VICTORIA UNIVERSITY COLLEGE

Horowhenua Chronicle, 13 June 1936, Page 3

VICTORIA UNIVERSITY COLLEGE

S.A.R. ARTICLE,

SARAH ANNE RHODES FELLOWSHIP IN HOME SCIENCE ETHICS IN SHOPPING, 11. Courtesy to Salespersons, Salespersons who display goods are performing a service for us. That it is a service for which they are being paid should not affect our attitude towards the service. We may express our appreciation of good service and be courteous in registering disapproval of poor service. It takes little effort to say "Thank you” for service given us. And if we don’t buy we should remember that the salesperson has given us service anywmy. Delivery of Goods. Many shoppers do not fully appreciate what services are involved when they blithely say, “Deliver, please.” Many costs are added to goods through delivery, including the cost of special wrapping and packaging. The cost of delivery is applied to all goods regardless of size of purchase. It costs practically the same to deliver a small article as a large one, an inexpensive one as a high priced one. The privilege of having goods delivered is a real convenience to us, but using the delivery service of a shop has become such a habit that many buyers abuse it. If w r e plan ahead we can avoid the' necessity of asking for special or rush deliveries. Returning Goods. The privilege of returning goods is perhaps the one most frequently abused. Some buyers undoubtedly do not understand all the implications involved in returning goods. Others deliberately indulge in unethical practices. Some buyers■purchase goods without any intention of keeping them: sometimes they intend to use them for a special occasion and return them: others purchase goods to copy them. Buyers also abuse the privilege of returning goods by sending them back in poor condition, necessitating loss on the part of the shop. Sometimes goods are returned after a long period of time and the buyer expects to have money refunded without question, not appreciating the fact that the dealer may have lost many opportunities to sell the goods due to carelessness in returning them promptly.

Many items enter into the cost of returned purchases. There is the cost of clerical work, the cost of packing and delivery and pick-up. Most expensive of all is the depreciation in value of the goods. As mentioned above, some buy goods with no intention of keeping them: others change their minds about wanting goods: high pressure salesmanship is also responsible for the return of some purchase. It is easier to take the goods and return them later than to say "no” to the salesperson. Probably the most important reason for returning goods is the wrong size. Either the customer did not know the size needed, or goods were incorrectly sized by manufacturer or retailer. The lack of standardized sizes certainly adds to our problems of securing correct sizes. We should return goods that have been misrepresented, or if flaws show up that are not easily detected in the shop. Such goods should be returned promptly. Paying Bills Promptly.

The privilege of charging goods is frequently abused by shoppers. The percentage of returned goods is higher for purchases charged than those which are made for cash. Also we may become careless about paying bills prompt ly. It is usually understood when we open a charge account that the bills are due a few days after the first of the month. Since we enjoy the convenience of an account, we should co-operate with the retailer by paying promptly. Many buyers wait several months to pay their bills. The cost of sending repeated statements for small bills may often be greater than the value of the goods. When we do not pay our bills promptly the retailer is suffering a loss because he has invested money in goods, the use of which we are enjoying but for which we have not paid.

Some buyers also develop the habit of not anticipating bills which are collected at the door. We all know buyers who force tradespeople to return again and again, oftentimes to collect very small amounts due to them. Who Pays for Services? Perhaps consumer-buyers would exercise more care in making their purchases so as to avoid returning goods and making unnecessary deliveries, and to avoid consuming salesperson’s time needlessly, if they appreciated the fact that they are in reality paying for these services. We must realise that these costs are passed on to us in higher prices of goods. Unfortunately, the person who uses and abuses these services alone does not bear the cost, but all the customers of the store have to share it.

It, therefore, seems very worthwhile for all of us to practise in our purchasing habits and to try to impress upon our friends and fellow shoppers the desirability of observing ethics in shopping.