MORE FINANCIAL WORRIES
When I totaled my sales for the month, I was somewhat gratified to find
that they were $2,280.00. The best month the store had had for a long
time, I fancied.
The only fly I could see in the ointment was that over $600.00 worth of
goods were charged during the month. I had considerably over a thousand
dollars on the books, and it seemed to me a lot to have in two months.
However, the plan which I put into force the first of the month had
certainly cut down charge accounts.
Most fellows had fallen in line with the new plan of controlling
credits, and I felt sure it would work out splendidly, although one old
chap, Mr. Dawborn, had felt insulted (he owed me $18.75--and _still_
owes it, by the way) and said he refused to be card-indexed and checked
up like a criminal being put through the third degree. He worked himself
into a fine fit of fury, and bounced out of the store, saying that he
would give Stigler all his trade in future.
I was so "rattled" that I forgot to ask him to pay his account before
doing so!
The incident reminded me of something that Larsen had told me about
Stigler. He said that Stigler was talking about me and saying that I was
a "smarty" and that it was about time somebody "slapped my wrist."
Stigler claimed that he would run me off my feet by Christmas.
I remember wishing his store was not so near. I could see it from the
front of mine. I had noticed that, whenever he and I happened to meet he
would say, "Howdy" in such a contemptuous manner that I felt like
knocking his block off! Excuse my free and easy language, but I sure did
hate that man!
I have interrupted my story just when I was recording the standing of my
business at the first of the third month as nearly as I could estimate
it.
Cash in bank, $1,920.00.
Accounts owing to me, $1,265.00.
Purchases for previous month, $4,220.00.
Bills I owed, $3,820.00.
I decided I must get hold of Jock McTavish, for there was something
wrong in it all. I had had to get that stock, but I did not have enough
in cash and accounts owing to me to pay all my trade bills.
However, I had until the 10th, and if I had a good week I would be
pretty nearly all right; still I did feel a bit uncomfortable about
owing so much more than I could pay right away, even though I had got a
fine new stock of gardening tools, and a new line of carpenter and
household tools, besides a new line in aluminum ware.
I understood that Stigler was mad because I had opened up in the
carpenter tool line so much more than my predecessor had.
Jock had told me that I ought to reduce my stock and increase my sales.
I had increased my sales, but increased my stock also. Still, I had
saved quite a lot in price by buying in large quantities, and, if the
worst came to the worst, I could pay everybody but the Boston jobbers.
Bates & Hotchkin, to whom I owed nearly $2,000.00, had been very decent
to me. They had sent their man to help me take stock and never charged
me a cent. I had given them the bulk of my general business, and they
had looked after me in great shape. I felt that they would give me an
extra thirty-days credit if I asked for it, and I certainly would sooner
ask them than any one else.
I studied the figures that evening until Betty came in and put her dear
hands on my forehead and said, "How hot your head is, boy dear--are you
worrying over anything in particular?" "No," I said with a smile.
"Well," she replied, "it is 12:30 and quite time you were getting some
beauty sleep."
I said I was not worried, but I didn't like the size of my liabilities.
I began to think I had been a fool in buying so heavily.
The next morning I had a bit of excitement, with the result that I paid
Myricks his money and let him go.
I had decided to adhere to the division of expenses that Jock had worked
out, and that meant reducing the force. Accordingly, I had told Myricks
that he could stay a few weeks until he got another job, and I meant it,
but that morning, when I caught him in the basement tossing lamp
chimneys into the fixtures so carelessly that a number of them were
broken, I got mad and told him he was an ungrateful scamp, and that I
thought he was deliberately destroying my property. He turned around and
said I had no cause to say he was a crook, and that, even if I was his
boss, he had friends who would help him to protect his reputation!
Then I saw red, and plugged him under the jaw! Next I called him
upstairs, gave him a week's money, and let him go.
His parting remark was, "Everybody's getting wise to you; I'm glad to be
through before the smash comes. Mr. Stigler told me what would happen
and I can get a job there now--and I'm going to him right away!"
It didn't scare me any--it merely aroused my fighting blood. There was
one good lesson I learned that day, though, and that was, "Never to talk
to an employee while in a temper." I felt that I had lowered my dignity
by so doing; and, even though I had done him no harm, I certainly had
not done myself any good.
I didn't like what he had said about Stigler, but if he thought it
worried me he was mistaken. If Stigler was spoiling for a fight I'd give
him one! . . .
I had begun to think that Larsen was a pretty shrewd fellow; certainly
when he did thaw enough to make a criticism it was generally worth
listening to.
One day, Jerry Teller, a rather fussy carpenter who did excellent work,
and who was always wanted when any extra fine work was desired, came in
with a complaint that a back saw he had bought a week or so before was
not perfect. I looked it over carefully, but couldn't see a thing the
matter with it until Jerry pointed out a crack in the handle from the
rivet to the back. It was such a trifling thing that I did not feel
inclined to change it, besides, as I told him, how did I know it hadn't
cracked since he had had it? He swore up and down that it was like that
when he bought it, for he was too careful of his tools to damage them.
He demanded a new saw or his money back.
I told him the saw had become second-hand goods and that I didn't deal
in second-hand goods. We had a lot of talk back and forth, but I was
doing some tall thinking and finally decided that it was better to give
him a new saw than to let him feel dissatisfied, so, somewhat against my
will, I finally gave him a new saw. But it didn't seem to please him,
for he left the store still grumbling about the way I tried to "put it
over him."
Larsen had been watching the whole incident, so, after Jerry left the
store I turned to Larsen and said, "There's no satisfying some people,
Larsen."
"You no try to satisfy him much, eh, boss?" he replied.
"What do you mean?" said I.
"Say I come to the store. You kicked up a fuss. Then you change the saw.
I don't feel pleased. Yet you give me a new saw," he answered.
And then I saw the light! Great guns, what a fool I was! I didn't seem
to know the first thing about business. Ever since I got the store my
life seemed to have been a series of doing things wrong. And it took
Larsen to show me a mistake!
I turned to him and said, "Thank you, Larsen; you are right; I
appreciate your frankness." Then I held out my hand to him, which he
shook awkwardly, and said, "That's all right, boss; I am still
learning; you are still learning--thank you."
I was beginning to like Larsen!
One thing I then and there resolved to do was this: If any one came in
with a complaint of any kind, I was going to let him have his say and
get it off his chest. Then, instead of arguing with him as to what I
should do, I would turn around and say: "I am very sorry you are not
quite satisfied with that article, for I can't afford to have any one
leave this store feeling dissatisfied. Now, if you will tell me just
what you want me to do to satisfy you, I'll do it." Then, whatever he
said, even if it meant a direct loss to me, I'd do what he wanted with a
smile. I'd not appear suspicious of him, but treat him in such a way
that he'd feel pleased.