Part 50 (1/2)

”Being a Yankee,” laughed Martin, ”I'll answer you by asking you another question. Do you think it is as important for a small store to have proper accounting methods as a big store?”

For an hour or more we had an animated discussion on what rules of conduct we ought to adopt for our store, and finally we worked up a list of twenty-one, which I give as follows:

1. No customer must leave our store dissatisfied.

2. The customer on whom you wait requires all your attention.

3. Approach the customer who enters the store; do not wait for the customer to approach you.

4. Remember that the object you have in view is to sell goods at a profit to the store, and to the satisfaction of the customer.

5. The more customers you have, and the more each one spends, the nearer you are to the attainment of your sales quota.

6. Customers come into the store for their convenience. Let your speech and manner show that you appreciate the opportunity of serving them.

7. Cleanliness is imperative, from the floor to the ceiling, from your hair and your shoes to your finger nails.

8. A smile costs nothing. Give one to every customer.

9. Show your appreciation of their patronage by always saying ”Thank you” when giving the package or the change.

10. Customers come into the store to buy merchandise, not to talk to, or admire you. Do not wear anything, or say anything, that will distract attention away from the goods to yourself.

11. Repeat the name and address of a customer whenever goods have to be charged or delivered. An error in writing the name of a customer is almost a crime.

12. Write distinctly so that others will know what you mean.

13. Try to know the names of customers and, when addressing them, use their names.

14. Never correct customers' p.r.o.nunciation of goods. For preference, adopt their p.r.o.nunciation.

15. The store is a place for business. Do not allow it to be used as a meeting place for loafers or for gossips. Nothing drives away real customers more quickly than this.

16. ”Punctuality is the soul of business.” Be at the store punctually and wait on customers promptly.

17. Study your goods and show seasonal articles to all customers whom you can interest in them, especially if the goods are being advertised.

18. Don't wait till you sell the last one of an article before putting it on the want book. Remember that it takes time to get supplies.

19. Exercise care in displaying goods. Goods well displayed are half sold.

20. Adopt as your personal slogan:

”If every worker were just like me, What kind of a store would this store be?”

21. Work _with_ your fellow workers.

We felt quite pleased with that list of rules, and the more I looked at them the better they seemed to me.