SELLING PRICES AND TERMS OF BUSINESS 103 



does not want to convert a friend into a life-long enemy, 

 simply for the sake of strict adherance to red tape, there 

 must not be an impression that the company are wanting 

 in firmness, and can be bullied into concessions of one 

 kind or another. Sometimes there is a tendency, especially 

 where electric competition exists, to try and set one company 

 against the other, or to adopt an aggressive, not to say 

 threatening tone, as a matter of policy. The customer is 

 always complaining that the service is bad and the price 

 high, that the meter and stove rents are excessive, and so on. 

 If on the slot system, and supplied with two lights and a 

 cooker free of first cost, he goes into elaborate calculations 

 as to the schedule rate for gas, with a view of showing that 

 the company are making 50 per cent, profit on the outlay, 

 or he quotes another company that is alleged to give four 

 lights and a gas fire. All this must be taken for what it is 

 worth, and dealt with tactfully, but sometimes firmly. It 

 is not wise to pooh-pooh every unreasonable complaint, or 

 to make too elaborate a reply. As a rule, there is no 

 difficulty in maintaining satisfactory relations with the 

 consumer. 



Unless the rules relating to discounts are very carefully 

 drafted, prolonged experience will show that many people 

 get the advantage of them without any corresponding 

 benefit to the company. An engine rebate should be 

 accompanied by a minimum consumption limit, and special 

 purposes allowances should specify clearly the means for 

 arriving at the special, as distinct from the ordinary consump- 

 tion. Discounts on quantity should apply to each quarter 

 independently. A large winter user should not be supplied 

 with a small quantity during the summer at the winter rate, 

 and it should be understood whether quantity is arrived at 

 by taking all the meters on one particular block, or whether 



