Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-02-07
Business Career
of Peter Flint
A Story of Salesmanship
by Harold Whitehead

Mr.. Whitehead tctU urstCer pour business
smpioyp,enf.. ASH vour questions cisdriS. aud aud
ofre all the facts. Your correct name and fan
,chich are anonymoas must be ignored. oues.
tons requiring TECHNICAL dnsicors ,oi!l be sent
;ssaircss s., ,Oin be ,ooven iato tie story Oi
Copyright
vi
DILLY MURRAY and finished un-
- packing that enamel ware by quar-
ter to 10 this morning, and, as there
was a special sale on. Billy was called
to sell on the floor. while I was told
to wash my hands and go to the class
room. Just as we were about TO leave
the shipping room Billy yelled, Three
cheers--here comes the ghost !"
A thin. freckled-fa fellow. wearing
spectacles. came along with basket
full of little envelopes. and didn't have
TO guess twice that 1t was payday.
He gave me an envelope, which l lost
no time opening; but l must say my
face dropped when I saw only 1888.
Then worked out how much four days
at s5 week was and found 1t was
correct.
Think of 1t, Here's me with high
school education. | can. speak French
and German. | took the elocution prize
at school and was the first base on out
team. And here am worth only eighty
three cents a day!
Billy noticed my disappointment.
How much did they give you, kid?"
Five dollars per-" | returned. How
much do you get??
twenty-five per"
"phew Twenty per week?'
"NiX," he said. Twenty-Five per
haps I earn twenty-five. but as a mat
ter of fact they slip me ten and I'm
to get twelve in two months time There
are ways to get more If you know It,"
and he gave me wise look.
what do you mean?"
Beat there's 'Flip-Ill tell you
next time ! see you" And with that
he left me-
Now what did he mean? He's GER
tainly made me curious.
Old Benton was in the classroom when
/ got there. ! was the last to arrive
and it seemed was couple of min
utes late. had been talking with
Billy longer than I should have. I had
hardly got seated when Benton said:
II want To ask you young people
question. who is the boss here?"
Several of us called out, you are ~
He shook his head with a smile.
Seeing we were wrong. ventured that
II was Mr. FELTON, (Mr Marsh having
died many years ago). Again he shook
his head.
A girl next to me. Rosie Lever (some
pppin is Rosie. and I think we are
going to be good pals y suggested Mr.,
Barker, head Of the glove department.
NO" said Benton.
We looked blank
"Who is it pays your salary?"
"The firm" said fellow behind me.
"where do they get the money from
to pay you?" asked Benton.
As none of us answered, he went on:
'It is really the customer who pays
your wages so ii Is the customer who
is the real boss.
"Now. remember that every time YOU
are serving a customer you are serving
the boss. and If the boss is cranky or
unreasonable, you cannot afford to he
cranky or unreasonable. because If you
are, the boss might get angry and put
you out of your job"
Some customers are pigs" said Rosie
to me.
Benton heard the remark. Exactly"
he said, '"but what's that to you? You
can expect only u grint from, a Spig,
but If "a pig grunts at you, doayou
grunt back at him?"
After more palaver Benton left us
with the final admontion, Remember
that the customer is your boss"
l went down to the shipping room
and Phillips told me that | had to go
to the classroom again that afternoon,
and that next week | would have to
start selling in his department I hope
I'll be more satisfied with the selling end
of the game.