The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1908-10-21
DOING SHOPPING
BY TELEPHONE
Many Customers depend on Salespeople
For Obtaining Their
Supplies.
Whether in City or Many Miles Away
Mart is Brought Near
by Wire.
FACILITIES IN BIG STORES.


possible wholesale rates. If the idea
is followed one more step it may be
seen that competition among these
stores will tend to induce them to give
their customers the benefit of those
rates.
When compared with smaller ones,
however, the department store has one
drawback which a certain class of GUS
toners considers to be serious, viz: The
Inconvenience of crowds at counters
where seasonable goods are offered and
the repeated delays while sales are be-
ing inspected, goods are being wrapped
and change is being made. BY some
this difficulty is eliminated by using the
transfer purchasing slip and paying at
single desk when all goods have been
selected. By others, the order-if for
staples or other goods, of which a sam
pie can be given-is carefully written
out and left at the order desk with ms
tructions to either charge the amount
or collect on delivery.
There are many customers who, in
purchasing goods, depend entirely upon
the advice of salespeople or other
friends. Frequently they think it ne
cessary to consult relatives and to
make a second trip to each large store
before they finally made the selection.
The loss of time and the amount OF
energy expended is not slight, but as
they say-'It is worth the trouble to
be satisfied that the best for the money
is obtained"
HOW SHOPPING DIFFICULTIES
WE'RE MET IN THE WEST.
Prior to June 1, 1905, there was but
one large store in the country where
the telephone had been used very ex-
tensively to eliminate this difficulty.
In a large western city the idea had
been carried out to equip each depart
ment of the store with a telephone and
to connect them all by a common
switchboard located within the store
building. 1t was thought that the add
ed convenience of allowing the absent
customer to talk directly with the de-
partment concerned would greatly
facilitate sales and the work of adjust
ing differences. After the service was
installed many new uses developed and
the telephone became permanent fix
ture in each department.
THE IDEA AS DEVELOPED IN THE
EAST.
In the spring of 1905 the manage
ment of an eastern store was persuad-
ed to take up the telephone idea and 10
put telephones not only in every de-
partment but on every counter. The
managers appreciated, at once, that
the telephone, by making it easier for
customers to purchase, would reduce
the cost of sales. Realizing also the
steady increase in telephone orders
when they had but a meager equipment
they advertised that they were Install
ing the system for the expeditions
handling of telephone business during
business hours" On the longer coun-
tiers several telephones were conve-
niently placed so that no customer or
clerk need take more than a few steps
to use the telephone. The suggestive
feature of seeing others use the service
required an abundance of telephones
to serve all who would wish to talk.
OTHER STORES FOLLOW SUIT.
Hardly had the work of wiring the
building begun when other large stores
anticipating the success of the plan,
ordered similar equipments. The at
titude of the telephone company was
unique. They said, I'VE are putting
in each store a plant costing us thou
sands of dollars. If we thought that
the plan would fail do you think that
we would simply make this permanent
investment simply for the comparative
ly small amount of money that might
be received from temporary trial OF
the plan? We are taking the risk and
we know it will prove a wise invest
ment on both your part and ours"
Telephones were placed also in the
order, inquiry, complaint, delivery,
lost and found, executive and exchange
departments, and in the waiting rooms,
restaurant, aisles lin bOoths), and in
every nook and corner of the store.
When the installers had completed
their work there were over 500 tele'
phones from which any customer might
talk without charge to any other de-
partment or at regular exchange rates
to any other location in the city or out
This installation exceeds that in many
fair sized towns.
THE TELEPHONE STORE.
The plan as thus developed was such
an improvement upon the western
stores idea that this store received
and deserved the name of THE Tele'
phone Store" An advertising cam
paign was begun in the stores regular
newspaper and other media to educate