Omaha daily bee., 1915-09-14
The Courteous Customer


- vAssar oraduAte in the Outlook -
HAD just finished my shopping when saw my
friend the silk buyer-a silk buyer In large de-
partment store. She Is the kind you read about
On this day she standing In the department. a
frovn her face, she looked after a customer
who going down the aisle.
Il wish I could write" she said when she saw
what would you write about7" asked.
I'D write about shoppers" she said The way
women shop. We do all TO get fine merohar-
disc train girls TO be courteous and TO know
their goods that they give intelligent service
and then some women come in here that
What would you call courteous shopper
asked.
Well" said the buyer there are really lots of
them. and it's easy to be In the first place
a good shopper has her shopping all panned-sizes.
amounts, and all. nearly she tell. Five
minutes with the directory her lots Of
steps She finds out where she wants to go before
she goes TO the place All our good customers
shopping coins for identification and their printed
address books-you know. little slips 20 paste the
schedule they won't have TO wait for the salesgir
TO write 1t all out They take transfer II they are
going to buy several things and have everything sent
together.
Then nice customer always keeps her temper
II her change is delayed the floor manager wants
Identification. she'll be reasonable because she knows
It's part of the system to protect her.
81 think It's courtesy for a shopper shop early
in the day. ana not running in at the last minute
for something unless she has to- We hear lot about
employers keeping the girls overtime, but did you
ever hear about customers keeping girls after clos
ing? Well. they do.
Then courteous customer makes frinds OF the
salesgirls DO you know. II I had much shopping to
do. I'd rather have friends behind the COULTER than
anywhere-theyd help me They can watch the
new merchandise for YOU, and let you know when
something comes in that you'il like You get
salesgir and she enjoys keeping track of things
her regular customers Here Is Just an instance We
have customer from out OF town who knows many
OF the girls In the store The other day she wrote
In to the salesglr she knows in the suits She
she wanted to get suit, waist. hat and petticoat
on Saturday morning. and wear the whole outfit
to the theater that night She mentioned the namc
Of the girl she to in the millinery department
and told tho suit department girl to go to her The
girls got interested in It, and when the came
in they ready for her. They had several com
pete outfits planned and the woman had selected
the whole thing in less than The friend who
was with her said she had seen such luxurious
shoppingl Now. II that woman hadn't made a friend
Of the salosgiri the girls would have known
her tastes and"
TITS like the house that Jack built -" said -
Indeed II s." said the buyer "only it's better
than a house-the interest Of the people with whom
you shop Why, many OF our girls are friends In
need TO the poor men whose wives always want them
to stop in the way to the office and match a sam
pie or get pair OF gloves One Of the girls told mo
the other day that she shops for several men whose
wives think they have such remarkable tastel
But about being friends with the girls, they ap-
prectate II So Just this morning found one OF my
girls all smiles. She had filled a glove order for
customer and the woman had written to thank her
on course the girl was only doing what she is here
for, but guess every one likes appreciation every
and then"
As went out stopped for a moment at the waist
sale woman was there with fire in her eye. She
was giving floor manager her opinion OF the store
What do you mean.' she demanded in a loud
tone. by advertising sale OF shirtwaists-a sizes
and then when set here there is that will
nt meY have had charge account for years in
this store ana my mother before me. but I'm going
up right now to stop It. I simply will not trade at
store where get such treatment"
The courteous aisleman started to explain The
sale had been popular one. ana the large assort-
ment OF waists had gone quickly. There were still
plenty left In large Sizes and order for any size
could be got in a few days
The customer did not want to order she had had
enough Of ordering The store never ordered anything
right.
The aisleman looked at his watch
"You see madam. It is really quite late he said
and the sale has been all day II is five minutes
to six, and we close at six promptly"
SKI exclaimed the customer. Ski and I've got
to have dinner for company by seven I'll not wait
TO stop that account tonight but ever get such
service again I'll come here to trade anv
more" And the invited guest of the store flounced
out
The siseman sighed and turned TO the Girl AT the
waist counter
Women Ike that" he said. are the kind that
make me cranky at night to the kids"
i got her first" said the girl: and the queer
part OF II this waist fitted her exactly onl
IT'S marked sire IS and she said always worn "a
ana she hasn't got fatter. either tried to tell
ner this make runs small. but nothing doing sa~
her going for you'll know her kind Thank Roodness
there goes the oell!' And the girl began to fold
away her stock
looked from the harassed floor manager % ,ha
tired saesgirl.
The courteous customer" thought and hur-
ried home.