The talking machine world (July-Dec 1924)

30 THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD October 15, 1924 Should Dealers Send Records on Approval The Methods of Several Retailers and Resulting Problems in Sending Out Records on Approval Outlined by Frank H. Williams When it comes to the sending out of records on approval, should the talking machine dealer do so without any restrictions being placed on the customers getting the records? Or should the dealer place certain restrictions on approvals which will have the result of creating some business for him? And, in the cases of approval customers, how can the dealer cash in on these customers to the fullest extent possible, not only at the time of sending out approvals to them but also in the future? These are important questions for the consideration of every dealer. And it will be worth while for all retailers to consider the various ways in which different dealers successfully answer these questions. Here are some of the most interesting and worth while ways in which various dealers handle the approval problem: Insists Customers Make Purchase Pribyl's Phonograph Shop, at the corner of Fifth and Main streets, Santa Ana, Cal., is definite and specific about the things it expects from customers who ask to take home records on approval. This store has a sign above its stock of records which reads as follows: "At least one-third of all records sent 'out on approval must be purchased." And, over another section of the phonograph record stock, the store has this additional sign: "No exchanges." These signs are so prominently displayed that it is a careless customer indeed who can come into the store and not see them. So most of the customers are informed in advance of what is expected of them when they ask for records on approval. But, in order that there will be no misunderstanding about the matter, the Pribyl store politely informs all approval customers of its terms about approvals and so does away entirely with any chance for mislakes. This plan of making customers purchase at least a third of the records they secure on approval has been of great help to the store." Forty-eight Hours Return Plan A Southern California talking machine store insists that its customers return all approvals within forty-eight hours of the time they are taken from the store. If the records are not returned within that length of time they are charged against the customer as a regular sale. By making this rule regarding approval records and by enforcing it to the letter, this store has done away with a great deal of the trouble which it formerly had in the handling of approval records through delayed returns. Doesn't Send Out Dance Records on Approval "Our experience with approval records may not have been the same as that of other dealers," said a live wire Middle Western merchant, "but we have found that we have a lot more trouble, in the long run, with dance records sent out on approval than with any other kind of records. "This is a sample of the sort of trouble we have had with such approvals: A young girl came in here not so very long ago and said her family was tired of the old dance records and she wanted to see if she couldn't get them to buy some new records. She wanted us to let her take out a dozen or so snappy new records on approval so that she could demonstrate then to the family and get them to buy some of them. The next day the girl returned with all of the records and said she was very sorry, indeed, but the family didn't like any of the records and her folks would come to the store themselves and hear some records and then make purchases. "Right away we were quite suspicious. I thought sure there was something else doing than the simple state of affairs the girl had told me about. And my suspicions were fully justified when on looking at the society column of the local paper that evening I saw where the girl had entertained at a dance party the previous evening. She had made us furnish the music for her dancing party, but didn't pay us anything for it and didn't give us any credit for it, either. "A few experiences of this sort made us institute our rule against sending out dance records on approval. With the other kinds of records there isn't the temptation for doing things of this sort and there is more reason for people wanting to hear how the records sound on their own machines in their own homes." Care Must Be Exercised "We have put a lot of intensive study on this matter of sending out phonograph records on approval," declared another dealer. "We feel, of course, that the more demonstrations of phonographs and of records we can give to our customers the more business we will do and the more money we will make. Con sequently it is, of course, to our advantage to send our records on approval. But if the people who get records on approval simply take advantage of this service and if they hold the records longer than they should and simply play them to pieces while they have them, then we will be better off by not having any approval service at all. "In view of this, then, the best proposition for the phonograph dealer with regard to sending out records on approval is to make sure that the people who get the approvals will not abuse the privilege. "We find from experience that while young people purchase the most records at our store, they are also the greatest abusers of the approval privilege. So we have made it a rule to cut down, as much as possible, the approvals allowed young people and to give older people just about what they want in the way of getting records on approval. We either kid the young people out of getting records on approval or we tactfully tell them there is nothing doing and, generally, they take it all right and don't raise trouble, and we get as much business from them as we ever got. And, of course, the older people are quite appreciative of our courtesy in giving them quite extensive approval privileges and we have greatly increased our business from older customers in this way." Follows Up Approval Customers by Phone Calls "We follow up approval customers conscientiously all the time in trying to get more business from them," commented another dealer. "We have almost no restrictions regarding the sending out of records on approval provided we know the people who want the approvals or provided that they look right to us. In fact, this thing of sending out records on approval is one of the most profitable branches of our business. But we are not content with simply getting what business comes to us voluntarily from our approval customers. We keep right after these customers all the time in trying to get still more business from them. We keep track of the names and addresses of all customers who have ever received records from us on approval and the dates of the last times we sent them such records. Then, every other month or so we call them up on the phone — if they haven't purchased any records from us in the meantime — and we suggest that we send them out some new records to try on theii machines. "In most instances this offer gets response from the people to whom it is made. These customers who are accustomed to getting rec ords from us on approval tell us to go ahead and send out some of the new records. Wc do so at once and we practically always get enough business to make the proposition very much worth while. And we always feel that such business as we get in this way is business that we have actually created, as it is business that, otherwise, wouldn't have come to us. Brodrib & Blair Opening \\ ATERBURY, Conn., October 8. — The formal opening of the new headquarters of Brodrib iv Blair, Victor and Edison dealers, was held recently at 97-99 Bank street. The new quarters are complete in every detail with facilities for the proper demonstration and display of a full line of Victor and Edison products, a section to be devoted to radio, with testing and concert rooms. The mezzanine is given over entirely to a piano salon. A feature of the opening day ceremonies was the musical program rendered by local and nationally known artists. Flowers and appropriate souvenirs were distributed. RADIO Combination Set Manufacturers Are PROGRESSIVES in the talking machine field. 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