EFFICIENCY IN BUSINESS

Taranaki Daily News, 14 December 1926, Page 6

EFFICIENCY IN BUSINESS

HELPFUL HINTS AND RULES. The following rules and regulations have been issued by the head of a successful New Plymouth retail business. It is explained that they are for the guidance of assistants and the proper conduct of business and are not framed in any arbitrary spirit, very much in the interest of the assistants as of the firm. Because they should obtain in all properly conducted businesses they merit publication in these columns. Absence from Employment.—Saleshand s, who for any reason find it impossible to attend business, must, with as little delay as possible, advise the firm of the cause of their absence. Assistants frequently absent from duty (except through illness) are useless to their employers. Gossiping with Friends.—Gossiping with friends during business hours Is strictly forbidden. Assistants must give their acquaintances to understand that the time to discuss their private affairs is after business hours. Use of Telephone.—Employees must not use the telephone for the transaction of their private business. A message can be taken and delivered to the assistants, but on no account is anyone to be called to the telephone, except on very urgent private business. The assistant instructed to answer all telephone calls will be held responsible for these instructions being carried out. Private Correspondence. Employees must have their private correspondence addressed to their private residence. Letters, etc., addressed care of the firm will be handed to employees at closing time on day of delivery. Miscellaneous.— Employees must not (a) assemble in groups of two or more for private conversation! (b) eat while working except nt specified times! (c) spend unnecessary time away from their departments; (d) mutilate or otherwise injure the books, fixtures, woodwork or other property of the firm; (e) idle, about; if there is no work for you to do, it naturally follows there is no job for you, and an assistant who cannot find a job is no longer wanted. Responsibility and Attention.—Think what attention you would expect to receive if you were making a purchase in another store, then give the same attention to customers. We cannot expect customers to buy goods without asking questions. Make yourself valuable to your department by ever-readiness to learn all that can be learnt about the stock you handle. A saleshand who can talk intelligently about his or her stock Is the one who is sought for by customers.

A Special Word to Juniors.—We do not expect junior s to have learnt their business so thoroughly that it'will be unnecessary to ask for information. Do not hesitate to ask questions of an ex?erienced hand or head of department, t is better to ask than to blunder. Employees are required to he conversant with these rules, and to conform to them. A deliberate, careless, or wilful violation of any will render the employees liable to discharge.