Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-07-24
The Modern Shop Girl.
By Frederic J. Haskin.

NEW YORK, N. Y, July 1.-Unfor-
| tunately for the writer's of human in
terest stories and the manufacturers Of
standard grades of chewing gum. the pop
uiar American shop girl type is passing
out Of existence. In a few more years
she will be gone. In her place has ap-
peared a self-possessed, intelligent young
woman, with knowledge Of the psychol-
ogy of customers and professional train
ing in the matter Of selling goods. True.
creditable number Of the old timers
still lounge over a variety of counters
and shout at the purchasers, but as rule
the competition of the educated sales
woman leaves them far behind and they
are soon forced into another field.
The graduate evolution has been brought
about by the department stores them
selves, which after many years, discov
cred that the secret of success lay in
an efficient selling force. The first edu-
cational reform in the store came about
through the children employed on its
force. 1t Is estimated that forty thou
sand children stop their school work
every year to obtain work in New York.
VI these large proportion enter the city
department stores as messengers, bundle
wrappers or cash girls. The law requires
that these children shall be furnished an
education by their employers, under the
supervision Of the board of education:
otnerwlse, they are taken away and
nlarched back to school by a truant off,
Ger e., Consequently. there is now a pub
nc school in every large department store
". ri e Itch,
speihng, geography, penmanship hygiene
ana practical business methods, and this
scnool not only has a day attendance Of
many many children, but night attendance Of
iI I OF shop girls anxious to learn.
IN many stores there are also special
tralnlne classes, held three nights a
week, In which the employees are lee
tured IN successful salesmanship, store
i,nethods and the entire national and
International department store system
many OF these classes include courses
IN FRENCH or German, the knowledge
OF which Is usually necessary to be-
come successful buyer. Each girl is
mace TO feel that her promotion into
the stores high places is limited only
by her ability and ambition.
The establishment of these schools
required tremendous original outlay
for teachers, text
Outlay Is Required books and school
n c+,,. c.I facilities, but the
SSAAo0AS' stores have more
than made up for it in the greater eff
cheney Of their selling force, which has
brought increased profits Advertising
is the prime essential in bringing peo-,
pie to the store. but after that 1t is up
to the selling force to make them buy
the goods. And better than any writ
tisement which travels from one Gus
toner to another and brings people
back again and again to buy at that
particular store. Under these circum-
stances. one Indifferent or discourte-
Gus saleswoman may be the direct
means OF losing five customers.
NotN long ago an actress bought a
silk sport suit at large department
store where she had an account, and
ordered it sent to her residence. Upon
trying 1t on the next morning she dis
covered that 1t had a small white spot
on the hem of the skirt, which appear
ed to have been caused by an acid Of
on the suit when she bought it, and
since it had not occurred while in her
house, she Immediately took 1t back
and showed it to the sa1eswoman. The
suit happened to be the only one the
department had in stock, SO the act
ress explained that she would keep 1t
If the saleswoman would have the
skirt altered SO that the spot would
not show. At this point, the buyer of
the department arrived in a disagree
able frame of mind and told the act
ress that such a thing would be i'm
possible unless she paid for 1T. and
that otherwise the store would simply
send the suit back to the factory. In
other words, according to the buyer
the store preferred to lose a profitable
sale rather than to accommodate Gus
toner.
The actress. however, having a de-
termined disposition, demanded to see
the manager of the store. to whom she
described the incident, and that after
noon she went home. carrying the suit.
which had been neatly fixed. as well as
a series of apologies from the entire de-
partment. The discourtesy of the buy
er in this instance nearly lost the store
yaluah1e account and rather than