Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-01-23

One sometimes wonders why the
cheapest, easiest procedure Is not more
used In buSincss--the pleasant, affable
manner of handling persons.
A smile and pleasant word. bit OF
"apple sauce" sometimes called "blar-
ncy'':: cordial tone of voice and an
honest desire to help--thesa arc among
the few things In the world that cost
nothing.
Perhaps they do cost some persons a
great deal. however! Evidently they
Go, II one may judge from the very OPP
positc qualities SO often encountered.
We were put In mind of this the
other day apon calling a we'll known
public corporation. against which VIC
believed we had a legitimate kick
This organization has many depart
mcntS," the head of each one charged
with some different line of contact with
the public
Well, our protest was going direct to
the general manager. Yes. sir! No one
else would do. We wanted to get the
head of the works" We felt sure that
he could and would listen to our plea
and that he would and could right the
condition Of which we complained
Sure enough. no sooner had we got
this big man on the phone than VIC be-
gan to swell with satisfaction If We
had been positively the biggest man
in Washington we could have been
treated no better
This was no more than VIC expected
we had had dealings with this gentle
man before. This time he Gained our
rufflcd feathers with his usual ability
smiling pleasantly over the telephone,
Certainly those who know how can
tNS rsfyrnI ~ Il
the audible laugh. but an invisible. but
none the less tangible. smile. 1t is a
gift
Before this man was done with us
we felt almost as big as man must on
his first day as President OF the United
States.
Subtly. easily. smoothly. yet without
ostentation or too persistent use of
the old glad hand" this necromancer
let us know that his whole organization
was With us. not against us. that he
and the aforementioned great company
had but one desire in the world, and
that was TO satisfy us.
When this gentleman and his oreani-
Zation were dealing and talking with
US. he made Us feel. they realized that
they were dealing and talking to the
FuUiiC az lafSP.
They wanted us to know that the
dearest wish Of their heart and soul
was TO look into our complaints and 10
correct them as speedily rs possible.
The whole question of whether we we're
right or mistaken was not even con-
Sidered
This moot question was left in abey-
ance. 1t was not SO much a matter of
The customer Is always right" a
rather ridiculous statement. after all.
for he cannot be right If he is wrong
but simply a question of satisfying us.
1t was rather delicately conveyed to
our waiting ears and brain that we were
decidedly well worth satisfying. an i'm
preston which We always had harbored,
anyway. and with which We agreed,
therefore, Immediately, without any ar
gument
We hate and detest those disagreeable
persons. whom one meets every nov and
then. who seem TO insinuate that just
the opposite is the case. One does not
care for them. eh? One does not. No
one does. II is impossible. They have
such lowering effect.
We hung up our telephone with the
agreeable conviction that this is the
very best of all possible worlds. and
that somehow II was a great pleasure
and positive boon to be included in the
collection of persons living on It,