THE "ART" OF DUNNING.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 171, 21 July 1924, Page 8

THE "ART" OF DUNNING.

AMERICAN FIRM'S METHODS. (3y Telegraph.—Owu Correspondent.) DUNEDIN, this day. Three weeks ago a local paper published a copy of a letter received by a business man from an American firm of publishers that showed appreciation of the "human" element in the "soulless" work of "dunning" a customer. The latest mail brought him this: "Dear friend, you are doing yourself a great injury; you made a purchase oft" us quite some time ago on the instalment plan, and you have not fulfilled your obligations. This hurts us more than it hurts you (sic). You are apparently bad credit and we ehall therefore add your name to a list which is kept by a number of business houses and which is consulted by them all whenever a new order comes* in. Thus, by failing to pay your account, you are destroying your credit, which has a definite bearing upon your personal standing. This letter is written in the friendliest spirit. If you care about your credit at all you will doubtless reply; if not the loss ie more yours than ours, and your name will go on that list of indiscriminate people whoso promises are mere 'scraps of paper.' " Also he received a letter from the president of the company (the one above came from the credit manager), which concluded: "To be sure the amount is small, so small in fact you will hardly miss the email amount that you pay us to-day." It may be mentioned that the indiscriminate person "forwarded the small amount" the day after he received the goods. Evidently, despite their efficiency, there aro Americans who think that New Zealand is a week's sail or thereabouts from the land of originalities—that is America.