The Washington herald., 1916-04-30
DEMANDS GOOD
AUTO SERVICE
Public Willing to Pay High for
Facilities if They Are Of
Highest Type.
THE BEST IS REQUIRED
Auto Owners No Longer Look for Free
Service-Convenience and Square
Deal Sought.
By .sI, GROGAN.

Service. in the sense used here, means
the desire and facilities to serve. The two
are independent and equally necessary to
the result desired. Alone. each is inef-
fCctive and fails Of its purpose.
Some time ago l spent a night in
strange section Of country at roadside
hotel. Over the door was hung a sign,
The Home Of Good Service l wondered
as 1 entered the place what was the
thought in the mind Of the proprietor
when he put up the sign as an attrac-
ton to the public. I learned soon after
that whatever his thought, he had no
conception of the meaning Of the phrase
The rooms were cold, with no cOnven-
icnce; there was not a bathroom in the
house: the only bellboy was my pro
prietOr. The usual order Of things was
reversed. and your appetite must tt his
menu If you would eat
The proprietor's heart was all right. and
he thought he was giving service to his
lodgeTs; but he did not know the meaning
OF the term. Before putting out the sign
The Home Of Good Service" he should
have completely rebuilt his hotel: he
should have equipped it with an elevator
he should have had pOrters for the bag
gage and baths with the rooms; hot and
cold water, telephone and like COnven-
fence. which may be properly termed
service features Of today.
Make Use of Terms.
IN the automobile business much OF the
advertised service is of an order similar
to that put forth BY the hotel proprietor
The men behind it mean we'll. but they
cannot deliver. It is matter of making
a tremendous use Of the term Service, 20
but little or no use Of service itself The
salient attributes are lacking: a building
properly desiSued in which 10 serve Gus
toners; experts who can readily give the
right sort of Information on any subject
that is OF interest to a customer. il it
concerns automobiles, and an adequate
organization aCtyated by the spirit to
fulfill Courteously. promptly and with
honesty the orders of all customers
Experience has a place here. too. and
an appTCCiable and constant volume OF
business is essential to support an or
g4niZatiOn extensive enough to make
specialized departments practicable. The
last has another significance, for an Or
ganiZati0n sufficient properly 10 care for
the wants Of patrons cannot be local
merely. 1t must reach into all terri
tories where the clientele it would bene-
Mt may choose to travel. Such an or
EanizatIOn and such service cannot be
a transient or lOsse-knit affair: it must
be stable and enduring, the growth of
many years effort. and supported solid
y DE the tll-tL man LdCLLl-IlE ana Sd les
0rces Of the company attempting it.
IN the automobile business, as in other
0Hs Of trade. free service IS of little
a. sequence The public has learned in a
80 TOO happy school not to expect
thing for nothing. II is ready and
-.r- to pay for what it asks. but it
GGs. and rightly, that what it pays
b., he worth its cost. Service that costs
- -A,1g usually is worth nothing. Serv-
worth being called such and available
I'll times and in all places is never
ced too high. The policy that is re-
g. onsible COR such a service in any busi-
IS would not admit Of an excessive
.- rye for it. The business intelligence
nat prompted it originally would pre-
ut it. As obviously, viewed from the
-ner side. business and philanthropy
hitch no better together, the proper ally
Of good business being a square deal on
both sides.