Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-06
THE TELEPHONE ORDER CLERK
IMPORTANT MAN NOW IN THE
RETAIL TRADE.
A Help That Housekeepers Appre
cfate and Grocers Couldn't
Do Without.

THE telephone has revolutionized the
retail grocery and provision business"
said the manager of a large market the
other day. We might just well be
out of the world as to be without a tele-
phone. More than half of our customers.
probably, have telephones. and seven
times in ten they telephone their orders
rather than come down here or wait for
the order man to come around.
"Old-fashioned housekeepers had an
idea that they couldn't get what they
wanted unless they picked it out them
selves. As a matter Of fact. even the best
housekeeper can hardly be an expert
judge Of meats or vegetables: she has to
depend on the word of the man from
whom she buys. and any man who is
looking for good trade is. of course. re-
liable in such matters. Folks who really
know how to keep house have figured this
out, most of them, and our most particu-
lar customers do all their ordering over
the wire nowadays. They get hold OF the
same man they would see If they came
here and very often he can make Sug-
gestons which the puzzled woman who is
wondering how she can vary the family
menu Is mighty glad to get.
Most of the people who trade with us
prefer ordering by telephone TO giving
back door. If they wait Till the order
c'erk comes around on the wagon they
can't very we'll get their orders filled be-
fore noontime, whereas If they telephone
early we can deliver what they want by
the same man they used to order from
Our telephone business has grown so
that we have a clerk who does nothing
else during certain hours of the morning
and afternoon. when trade is heaviest.
but take orders over the wire. He has
Io coll acp,a{nfod with the tastes
of the different customers and tells them
of anything which has just come in which
he thinks they might like to have; he
turns the filing of the orders over to
whomever the special customer they are
for prefers dealing with. and he acts as
kind of human price list and information
bureau. | tell you. If the telephone Is
great thing for us 1t certainly Is greater
thing for the housekeeper-'
The manager of one of the leading
department stores in the city of the
middle west has hit upon a novel scheme
of making his establishment popular. he
urges the people Of his city to call upon
his store by telephone, not only to ask
about the stock and prices. but to MAKE
requests for any information. which ne
can supply. ut is a long time, said
this merchant the other day. since en-
terprising storekeepers discovered that II
they were willing to show their goods
to people who came out of curiosity
rather than with an intention OF making
a purchase Now I have enlarged on
through telephone visits. In my aLver-
tisements there is q statement, If there
is any question you would like to ask
about our goods or prices call the proper
department by telephone If YOU are una
Bile to visit the store in person.. And
it is surprising how many persons make
these requests for information. Some
times the message winds up with an or
der for goods; sometimes we are merely
thanked for the information we supply,
and sometimes we don't get any thanks.
But / know that it pays in the long run
in the increased amount OF sales and
also in public goodwill, which Is an asset
no business man can AFFORD to ignore.
People telephone here to find out about
all sorts Of things. Here are few sam
pie questions which came in one after
another one busy forenoon last week:
"a woman living in one Of the suburbs
wanted to. know why it was that the I'M
der crust of her pies would not bake prop
erly. The call went along to the head
of the stove department and a few words
Of advice as to drafts and hampers were
given her. 7 have no doubt that this
weeks pies will be all right and that out
In that suburb is a woman Who says
that our ranges are good ranges.
Next came an appeal from a woman
who was doing some dressmakIng at
home. / don't know whether she bought
the material OF US or not, out L DtueNc
that she appreciated the hints which she
got from our head dressmaker. At al
events 1t certainly cost us very little to
help the woman out.
"A third request came from a man who
wanted to know where he could buy
set Of double harness. We don't keep
harnesses, but we directed him to re-
liable concern. In fact, the requests for
Information which does not directly con-
Germ our own business form a considera-
BILE part Of these telephone calls.
people want to know when the next
train leaves for the east, what the wealth
or predictions are or where the fire Is.
We have a clerk who is employed es-
pecially to answer questions of this sort.
Ii means to us only the small expense in
volved in carrying one extra person on
the pay roll. and, as I said before, the
help which we give in the course of
month to hundreds of people, some OF
whom are already our customers and
some of whom will become customers,
is a powerful influence in building up
that public good will which is such
valuable asset 1t seems to me that this
branch of our activities is just as legiti-
mate as anything else which an establish
ment like our does to attract public ats
tention I am sure that it pays. and when
find that l have not people enough in
the store to attend to these telephone
messages l am going TO hire others"
Nothinp Pleases the Debutante More