LAUNDRY “SALLY”

Greymouth Evening Star, 11 July 1931, Page 11

LAUNDRY “SALLY”

BRIGHT IDEA’S SUCCESS. It is the little things that build great businesses. Here is the story of a man who hit on a little idea that brought him 50,000 customers (states the “Sunday Chronicle.”) Many years ago Mr. D. M. Boyd opened in Glasgow the first laundry which replaced worn-out collars with new ones to all its patrons free of charge for the rest of their lives. It was a great success in Scotland, as might be expected. But Mr. Boyd wanted to extend his business. So he came to London and opened Collars, Ltd., at Wembley. He met with unexpected prejudice from his staff. The London laundry girls did not believe him when he said he would pay them a lot of money for good work. Faced with these difficulties Mr Boyd pondered deeply how to make his staff happy. Th_;i ho hR on the idea of giving free dances to his employees every time 12,000 new customers were enrolled.

To make the idea more interesting and competition keener, he created “Sally,” a cardboard figure representing all the laundry girls at the firm. A member of the staff painted “Sally.” She looks slim and lovely in her evening clothes, and she stands on painted stairs leading to a painted ballroom. At the top of the stairs is a handsome painted man, representing the masculine ideal of romantic girlhood.

“You will notice,” said Mr. Boyd, looking proudly at the picture, which has a prominent position on th© laundry walls, “that there are twelve steps to the stairs. Each step represents 1000 new customers.

“When Sally reaches the top stair I give the girls a free dance, with simple refreshments, and prizes for all ranging from five shillings to £5.” Sally’s progress is watched with feverish interest by the girls. On either side of her is printed in bold letters: — “When shall wo have our next dance? When the little lady reaches the top step?

And the excitement when Sally gets almost within kissing distance of the handsome man is intense.

The girls work at top speed, and when Sally drops, at last, into the immaculate arms of her hero, there are loud cheers.

“Sally has been a great success,” said Mr. Boyd. “We have had four dances since I put her on the wall, and that represents 48,000 new customers.

“I came to London without a single customer, and hampered by prejudice. I have now. 100,000 customers, and Sally is getting new ones every day. I spend £25,000 a year on new collars, and estimate that I save my clients £40,000 a year.”