephone switch
board.
The shopping guide lie here 10 stay, says
the manager OF this store. He says also
that the right sort is not easy to get. He
makes It clear that TO be a success in her
business shopping guide must be the
incarnation OF patience, good temper, good
manners, good judgment and tact.
She must have good taste. a knowledge
OF the requirements Of a house, including
the wardrobe Of every member Of the fam
ily and fertility of mind which will en-
understand the art of being helpful with
out being oficious or pushing.
Not sRIesuoman.
"a shopping guide is not here to sell
goods" the manager explained. Her
province is to assist shoppers to buy goods
There is a difference between the two. Her
role is to Some extent that OF hostess"
In providing so large force Of shop
ping guides the main question considered is
not Can we AFFORD itT' but "can we af-
ford to do without H7" The policy In
avogue is not only to attract customers, but
to cement everlastingly their attachment
to the store, and the shopping guide is a
means to that end.
For out OF town customers principally7''
the manager was asked.
Local buyers avail themselves OF her
services quite as often as strangers, al
though not perhaps in the same way"
said a manager. For instance Mrs.
Blank"-naning well known woman
came to me one day and asked II could
not send some one with her to one, OF two
departments, some one who could aid her
in selecting goods That was perhaps three
years ago. and from that day to this Mrs
Blank seldom buys a big btu OF goods with
out first consulting with our head shop
ping guide.
Occasionally che phones and asks If the
guide won't come up TO he's house for a
conference. OF course her request is
granted. We are glad to grant IT,
"We have customers who rely so implic-
itly on a shopping guides taste and good
Judgment that they simply write to her or
phone when they want certain goods and
ask her to send them along. No, this has
nothing whatever to do with our mail order
department
cit rests altogether with the guido how
pruhtable hor position L. She may be
able to work up a personal clientele which
leaves large sums OF money with us every
year or she may have little or no personal
following. and naturally In the one case
her salary win be more than in the other"
What Brings Success.
From the standpoint OF a shopping guide
Of much experience her success is due to
The difhcuIty many women nnd in coming
70 a decision ana also the difficulty many
women experisnoe in getting companion