Motion Picture News (Jul-Aug 1916)

Gjnstruction, Equipment and Operation SECTION OF MOTION PICTURE NEWS Everything for Theatre, Exchange and Studio Service WHAT is Service? The Century dictionary says: " The performance of any office or labor for another." Is this all or are there other elements which enter in? To be sure there are degrees of service which make one kind of more value than another. It might be said that the mere sale of goods was a service — it may be for the manufacturer from whom you have bought them, but whether that sale is a benefit to the purchaser is a question. A sale is defined by the same dictionary as " The transfer of goods from one individual to another for a valuable consideration." Therefore, in making a sale are Ave to assume that all that is necessary is that money is received for it ? Some time ago, while on a trip, I was in the office of one of the best motion picture supply dealers in the country. He was telling of conditions which he illustrated as follows : He said that a theatre owner in his city was building a new house and needed two new projection machines. He came to our friend and asked for a price which was quoted at list. The exhibitor leaned back and laughed loudly. It developed that he could go up the street a short distance, and from another dealer purchase the same machine at exactly five dollars over the cost of the machines to the dealer after he had deducted not only his dealer discount, but his cash discount as well. Here was a sale. A valuable consideration had been received— five dollars per machine. Yes, a service had been rendered — to the manufacturer, who had himself received all the money he had asked for the goods. One might say that the dealer was the only one who had lost — all the others had gained. It Avas his own fault. He had been willing to take five dollars per machine instead of about one hundred dollars. Wait : Is this true ? Did not . someone else suffer ? How about the purchaser ? ^ ^ ^ J_JERE was the exhibitor who had bought the machines as they stood. It was up to him to cart them away What he did with them made no difference to the socalled dealer — he did not care. As far as he was concerned the exhibitor could throw them in the river — he had made a sale. He had even done a service as far as the machines were concerned, for having them in his shop he had allowed them to be taken away for a consideration. This is not the wav the dealer in whose office I sat works. When he sells goods, he makes all the money the manufacturer allows him to make, but when he sells the goods his work has only started. He makes his sales, backed up by real service, for he performs a labor in behalf of another. He puts his personal guarantee behind the machines and will see that any defective parts are replaced within a given time. He takes the machine to the theatre, he has it set up by people who know how, he sees that it is properly wired, in fact, he takes entire charge of the installation. Then after this has been done, he is ready any time, either day or night to go to that theatre, make repairs or help the operator. In other words, he is prepared and ready to go further to give real service to the purchaser. * * * HE real dealer is an asset to the business — he is able to run a shop where he has experienced men and a regular delivery service. If the theatre owner needs any kind of supplies, he can telephone the dealer and have them sent around. In fact, he can receive help of any and all kinds at any and all times. The other dealer is alone in his shop which looks like the one horse place which it is ; all he knows is to sell goods for what he can get for them ; whereas, if he were honest with himself he would sell at full price ; but he is not. He is a leech on the trade, sucking the blood out of the business — to what end ? Surely not for his own benefit or for the money he makes, for he hardly exists. Surely not for the benefit of the exhibitor, for here is the man he robs. A dollar saved is a dollar made, but look out for the definition of the word saved. No exhibitor who buys goods as the man in question bought them ever saved any money. The difference in the price charged by the " junk " dealer and that by the " service " dealer is small compared with the loss sustained after the purchase by. not having the goods backed up by the reputable dealer whose guarantee is as good as his bond. Our advice, therefore, to all theatre owners and those who contemplate entering the business is to buy your equipment from a dealer who has a name for' honesty and whose every sale is backed by his guarantee of sennce which guarantee has been proven by his past dealings. E. K. GiLLETT.