Early Planning Urged For Decimal Change

Press, Issue 30997, 1 March 1966, Page 10

Early Planning Urged For Decimal Change

Retailers should start planning “right now” for a smooth change to decimal currency. In fact, those who had not already started were, by Australian standards, two months late. This is the view of Mr L. E. Scott, general manager of Hay’s Ltd., who was in Australia at the time of the change to the new currency. Retailers in Australia began their preparations 18 months to two years in advance, Mr Scott said, and in doing so had largely contributed to the smoothness of the change and the “reasonably ready” acceptance of it by the public. “Obviously uncertainties were inevitable as people became accustomed to handling the new currency, particularly when in their purses they found some old silver coins and some new cent pieces. But most of these uncertainties were readily overcome because the staff had been so well trained and prepared for meeting them,” he said. Mr Scott outlined a training programme in which preparation began at board level, and then progressed to all levels of management—this was how the Myers group arranged matters. A small

group of specialists from within a store instructed “trainers”, who in turn instructed the staff.

“Thus, at the point when the public is aware that the change is upon them, the staff can deal with them accurately and confidently, and the public can deal with these stores with the same kind of confidence,” he said. Close Liaison

“It is important that the Retailers’ Federation and the Decimal Currency Board work in the closest liaison possible. This happened in Australia. The board even changed some of its proposals on the recommendation of retailers.” Smaller traders had not been as well geared to the change, and professional bodies such as the Society of

Accountants and the Institute of Management could assist them in this country by providing advice and training sessions.

His firm’s plans would be only slightly modified as a result of his observations in Australia, Mr Scott said. There would be a small degree of further investment in new equipment “Australian stores found they needed more new equipment than they had thought” he said.