Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-01-23
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES f. TRACEW ELL.

/ Our circulation was increased, our
heart beat with increased vigor. We
had. been handed, In short. pleasant
dose of "apple sauce" and had Tapped
1t up with great satisfaction.
| We knew this, of course. but the thing
had been accomplished so successfully
and happily that we joined with the
clever administrator of this good med1-
cine in applauding his Superabil1ty.
We discovered later that this gentle
man. according to popular tradition.
had worked his way to the very front
Of his organization by The proper and
| legitimate use of his gift OF making
| every one with whom he came into con-
tact feel that they were distinctly worth
while
This he did without a vestige OF
that OVERRIDING which spoils the glad
handler" the man who fails to combine
qualities of heart and mind with his
back patting 1t must be distinctly
realized that our kind gentleman did
not make "back-patting" his sole aim.
| First of all. he wanted to be helpful.
| If he ladled out the old apple sauce"
he did 1t simply because he realized
| what VIC all realize when we stop to
think about 1t, that this Is, like honesty,
the best of all possible policies. The
difference between this man and the
insinccrc "back-slapper" is just the Diff
ference between doing thing right
and wrong
The difference between this real
business man and some others with
whom we all come into contact is
simply that he has discovered and put
into hourly. daily practice the simple
fact that the easiest. cheapest and best
way to handle the public is at once
the happiest. the most profitable and
the one really rendering the people
the service" about which all clamor
so much.
Everything else being equal, 1t is
automatic that the man in calm.
pleasant frame OF mind is going to
buy more than the chap who is rub
bed the wrong wav" In private and
public business alike whole organiZa-
tons are to be found in which every
cmployc acts as II he had received in
structions along the following lines:
1T is the policy Of this firm when
dealing with that Grass but necessary
nuisance. the public. to deliberately in
suit the brute as much as possible.
Always take him or her down a
peg or two upon entrance by thinking
up a topic of conversation and en-
Gaging in it heartily with some other
employe
Refrain from observing the customer
until it is no longer possible to do this.
Then side up to him or her in as in
different manner as possible and ask
II he or she is being waited upon.
You will know from his angry looks.
or from her very angry looks. that he
or she has not been even noticed, but
co not let this deter you from the plain
path of duty in making every trans
action as disagrccable for them as pos
sible.
IF it were not for their boorish In
trusion upon the simple domesticity of
this establishment we would all have
more time TO discuss certain pleasant
doings of the evening before or to make
plans for certain anticipated pleasures
of the evening TO come
What Is more. II they would stay
out, the very fine and expensive floor
ing of this establishment would not
receive SO many crude heel impressions
or so many cubic feet of dust, mud and
plain dirt This annoys the janitor
extremely
Above all-~and this is very inpor-
tant~-employes mus; not indulge in the
practice Of handing out the apple
sauce" rs 1t * sometimes called This
Is wastcf,il and hurtful OF morale and
corroding TO the telephone wires"