New-York tribune., 1916-01-27
HOW 1T WORKS
RIILDIN TRADE AND
DESTROYING CONFIDENCE
\ Store Which RectfieS It's Own Erors-A Boot
Shop Which Does Not.
Bv SAMUEL HOPKINS ADAMS.

By SAMUEL HOPKINS ADAMS.
How many customers per does big department store lose
through innocent avoidbe Observation-Disclosures Tins query
pat number Of men high IN the mecan'e "oE anu %
answers have varied hundreds thousands
Often The explanation which would transform oSF p M
potential nockor' confirmed SaSi'd customer ana d"
ooser" simple difficulty that many shoppers pocket
the grievance with interpreting the transaction in ITS worst
possible deliberate dishonesty In the following letters n
brief account of misunderstanding of The Irlb
unc Of Investigations which has become emlau'oma'N
The process shopper the strength o. tribune ader
tisecnt goes to store article Failing find or hndlng
it other represented informs the Bureau of Investigations @
complaint forwarded to the store either before or after
hy the Bureau Indicate If the stores reply furnishes
reasonable adjustment the dissatisfied customer and the store
brought together that basis In proportion oil instances d"
pric gratifying transaction is adjusted not only to the
financial Of the complainant but also with the result OF re-
establishing her confidence in the advertiser
OF course there's side Sometimes the merchant fails to
make good" on Just complaint Then The Tribune makes good for NM
under guarantee slippery advertiser gdes promptly out OF
these columns forever quiet firm mpulon Of the mana
rora has nothing do with the which follows
The .S NST o sFs5 YsFs 1S9@ a8grsa4 of osSS5 at %
store Of Boomnedale Brothers there purchase
ftcrS v indeed sale counter lirdc underwear single
but in the union suits h0sG Tho & hTeyei M5 W2fe n nc" sste to
=, &C., mentioning had read about them in SUNDAYS
told that their cheapest Neo union SUIT Wa" S''S
FOR & 85; @a Sa5 @ 5.S ; on 4 Ike
1eaF -9,.5 stree stree m on M M,fS@e ffeiirr ~ u" ' ~
''0R R2dy adjas. & this G matter as yoa OIL
So obvious was the the complaint that pending
adjustment by Boominge whom the matter reported the
Tribune requested correspondent purchase the desired underwear at
bill for the paid above the advertised
price plus carfare necessary The acted promptly
o forestal it, in this letter.
Dear L.: Your letter addressed The New York Tr6un
your inability 10 find some merc9andse Io'9a In sr
pp brought to us by ] OF dne I0G3e @ @ %
f- % % & y yues @ ali Of oa deaiass We viii supply you
price ad will come to the store and see me n Pf
% % d m but see that You DO not any Of
% % ' mako GsS' o w 5s22 dSsf 6sf s?s
Il is vii be aisfac5ory and may 0:
perm R DruSI6o95 B4S0HihSOahf Ad5eiins sSGs Manage
At the same time the advertising wrote
The Tribune, ncosing a copy Of the above letter
The sed 'ar5on ,a % foP & S .s ifa5 s5 me answer to
assure an @ @ % % & to good Ss iS' o @ S"f % % am only % my d5s 1571a
KITE ~ee.,a4 admiration for doing for
S al" H. r. DFtNMoND. Advertising Manager.
Mrs L. accepted got wanted the
price specified The Tribune and declared the transaction closed to h
asfacon the advertiser and the advertising medium,
in the following letter the Bureau Of Investigations:
% e & 1cf to Of % s o att cTGe to q f tos oT you onion OF 1 sg
sale Of T had 5 been 3erIdgq & yGur I@PTT & Sfc % day n.t
5aa'e claim be- offered sell me reasonable number
Sd a.@as. To- jS-snti Street, the c'ieJ
% s @ s. ' a.cs. @ Your IN y ssssy 5ea anos os s, @ no.
ra-p for honest aderis.nc am sincerely, o.
Back Of all this lies a
time explained Bomingdaes did wish confuse the
issue which their entire Willingness to make good on their price as
given Mrs. L. could have purchased
advertised there sale. But offered
label Harvard Mills The "Meode and the Harvard
identical for the label And of the stores
heads in preparing the "cpy for The Tribune made the
ura error Of specifying eroe instead OF the other name for the same
goods
Why couldn't this have been explained time
tie a that fl & e @ @ & @ fm % SUPERIOR m @ to- am Tferior " r
- would be ecuSae and she might have felt afronted by the
apparent hmsess Of the though 1t was In any she
Bomnaa viewed it. ResutA patron. damaging result
proof adduced that kick In this case paid
Two wrongs o unnentonal ype) well make right when
they're brought face to face.