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shopping" is done when the management wishes to test the salesmanship of certain individuals or departments on special points. The student makes a purchase in the department as any other customer might do, noting carefully the behavior in certain particulars.

The spirit of cooperation which has held the school and the stores together in an eminently helpful relation for so many years is expressed even more generously in reference to the teachers' class. In addition to the opportunity of spending one day a week in the study of some store problem, students have the privilege of a month's research work in one of the cooperating stores. This study, which is usually directed by the educational department, is counted a part of the regular training course. More and more time is being allowed for such vital experience within the store, "academic" considerations being subordinated to it at certain periods. The latest development in this division of the course is a plan whereby each student may serve a few weeks' apprenticeship under a graduate teacher. This experience, the culmination of the year of study, is felt to be an ideal way of rounding out the preparation.

The teachers' training course prepares its students for the work of either of two classes of positions. Those who undertake educational work in large stores train the employees in various ways and study problems of personnel and organization. The position carries the title of "educational director." Students who are more interested in teaching than in organizational work, become teachers of salesmanship in public high and continuation schools. Both positions offer interesting and varied opportunities which will be described in the next two chapters.

Chapter VIII.

EDUCATIONAL WORK IN DEPARTMENT STORES.

With the creation of the position of educational director, a new factor was introduced into the department store organization, a factor little understood at first, but one which soon proved itself a constructive influence. In this brief treatment of the subject it will be impossible to describe in detail the many interesting plans which the educational directors have developed with signal success in their several stores, but an effort will be made to show the lines of endeavor which have seemed to be most needed, some of the methods by which the educational departments have accomplished their notable results, and the place which this work occupies in the business organization.

An educational director can not work to the best advantage until she is personally acquainted with the employees of the store, and since classes offer a natural means of friendly approach she frequently makes the personal connection by meeting various groups in the classroom. It is considered advisable to have one of the first classes made up of the more experienced and able saleswomen, for the attendance of those who are clearly successful in their work engenders respect for the instruction. These more mature women, also, as leaders in their departments, interpret the educational work to the less experienced and in this way help to spread the influence. of the training. It is recognized that all workers in the store need training for the performance of their special duties, and classes are therefore made up of employees from the lowest as well as the highest positions and include boys and men as well as girls and women. As sales people are taught how to present their merchandise intelligently and to serve customers acceptably, so elevator men, telephone operators, and drivers are shown how, in their important relations to the public, they may most effectively promote the interests of the firm. Cashiers, examiners, and markers are trained in laborsaving methods, in system and deportment; new workers are given individual or group instruction in the system and policy of the store before they are placed in departments; and even executives have a share in the educational work, as will presently be explained.

The training of floor managers has been turned over to the educational director by the management with apparent relief. Much can here be done to develop the right atmosphere among members of the force and the right attitude toward the public, for the sales people express, to a great extent, the spirit of their superior officers. It has

been found that uniformity in regard to rules and their enforcement by floor men is notably lacking in many stores and that this leads. to an appearance of favoritism which induces a feeling of distrust and bitterness among the employees. It is the business of the educational director to investigate all such sources of discontent and by means of a well-ordered system, consistently administered, to implant a sense of fairness and of respect for authority.

The teaching ability of floor managers may be developed by means of bulletins expressing clearly one central idea, these messages being sent from the educational office simultaneously to all departments of the store. A specimen bulletin given in the appendix (p. 76) shows how suggestive selling was brought to the attention of the force. Floor managers are expected to see that every person in the department reads the bulletin with care, and signs initials as proof that this has been done. They should also endeavor to see that the suggestions or instructions are understood and are put into practice whenever possible. A conference of floor managers is sometimes called a few days after the issuance of a bulletin for comparison of notes as to its effectiveness. Another form of bulletin is sent to floor managers only. This may give in outline form the leading points to be emphasized in a discussion of exchanges, or the use of the "transfer" or "shopping card," or special precautions to be observed at a busy season. In such a case the floor manager is transformed into a teacher for the time being, instructing the members of his department as requested by the educational director.

Lessons or conferences on merchandise are found to be extremely helpful in stimulating interest and in developing intelligent salesmanship. These conferences are usually held in the department at an hour when customers are few. In this way all members of the department may be in attendance and the class is surrounded by the merchandise which is the subject of study. The development of a satisfactory course in any line of merchandise is not a simple matter. Few books are available and those reference books which give the history of a product and describe its process of manufacture are seldom recent enough to give all the facts needed by a saleswoman of to-day. It is, therefore, necessary to enlist the help of all who are in any way connected with the line of merchandise under consideration. Sales people report the questions asked them by their customers, and the answers form a part of the systematic outline which is developed. But the buyers are usually the most fruitful source of information, for they are in touch with the factories and markets; if they are successful buyers they know their goods well, and the more progressive are vitally interested in having their sales people well-informed. The buyer as a teacher is therefore a natural evolution from this situation. The educational director

plans and directs the conference, but relies upon the buyer to instruct his own department.

This plan of instruction has led in one store to the adoption of departmental demonstration sales. An effort is made to secure the attendance of everyone connected with the department, even the floor managers being included, and each member of this interested group is expected to contribute to the discussion. Here, as in the case of the merchandise lessons, the educational director guides, interprets, perhaps summarizes at the end, but so far as possible one of the executives, preferably the buyer, is made to feel responsible for the conduct of the exercise. He must, of course, learn how to do this from observing the methods of the teacher and by helping her to train his pupils. This working together of all the members of a department is remarkably effective in breaking down a barrier of prejudice which often exists between the managers of departments and the sales people. They are led to see that their interests are identical. The buyer discovers that it is worth while to tell the sales people all he can about the merchandise, since this information enables them to sell it better, and he realizes, further, that sales people can help him to buy successfully by reporting customers' comments about the goods he selects. The educational director, in this way, brings the buyers and distributors of merchandise closer together, in a relation of mutual helpfulness for the good of the business. It is her aim to have everyone in the store teach some one else, that the sense of growth and resulting power may reach all members of all departments.

It may be said that store classes, in general, are made up of five groups:

(1) The junior force, consisting of the youngest workers, who fill the positions of cashier, examiner, marker, etc.

(2) New employees.

(3) Sales people.

(4) "Nonproductive" groups, not included with the juniors, as elevator men, porters, drivers, stock boys, etc.

(5) Executives, especially floor managers and buyers.

Between business and education an interesting interchange of methods is becoming prevalent as each learns how to use the helpful ideas it may gain from the other. Children have left school to escape tests and examinations, yet some stores are now giving actual written or oral tests to determine the fitness of workers for promotion, and such tests are not approached with dread, because the plan is so manifestly reasonable. One store, for example, examines its new floor managers on points of system, policy, rules, and location of merchandise. Another store has instituted a promotional test for its cashiers. Those who pass it with a prescribed average are the first to be promoted to selling positions. An honor system has

been worked out by another store whereby the passing of certain tests counts for points toward a total required for an increase in salary.

This new emphasis on promotion based on absolute merit is strengthened and carried further in practice by the educational director's study of the promotional possibilities connected with all positions. Such an investigation makes known the store's opportunities and often its resources as well, so that when a vacancy occurs, the chance of filling it from the ranks of the regular employees is considerably increased. It has often happened that an outsider has been engaged for a position which might have been better filled by some one already familiar with the store, had that person's availability and fitness been known. This investigation is an excellent example of the constructive work which an educational director takes upon herself to do when she discovers a weak spot in the organization. No one else, perhaps, would realize the need which is so apparent to her, or seeing it, would know what to do about it. But she, with an impartial view of the whole situation, brings her trained mind to bear on the problem and finds its solution.

A store's system, if well devised, is a highly satisfactory mechanism when perfectly manipulated, but if many workers fail to do their part in carrying out its important details, there is much clogging of the machinery, with resultant waste of time, money, and patronage. In order to discover who is blocking the satisfactory operation of the system and what the difficulties are, an educational director installs an error or blunder system. The errors referred to are those which occur when sales checks are made out carelessly, and are usually one or more of the following: Wrong price, wrong amount of money vouched for, wrong quantity of merchandise, no price tag on merchandise, wrong figuring, wrong address, wrong item.

When an error is detected, it is reported to the educational office and is then brought to the attention of the one responsible for it, who signs a slip in acknowledgment. Careful records are kept of the kinds and numbers of errors made by each employee, improvement from week to week also being noted. Such a system is valuable in reducing waste in the store and in lessening the number of complaints from customers. It is also helpful to the teacher in that it furnishes concrete material for the training of those who need special instruction, and reveals the points which should receive most emphasis when the sales check is taught to new employees. As a result of such competent teaching combined with systematic "followup" work, errors of the kind described have been practically eliminated from some stores.

If a store has not a well-developed "welfare" department, one is established by the educational director. An initial step may be the organization of an employees' association which, after discussing

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