Evening star., 1927-10-31
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

=, employe, in any business whatsoever,
would be looking out nightly for
such methods of conduct as plainly
would help him to get ahead.
| Among such qualities the simplest
as well as the easiest to apply is
that of universal courtesy. 1t costs
nothing, alas. except a good heart
and an intelligent mind-and many
persons unfortunately lack both!
| 1t is common experience to enter q
great establishment, where the genius
and hard work of the founders have
built up mighty organization, and
to find there many persons who seem
to have no conception of the power
Of the pleasant smile and the cour-
teously spoken word.
| The place may even have a welfare
director. who labors hard at the task
of imbuing every employe with the
treating the customer as one wants
to be treated himself when he enters
an establishment of any kind.
Even 'welfare director" however,
seemingly cannot reach into the
homes and iron out the training that
| the man or woman worker has re-
ceived-or has not received-there.
1t is one thing to eXpound the
pleasure and benefits of courtesy. and
distinctly another to make a person
with a narrow mind or a simple lack
of common sense, or harboring resent
Inent, understand the ethics and the
gain of it.
! The following anecdote, related to
us recently by gentleman of un-
impeachable veracity and great per-
sonal admiration for the establishment
| which 1t concerns, points unnistak-
ably to the truth Of these deductions:
| 1t seems that he was purchasing an
article from certain department, and
was very much pleased with the in
| terest displayed by young lady clerk.
| Now, interest is a part of courtesy
| If an employe will take the trouble
| to be courteous the chances are 100
| to ! that he will find himself inter
ested in the customer, in his likes and
dislikes. And there is nothing that
a customer likes better than having
his own likes and disikes respected.
| The girl respected the wishes of
the customer in question. She was
so pleasant and SO thoroughly capable
that he was much pleased, so much so
that when he was handed his package
and his change he thanked her before
she could thank him.
II am just new here" she said, with
an embarrassed smile, as If to apollo
gize for any lack of experience which
she might have shown.
II thought So" replied the Gus
toner. Il sincerely trust you will
never grow to be like the girls over
there'-and he waved to another de-
where they are much too
busy to wait on a customer. / am
thinking of coming into that depart
ment some day with a market basket,
loading it down with articles, and
| calmly walking out. Maybe some one
might pay d bit OF attention to me
them"
Courtesy and interest-these are the
basic factors upon which is built
every business success in which per-
sonal contact with the public plays a
part. If one is courteous, he will be
interested; If he Is interested, he will
be courteous.
Such is the magic circle along which
the individual employe advances him
self at the same time he helps ad-
vance his firm, thus establishing the
falsity of the old saying that one can
get nowhere by going around in cir
cles. 1t all depends on what kind Of
circle one moves in!