The Washington herald., 1908-03-22
HONESTY BAD POLICY
Sewing Machine Agent Is of
that Opinion.
HIS PLANS WENT ALL WRONG
Sent Out Rival Firms Machine on
Trial-WOman Returns with Seven
Others to Buy-AEent Confesses De-
cePtiOn, and Patrons March on to
the other Firm as "A Result.

The proprietor of an f street sewing
machine store tells story which he says
is true and which happened in an East
ern city The story illustrates how the
best laid plans of the sales agent some
times go wrong.
One day a woman. whom we will call
Mrs Potter. entered the store of the sew
ing machine firm in an Eastern city who
handles the same machines as the f
street merchant Mrs. Potter was waited
upon by one Of the salesmen Of the place.
when the following conversation took
place:
Il don't want to rent a machine" she
said, neither do l want to buy one. /
simply want 10 have one sent in for two
or three weeks so I can get my spring
sewing done And ! don't want 20 pay
anything for it. l have spent all my
money for material for new clothes and
1 have no money left to pay for a ma
chine 10 make them on I thought you
might let me have one on trial"
Mrs. Potter's extraordinary candor al
most fiOored the polite agent
1T is the usual suppostion." he replied
chine at house on trial the party intends
TO buy il eventually.
The Woman Was Honest.
Il know il IS" returned Mrs. Potter.
but you have been in the business long
enough 10 know by this time that half
the people who get machines on those
terms don't really intend 20 do any such
thing. They simply wish to get the use
of a machine for few weeks free OF cost
and then send il back on the ground that
It is unsatisfactory. The difference be
tween these people and me is that I tell
you the truth and they don't. 1 don't
want TO buy, and say so; they don't want
20 buy, and say they do
The agent told Mrs Potter that he ap-
preciated her fiat-footed honesty. But 1
can't see" said he. where we come in
What do we get out of the deal?"
"Oh. as 10 that" said Mrs. Potter Il
intend to try to sell a machine for you.
The woman in the fiat across the hall is
going to buy and if you Will send one of
your machines around 10 the house this
afternoon, so I can start right in sewing
and show what excellent work it does
before she decides Upon something else, I
of you"
As soon as Mrs. Potter got through
talking the agent went back and told the
manager and his assistants what she had
said They agreed that Mrs. Potter was
curiosity, but didn't know what to do
with her
She Gets the Machine.
1T is my opinion" said the agent. that
we ought to ,et her have machine as a
reward for her unparalleled truthfulness.
or course. don't take any stock in that
yarn Of hers about trying to sell ma
chine for the use OF her own. Neverthe-
less, l think we ought to accommodate
her merely as an encouragement Of We
racity''
At last the manager was Won over to
the agents way OF thinking.
But don't let her have one Of our ma
chimes, he said. Put her off with
renter. She viii never know the differ
ence."
The managers suggestion fired the
agents brain with a brilliant idea.
What's the matter" said he. with let
ting her have that secondhand affair
made by the A b c Company that We got
the other day in trade? We will never be
able to do anything with it; and. even if
+
we wouldn't be out anything"
'An right" said the manager. 1T is
your funeral. Fix her out any way you
please"
So Mrs. Potter got her machine
The firm heard nothing from Mrs. Pot
fer for three weeks. Then one day she
came into the office. She brought seven
women with her. and the way they all
bowed and scraped and smiled at the
agent actually made him dizzy.
Brought a Big Order.
THAT machine you sent me is a treas
ure.'' said Mrs. Potter 1T does the love-
liest work you ever saw I'm your life. All
these ladies say they never saw such
tuclSing and stitching and hemming and
they have decided TO sell their old ma
chimes and buy new ones just like it. In
fact. l am so pleased with II that am
going 20 buy one myself although I
can't see how l can afford it just now.
We all live in the same building. and
would like eight machines sent up 20 that
address this afternoon"
Mrs Potter's wholesale order surprised
the agent into an honesty that was out
done only by her own.
But we do not handle that make of
machine. he decl1red. I'VE merely hap
pened to have one on hand. But we cam
sell you our own machine at the same
price
Mrs. Potter looked at the other women
collectively and individually, and the
whole bunch of them shook their heads.
No thank you. said Mrs. Potter. I'VE
have set our hearts on that style of ma
chine. If you don't handle them we will
look up somebody who does. much as we
should like to deal with YOU
And then. before the agent could put In
another word in favor of his own stock,
Mrs. Potter and her seven neighbors had
marched out, bound for the headquarters
of the rival concern The manager had
been standing near by and had overheard
the whole conversation. AS soon as he
caught his breath. he did little figuring
for the agents benefit
There's eight machines at $e5 apiece
gone UP the spout" he said. That comes
of your idiotie plan of fooling A customer
with a machine made by another COM
pany."