Part 10 (2/2)

One day, Jerry Teller, a rather fussy carpenter who did excellent work, and who was always wanted when any extra fine work was desired, came in with a complaint that a back saw he had bought a week or so before was not perfect. I looked it over carefully, but couldn't see a thing the matter with it until Jerry pointed out a crack in the handle from the rivet to the back. It was such a trifling thing that I did not feel inclined to change it, besides, as I told him, how did I know it hadn't cracked since he had had it? He swore up and down that it was like that when he bought it, for he was too careful of his tools to damage them.

He demanded a new saw or his money back.

I told him the saw had become second-hand goods and that I didn't deal in second-hand goods. We had a lot of talk back and forth, but I was doing some tall thinking and finally decided that it was better to give him a new saw than to let him feel dissatisfied, so, somewhat against my will, I finally gave him a new saw. But it didn't seem to please him, for he left the store still grumbling about the way I tried to ”put it over him.”

La.r.s.en had been watching the whole incident, so, after Jerry left the store I turned to La.r.s.en and said, ”There's no satisfying some people, La.r.s.en.”

”You no try to satisfy him much, eh, boss?” he replied.

”What do you mean?” said I.

”Say I come to the store. You kicked up a fuss. Then you change the saw.

I don't feel pleased. Yet you give me a new saw,” he answered.

And then I saw the light! Great guns, what a fool I was! I didn't seem to know the first thing about business. Ever since I got the store my life seemed to have been a series of doing things wrong. And it took La.r.s.en to show me a mistake!

I turned to him and said, ”Thank you, La.r.s.en; you are right; I appreciate your frankness.” Then I held out my hand to him, which he shook awkwardly, and said, ”That's all right, boss; I am still learning; you are still learning--thank you.”

I was beginning to like La.r.s.en!

One thing I then and there resolved to do was this: If any one came in with a complaint of any kind, I was going to let him have his say and get it off his chest. Then, instead of arguing with him as to what I should do, I would turn around and say: ”I am very sorry you are not quite satisfied with that article, for I can't afford to have any one leave this store feeling dissatisfied. Now, if you will tell me just what you want me to do to satisfy you, I'll do it.” Then, whatever he said, even if it meant a direct loss to me, I'd do what he wanted with a smile. I'd not appear suspicious of him, but treat him in such a way that he'd feel pleased.

CHAPTER XII

AN UNEXPECTED VISITOR

My sales for the next two weeks fell to an average of $328.00--but, thank goodness, less than $50.00 of the whole were charge accounts!

The plan of making people state how much credit they wanted seemed to be working out well. The deadbeats flew up in the air and said they wouldn't do business with any one that wanted their pedigree before allowing them to buy goods, but the worthwhile ones saw the reasonableness of the request and fell in line with it.

I believed that, while my sales were down 25 per cent., I would be better off in the end, for what I had left I believed was real business.

That is, I would be better off if I could only stick it out.

Soon after the first of the month I paid off all my creditors except Bates & Hotchkin, the Boston jobbing house with which I did the bulk of my business. I wrote them a letter saying that I had overbought, and told them that, as they were the largest creditor, I had paid the others and would send them a check as soon as I could. They had always been so decent I didn't expect any trouble at all, and what was my surprise the next day to have a Mr. Peck call on me and tell me that he was the credit man for Bates & Hotchkin!

”Glad to see you,” I said, although mentally I was not at all glad to see him. I had a feeling as if d.i.c.ky birds were walking up and down my spine. ”What can I do for you?”

For reply he handed me a statement of their account, the amount of which was $1,079.00.

”Oh,” said I, ”I wrote you about this yesterday.”

”I know,” said Peck calmly. ”I'm the answer to your letter. I have come for a check.”

”But I told you,” I replied, rather irritably, ”that I couldn't give it to you just now, and that you would have to wait a little!”

”Mr. Black,” he returned, ”will you tell me if there is any reason why we should wait for our money when you pay every one else?” His voice retained its even tone.

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