FORWARD, PLEASE!

Waikato Times, Volume 96, Issue 15061, 7 October 1922, Page 13 (Supplement)

FORWARD, PLEASE!

TRIALS OF A SHOPGIRL DAY IN AN EMPORIUM. HUMBUGGING CUSTOMS. (Times Reporter’s Impressions.) Prompted by complaints which reached him of the incivility and discourtesy exhibited towards customers by assistants in certain shops in the town, a Waikato t Times reporter made it his business to spend a day around different emporiums, and below are his impressions of the trials which the average shop assistant has to undergo, in addition to those of, in many cases, indifferent health, social worries, and sometimes grousing managers.

“Forward please” called out the manager, and the assistant, a bright young girl, in' her teens, hurried forward to a fussy looking old lady wrapped in a black alpaca cloak, her neck swathed in a fluffy white feather boa. . . ~ “Good morning madam, greeted the assistant smilingly. “What can Ido for you?” “I want to look at some cotton twill 1” The assistant, quite a new hand, rather surprised that the customer did not use the ordinary affix, “please,” asked “What is it for, madam, and I will have some idea of the quality you require.” “Never mind, let me see all you’ve got,” somewhat gruffly. “Certainly madam.” “Flop, flop, flop,” down came the rolls on tp the counter. Madam scrutinises' each sample carefully, tugs at this, pulls at that, and Holds the third up to the light, and then asks, rather\sarcaslioally, “is this all you ve got?” “This is all we have here madam, but there may be others in the storeroom; excuse me a moment, I’ll ask the manager.” The assistant returns followed by a male burdened with a further two rolls. “There are some mere here, madam,” the girl says blithely. “Urn! No better than the others,” comments the lady sourly. “What’s the price of this one,” she asks, indicating what is obviously the best. “is and 9d a yard."' •' "Profiteers” she snarls, and turns and trudges out of the shop. Taken somewhat aback by this open display of unwarranted rudeiiess, the girl heaves a sigh and laboriously places the rolls back in their place on the shelves.

Before she has quite 1 recovered, from her surprise, in walks another lady somewhat portly, neatly dressed and wearing the appearance of possessing a husband in comfortable circumstances.

“Anything I can do for you madam,” enquires the assistant. “I w'as just having a look at the costumes and hats. There arc some giijeat styles'nowadays, aren’t there?” “Yes, they are wonderful, some of them.”

“What’s the price of this one?” “Nine guineas, madam. Would you care to try the coat on?”, “Thank you I would!" "Yes,' that fits very nicely; just a little long in the sleeves, but they can be taken up madam!” “Have you any others in a brown material? Brown is my colour, you know.”

"Yes,” —and out come several boxes and the pleasant faced lady tries each one on and expresses approval of all. She then turns and admires a hat which the assistant is prompt to place on tier head, and the customer smiles, right through, as style after style is fitted, and when almost all the boxes have been khausted, she thanks the assistant quite nicely as she informs her that she must now be going. She really didn’t come in to buy, but only to have a look round while waiting for her husband.

“Customer waiting,” comes the voice of tlie manager, and the assistant tumbles the boxes rapidly back into place and then rushes to greet a tall, slender damsel of doubtful age, with the unmistakeable brand of meanness on her face.

“Please show me some white cotton gloves—l hate to be kept waiting in a shop,” she snaps. “Yes, miss,” says the assistant, with forbearance, at fhe same time glancing towards the' customer’s left hand, just a little'doubtful as to whether she has made a mistake in addressing her with the appellation of “Miss,” for her years would warrant the wearing of a gold band on the third finger, although her face would almost preclude such a possibility. “What size Miss?” Fives? Certainly Miss.” After trying on several pairs, and bursting the seam of a No. 4 in her effort to compress her No. 6 hand into it, the customer comments that they are not of very good quality, or they would not split so easily. “They’re the best we’ve got in cotion” quietly replies the assistant. “Perhaps you would like to see some imitation suede ones,” as she slips another box out of its receptacle. The one of hatchet face takes up a glove, stretches it over her bony hand, soiling il as siie forces down Ihe fingers and after enquiring the price, returns it to the assistant with the remark that she “will look in again; they’re not quite what she wants. Perhaps they would be getting sorho more in later.”

"Have you any henna silk crochet collon,” pipes the voice of a "flapper,” over Ihe counter, while the assistant is still readjusting lire gloves in Ihe case.

"Oh yes, we have several shades, just a moment. How will these suit?”

“Are you sure tiiese are henna,” the ‘flapper’ drawls, scrutinising them.”

“Yes they are henna all right.”

“They don’t lock the same colour as my ‘jumper’ al home. You are quite sure they are henna?”

“Quite.” “Then my jumper must be salmon. 1 wonder if you’d give me a sample of Lhcso and a few other shades to see which will match. Thank you so much; 1 do hope I’m able lo match it, goodbye.”

“Would you mind allending lo those two ladies, at the other end of the counter, instructs the manager politely. “Yes, and wliat can I do for you?”

“I’m looking for a nice underskirt,” says a pompous middle-aged lady, placing her handbag on Ihe counter and unbuttoning her glove. “Oil yes, we have a good range of them. These silk ones are especially choice. Thai one?—Oh that’s not real silk, Hint’s 39$ Gd. We have only three of those left.” “Any others?” "Oh yes, any number. What about these ?” ‘•These aio nice, aren't limy 1 Ann”' says the prospective customer lo her companion. How much? Sixty-five shillings?—goodness that’s too much!

Ah, those are better —and cheaper you sav—fifty-two and six.\ Which do you like Ann? The sixty-five shilling ones 1 Yes, me too!” The two ladies then turn over the contents of the boxes, feel the material for quality, try the skirts for waist measurement, dislike the frills on this, approve the fastening on that, and then turning to the assistant the “buyer” says: ‘‘Well look, I cannot take one this aiternoon, as I’ll have to speak to my husband about it first. Husbands are such funny creatures, Miss, as you’ll know yourself some day. They’re so mean. You’ve got to consult them over every penny you spend or they fly off the hooks Still, I like the sixty-five shilling one best. I must come back and get one in a few days time, after I've seen my man about it. Thank you very much; good afternoon."

•‘Good afternoon,” answers the assistant somewhat testily.”

While the girl is-.enjoying a little respite after again packing up, a short slender woman with a slip-shod figure and face to match, advances shiftily and says she would like to see some hats.

' “Any particular style, Miss" asks the assistant.

“Oh, no; I want to see what suits me best.”

“Um, here's a task," thinks the assistant, glancing at the putty-like and shapeless features as she leads the customer to the other end of the counter. “Here's a big range of them.” After getting the shop girl to pull down almost every iiat in the establishment, the woman finally, after repeated ‘tries on,’ and viewing herself in the mirror, selects a broad-brim-med mole coloured velour turned up one side and down the other, a style that would probably suit a woman about six feet tall, but which tends to diminish her own already diminutive stature, and makes her complexion more putty-like still. “Have you anything to trim it with,” she asks.

The assistant produces • ribbons, feathers, berries, leaves ajid other ornaments, and after trying them for shade and blend, hanging them over, fitting them round and fixing them in numerous ways, the customer eventually selects some red berries with bright green leaves, which put the assistant’s leetli on edge. “Those seem to match,” she says, and then —“Oh, I forgot to ask the price of the hat,” she suddenly exclaims. shillings.",

"Forty-five shillings” raising her brows with a look of blank surprise. “Goodness, I cannot afford that much for a hat, and that’s the only one I like. I’m sorry-to have given you so much trouble.”

“Oh, that’s quite alright Miss; no trouble at all; its quite a pleasure,” answers the 'assistant, with emphasis, as the woman turns to go. Then surveying the jumble of hats and ribbons, with hands on hips, she ejaculates with disgust “womenl” “Can I get lace at this counter," enquires a sedate old maid with a retired school teacher look. “Yes! what kind?” “Well I'm not quite sure, but it’s for a camisole."

“There are several widths here, and numerous patterns. This one is Is I Id a yard, this one 2s, and these three each 2s Id a yard. You don’t like either of them? It’s' alright, Miss, I’ll roll them up—-there! What about these others? they are all one price—--2s 3d. No? Then perhaps you would like some China lace? This is really beautiful, although a little expensive.” “Well,” after a long ponder, "I don’t know which to take. I wonder if you’d give mo a few samples to let .mother see."

“Certainly, would you like me to send them home for you,” asks the assistant with just a faint note of sarcasm.”

“Oh don’t trouble, I’ll take them \Vilh me. Thank you, goodbye.” The next person to enter is of ladylike mein, quiet manners, and obviously a church worker of some kind. “Good afternoon," she greets pleasantly.

"Good afternoon madam,” answers the assistant, just as politely. “I belong lo the society for providing clothing for the sick and needy, and was wondering whether you had any old stock you would care to donate, either in made-up clothing or pieces which members of the guild could put together?— “I think you’d better see the manager, madam; the man with Hie grey hair at the second counter along. Yes, that’s the man, madam goodbye!” “And what can I do for you lady?” said the assistant, turning to a rather shy and backward-looking woman savouring of the country. "Please do you let things out on approval?” "Oh yes, madam, when we know the people." “Well it’s, not for me, but for a friend of mine, ’Mrs Begit, who wanted to know if you’d let me take her out some silk blouses to look at, as she can’t come into town.” "Just a moment madam," and the assistant hurries away, to return a few seconds later with “Yes, the manager says you can take four. What is the lady’s' address, 'Begit of Borrowrangi,’ thanlc you. There you are; you’ll tell her not to soil them, won’t you. , Bight you are, goodbye.” While the assistant is ruminating rather ruefully on the unsuccessful nature of the day’s proceedings and wondering whether she will go lo the pictures when the day's business is over, in walks a woman pushing a gocarl. containing a ‘booing’ infant, and dragging two ethers behind her. “Have you any chintz, for curtains," she asks.

“Yes, here you are ma’am,” this is Is lid, this 2s, this 2s 3d, and this one Is 8d a yard. They arc all the same width, but differ slightly in quality.”

“Would these gc with oak furniture,” Hie lady asks rather languidly.

“AH but this one, ma’am; these three have all got browns and blues in them.”

The lady fingers them awhile and then asks:

"Have .you any shirtings? My husband wants something with a stripe in it, not Loo wide a stripe. Yes, that looks alright. I wonder if he’d like it. Perhaps I’d better not take anything now, I’ll ring you and let you know which I want. Olive, put that back on the counter dear; you’re a naughty girl; see, you’ve torn I lie tickets off. Mummy will slap you when she gels you home. Conic along now,” and swivelling tlie push chair round on ils rear wheels, she comments, “Hie children are such . a worry.”

“No bigger Ilian some of Hie women who come, into this shop," mutters the assistant to herself, as the woman and her offspring, after knocking over a roll of calico, vvilli the push chair, disappear liirnug!) Hie door.

“1 wonder if ;his woman will buy anything. She looks a likely one, anyhow,” thinks Hie assislarr, as a stylishly dressed person in a costume of navy serge, with high collar, navy toque and black,and while silk scarf, enters.

“1 would like lo sec some of the latesi evening frocks please.” “Yes, conm along inis way. There — they are really very beautiful, aren’t

■ they?” Indicating several which arg draped on figures. “Yes, they undoubtedly are. Expensive, I suppose?” “Well, they are, rather, but not over ;| so, considering the material; and then, of course there’s the style to pay for and they are certainly quite new.” "They are indeed; which do you like best yourself?” “It’s all a matter of taste, madam; but I think this is the prettiest.” “But do you like that one better than this?”

"Well, I am not sure that I do; that’s a lovely gown, and will look even better at night.”

“Yes," answers the stylish one; I think it will. It is very nice indeed. It is really cut all in one piece,” as site walks around it, turns it and lifts up the sleeves. “How trickily it is caught in at the waist and what dainty shoulder strappings; I’ve never seen anything quite like it before. Yes, I think that’s the style I will have.” The assistant’s eyes brighten—a sale at last. “Shall I wrap it up madam,” she asks- with eagerness.

“Oh, no thank you. I’m not buying to-day. I only came to look at the styles, as I have the material and I just wanted to see how to make it up. Do you know I couldn’t make up my mind until now. I’m so glad I called. > Thank you so much." The assistant collapses on to a low ; stool—the first time she has rested j during the whole long day—and fan- I ni'ng herself with her pocket handker- i chief looks at an assistant on the 'other side of the shop in blank despair.

A heavy footfall causes her again to pull nerself together, and as! she rises she exclaims, “Ah, a man for a change!” as up strides a burly, middleaged male sporting a florid complexion, walking-stick and broad check tie.q “I wonder if my luck will change," she mutters as she hurries forward. “Yes, sir, anything I can get you?” “Well,” lie whispers confidentially, “wife’s sister has just had another addition” —and his face broadens—■ “and I want a pair of woollen booties for it.” .

“Yes sir," and her shoulders shake as she hands down a box containing an assortment. “Which,.would you like, sir?” .... .- “Any you think, miss I Yes, they’ll do; wrap ’em up. How much? Four and six? Right, there’s two halfcrowns; don’t bother about the change Miss; thanks, good-bye.”. : “Millie,” calls oui the assistant to her friend at the other counter, “come and dance with me; I’ve:made a sale. I've made a sale. And these nasty women said such horrible things about husbands. > , think they’re lovely, even if they are other people’s. I’d rather have them than women any day.”, - ;

And yet there are some who wonder why shop assistants are occasionally uncivil and show an, . ..indisposition to drag down every article from the shelves for their inspection and who do not fall oyer themselves in their eagerness to show them things which they know they have no intention of buying.