PRESTO
June 23, 1923
CURING A SICK
PLAYER BUSINESS
The Foolishness of Disregarding the Impor-
tance of a Well-Managed Music Roll De-
partment Is a Rather Common Cause
of Waning Player Sales.
partment because the piano department manager had
sent in a request for help.
The young woman had been promoted from the
telephone switchboard. Not one of them had played
a playerpiano before, not one of them could play the
piano on the keyboard, not one of them had the
slightest conception of music except to keep time for
a fox-trot on a dance floor. The girl had good busi-
ness instincts and to her was due the orderliness in
the keeping of the stock.
Impossible Help.
Of course they had in time acquired a knowledge
When a sick man seeks the services of a doctor of some of the technical terms of the trade and all
the first thing the medical gentleman does is to try to had learned to manipulate the player in a mechanical
discover the cause of his ailment. The diagnosis is way. But not one of them, not even the business-
then followed by the treatment.
The procedure like girl, had the sense to size up a customer or to
should be the same for a sick business. That is the move a roll off a shelf except the latest hits mentioned
in the monthly bulletins. They had no musical joy in
belief of a veteran traveler who is quick at the sick
business diagnosis and equally ready with the re- their work and their actions were perfunctory and de-
medial advices. He saw the necessity for his services void of the least bit of stimulation to a customer.
If a customer asked, say, for a roll of selection from
some time ago when the manager of a piano depart-
ment in a fair sized department store in a mid-west- the "Bohemian Girl" and the boys or the girl couldn't
lay a quick hand on it, they would suggest, "That
ern city unbosomed himself of a few troubles.
The playerpiano sales were not as big as they must be an old and dead one. Didja hear the 'Girl
should be, considering the excellence of the line and of the Golden West' or 'Girl of My Dreams.' They're
the advertising aid provided by the house. The state- great!" And usually they had to ask the title of an
ment of the case discovered to old Doc Traveler that, unfamiliar number more than once before setting out
the manager had, been worrying over results without on the hunt for it.
giving much thought to causes. Without a word of
It Was Tragic.
comment the veteran traveler left the side of the
That
veteran
traveler
did not mean to be funny in
worried manager and walked into the music roll
relating that circumstance. To him it was too tragic.
library of the department.
There he sought for
causes before devising any practical scheme for im- He admits that a dealer may be able to sell player-
pianos without the pretence of maintaining a regular
proving sales in the playerpianos.
roll department, but under the circumstance the player
Causes Were Plain.
trade of the dealer will not grow as it should. At-
A great many things were at once obvious to the tention to the roll department is attention to the
seeker for a cause. For one thing, although the stock playerpiano department.
The roll department is the continuous bond between
was larger and, as he found, the methods of restock-
ing fairly good, the important music roll department the playerpiano customer and the house, and the live
was hidden away in a cubby hole under a stairway. dealer does not consider the player sale a closed inci-
Except when artificially lighted, it was dark, and dent in his business. The veteran traveler believes
even the most alert clerk found it difficult to lay his that the pleasure of any family in its playerpiano is a
constant stimulation to the player trade. And the
hand on the desired numbers promptly.
The next discovery was that the demonstration dullest piano man can readily see what a potent
rooms, where customers by themselves or with clerks means to an end the properly managed music roll
heard the rolls, were originally built by the house department is.
The manager of the piano department in that de-
carpenter with no regard for the real purposes of a
demonstration booth. The spaces were separate, but partment store was not dull. He realized that unless
that was all. A whisper in one could be plainly heard the same sort of intelligence was employed in the
in all the others and the ventilation was what the roll department that was employed in the selling of
pianos and players, the roll department would be a
traveler termed "fierce."
detriment to player sales instead of a help. There are
roll customers besides those who scramble once a
The Worst to Come.
But further discoveries were neither architectural, month for the latest popular hit. Finding them is a
mechanical or physical. They were psychical. A fair way to discovering player customers.
main reason that the playerpiano sales did not re-
spond to the opportunities was the personality of the
clerks in the music roll department.
There were
three clerks in the department, two young men and
a young woman. The young men had been appointed
through casual application for a job to the store
superintendent. They were sent to the music roll de- Changes, Renewals and New Enterprises in Different
Parts of the Country.
SOME OF THE LATE CHANGES
IN RETAIL PIANO TRADE
LESTER
Grand Pianos
are wonderful business builders. Their
rich, full, mellow tone, velvety action,
beautiful design, superb finish and
marvelous durability make them quick
sellers. And the price is right. Let
us give you full details.
LESTER PIANO CO.
1306 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia
A music department has been added by the Filmore
Pharmacy, 1643 Filmore street, San Francisco.
The new addition to the Griffith Piano Co. store in
Scranton, Pa., opened recently. The new space just
doubles that originally engaged in this city.
In the new store in Binghamton, N. Y., Sullivan
Bros., has accommodations for handling and display-
ing more instruments than ever before. In addition
to Hallet & Davis and Kimball pianos the firm carries
a line of Lyon & Healy band and orchestra instru-
ments.
A new repair shop for pianos has been opened at
194 Warren street, Newark, N. J., by C. E. Griffin,
formerly a repairman and tuner in the piano depart-
ment of L. Bamberger & Co., Newark.
The line of the Steger & Sons Piano Mfg. Co., Chi-
cago, has been taken on by the New Music Shop, 38
Twelfth street, Wheeling, W. Va.
The partnership in Spring & Holmes, Willimantic,
Conn., has been dissolved, Mr. Spring continuing the
business.
N. J. Mann, formerly an exclusive talking machine
dealer of Worcester, Mass., is now featuring a piano
line.
The United Music Co., New London, Conn., re-
centlv purchased the music business of D. J. Marsh
& Co.
The Lyon & Healy line of pianos has been taken
on by Davidson's Music House, Des Moines, la.
11
WHEN "PAY-DAY" COMES
'ROUND IN BIG BUSINESS
Retail Dry Goods Merchants Have a Time for
Cleaning Up the Slate Every
Spring.
China has a custom of cleaning up all indebtedness
—paying all biils—on a stated day of the year. It is
an old custom and perhaps is not so faithfully ob-
served now as once. But how many in the piano
business know that in the United States certain lines 1
of trade employ a similar system of paying up on a
fixed day. On the day all past-due accounts arc ad-
justed and the business houses start with clean slates.
One of the lines of business of the kind is that of
dry goods. The time comes round in the spring
when all fall accounts are adjusted, and in the fall
the spring bills are settled. Recently the New York
newspapers reported that "pay day" had come with
retail customers of the larger wholesale dry goods
houses, but inquiry brought out the fact that not
enough returns had reached the "money fan" to give
any real idea of how bills were being met. While
nothing definite was said to that effect, the impres-
sion was gained that anticipation by retailers had not
been so large as in recent previous seasons, despite
reports of better consumer buying.
In certain quarters lighter collections, though not
slower ones, are looked for this season because of the
smaller individual purchases and the resultant lower
gross amounts falling due on "pay day." It was said,
however, that at least a week would be required to
get a really comprehensive line on how the retailers
were paying up. How would a "pay day" in the
piano business work?
HOME TOWN FIRST.
The Mishawaka, I nd.. Chamber of Commerce
voted unanimously its hearty sanction and moral
support of the "Try Mishawaka First" mercantile
and industrial exposition given there by Mishawaka
Post No. 161 of the American Legion this week.
William J. Coats, commander of local post of the ex-
service men's organization, presented the legion's
plans for the exposition.
BUYS PLATTSBURG BUILDING.
Frank La Voice, music dealer, Plattsburg, N. Y.,
has moved his store to the First National Bank
building, located on the corner of Margaret street
and Protection avenue, the building having been re-
cently purchased by Mr. La Voice from the officials
of the bank.
ADDS ANOTHER LINK.
. Charles F. Hunkins and Blaine Linton, proprietors
of music stores in Sonora, Los Banos and Angels
Camp, Cal., have purchased the Goebel & Ncwhouse
Music Store of. Chica, Cal. Harry Calarneaux will
have charge of the phonograph, records and sheet
music departments.
Schumann
PIANOS and PLAYER PIANOS
Have no superiors in appearance, tone
power or other essentials of strictly
leaders in the trade.
Warning to Infringers
FRAOfi MAAH
This Trade Mark la cast
In the plate and also ap-
pears upon the fall board
of all genuine Schumann
Pianos, and all lnfrlngers
will be prosecuted. Beware
of imitations such as Schu-
mann ft Company, Schu-
mann & Son, and also
Shuman,
as
all
stencil
shops, dealers and users ot
pianos bearing a name in
Imitation
of
the
namt
Schumann with the Inten-
tion of deceiving the public
will be prosecuted to the
fullest extent of the law.
MOVES THIS WEEK.
The Baker Music House, Schenectady, N. Y., this
week occupied the store in Foster Hotel building,
508 State street, formerly Cluett & Sons' music
store, which is low located on lower State street.
The line of musical goods which the concern handles
will be increased.
Schumann Piano Co.
W. N. VAN MAT&E, President
Roclrford, 111.
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