Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-11-30
FROM $50 TO6P.M.
BAD TIME TO SHOP,
|NVESJ|GATORF|NDS
Christmas Purchasers Ad-
vised to Buy Earlier; Sugges-
ton to Aid U. S. Employees.

wishing TO AID Christmas shoppers
in making their purchases with COM
porter to. the various downtown stores
to obtain from the employees sugges-
tons as to how this could best be
done.
The reporter learned that better
service and added comfort to both
would result if shopping were done
earlier in the day instead of between
the hours of 4:30 and pm, when, ac-
cording to the salesgirls. the greatest
rush occurs.
L. s. Workers Buy After 4,3O.
Mrs. Mary D. Renters, educational
director of the big stores, spoke strong
ly in favor of early-in- the-day shopping.
She said that a high percentage of sales
made after 4:30 o'clock each day were
from government workers.
There is tremendous rush of gov
eminent workers after that hour" Mrs.
Renters said. "And most of the cash
register errors and poor delivery check
ing is due to the unusual demands upon
the sales force. With half a dozen or a
dozen customers clamoring to be waited
on the salesgirl naturally get con-
fused and mistakes occur. Then the
complaints come pouring in.
"On the last and 18th of each month
when government pay day rolls
around. our sales forse is taxed to the
utmost during the last hours of the
working day. | would suggest tina,
Fthe government workers be allowed
to do their shopping in the morning
or else allow them to have their lunch
period extended so as to make theiI
purchases with more comfort to them
selves and to the salsgirls.'
Little Shopping First Two Hours.
1t was noticed in one store visited
by The Star representative that com
paratively little shopping was done
for at least two hours after the store
had opened its doors,
Miss Helen johnson. an emplpye OF
one OF the biggest stores in the city
was asked which were the busiest
hours of the day. Without hesita.
ton. the young woman replied:
why from 1880 to s o'clock, Of
course"
Would you rather be kept a little
buster throughout the rest of the da,
and not have to work quite SO hare
during these hours?" she was asked
You bet I would" came the EN-.
phatic reply. "One never knows wher
one is going to make a mistake in heI
records. And we always try to keeI
them as straight as possible. But
when q lot of customers are clamor.
ing three lines deep to be waited on
to do 1t in, then something wrong i.
bound to happen.
salcswomen Express Views.
"A woman the other day came ell
bowling her way to the counter ant
wanted to be waited on in a hurry
She was waited on, but in the rusi
her address was taken down wrong
Next day the complaint department
received word that the woman hat
not received her parcel. 1t wal
looked up and found in the deliver,
had been unable to find the residence
of the customer. If she had done hel
shopping early in the day the mis-
take could not have occurred"
Miss Mary Brown Is an assistant a
the stationery counter of another
store. She is likewise opposed to thu
"1ast-minute rush" to shop.
ut isn't a bit of fun for us girl!
behind the counters" said Mis-
Brown. The girls nerves are frayee
to bits, and / suppose many com
plants of discourtesy may be traced
to the nervous condition Of the sales
girls. who are kept ON the jump be
tween 4:30 and 9 o'clock. Yes.
would like to see people do thei
| morning or early hours of the after
| noon. There are many women wh'
do not have to go to work who coult
shop early"
This testimony is representative o
that of numerous other salesgirls ii
| local department stores. They woul'
| rather be kept busy all day long thar
| have almost nothing to do in thu
mornings and have really more Gus
toners than they can adequately TAX
care Of in the late hours OF the after
| noon.