THE MILK CONTRACTOR 341 



tion from dust. Sometimes delivery boys will fill bottles by thrusting 

 the bottles down into a can of milk thereby contaminating all the milk 

 in the can and filling the bottles with dirty milk. 



Progressive dealers give a great deal of thought to the delivery of milk 

 for if it is not watched it is likely to become unduly expensive while close 

 attention to the service is apt to suggest ways in which expense may be 

 cut and sales increased. 



The delivery outfit is under daily observation by a critical public, 

 consequently it is worth while to keep it spick and span. The horse 

 should be well-groomed; the harness should be clean and oiled with the 

 trimmings well-polished; the wagon should be kept well-painted and 

 washed. The driver should be clean, obliging and tactful. A uniform 

 adds to his appearance if it is kept in repair and clean. The advertising 

 value of a well-kept delivery outfit is well-known. A dirty one is prima 

 facie evidence of an insanitary supply. A jaded half -starved horse tells 

 of the lack of prosperity of the owner, perhaps of his willingness to take 

 advantage of others. An attractive wagon every moment it is on the 

 road extends a fetching invitation to do business with the owner. The 

 color of the wagon may well be distinctive but garish colors should be 

 avoided. The trade mark or some phrase descriptive of the dairy or of 

 the goods may well be printed on the wagon but the lettering should be 

 plain and simple. The appearance of many delivery wagons is spoiled 

 by carrying too much lettering and by that which is poorly done. A clean 

 good-mannered deliveryman will get trade where a dirty, smelly, uncouth 

 fellow will fail. The public regards the. man on the wagon as merely a 

 driver but his employers look on him as a salesman. It is his ability to 

 get trade and not that to pilot a wagon that makes him valuable. He is 

 often paid a commission for new business or given a bonus as a reward 

 for his contribution to the general prosperity of the company. Some of 

 the larger companies give their deliverymen lessons in salesmanship and 

 see to it that they are instructed on such matters as the chemical com- 

 position of milk, its food value, the bacterial count, pasteurization, the 

 methods of handling milk in the plant and on the way it should be cared 

 for in the home. It should be the object of the dealer to secure certain 

 and regular delivery of the milk and to cater to the needs and wishes of 

 his customers. Particular pains should be taken that new customers are 

 not overlooked or special orders forgotten. On certain holidays such as 

 Christmas or Easter it may be customary for the patrons to take more 

 cream and by calling attention to the approach of the day the company 

 can often take orders which it would have to refuse were they not booked 

 ahead of time. The good will of patrons is often won by seeing to it 

 that the milk is delivered at some particular spot where it is wanted in- 

 stead of decorating the front door step or some other equally prominent 

 place with the bottles. Frequently a suggestion that a covered recep- 



