The talking machine world (Jan-June 1928)

The Talking Machine World, Neiv York, April, 1928 7 7 Cleveland Distributor Holds a Three-Day Meeting of Retailers New Model Atwater Kent Shown to Retail Fraternity at One of the Most Successful Meetings Ever Held by a Distributor in This Territory — Other News Cleveland, O., April 9. — The Cleveland Ignition Co., distributor of Atwater Kent in Cleveland and northeastern Ohio, held a verysuccessful three-day meeting for the purpose of introducing the new Model 38. The affair was held at the Hotel Westlake and the newmodel was enthusiastically received, and a large number of orders placed for it. The new Pooley radio tables, Styles No. 1 and No. 2, were also shown, and received a welcome from the trade, as both styles are large enough to accommodate the Atwater Kent Models 37 and 38. N. W. Steiger, a Cleveland Crosley dealer, gained considerable publicity for himself, and also for the Crosley Bandbox, by equipping a Green taxi cab with one of these well-known sets. The installation excited considerable favorable comment. Brunswick dealers are finding an exceptionally good demand for Al Jolson's exclusive Brunswick record "Mother O' Mine," theme song of the Jazz Singer. The picture, when shown in communities that do not have a Vitaphone, offers dealers an opportunity to tie up therewith, by using the Brunswick Panatrope, and synchronize with the film. E. S. Germain, district sales manager of the local Brunswick branch, visited the territory served by the branch and is optimistic over the outlook. The Wolfe Music Co. moved during the month to its new home at 2112 Euclid avenue from its old location on Prospect avenue at the Taylor Arcade. T. E. Chadwick, sales manager of the Cleveland Ignition Co., assisted the Wolfe Music Co. in a display of the new Atwater Kent models during the month. Thc regular monthly meeting of the Cleveland Music Trades Association was held at the Hotel Statler and was fairly well attended. The Cleveland Talking Machine Co., Victor distributor, reports the sale of Red Seal records to have been unusually heavy during the month. The company has been holding monthly sales promotion meetings for dealers' sales ladies, which are bringing forth very encouraging re sults. The various models of Victor instruments are also selling well, said Howard Shartle, of the Cleveland Talking Machine Co. The Empire Phonoparts Co., of Cleveland, manufacturer of tone arms and reproducers, has recently placed four new products on the market which are meeting with considerable success. They are the No. 12 and No. 13 Empire tone arms, Empire No. 5 tone arms and Premier reproducer. President McNamara, of the company, is well pleased with the demand. Robert E. Taylor, general manager of the Cleveland branch of the Starr Piano Co., presided, in his" capacity of president of the Music Merchants' Association of Ohio, at the midyear meeting held at Columbus. He was ac Attributes Success to Service Policy J. E. Sawkins, manager of the Sawkins Music House, Grebe radio dealer of Alma, Mich., sold a lot of radio sets last year, mainly because he gave "instant radio service" and courteously told his customers the truth at all times. "When we first installed our service department we missed a few service calls, and our customers were sore," said Mr. Sawkins. "After that we put up a large blackboard in the office and wrote down every call that came in. Thereon the name remained until the call was made and the service card signed and returned to our office files. "Shortly after we began handling radio we hired a young chap who said he could install and repair radio sets. We didn't have much confidence in him at first and always went out with him to see that he did his work right. Soon afterward I found out that he knew a hundred times more than I did. I then raised his salary and placed him in complete charge of service. We laid the law down to him about companied to Columbus by Rexford C. Hyre, secretary of the organization, Otto C. Muehlhauser and Henry Dreher, past presidents of the Association. Considerable interest in the meeting was taken by the Cleveland branch, practically all of whom are members, on account of the vote on whether the Association should affiliate with the national body, and which was voted down. R. J. Mueller, manager of the Columbia Phonograph Co. branch in this city, recently sent a message to dealers advising them to loan a set of the Bayreuth Festival recordings to local newspaper reviewers to secure free publicity for the Masterworks set. The second annual radio show of Bergers, West Side department store, was held during the month with gratifying results. Emerson Gill and his Bamboo Garden Orchestra went to Chicago on March 27 to record for Columbia. They are the second Cleveland organization now on the Columbia recording list, and it is expected by the local Columbia branch that their records will prove brisk sellers. Many dealers had special window displays of the new Columbia hits. pleasing customers and giving 'instant radio service,' and right there, I firmly believe, is the basic reason why we sold so many sets thereafter— and have so many satisfied customers." Asked how he managed his service department, Mr. Sawkins told of the present system which he maintains. "We give a few free service calls with every set sold, and after that we charge one dollar and a half ($'1.S0). This charge is always made even if we only find that the storage battery is dead. Sometimes they kick, and once in a while we cancel the charge with a warning that the next time we will collect. Not only do we believe in it but we have found that the public is willing to pay for reliable instant radio service from the dealer!" Newspaper Section Devoted to Kolster Federal-Brandes, Inc., manufacturer of Kolster radio, with the co-operation of Kolster distributors and dealers in the metropolitan district of New York, executed a strikingly effective piece of co-operative advertising on April 1 in the New York Herald Tribune. This was a special eight-page section devoted entirely to Kolster news and advertising, and published as part 2 of the regular Herald Tribune radio section. Musical Products Distributing Co., Greater City Distributing Co., McPhilben-Keator, Inc., and E. M. Wilson & Son, Kolster distributors in the metropolitan territory, and approximately 225 dealers carried advertising space in this special section. Photographs and personal histories of Federal-Brandes executives, the story of Kolster Radio from its inception, news and features, including the Kolster Radio Hour now being broadcast weekly, as well as photographs of Kolster distributors, combined to make this one of the most forceful layouts of co-operative advertising effort ever directed to the buying public. Start Radio Service School in Newark A vocational training school for radio service men has started in Newark, N. J., having been established by the Essex County, N. J., Board of Education, working in co-operation with the Radio Manufacturers' Association. The success of the initial radio servicing school has interested many other institutions of .technical training throughout the country, and it is expected that a number of similar schools will be founded in the near future. 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