Henrietta Hay's Column

Shopping is not one of my favorite pastimes. In fact, I avoid it whenever possible, except for drooling over electronic gadgets. But during the Christmas season I become an expert, as I use up more shoe leather traipsing in and out of stores than in all the rest of a normal year. On this annual shopping spree I am always amazed at the way various stores define service.

The whole process of shopping is somewhat different than it was in my youth. Even before the depression hit, service was the primary product sold in every store. I can remember my father the lumberman saying that the most important person in his organization was the man who drove the team and unloaded the boards. If that man was not polite and helpful to the customer the business would be ruined.

Consumer products were limited and so was money. Most stores were fairly small and were run by the owner and one or two employees. They offered not only service but also the news of the day. But in Denver there were also the big "Department Stores." Nothing will ever replace in my memory the elegance of Daniels & Fishers. There was always a gracious saleslady (that was one of the few respectable jobs for a woman) to help in every department. Lunch in the tearoom in the tower was a major treat. The store is long gone, but thank goodness somebody was sentimental enough to keep that ugly, anachronistic Italian tower in the shadow of the Rockies.

From my Dad's lumber yard to the big discount stores and the modern Mall is a long jump. During the intervening years the philosophy of retailing became, "Let the Customer Beware." After the war we were so starved for goods that we'd buy anything. Service was less important than price and volume. The discount era came along and the goal was to sell fast and sell cheap. The customer was strictly on her/his own.

What goes around comes around. Service is coming back. Stores have discovered that customers shop where they feel welcome. Helpfulness and friendliness have become essential to sales. If the salesperson looks you in the eye, smiles at you and treats you like an intelligent human being, you'll probably buy. If not, you'll probably hunt for another store.

On my Christmas safari I had that driven home quite forcefully. I went into one local store, which I had not visited before. The salesperson greeted me as I came in, smiled at me and asked whether she could help. She did help, and between us we found what I wanted, although I didn't know what I wanted when I went in. At another store I was looking for a specific item. The clerk was talking on the phone and continued his conversation for a minute or so. Finally he laid the receiver down, asked me what I wanted, pointed at a display case and continued his conversation. Needless to say I did not buy anything and I will avoid that store whenever possible in the future.

These two people were probably the lowest paid employees in their organizations. One sold her store. The other unsold his. Advertising, like charity, begins at home. Expensive advertising campaigns aren't very effective if the salespeople aren't interested.

Retail clerks have some of the toughest jobs in the world, but good service may mean the difference between survival and failure of a business. Not only retailers, but service organizations and government agencies are becoming intensely service conscious. Workshops on "The Art of Giving Quality Service" are being used by a number of local institutions and stores. The keystone of one of the workshops is, "Customer service is our BEST form of advertising. It, more than anything else, increases the business of the store."

There are lots of places where we can spend our money. All else being equal, we'll spend it where we are treated well. Maybe today's big mall is not so different from my dad's lumberyard. The guy who delivers the boards is the most important person in the organization.